Jungle Training!

Monday 27/06/11

Jungle training today! A bit apprehensive about trekking with my huge pack. Met at 7.30 at the office and packed everything into the trucks and drove down the hill to another village where we waited outside someone’s house for the guides, John (jungle training dude) and Dr Dom to come back from the other group. The first part of our trek was to walk through a river! We had to wear shoes and as we weren’t told to bring our sandals (extra weight) I had to wear my boots and get them soaked. I had puddles round my feet for the whole trek – sort of refreshing and squelchy. The whole trek was beautiful, before we got into the jungle we walked through rice paddies surrounded by mountains, and then up the mountains. It was hot – so hot! The weight of my pack was unbearable for the first ½ hour and then I got used to it and it was fine. We weren’t sure how far it was because the guides won’t say (keep sprits up I suppose) ‘nearly there’ or ‘not far now’. We were walking up through dense jungle; Kelly was in front of me and fell a couple of times in the slippery mud.  Really appreciated my 3 litre platypus; didn’t have to stop and get a drink unlike some people who felt bad for holding people up. The whole trek only took 2 hours but it felt like miles and miles, were exhausted when we got to the first camp. The first camp was gorgeous; it had a stream through the middle one side there was the camp fire and kitchen area and the other side was our camp. After lunch we put up our hammocks on the trees with mosi net and basher (rain cover), it was so cool; it was like being a kid again! After we’d set up we went out for an orienteering exercise where we followed on the guides, when we couldn’t see him we would stop him and take down a compass bearing so we could draw a map later on. Our guide took us through the steam! He thought it was funny to get our feet wet L all the guides were either in flip flops or bare foot but we weren’t allowed to walk around bare footed. Fifin and John showed us traps for trapping food in the jungle and then we went back to our camps and cooked dinner on our fire. We tried to dry out our boots and socks on the fire but it didn’t work very well. My feet had become wrinkly from being in wet boots all day. We had hot chocolate which makes everything better J then early to bed. This was my first time sleeping in a hammock; it wasn’t that comfortable my knees seized up during the night and was worried I would fall out.

Wet Feet!

Tired at the first camp

Steph and our fire and hammocks

Tuesday 28/06/11

Woke really early (5.45) and got dressed in the dark and got the fire started for breakfast. Packed up my hammock and waited for the others to wake up. Used a bush instead of the mandi, because it was a disturbing hole in the ground with scary flies. Filled my platypus with the cloudy boiled warm stream water, which had an interesting smoky taste, and put it in the stream to cool down. After breakfast we packed up and headed off about 9. The weather was so nice sunny and warm – getting used to the heat now. We hiked for 2-3 hours up steep hills; we stopped half way and had a jungle cooking lesson. We were shown how to cook eggs on leaves in the fire (mine caught fire but was still edible) and get drinking water from rattan (spiky, thorny, evil plant) and lianas (vine). The second camp was a real climb; it was on the top/side of a mountain. It was a lot cooler and the vegetation changed to pine and scrub. We set up camp again and cooked lunch. I helped Tom set up his hammock as he was feeling really tired and his brain wasn’t functioning properly! He put his hammock next to mine with one end on the same tree as mine; it was a small tree but it seemed sturdy enough. After everyone had set up we climbed to the top of the mountain to watch the sun set over the ocean and forest. It was an amazing view, and there was phone signal so I could text home J When we got back we had dinner cooked for us and we all sat around a big camp fire and chatted. I got tired and went off to bed a little earlier than the others; got into my hammock and could feel the wind blowing the small tree that both Tom and I were tied to! The whole night I was convinced that the tree was going to fall on me – wasn’t a good night’s sleep.

Trekking to the second camp

Drinking from rattan

Kelly, Tom, Steph, Jamie and Me (in my craghoppers NosiLife shirt and trousers)

Beautiful sunset from the top of the mountain

Wednesday 29/06/11

Survived the night! Packed up and had breakfast and were on our way by 9.30. We went a different way back which only took an hour. I was really close to the front and as we coming down the hill we saw some macaques! They were jumping along the tops of the trees J. We got to a river and were able to have a swim – it was so refreshing after wearing the same clothes for three sweaty days it was so nice to get a little clean. After 30 minutes we were off again to the vans and on our way home to Labundo Bundo. Got back about 11am and had a mandi straight away and got my clothes into be washed (thanks Mama Nia!) and had lunch. Feels so good to be clean! Ordered our beers for party night and Charlie and I got rattan bracelets made on our wrists by one of the guides. Had a test on what we’d learnt that week. And then dinner! Because it was the end of the week and party night we had special coconut rice and fried chicken – was so good! After dinner all the scientists got up and told us about their projects and how many people they needed and then we all rushed to the front to choose the project we wanted. I chose Tarsiers – luckily I got there just in time some people weren’t so lucky and had to do things they didn’t want to do. For some reason one girl managed to do two projects (?!!) – bad system. The party night party started at 8pm and a special dance floor was set up with massive speakers up at the office. I thought it was going to be naff and decided I was not dancing – I was so wrong it was so much fun, we all danced and had a laugh. Stayed up til 12 (that’s really late for Indonesia :P) – pooped!      

Swimming

Rattan bracelet
  

Party Night!!!