The day started with another trip to the bathroom and my stomach relieved itself of every drop of water I had tried to consume through the evening. During the night I was desperately trying to keep up my water intake holding on to the last threads of hope that I could join the walk team today. Unfortunately it became clear that I could not. Most importantly Maggie awoke asking for food and has spent the day grazing her way through an assortment of foods and showing no signs of the cramps experienced yesterday.
Only several days into the trip and I am having to concede a days walking. The coast to coast epic adventure has produced its first casualty, being me. Lying on the bed and the room is spinning, the guys are getting ready for their days walking. Bec has quickly jumped off the bench and will take my place today. Gus has also rigged up for his second walk effort and will start the walk with Bec, Indy and Popsy. Just the thought of a paratha and veg curry makes me sick, so not sure how we will go for the next 5 weeks!
The walk team head off with Raju as Maggie, Mum and I stay home for the day. They will walk from Kalpetta to Sultans Bathery, a walk of just over 20kms. Mum comes in and tells me she is very sad for me that I can’t walk today and I tell her not to worry, it is all part of the adventure. There is something very humbling about realising your limitations, of which I have many, and today has shown me again that despite all of your planning and preparations, things happen.
As the hours went on I gradually felt better. A diet of barley sugars and gastrolites seemed to do the trick and despite a whopping headache and feeling like I have a bad hangover (I assure you I have had nothing to drink) I feel good that my recovery is well in progress. Maggie and I play some cards, watch a DVD and generally take it easy. Mum goes to meet the walkers after an hour or so to pick up Gus and get some supplies from the shop. News comes back from the walk team that is all okay and it sounds like they are having a good day. Gus returns home with stories of elephants and goats and helps himself to French fries and sauce and then quickly retires for his day sleep, one he has definitely earned today.
A couple of hours later and the walk crew return after a successful and tiring day. Bec has completed her first full leg of the walk, Popsy resolute, and Indy pleased with her effort. A buzz fills the place as the energy of the walk team arriving home after a solid days walking. They share stories of elephants, goats, coconut pickers, and many other highlights of yet another successful day. The team head over for lunch as Indy and I enjoy a game of cards and some dried crackers with vegemite. Indy is proving herself to be such a strong and determined young woman on this trip and despite my encouragement for her to take extra rest days she is currently refusing and is determined to walk the entire journey.
As the team settles in for an afternoon rest Maggie comes running in “there’s a monkey right there, it is on our roof”. I head out with Maggie and sure enough there are monkeys all around our room climbing through the trees, fortunately they are not tourist monkeys and seem very frightened as they flee to the safety of higher ground. Maggie and I follow them down to the river and sit on the steps by the river bank to watch a family of monkeys go about their afternoon of feeding. As I sit there and put my arm around Maggie we share how this is not an everyday experience and despite not being on the walk team both Maggie and I have still shared in a special experience. We sit there and watch the monkeys go about their business and feel like we are a million miles away.
I sit here and think to myself that 24 hours is a long time, this time yesterday I was feeling very unwell wondering how long my newly acquired illness would take to work its way through my body and now I am fast recovering and excited about what lies ahead.
As I sign out for the day Mum is poking Popsy to get out of bed as Gus is chasing the young boys from the hotel who have machette’s in hand to burst open some coconuts that Maggie and Gus have found. Gus comes running in very excited “the boys had a knife, they chopped the coconut – where are my jelly beans?”
Just another day in the coast to coast adventure.
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