A while ago I completed the last step to my achievement of the silver duke of Edinburgh award. if I were to put aside the constant shouting to the front of the group miles away, the struggle with cooking against the timer that was the sun going down, setting up camp in the sweltering heat, the one bay that we pushed against the current in ending in us having to paddle for well over 30 minutes, the varied levels of strength in our arms forced to paddle all day long, the teachers being done with us, countless thoughts of giving up, the risks of heatstroke, the daily ration of re-hydration salts being the only sweetness in our lives at that moment; I found it very enjoyable!
This year was entirely different for me. For my bronze journey I did a hiking trip that took me through the Sinharaja rainforest. Now, I was challenged with sea-kayaking. What made this qualifying journey different to the practice one were 2 major things. Firstly, we had to trek several kilometers per day carrying all our stuff with us. Secondly, we were paddling on sit-on kayaks, not sit-in kayaks. Although I learned to prefer this as the day pushed its heat onto us with the sun breathing down our necks. On multiple occasions I would end up spotting people paddling with their feet in the water and although they slowed them down, it provided them the much needed cooling.
Apart from paddling for what seemed like forever, we also engaged in camp craft. We split ourselves up into 2 groups, one which would set up the tents on one day (then break them off) and the other that would do the cooking and washing up. This ensured that we got everything done before sunset which worked against us. My team was the first on kitchen duty, and we concocted a delicious tomato pasta for dinner. It went down quickly and we quickly realised that even though we used all the pasta we had, we underestimated just how much hungry active teens will eat. After everyone ate we grab their dishes and headed to the ocean. To ensure we conserved fresh water we had a plan:
- Rinse dishes in the ocean
- Wash them with soapy water
- Rinse with fresh water
- Let air dry
Although the days were harsh we collaborated well together, and were able to grow from our mistakes. We focused on our camp etiquette leaving the places we stayed at behind nicer than we found them, were respectful of locals and each other, and always set out to help everyone.
My favourite moment from this trip was on the first night. We were all so exhausted from the journey that we all crashed on the mat that was our communal area. As the sunset and we opened our eyes, we were greeted by the stars shining brightly in the sky. Never in my life have I seen the universe so clearly. With zero light pollution I was able to see entire constellations one such being Orion. We played games under the night sky until it was time for us to go to bed. It’s a sight I wish I could see every night and would give the world to share.
Featured Image Credit: Kamila Sahideen (the group at the Indian Ocean)