Holland spent the next twenty minutes briefing them about the different ways the jungle would try to “tap them out” of the expedition.

Andy kept rapt attention, not only to make up for his earlier interruption—which was innocent enough; he was only trying to help out Libby—but because he knew something Holland said here in this conference room could save his life come tomorrow.

Holland put up photos of all the animals that inhabited the lowland Bolivian rainforest and could shred them to pieces: jaguars, caimans (small alligators, usually between six and eight feet long), black caimans (the largest members of the alligator family and, at around fifteen feet long, the largest predators in the Amazon River basin), wild boars, tapirs, and several different types of monkeys. He spoke at length about how it was imperative to remain observant, to keep a watchful eye.

Then came the bugs: mosquitoes, sand flies, chiggers, ticks, kissing bugs. Holland couldn’t stress enough how important it was to apply DEET from head to toe several times a day—to spray their clothing with it, to apply it before they went to sleep. Because as if the bugs weren’t bad enough, they also carried a plethora of deadly diseases: malaria, dengue, yellow fever—diseases that might not kill them but were so painful that they would wish they were dead.

Andy had gotten his yellow fever vaccine a couple of days after his phone call with Roth three weeks earlier. He’d also started taking malaria pills the previous week, as instructed. But according to Holland, neither the vaccine nor the pills guaranteed they wouldn’t contract the diseases. And sadly, there was no prevention for dengue—also known as “breakbone fever”—other than trying not to get bitten by a mosquito that carried the virus.

From bugs and diseases, Holland moved on to plants. Nearly a third of the plants in the Amazon rainforest were poisonous in some way or another. Holland would distribute gloves—the kind scuba divers used—and he recommended wearing them at all times. He urged everyone to be especially careful when going to the restroom, the last thing you wanted was for your privates to brush up against something sinister and swell, burn, and blister. Even with his warning, it was sure to happen to someone.

Don’t be that someone.

Holland cautioned how easy it was to get lost. Wandering a mere fifteen feet from the group could lead to disaster. Never detach from the group. Never leave base camp alone. On every trip from base camp, everyone would be required to bring an emergency kit filled with food, water, a flashlight, a knife, matches, DEET, and rain gear.