Selling Shoes ONLINE??? They gotta be joking. I will make money for Vessi by giving them the Financial Advice of declaring Bankruptcy before its too late...
Dare to talk about Palastine and genocide in Palastine by ZIONIST regime IOF . They call it Israhell defence force. A totally terrorist and apartheid state's terrorist regime
I’m Venezuelan. I left my dying country back in 2011, and came to the US after a couple of years of living in Ecuador through the safe (but long) legal route. Hearing this makes me so happy that I left early. It’s getting increasingly harder for other Venezuelans to immigrate north legally, let alone leave the country. Hence, they are left with few options - this being one of them. I am very, very lucky.
@@paigeharrison3909 thank you! I love it here, especially feeling like I’m actually contributing to society by being able to get an education and working a decent job in the arts & design field (what I always wanted to do).
I’m from Panama. Nobody went into Darien (it’s a province). Also the Kuna (now Guna) have the highest incidences of albinism of any other people. They call them “moon children” and it’s very common to see them in the cities. The mola artwork of course is beautiful.
I learned that from a pirate book! (Born to Be Hanged) the pirates helped the Kuna get back their princess in order to get guidance & hopefully plunder the city she was captive in. Those dudes would have all died by the second day w/o the Kuna. A couple did anyway. If the locals tell you "don't eat that fruit", dude, *Don't Eat That Fruit!*
@tracywilkinson1820 and where'd you go? I imagine the US? SMH are you part of the illegal immigration that is destroying America? If you want your country to do better why don't you stay there and fix it? Why do you have to be strain on actual Americans who didn't overrun your country with illegal immigrants? Just go back and take all your family with you
I have a friend that moved from Cuba to Chile to save money to come to the US. His family traveled through this area and it sounded brutal. A 14 year old with the group slipped and fell of a cliff at night and they couldn't even stop. He is still having stomach issues from parasites in the water years later.
@@Pumkinseeds. or they can go another way, not through the jungle! we don’t want them. the land is already saturated with immigrants as well as natives
I've sen two (well, three: Ben wasn't alone) RUclipsrs cross the Darien Gap. Noraly - Itchy Boots - took sketchy boats across the Gap, and Ben - Bald and Bankrupt - took the land route. Ben had to censor out a lot because of the bodies they came across along the way.
I've heard of a group who tried to ride motorcycles through the Darien gap. A majority of the journey was just them dragging the bikes through the jungle instead of riding them.
We travelled into the Darien Jungle in 2016 with a group run by the New South Wales Geographic Society. From a ship, we transferred to powered local longboats, much like that shown at 2:24. We travelled up a river to the tidal limit and then walked to a village. I believe we were in the vicinity of Camaganti but they wouldn't tell us exactly. The villagers ware being studied by scientists. They were quite primitive, as we expected, till we saw the greeting party checking their appearance and hair using the cameras on their mobile phones! Yes, they were isolated but a couple of huts had solar panels on the roof, presumably to recharge the phones.
Damn their cultural values are being permeated or should I say dwindling in permission, kind of like how vinegar helps eggs peel but probably not in a good way, it is what it is, hopefully there are still tribes virgin to intervention able even supported by avoidance to live in solace
Yeah, nobody will be able to reach you. Except the millions of civilian, untrained unfit people of all ages who walk through there daily on their way to illegally cross the US border
Given how much it rains in the area, I really wouldn't. You can if it's built well enough to prevent/mitigate flooding and deep enough where erosion won't uncover it. But a desert would be more preferable.
@@JeffBilkins I wouldn't underestimate what you saw. If you listen to his and Timmy's post interview it was pretty sketchy. They said they definitely had people with them die, and saw multiple dead bodies. Plus they were two dudes. Imagine if you were female.
One aspect that you didn't touch on is the fact that agriculture is a huge reason governments want the gap to remain. There are several livestock diseases that only exist in South America - and the gap continuing its existence means the livestock MUST be funneled into the appropriate screening facilities. So until those diseases are controlled, governments will continue to use it as one of their reasonings for NOT providing infrastructure or help for this region...
if they only make one passage, it can be very tightly controlled since its the only entrance. All of the issues that politicians list for the darien to not have a road or a safe path is politiquery and Panama playing the chauvinism card. I mean just look at the panama canal which was built more than 100 years ago....
Spent six months at Fort Sherman Panama with the US Army in 1992. Most of the time in the Jungle. Humans being "on the menu' is so true! To me the scariest thing in the jungle were the Killer or Africanized Bees. They didn't play and were relentless if they swarmed. We even had a "Battle Drill" for them. Stand still and throw a smoke grenade if they attacked....I wasnt in the Darien National Forest, But the jungle I did go thru was both beautiful and treacherous if you were not careful.
Tough place. Was there in 89. The northern edge actually. During Just Cause, it was my job to block any attempts of the Panamanian military to escape to Columbia. We were of the opinion that if they got past us, the jungle would put paid to their attempt.
@@sheldonwheaton881 LOL!!!!! About 15lbs or so. And that was from a 15 day deployment. South of the Canal is brutal. It was so humid that you didn't want to eat.
@@MFobes At the time, I would have loved to just had miserable. LOL!!! I've been in the Arctic and that place wants to kill you, but that jungle really wanted to go three steps beyond. Cheers
@@Hillbilly001c'mon, it's not that bad over here. I mean, sure, I'm sweating buckets from just between the minutes I get dressed and make it to the car but otherwise it's super comfortable! Just ignore the mosquitos.
Simon, here in Panama, it rains avg 9 months of the year basically everyday ... Water will fall 'horizontally' without wind ... Yes, you have to live here to see it and live it ... Colombians, venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians have all risked their lives to cross it, paid huge amounts of money ... And yes, it is beautiful
I like the Darian Frontier as you called it - makes me think, could be called the Darian Passage as well, since it seems most people simply want to get through it to somewhere else
When Land Rover launched the Range Rover in the early 70’s they crossed the Darien gap with a couple of Range Rovers and a LWB as part of the British Trans-Americas Expedition, I believe it took a long time as they had to make their own roads and equipment failed a lot and replacements had to be flown out from Solihull.
I'm friends with one of three guys who crossed the Darien Gap with bicycles as part of their around the world tour. He has spoken to the National Geographic Society about this years long adventure. His description of the crossing is amazing. Snakes, big cats and bandits. His story of the world tour is very little known that should be made into a documentary series and would probably make a great movie as well.
One thing I've noticed from all the videos I've seen on migrants crossing the Darien Gap is how different their demography is to migrants crossing the Channel into the UK. There are many more women, children and old people trying to get to the USA. The UK migrants are mostly young men.
No I live in south Texas they are just showing you that so we feel bad but if you come here it’s hundreds of young men for just a few ladies and kids never take anything from the American media at face value. Doesn’t matter what side there on
As @johnwinter7597 stated it is a simple media manipulation tactic. You can't reject women and children at the border they're suffering, starving and uncomfortable. Europeans have a much meaner outlook on migrants and try to frame it in a far different way than our media does.
also Texan, central albeit right on the biggest highway crossing the state. I'd counter the above poster by saying that plenty of those coming to the USA from south of it are closer to refugees than standard migrants. 😐 fleeing violence and impossible conditions to survive at this point, not just looking for opportunity. unfortunately the violence is trying to come with them.
Nice work Simon and to the writers. This was really interesting to watch and I bet it took a very long time to put together. You had me wondering if it might be nice to see as a tourist at first, but it's now on the nope list.
Thank you Simon for giving a voice to these folks. I have been to the end of the road in the town of Darien back in the 1990s. Back then, the locals affirmed it was impossible to get to Columbia from there. I am so sad to hear about how things are changed. The trolls commenting here really should be ashamed of themselves. The stories he is telling are about real people.
Is this a joke about Darien, Connecticut? Can't get to Col *u* mbia, not Colombia? There is no "town of Darién" apart from the one that's *in* Colombia, so obviously no-one there would say you can't get to Colombia from it, because you're there already. The town of Darién is also about 1000km away from the Darién region. You should be ashamed of yourself too.
@@nathangamble125 Ok, smarty pants, I thought it was called Darien as that is what my companions called it. But it was the town at the end of the Pan America Highway.
Was stationed in Panama back in 1990 we had maps of the Darien that were completely blank except for a small area in a edge because it hadn't been mapped yet.
It's fairly typical of Simon Whistler and team's piss poor attitude towards those that show support of his many channels and the reason why I un-subbed. Now I just pick out the occasional video to watch. I've watched two this week and both have had such intentional dishonesty and/or lazy pronunciation and incorrect information in them.
@@annakeye I'm sorry you have had such a poor experience with the content of these channels. Also, you may have missed the point of a blind man mistaking a cheetah for a jaguar..... are Simon and his team perfect? no. are You perfect, probably not. is he making money for providing readily available information in video form with sounds and flashing lights? yes....
I was in La Palma once many years ago. It felt like a modern pirate city. We continued to explore old spanish forts located on island close by. They were used to protect the gold trade back in the day.
I am a medical interpreter and constantly hear about entire families walking through that jungle for 6 days straight. Some of them have been sexually assaulted and robbed by armed forces in there. It sounds like hell, everytime. At least for the ones that i hear about, they are already receiving medical help in the USA.
The trek across the Darién Gap is 97 kilometers long. Migrants have no choice but to travel on foot. By 2013, the coastal route on the east side of the Darién Isthmus became relatively safe, by taking a motorboat across the Gulf of Uraba from Turbo to Capurganá and then hopping the coast to Sapzurro and hiking from there to La Miel, Panama. All inland routes through the Darién remain highly dangerous.This is the only break in the Pan-American highway which stretches for some 30,000 kilometres, from Argentina to Alaska. 0:30
I'm glad I live somewhere that I don't have to worry about everything killing me... Trees, snakes, bugs, big cats, crocodiles, the weather, and people but no one can really get away from people
My husband is from Panama and spent his childhood crawling through the jungles of the Darien Gap. He has seen some CRAZY things, and it has made him believe in the supernatural.
@29:34 Why show footage of a cheetah when talking about jaguars? I'm not a fan of the use of AI in these videos either but, a stock image/video of a jaguar couldn't have been THAT hard to find.
Oh I lost faith in humanity ages ago I just have hope still for many humans. Unfortunately as a group large enough to create sides and opportunities for power humanity takes over and anything both great and caring to horrible and degenerate is possible. The imagination of humanity, especially to hurt is unlimited.
Imagine what it must feel like to go through the Darien, get to the US, get caught by ICE and kicked all the way back to starting point of the Darien gap.
They don't get kicked back by ICE if they do it legally. Of course the US is becoming like Venezuela because of illegal "immigration" so the US isn't going to be any better for much longer. 🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️
@dulio12385 imagine what it must feel like to go through the Darien, get to the u.s., and find out that you've been lied to to your whole life, that America is not the land of opportunity, that there is no employment, no affordable housing, that there are already millions of native born u.s. citizens who are destitute and homeless, that everyone despises you, and then you get caught by ice and booted back to the sorry country you came from...
Sorry Simon but a few wrong comments there. The Darien expedition did not bankrupt Scotland and at the time of a forced union with England, Scottish debt was equivalent to one year's GDP. When the Act Of Union was passed Scotland was forced to accept English debt, which was a far larger sum than one year's GDP. Yes, Scotland was a poor country in relation to it's bigger neighbour but it wasn't the basket case so many claim it was.
Eddie its no good keep trying to make out Scotland didn't bankrupt itself. Englands GDP was phenominal in the 1700s trading all over the world. And why would Scotland take on England's dept no chance, we were the richest country in the world at that time. Scotland tried to emulate us but failed.
@@tonyclough9844 Go read some history books that aren't skewed towards England. Scotland was forced to take on English debt as part of the United Kingdom and it has been thus ever since. It still goes on today.
Simon, the trio of cars that you showed weren't Corvairs, lol. The journey of the Corvairs through the gap was "documented" in the movie "Daring the Darrien"
The Darien gap has been crossed now by so many people, that there is literally a road there now. They trampled a path the entire length. And it is now wide enough and smooth enough you could probably get at least a 4x4 through it.
@@infideltactical613 One sec, let me see if I can find the picture... Yeah, easy peezy. Google "Darien gap"(no links permitted here), then click the "images" button that pops up at the top of the page; you will not be able to miss them. MANY pictures with paths as wide as a car, completely trampled. Of course, I shouldn't need to tell you this, nor should you require proof. I mean, you, alone, just you, can make a path from your house to your shed just by walking it everyday. In just a couple weeks the path will be well defined, and in a couple months you will have a path that will take a decade or more for nature to heal. Just imagine what happens to a path when MILLIONS walk that same path. Your ability to think and reason should tell you there SHOULD be a path by now. That said, I welcome your criticism and your challenges.
Honestly, pics or it didn’t happen. Building any type of semi-permanent road there would be nearly impossible, given the saturated soil, daily rainfall, varied topography, lack of access (for any type of large mobile construction vehicles), and generally inhospitable climate for hard labor (high humidity, high temperature, no local medical care).
@@infideltactical613 Actually no. I wish I could, but RUclips doesn't allow links in comment sections. But you could google "Darien Gap" and then click the images/pictures at the top of the results page, and go looking through the pictures of it. In my searches, MANY pictures of the trail are showing wide paths, wide enough to get a 4x4, or an ATV/side by side, through it. I mean, this shouldn't be surprising to you. If you, just you, walk the same path through your yard for a few months, you will wear a path into it. And we are talking about millions. It should be expected there is a trail now. If there isn't a trail now there is a problem, right? If there isn't a well worn trail now, THAT would be unexpected, not the other way around.
@@BahamutBreaker Okay, it is not a paved road, but it is wide enough and flat enough you could get an offroad vehicle through it now. And like I told the person, it should not be surprising at all. Indeed, you should be expecting it. Millions of people, taking the same route. It would be more remarkable if there wasn't a road by now. I believe the correct term here would be "dirt road", if you are struggling for the words for it. That is how paths/trails work, by the way. Most people take the path of least resistance. The more people that take it, the wider the path gets. One day it becomes a road. Then a highway. If the illegal immigration is never stopped; it could very well one day be an actual highway. If you picked a spot in the middle, you could get some well digging equipment out there. Keep the location secret and you might be able to actually have a profitable business. In time, more people will settle that location. The more people that stop there, the more business there will be. A village could even pop up there. To be honest, I am not really sure where your brand of skepticism is coming from. How can you be skeptical of things humans just do naturally? Makes no sense to me. Anyway, like I told the other guy, I cannot provide a link here, such is impossible. To make demands of proof in situations like this, where proof CANNOT be provided, is irrational. You can, instead, google it yourself. It is not a hidden conspiracy or anything. It is just what is happening.
20 дней назад
Tthe first town in continental American soil was built in the Darién region, it was called "Santa María la Antigua del Darién". The town didn't hold on for much time however, and it was abandoned. Colombia discovered the site in the 90's and today in it's site there's an archeology museum, and a laboratory where anthropologist continue their research. The tow fell because of the indian raids and the perilous geography and fauna. Today it is a natural reserve. Some politicians have promoted the project to rise a bigh elevated highway over some parts of the gap to complete the Pan-American road- but it would be an ecocide. There's also talks in Colombia to build a navigable way of several canals that could connect the Atlantic ocean with the Pacific.
I cry for the hard working people who do this sometimes I think they should be were I am in a nice home with a roof over their head but that is not the case saddest part if you complain you are too woke what ever that means
So, you enjoy the fact that many die to cross this?!? Instead of fixing their own countries, you want them to be exploited there instead, so you can enjoy cheap fruit and cleaners for your homes?!? That's what you woke bastards are asking for and cause!
In episode 101 of the Sean Ryan show: Michael Yon details how many times he's been to the Darien Gap, how there is a road being built through it & it's nearly finished.
Watching this makes me even more disgusted by how we currently treat and view migrants seeking asylum as a country. To go through all of this hell, with your small children in tow no less, and find out that once you reach what you assume to be safety, they don't want you either? This is heartbreaking. Anyone willing to risk this just wants freedom. They want safety. You don't soldier through this kind of journey without desperation. As the grandchild of immigrants, I pray for those who fight to make it through this kind of trek.
Living in a sanctuary city, one of the most popular sanctuary city, idk if i would trek through that to get here. They are promising them streets laid with gold and these roads have potholes and rats. I dont think they would come with whole families if they knew exactly what lay ahead for them once they reached the US. I think it would be more single men like in Europe than whole families with young children. But instead of the US trying to stop the violence below their borders they concentrate on richer countries across the pond. Apparently we're going to have to find places for all those willing to risk death and worse to get here with more death waiting for thwm 😢
I mean, considering a lot of the places people are running from, I can see why they do. You'd have to be insane to choose Haiti over the gap. You are fucked either way, but at least in one there is the possibility of something better.
This is an incredibly naïve statement. You think they care about potholes when they’re coming from massive gang violence, economic collapse, and desperate hunger? Perhaps take some time to research what is going on in some of the countries people are fleeing from. They don’t care at all about potholes and rats. Those are first world problems.
This is a perfect example of WHY explanation/education of immigration/asylum laws are important. It's irrelevant if someone is fleeing for risk of death, they won't qualify for asylum unless that risk of death is directly because of the person's religious or political or ethical persuasion. If you are in danger of dying because of random violence then you are not qualified asylum and risking your life only to be sent back hardly seems worth it
@@calebbearup4282 Well, 8 million people have made it into the US to receive monthly stipends, housing and medical care and you and I are paying for it. So, check your facts.
@@After9designNetwebdesignThat's kind of the whole point. You better believe less people would attempt the trek if they knew that there was a 100% chance that they wouldn't get in, or get immediately get deported if they did. We're full.
South American social media and other resources they might use in their language are filled with misinformation saying that it's easy and safe to immigrate to the US. The US government saw this as a problem, and created an agency that was supposed to publicize more accurate information on South American outlets in the languages used there... Republicans rapidly got it shut down. That's what the actual stated purpose of the Disinformation Governance Board in the DHS was supposed to be. After a few rounds of conspiracy theory telephone, they decided it was a group for censoring Facebook.
That Arthur Blessit character came through my small Bible Belt town in the early 70's , dragging that cross (now on bicycle wheels 😏) and pretty much tore my Southern Baptist Church asunder when he and his crew of young "Jesus Freaks" did a mini-Revival there. 13:43
the Darien Gap was crossed on a BMW motorcycle by a man named Ed Culberson. His experience is recorded with photographs in a book titled Obsessions Die Hard published by the Teakwood Press in 1991.
👟 Big ups to Vessi for keeping my feet dry! Check out vessi.com/places for 15% off your first order!
Selling Shoes ONLINE??? They gotta be joking. I will make money for Vessi by giving them the Financial Advice of declaring Bankruptcy before its too late...
The real question is, are they Darien-proof?
Only true fool would go there
My BF says those shoes gave me herpes!!
Dare to talk about Palastine and genocide in Palastine by ZIONIST regime IOF . They call it Israhell defence force.
A totally terrorist and apartheid state's terrorist regime
I can imagine a Scottish ancestor of mine hearing about the horrors of the Darien and still thinking “anywheres better than Glasgow”
Aye glasgee
It gets ya farther from the damn English
I would take Glasgow over Detroit any day.
Imagine subscribing to Simon's Places only to learn it's the tourism channel for Simon's Warographics.
I feel the same way about the MAGA crowd here, complaining about the United States.
I’m Venezuelan. I left my dying country back in 2011, and came to the US after a couple of years of living in Ecuador through the safe (but long) legal route. Hearing this makes me so happy that I left early. It’s getting increasingly harder for other Venezuelans to immigrate north legally, let alone leave the country. Hence, they are left with few options - this being one of them. I am very, very lucky.
Glad you made it.
get out!
@@megaflux7144 Y
YOU GET OUT
It's also getting harder for Venezuelans in Ecuador. Here they sadly think of them all as conmen and robbers and it's so sad
@@paigeharrison3909 thank you! I love it here, especially feeling like I’m actually contributing to society by being able to get an education and working a decent job in the arts & design field (what I always wanted to do).
I am convinced you must have the record for the most channels on RUclips. Seems like every week I come across a new one.
Yes it's like that joke by Dave Chapelle about R.Kelly and his sextapes:
"Damn, ANOTHER one? "😂
I swear hes an advanced Chatbot
I thought the same. He's an imperialist talking head.
How so? @@dannydetonator
@@Beefy423 that very well might be *the* danny, a major writer for simons channels
Love how Simon found an office in the middle of the Darien just for this video, that's some dedication
hehe
I mean, considering the surroundings, he probably picked it up cheap.
He doesn't pull the wool over my eyes!! That's obviously the Congo forest!!!
Dedication and professionalism. (In Simon's inflection) ...Well done, old chap!
“Even the trees are trying to kill you” I lost it 😂
does simon run all of these youtube channels like a mafia boss
yes that’s why he keeps the writers in the basement😂
Yes, and he keeps his writers locked up in his basement... don't cross Simon lol
Yeah. Some he sells on though.
You new around here ?
more like Martha Stewart
I’m from Panama. Nobody went into Darien (it’s a province). Also the Kuna (now Guna) have the highest incidences of albinism of any other people. They call them “moon children” and it’s very common to see them in the cities.
The mola artwork of course is beautiful.
I learned that from a pirate book! (Born to Be Hanged) the pirates helped the Kuna get back their princess in order to get guidance & hopefully plunder the city she was captive in. Those dudes would have all died by the second day w/o the Kuna. A couple did anyway. If the locals tell you "don't eat that fruit", dude, *Don't Eat That Fruit!*
From the u.s. originally? I've heard there are a lot of American immigrants there.
@@MsKelly-os4ktim from the Canal Zone. I left Panama when I was 18.
@tracywilkinson1820 and where'd you go? I imagine the US? SMH are you part of the illegal immigration that is destroying America? If you want your country to do better why don't you stay there and fix it? Why do you have to be strain on actual Americans who didn't overrun your country with illegal immigrants? Just go back and take all your family with you
I have a friend that moved from Cuba to Chile to save money to come to the US. His family traveled through this area and it sounded brutal. A 14 year old with the group slipped and fell of a cliff at night and they couldn't even stop. He is still having stomach issues from parasites in the water years later.
i will say as a panamanian, we would like more legal intervention to preserve the jungle we love so much.
Ask the migrants to stay. Then they won’t go through the forest.
@@Pumkinseeds. or they can go another way, not through the jungle! we don’t want them. the land is already saturated with immigrants as well as natives
Why aren't the migrants allowed along the roadway? Why are they forced to pass through the jungle.
Stop the migrants, then
Maybe building a single road and patrolling it would prevent the whole jungle being used as a road.
I've sen two (well, three: Ben wasn't alone) RUclipsrs cross the Darien Gap.
Noraly - Itchy Boots - took sketchy boats across the Gap, and Ben - Bald and Bankrupt - took the land route.
Ben had to censor out a lot because of the bodies they came across along the way.
I've heard of a group who tried to ride motorcycles through the Darien gap. A majority of the journey was just them dragging the bikes through the jungle instead of riding them.
@@rubiconnn jeeps and land rovers did it too, back in 70s
We travelled into the Darien Jungle in 2016 with a group run by the New South Wales Geographic Society. From a ship, we transferred to powered local longboats, much like that shown at 2:24. We travelled up a river to the tidal limit and then walked to a village. I believe we were in the vicinity of Camaganti but they wouldn't tell us exactly. The villagers ware being studied by scientists. They were quite primitive, as we expected, till we saw the greeting party checking their appearance and hair using the cameras on their mobile phones! Yes, they were isolated but a couple of huts had solar panels on the roof, presumably to recharge the phones.
Damn their cultural values are being permeated or should I say dwindling in permission, kind of like how vinegar helps eggs peel but probably not in a good way, it is what it is, hopefully there are still tribes virgin to intervention able even supported by avoidance to live in solace
Me, a Panamanian American, learning more from Simon about Panama than I ever have. Great job!🇵🇦❤️
So what you've saying is: the Darien is the best place for me to build my vault-tec shelter. Roger that.
Your a sheep
Yeah, nobody will be able to reach you. Except the millions of civilian, untrained unfit people of all ages who walk through there daily on their way to illegally cross the US border
Ya well check that build quality an
Never open the door
Given how much it rains in the area, I really wouldn't. You can if it's built well enough to prevent/mitigate flooding and deep enough where erosion won't uncover it. But a desert would be more preferable.
The shifting dot graphic overlay on your broll is super distracting. Makes it a bit difficult to watch the video.
Agreed
Bald and Bankrupt crossed it earlier this year, seeing how hard it would be to get to the USA.
It was pretty scary but showed it is doable and not super deadly.
@@JeffBilkins Yep.
@JeffBilkins Range Rover 4x4 crossed it for an advertising stunt, doing the trans American highway and the gap in 1971.
@@JeffBilkins I wouldn't underestimate what you saw. If you listen to his and Timmy's post interview it was pretty sketchy. They said they definitely had people with them die, and saw multiple dead bodies. Plus they were two dudes. Imagine if you were female.
@DarkSitesChannel I thought it was a modified Jeep
One aspect that you didn't touch on is the fact that agriculture is a huge reason governments want the gap to remain. There are several livestock diseases that only exist in South America - and the gap continuing its existence means the livestock MUST be funneled into the appropriate screening facilities. So until those diseases are controlled, governments will continue to use it as one of their reasonings for NOT providing infrastructure or help for this region...
if they only make one passage, it can be very tightly controlled since its the only entrance. All of the issues that politicians list for the darien to not have a road or a safe path is politiquery and Panama playing the chauvinism card. I mean just look at the panama canal which was built more than 100 years ago....
Spent six months at Fort Sherman Panama with the US Army in 1992. Most of the time in the Jungle. Humans being "on the menu' is so true! To me the scariest thing in the jungle were the Killer or Africanized Bees. They didn't play and were relentless if they swarmed. We even had a "Battle Drill" for them. Stand still and throw a smoke grenade if they attacked....I wasnt in the Darien National Forest, But the jungle I did go thru was both beautiful and treacherous if you were not careful.
I lived at Ft Davis in the early early to mid 80s. Spent a lot of time at Shimmy Beach on Sherman. Would love to see it all again
Guess today I found out where the Jumanji Jungle is located
Sycophants who hunt people included.
I've always wondered if Simon has to powder his entire head to stop the lights causing glares... 😂😂
Damn. I can't link the Sponge Bob Movie gif where they show the Kings heads massive glare off his head.
"Bald. Bald. Bald!"
Simon!!! We need to know 😅
I'm sure there's a 50 minute video ready to release explaining exactly how 😉
Just the inside of his nose
@@millzy8885 But what channel does he publish it under? Megaprojects?
Tough place. Was there in 89. The northern edge actually. During Just Cause, it was my job to block any attempts of the Panamanian military to escape to Columbia. We were of the opinion that if they got past us, the jungle would put paid to their attempt.
No doubt! Thanks for your service.. Lost weight down there?
@@sheldonwheaton881 LOL!!!!! About 15lbs or so. And that was from a 15 day deployment. South of the Canal is brutal. It was so humid that you didn't want to eat.
@@Hillbilly001god that sounds miserable. Thanks for you service and sharing your experience!
@@MFobes At the time, I would have loved to just had miserable. LOL!!! I've been in the Arctic and that place wants to kill you, but that jungle really wanted to go three steps beyond. Cheers
@@Hillbilly001c'mon, it's not that bad over here.
I mean, sure, I'm sweating buckets from just between the minutes I get dressed and make it to the car but otherwise it's super comfortable!
Just ignore the mosquitos.
Simon, here in Panama, it rains avg 9 months of the year basically everyday ... Water will fall 'horizontally' without wind ... Yes, you have to live here to see it and live it ... Colombians, venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians have all risked their lives to cross it, paid huge amounts of money ... And yes, it is beautiful
Why would people from islands need to go through there?
Passing this area is like playing Oregon Trail on expert mode
I like the Darian Frontier as you called it - makes me think, could be called the Darian Passage as well, since it seems most people simply want to get through it to somewhere else
Well a gap can also be a doorway in a fence to a different pasture. So a gap is a passage.
Literally there in part to make it harder to get (and run drugs) across
nice photo of a cheeter lazing in the Darien gap. Excellent video ,very informative on a crisis that few peopkle know of.
Yes, it's got so much space to run and catch its prey.
i imagine the jungle's carnivores are pleasantly surprised at the walking buffet...
...SIMON HOW LONG HAS THIS CHANNEL BEEN HERE???
SIMON WTF
WHEN DO YOU SLEEP
Is my GPU failing or do you have weird disconcerting green grid overlays on this entire video
Your computer sucks😅
Scrolled for ages looking for this comment
Simon is just a narrator no wonder some of his projects are sub par
I am a humble devotee of DTU and TCC ..... I am so excited to find the third channel. My day is made. I'm calling in sick to work
There are so many channels beyond DTU, TCC and Places 😂
17:51 Never would have guessed the Colombian cartels are Pittsburgh Pirates fans
They are trying really hard to challenge Philadelphia for the worst fans
There is logic to it: "this is a Pirates hat. I am literally a pirate. Of course I should wear this"
Hopefully it stays lush and impenetrable for multitudes of generations.
"jaguars" shows 10 second clip of a cheetah at 29.25
it's only leopards that don't change their spots. i guess therefore jaguars can.
Looked like a jaguar to me
Oh oops yeah I see the one you were talking about.
That was a Jaguar
Yeah, that is 100% a cheetah. The editor messed up.
When Land Rover launched the Range Rover in the early 70’s they crossed the Darien gap with a couple of Range Rovers and a LWB as part of the British Trans-Americas Expedition, I believe it took a long time as they had to make their own roads and equipment failed a lot and replacements had to be flown out from Solihull.
"Equipment failed a lot" well, being Range Rover they could have expected that
I'm friends with one of three guys who crossed the Darien Gap with bicycles as part of their around the world tour. He has spoken to the National Geographic Society about this years long adventure. His description of the crossing is amazing. Snakes, big cats and bandits. His story of the world tour is very little known that should be made into a documentary series and would probably make a great movie as well.
Darien Gap - Home to these dangerous, venomous snakes.
Australia 🇦🇺 - Here…hold my beer….
🤦♂️
Did dingos eat your baby?
@@unsafe_at_any_speeda dingo did eat her baby tho.
Australians - «ONLY AUSTRALIA HAS DANGEROUS ANIMALS, GAAAHH!!!»
Not Australians thinking they have the most dangerous animals lmfaooooo
This poster is a fraud. Aussies dont let anyone hold their beer
One thing I've noticed from all the videos I've seen on migrants crossing the Darien Gap is how different their demography is to migrants crossing the Channel into the UK. There are many more women, children and old people trying to get to the USA. The UK migrants are mostly young men.
We have imported several large cities worth of people in the last few years. The numbers are staggering.
No I live in south Texas they are just showing you that so we feel bad but if you come here it’s hundreds of young men for just a few ladies and kids never take anything from the American media at face value. Doesn’t matter what side there on
As @johnwinter7597 stated it is a simple media manipulation tactic. You can't reject women and children at the border they're suffering, starving and uncomfortable. Europeans have a much meaner outlook on migrants and try to frame it in a far different way than our media does.
also Texan, central albeit right on the biggest highway crossing the state. I'd counter the above poster by saying that plenty of those coming to the USA from south of it are closer to refugees than standard migrants. 😐 fleeing violence and impossible conditions to survive at this point, not just looking for opportunity. unfortunately the violence is trying to come with them.
@@johnwinter7597 I don't watch American media. I'm talking about RUclips creators.
Nice work Simon and to the writers. This was really interesting to watch and I bet it took a very long time to put together.
You had me wondering if it might be nice to see as a tourist at first, but it's now on the nope list.
Thank you Simon for giving a voice to these folks. I have been to the end of the road in the town of Darien back in the 1990s. Back then, the locals affirmed it was impossible to get to Columbia from there. I am so sad to hear about how things are changed.
The trolls commenting here really should be ashamed of themselves. The stories he is telling are about real people.
Is this a joke about Darien, Connecticut? Can't get to Col *u* mbia, not Colombia?
There is no "town of Darién" apart from the one that's *in* Colombia, so obviously no-one there would say you can't get to Colombia from it, because you're there already. The town of Darién is also about 1000km away from the Darién region.
You should be ashamed of yourself too.
@@nathangamble125 Ok, smarty pants, I thought it was called Darien as that is what my companions called it. But it was the town at the end of the Pan America Highway.
Would these vessi shoes make crossing the gap easier?
Was stationed in Panama back in 1990 we had maps of the Darien that were completely blank except for a small area in a edge because it hadn't been mapped yet.
Great video! No annoying music lol. Very informative.
"Spiders" - Shows Tarantula
"Scorpions" - Shows scorpion
"Crocodiles" - shows crocodiles
"And Jaguars" - Shows Cheetah
😂😂 3 out of 4 ain't bad
Fantastic video on the gap - easily one of the best I've seen
Well damn. That was depressing.
Simon? I am a subscriber of a bunch of ur great podcasts. Just came across this channel and subbed 👍🏼 is there a “list of channels” wer I can sign up?
29:26 - That is one fast looking Jaguar... I assume Dave is picking the pictures now??
It's fairly typical of Simon Whistler and team's piss poor attitude towards those that show support of his many channels and the reason why I un-subbed. Now I just pick out the
occasional video to watch. I've watched two this week and both have had such intentional dishonesty and/or lazy pronunciation and incorrect information in them.
@@annakeye I'm sorry you have had such a poor experience with the content of these channels. Also, you may have missed the point of a blind man mistaking a cheetah for a jaguar..... are Simon and his team perfect? no. are You perfect, probably not. is he making money for providing readily available information in video form with sounds and flashing lights? yes....
🤔Looks like it's been taking performance enhancing drugs, Damn Cheatahs
@@annakeyeAny examples you can give of deliberate dishonesty? Genuine question btw
EDIT: Yeah, thought not. 🙄
I was in La Palma once many years ago. It felt like a modern pirate city. We continued to explore old spanish forts located on island close by. They were used to protect the gold trade back in the day.
I am a medical interpreter and constantly hear about entire families walking through that jungle for 6 days straight. Some of them have been sexually assaulted and robbed by armed forces in there. It sounds like hell, everytime. At least for the ones that i hear about, they are already receiving medical help in the USA.
The trek across the Darién Gap is 97 kilometers long. Migrants have no choice but to travel on foot. By 2013, the coastal route on the east side of the Darién Isthmus became relatively safe, by taking a motorboat across the Gulf of Uraba from Turbo to Capurganá and then hopping the coast to Sapzurro and hiking from there to La Miel, Panama. All inland routes through the Darién remain highly dangerous.This is the only break in the Pan-American highway which stretches for some 30,000 kilometres, from Argentina to Alaska. 0:30
I'm glad I live somewhere that I don't have to worry about everything killing me... Trees, snakes, bugs, big cats, crocodiles, the weather, and people but no one can really get away from people
You should not try Australia then.
How on earth are you so productive you can find time for another new RUclips channel? You absolute legend!
Basically, this place is full of real life Pokémon. 😂
Maybe if those people trying to walk the gap had Vessi''s it would make it easier?
And Simon would be the face of that promotion 😂😂😂
Was gonna say that butt gotta check them comments 1st
Vessi promo for Darien Gap. LOL GENIUS
That’s a cheetah! lol
Simon love your videos!!!! you must never sleep
My husband is from Panama and spent his childhood crawling through the jungles of the Darien Gap. He has seen some CRAZY things, and it has made him believe in the supernatural.
The science behind Vessi shoes breathable material is actually fascinating
@29:34 Why show footage of a cheetah when talking about jaguars? I'm not a fan of the use of AI in these videos either but, a stock image/video of a jaguar couldn't have been THAT hard to find.
I try not to lose faith in humanity, but humanity seems determined to make sure that I do.
Oh I lost faith in humanity ages ago I just have hope still for many humans. Unfortunately as a group large enough to create sides and opportunities for power humanity takes over and anything both great and caring to horrible and degenerate is possible. The imagination of humanity, especially to hurt is unlimited.
Simon doing his best Blathers impression at 6:06
This is all absolutely horrific, but at 29:32 that is an African cheetah, not a American jaguar
Imagine what it must feel like to go through the Darien, get to the US, get caught by ICE and kicked all the way back to starting point of the Darien gap.
Umm.... To quote Biden "flood the border" no one is being turned back at the moment they are all being let in
How do you think they came up with the game chutes and ladders. 😅
They don't get kicked back by ICE if they do it legally. Of course the US is becoming like Venezuela because of illegal "immigration" so the US isn't going to be any better for much longer. 🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️
Except thanks to Biden that won't happen.
@dulio12385 imagine what it must feel like to go through the Darien, get to the u.s., and find out that you've been lied to to your whole life, that America is not the land of opportunity, that there is no employment, no affordable housing, that there are already millions of native born u.s. citizens who are destitute and homeless, that everyone despises you, and then you get caught by ice and booted back to the sorry country you came from...
Spiders, snakes, gaters, and even jaguars!
Shows a cheetah lol
It must be a cheetah that identifies as a jaguar.
This is just depressing 😞. But i certainly appreciate Simon telling this..
Thank you so much for not including the spiders hahaha i was so ready to skip forward 😂😂
29:28 That's a cheetah big man. Cheers for the video though!
Watching this at 4am. Thank you for skipping over the insects lol
Well Geez...
Someone really needs to make a modern "oregon trail" style game bssed one the Darien Gap
woo fact boi has sponsorships on places now
Sorry Simon but a few wrong comments there. The Darien expedition did not bankrupt Scotland and at the time of a forced union with England, Scottish debt was equivalent to one year's GDP. When the Act Of Union was passed Scotland was forced to accept English debt, which was a far larger sum than one year's GDP. Yes, Scotland was a poor country in relation to it's bigger neighbour but it wasn't the basket case so many claim it was.
Eddie its no good keep trying to make out Scotland didn't bankrupt itself.
Englands GDP was phenominal in the 1700s trading all over the world.
And why would Scotland take on England's dept no chance, we were the richest country in the world at that time.
Scotland tried to emulate us but failed.
@@tonyclough9844 Go read some history books that aren't skewed towards England. Scotland was forced to take on English debt as part of the United Kingdom and it has been thus ever since.
It still goes on today.
Jaguar 5:16, Cheetah 29:26.
Simon, the trio of cars that you showed weren't Corvairs, lol. The journey of the Corvairs through the gap was "documented" in the movie "Daring the Darrien"
So it's Catachan.
I see Simon's face on any thumbnail... I click..Simple
An absolutely Smashing story!
I’ve been through a small part of the Darian gap! It’s beautiful but terrifying
Wait, where the hell this channel pop out of 😂 dammit Simon, how many channels you got
it’s cause he stopped working for geographics bc he didn’t own that one but he owns this one now. you won’t see him on geographics anymore
@@briannam3140 ah got it
The Darien gap has been crossed now by so many people, that there is literally a road there now. They trampled a path the entire length. And it is now wide enough and smooth enough you could probably get at least a 4x4 through it.
Can you give proof of this?
@@infideltactical613 One sec, let me see if I can find the picture...
Yeah, easy peezy. Google "Darien gap"(no links permitted here), then click the "images" button that pops up at the top of the page; you will not be able to miss them. MANY pictures with paths as wide as a car, completely trampled.
Of course, I shouldn't need to tell you this, nor should you require proof.
I mean, you, alone, just you, can make a path from your house to your shed just by walking it everyday. In just a couple weeks the path will be well defined, and in a couple months you will have a path that will take a decade or more for nature to heal.
Just imagine what happens to a path when MILLIONS walk that same path.
Your ability to think and reason should tell you there SHOULD be a path by now.
That said, I welcome your criticism and your challenges.
Honestly, pics or it didn’t happen. Building any type of semi-permanent road there would be nearly impossible, given the saturated soil, daily rainfall, varied topography, lack of access (for any type of large mobile construction vehicles), and generally inhospitable climate for hard labor (high humidity, high temperature, no local medical care).
@@infideltactical613 Actually no. I wish I could, but RUclips doesn't allow links in comment sections.
But you could google "Darien Gap" and then click the images/pictures at the top of the results page, and go looking through the pictures of it. In my searches, MANY pictures of the trail are showing wide paths, wide enough to get a 4x4, or an ATV/side by side, through it.
I mean, this shouldn't be surprising to you.
If you, just you, walk the same path through your yard for a few months, you will wear a path into it. And we are talking about millions. It should be expected there is a trail now. If there isn't a trail now there is a problem, right? If there isn't a well worn trail now, THAT would be unexpected, not the other way around.
@@BahamutBreaker Okay, it is not a paved road, but it is wide enough and flat enough you could get an offroad vehicle through it now.
And like I told the person, it should not be surprising at all. Indeed, you should be expecting it.
Millions of people, taking the same route. It would be more remarkable if there wasn't a road by now.
I believe the correct term here would be "dirt road", if you are struggling for the words for it.
That is how paths/trails work, by the way. Most people take the path of least resistance. The more people that take it, the wider the path gets. One day it becomes a road. Then a highway. If the illegal immigration is never stopped; it could very well one day be an actual highway.
If you picked a spot in the middle, you could get some well digging equipment out there. Keep the location secret and you might be able to actually have a profitable business.
In time, more people will settle that location. The more people that stop there, the more business there will be. A village could even pop up there.
To be honest, I am not really sure where your brand of skepticism is coming from. How can you be skeptical of things humans just do naturally? Makes no sense to me.
Anyway, like I told the other guy, I cannot provide a link here, such is impossible. To make demands of proof in situations like this, where proof CANNOT be provided, is irrational.
You can, instead, google it yourself. It is not a hidden conspiracy or anything. It is just what is happening.
Tthe first town in continental American soil was built in the Darién region, it was called "Santa María la Antigua del Darién". The town didn't hold on for much time however, and it was abandoned. Colombia discovered the site in the 90's and today in it's site there's an archeology museum, and a laboratory where anthropologist continue their research. The tow fell because of the indian raids and the perilous geography and fauna. Today it is a natural reserve. Some politicians have promoted the project to rise a bigh elevated highway over some parts of the gap to complete the Pan-American road- but it would be an ecocide. There's also talks in Colombia to build a navigable way of several canals that could connect the Atlantic ocean with the Pacific.
I just found my dream job. Thanks!
Weird looking jaguar at 29:34. Perhaps he’s migrated from Africa using cheetah airlines.
Everyone wants to get to America through the Gap
I cry for the hard working people who do this sometimes I think they should be were I am in a nice home with a roof over their head but that is not the case saddest part if you complain you are too woke what ever that means
So, you enjoy the fact that many die to cross this?!? Instead of fixing their own countries, you want them to be exploited there instead, so you can enjoy cheap fruit and cleaners for your homes?!? That's what you woke bastards are asking for and cause!
Heard about people going through the Gap on the radio. Friggin brutal.
Wow the pixelating shifted grid is interesting. Nice!
There's cheetahs in Panama?? 9:25
The weird dot effect is super distracting.
very good and thorough video
In episode 101 of the Sean Ryan show: Michael Yon details how many times he's been to the Darien Gap, how there is a road being built through it & it's nearly finished.
Watching this makes me even more disgusted by how we currently treat and view migrants seeking asylum as a country. To go through all of this hell, with your small children in tow no less, and find out that once you reach what you assume to be safety, they don't want you either? This is heartbreaking.
Anyone willing to risk this just wants freedom. They want safety. You don't soldier through this kind of journey without desperation. As the grandchild of immigrants, I pray for those who fight to make it through this kind of trek.
there over 10 million illegals here it’s not our responsibility to pay for them.
Living in a sanctuary city, one of the most popular sanctuary city, idk if i would trek through that to get here. They are promising them streets laid with gold and these roads have potholes and rats. I dont think they would come with whole families if they knew exactly what lay ahead for them once they reached the US. I think it would be more single men like in Europe than whole families with young children. But instead of the US trying to stop the violence below their borders they concentrate on richer countries across the pond. Apparently we're going to have to find places for all those willing to risk death and worse to get here with more death waiting for thwm 😢
I mean, considering a lot of the places people are running from, I can see why they do. You'd have to be insane to choose Haiti over the gap. You are fucked either way, but at least in one there is the possibility of something better.
This is an incredibly naïve statement. You think they care about potholes when they’re coming from massive gang violence, economic collapse, and desperate hunger? Perhaps take some time to research what is going on in some of the countries people are fleeing from. They don’t care at all about potholes and rats. Those are first world problems.
I Like the nature out the window , for the new look👍🏻
Thank you for making this video 🇻🇪
Hi!
Hi 🏴
This is a perfect example of WHY explanation/education of immigration/asylum laws are important.
It's irrelevant if someone is fleeing for risk of death, they won't qualify for asylum unless that risk of death is directly because of the person's religious or political or ethical persuasion. If you are in danger of dying because of random violence then you are not qualified asylum and risking your life only to be sent back hardly seems worth it
By "ethical persuasion" did you mean to say "ethnicity?"
@@mixedbytc yeah thanks. Stupid auto correct always gets me
@@calebbearup4282 Well, 8 million people have made it into the US to receive monthly stipends, housing and medical care and you and I are paying for it. So, check your facts.
@@After9designNetwebdesignThat's kind of the whole point. You better believe less people would attempt the trek if they knew that there was a 100% chance that they wouldn't get in, or get immediately get deported if they did. We're full.
South American social media and other resources they might use in their language are filled with misinformation saying that it's easy and safe to immigrate to the US. The US government saw this as a problem, and created an agency that was supposed to publicize more accurate information on South American outlets in the languages used there... Republicans rapidly got it shut down. That's what the actual stated purpose of the Disinformation Governance Board in the DHS was supposed to be. After a few rounds of conspiracy theory telephone, they decided it was a group for censoring Facebook.
Excellent video 📹
Almost Scotland.
..the Derien is full of people.
Great video. Really appreciate the focus on the humanity of the migrants and other travelers, and all the history and anecdotes were interesting too
More Simon!
0:40 - Mid roll ads
2:10 - Back to the video
PS: So this is the "real" *Green Hell*
Poor people without adblock or premium
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That Arthur Blessit character came through my small Bible Belt town in the early 70's , dragging that cross (now on bicycle wheels 😏) and pretty much tore my Southern Baptist Church asunder when he and his crew of young "Jesus Freaks" did a mini-Revival there. 13:43
the Darien Gap was crossed on a BMW motorcycle by a man named Ed Culberson. His experience is recorded with photographs in a book titled Obsessions Die Hard published by the Teakwood Press in 1991.