There is a boy with a big toothy smile who stands up to shake my hand. The room is slightly damp, as most places are in a rainforest, and articles of clothing and half eaten snacks are strewn under the slanted ceiling. On the windowsills are swim trunks and shirts laid flat in the hopes they might dry. Jan (YAHN, not “Jan”) is the name of the boy. He has a firm handshake. Jan is from Germany and…

The laundry room at Rainforest Retreat in Franz Josef is bustling by 9:00am. It’s a small warehouse stacked high with supplies: sheets of varying sizes and colors, bottles of cleaning chemicals, plastic bags, boxes of toilet paper, and individually wrapped cookies, teas, and coffee. Stationed behind a shelf which she uses for a desk is a plump Filipina woman. Her name is Jennalynn, and she…