yar–dee-do-dah do-dar-day
Sunday, January 27, 2008,2:04 PM
This weekend was the much-dreaded DOE expedition. Our group that went this weekend wasn’t able to practice the last trip- there was the high tide thing that spoiled our expedition. Anyway, this expedition wasn’t actually as bad as we expected, but it was overall still very muddy and quite tiring.
First they split us into three groups, each with nine students plus a teacher and three guides. Then began the five hour walk. Five hours through the Andalau Forest Reserve. Through the swamp and the leech-infested mangrove.
Halfway we stopped for lunch, then the guide peeled off his boots so we proceeded to do the same. Halfway eating, I peeled off my boots and found a lot of mud… then a wriggling thing making its way up my sock. LLEEECCHHH! I gave a big scream, the guide jumped up and took a leaf and scooped it from my sock into the bushes.
The rest of the trip was uneventful till we reached the campsite. They made us walk up a hill again, just to get our huge rucksacks, then down to set up the tent on this sandy area. Near there were two rivers, one with tadpoles we tried to catch, another that was our drinking source- which apparently tasted sour-ish and ‘bloody.’
That night we had plain pasta and pot mee for dinner. After that we sat around the bonfire while we roasted our marshmallows, and the talent show thing. Rosie told a really scary ghost story that night in the huge four person tent, and that made me a little scared during the night.
Amazingly, I went to bed at almost nine, but was woken up several times during the night. It was hard to sleep, it was really hot. Then it started to rain. Our tent outer cover was stuck to the inner cover, so the ‘waterproof’ cover started leaking. Several tents were flooded as the swollen river surged, they had to be moved. Some people had to wake up in the middle of the night to fix the pegs of the tent.
The second time I woke up, there was a chorus of snores from several tents. When one person stopped, another would start. Then in the midst of that, a pig snort. The next morning, Rosie said apparently that night she and Natasha heard noises- footsteps, sounding alien and without a flashlight, heavy breathing and several snorts. The next time I woke up I heard the tour guide talking, and a woman’s voice I think was probably miss maclearn.
The next time I woke up, it was still dark. I heard voices though, Camille, Rosie and Natasha were awake. We asked the time, it was about five almost six then, but it started to get brighter after that.
Trying to pack everything in was hard enough. The tent wouldn’t fit it, things seemed to grow. But after we got our bags on, the real bad part began.
The swollen river had to be crossed using this log, and some went off balance because of the heavy bags. Then it was the 1 hour and a half plus trudge up and down a hill with whip-like branches on either side of our route out of the forest reserve. When we finally reached the tarmac road, it was a long walk before we actually got to our bus.
I think I have learnt to appreciate my bed, food and water. I’m going to go get some water now, and perhaps sleep a little.
Labels: trips
