Leanne Says:
Workers and mules began to stream in as we prepared to leave camp. We even managed to catch a glimpse of the infamous Dr Henson who is leading the dig.
As this was not a circular trek days three and four were spent retracing our steps back to Carmalita. We knew how long the second day had been so we were all in the frame of mind to get it over with as quickly as possible.
By focusing on anything but the pain in my feet I managed to make it back to the camp in record time giving us the afternoon to spend watching the wildlife from the comfort of a hammock… well as comfortable you can be with tarantulas walking around you.
On our final day we were all in good spirits and allowed ourselves to indulge in the thoughts of the luxuries which would await us back in civilisation. Things such as refrigeration, air con, showers and comfortable beds were suddenly things that we no longer took for granted.
The walk was still hard and just as my feet were about to give up on me we heard the heavenly sound of a truck coming down the dirt road. We were only 30 minutes from the village but the truck looked so appealing. All but two of us jumped in with little or no hesitation.
Back in Carmalita we were ushered into the local bar (which also doubled as someone’s living room) and were handed a cold beer to celebrate. I had spent many hours imagining this cold beer so the moment was sincerely enjoyed.
We had a celebratory meal with the group and basked in our own achievement for a few hours before departing back to Flores.
The experience was both amazing and challenging. I was grateful that it wasn’t made much worse as we were trekking in the wet season the path could have been a muddy swamp filled with mosquitos. Luckily it had been unusually dry so the ground was hard and there were few mosquitos. I don’t know how well I would have coped if it had been like that, but then again, the trip was hard enough as it was. However, the struggle was worth it to see this unique part of the world and we were privileged to witness first-hand the beautiful wildlife and scenery.
Placing ourselves well and truly outside of our comfort zone made me surprised with what we can actual cope with. It also gave me a renewed appreciation for the comforts we get used to in our everyday lives….. Especially Air Con…I now have a great appreciation for Air Con!
Karl Says:
There’s nothing left to do now but walk back with two days ahead it’s going to be a long journey. There’s no other way back unless you take a very expensive helicopter ride. The first two days walking has kick started my body back into fitness, the walking today is much easier. As we made it back into the night’s camp I felt as if I could continue walking all the way out.
Leanne and I spent the afternoon lying in hammocks, butterflies danced around Leanne while wasps encircled me. Monkeys passed through the trees above dropping things beside us as they went as vultures sneaked past and waited in nearby trees. Did we really look that close to death?
The final day flew over and the final stretch was cut short by taking a lift in the back of a truck straight to Carmelita for celebratory beers and a fantastic chicken and rice dinner.
A mini bus took us back to Flores where we had a room reserved in the Ramada with all the comforts of modern life awaiting us. A bed, a shower and place to recover from this unforgettable experience.
