Part 2/9:
The journey begins with a vivid memory of stepping off a helicopter into a "dirty jungle"—a landscape overgrown and etched with secondary growth after deforestation. This environment is teeming with life, both fascinating and dangerous, creating a sensory overload for newcomers. The speaker recalls arriving in 1984, with the dense greenery surrounding them, weapons in hand, ready for border patrol duties between Guatemala and neighboring regions.