We eat as much breakfast as we can and check out of our rooms. We are delayed in our departure by an hour while some registration issues are sorted. Better to wait in the hotel with their facilities than in the middle of nowhere I guess.
We made our 90minute journey by bus, fully packed to our starting point, Nalemoru Gate. I feel a bit cheated that we start at an altitude of 1950meters. But with nothing impressive on route to the gate I am not saddened to have missed anything.
How could I mention the 90 minute bus ride, and not mention the moment the side effects from when my altitude sickness tablets kicked in. After 20mins into the journey, I had the urge to go to the toilet. no problem I thought, I can hold it, I've had to hold it for hours before and this is not that much longer to go. How wrong I was. Within 10mins I had broken into a sweat, I couldn't sit still I was begging for the bus to stop and the 5 minutes it took to find a safe stopping place seemed like hours. I had been given an empty bottle but I was not prepared to lose so much dignity so early into the trip. When the bus did finally stop I flew out the door before it had even stopped and few into the bushes. Relief!
I had decided to take the altitude sickness tabs from the beginning. I thought why take any risks of not making it by delaying the course of medication until perhaps it was too late. Not everyone took the diamox, and those that did had different doses and quantity. We all suffered differently but we all made it!
The walking is slow, yet altitude already affects us. We are breathing deep and its difficult to maintain a conversation. Its a strange sensation as its not much of a physical effort effort just yet, but I'm breathing like I'm jogging.
Four hours of walking through cultivated lands and through the rain forest. We have been greeted by monkey's and found evidence of elephants (we found fresh faecal matter! lol!) in the area crossing our path. We see some locals who still on the grounds of the national park. We pass a small market stall and a small boy, no more than 3 years old runs straight to one of the young attractive girls of the group and gives an unexpected cuddle. It was an adorable moment, but I fear it was a game to attract visitors to the family run market stall. Even so, his embrace was relentless and it gave the rest of the group the perfect opportunity to crack some jokes at the expense of the little boys victim.
We arrive at the camp-site and again, as a group we are amazed by the facilities on offer to us. As well as the quality and quantity of food and cooking served to us. We are dining better in the wilderness that we were at the hotel!
Hard rain keeps us tent bound as night falls. Overall a good day and we are laughing well together. Tomorrow promises to be a harder test in comparison to today's walk in the park.
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