A Night in the Tropics

On the other side of the valley I see a hut. The sun is nearing the horizon, so I hope this is the village; in a last effort, I traverse the valley alongside the anticline, my boots sticking to the muddy soil and making every step an effort, particularly with the heavy backpack. I find myself under a roof without walls, maybe a stable currently not in use or the half-dismantled hut of a hermit; this does not bother me, it's dark, I want to save my candles for later and I'm too tired to read anyway, so after suspending the light string hammock from two convenient beams I go to a light sleep fully clothed, except for the boots. A few times I wake up with the distinct feeling that animals are nearby and look for them using the flashlight, but I can't see any. Probably the most dangerous ones are the mosquitoes, and I have both malaria prevention tablets and a mosquitero, so I should be reasonably safe from the most imminent danger.