Here in the lowland tropics the katydids are buzzing, in spite of the cicadas' piercing rattles which overwhelm all other noises in this place. Lithe treefrogs scurry gecko-like along the walls of the buildings, hunting insects. Big brown cane toads like chocolate rabbits bounce along the walkways and disappear into the shadowy depths of the rain gutters, trying to escape the strange two-legged creatures with lights on their heads that wander among the buildings here. We humans tiptoe nervously along the trails and walkways, headlamps blaring, eyes peeled for venemous snakes which we never see but rightly fear we might. All around, the forest hums with the electricity of billions of tiny, animated exoskeletons, each dancing to its own rhythm. Warm blooded diurnal creatures will soon enter the world of dreams, but this forest will never sleep.

Rainforest research students started trickling into the Jungle yesterday. Today I was part of the second wave of Evergreeners to arrive. Chances are good the rest of us will arrive tomorrow. For all practical purposes, our research projects have already begun, never mind the fact that none of us seem to have much of a clue what we need to do to get these projects off the ground. This first week is our crash-landing session, when we all get to make our most valuable mistakes and hopefully learn how to avoid them in the future. Jack arrives next week to head a collective counseling session in which all our prayers will be answered and our problems resolved. Then the data collection begins.

It's been confirmed: Rebecca arrives tomorrow. I'll be up in the morning bright and early to catch the breakfast wagon, and then my week of planning and frantic networking will commence. Wish me luck.