WOW. Wasn't expecting THAT

Wow... Wasn't expecting THAT to happen

I'm lying in my hammock in the middle of FUCKING (sorry mum) nowhere. We're 1/2 days shorts of having trekked from Bario to Long Lellang and it has been a bit of a roller coaster... Almost literally.

Firstly I'd like to highlight how much fun it is to use the double 'k' in trekked. Thanks.

The total journey is something like 50km which doesn't sound like a lot but if you imagine that this is up and down mountains in jungle, with 20kg bag on your back. Oysh. It's a toughie. Me being me though I thought I'd up the ante so I developed some kind of chest/throat virus on day two. This basically rendered me perma-breathless and dizzy. Not ideal I hear you say?! No. Not ideal. The poor medic - Dr Doug - who had only arrived two days earlier basically had to recommend me rest which had to be translated to 'walk 10hours a day up hill'. I send this message a little bit tentatively because I know you might worry but I want you to rest easy. I'm better now. By the time I'll have sent this, I'll be holed up in the presidential suite in our accommodation. I have to add here that if it weren't for the team of people I was surrounded by, I've got no doubt things would have been far worse. A group of individuals. No. STRANGERS but a few months ago showed more love, depth of character, guts and resilience this last week than I would have ever though possible. We are all, quite rightly, very proud of ourselves. 

(Since initially writing this I've arrived safely but I think my body has given up the goat a bit so I'm going to stay in bed for a little while. I reckon 2-3 days should do it! LIFE'S TOUGH EH!!)

Having been to Long Lellang before, Jim and I have organised for Deer Rendang to be waiting for us. This is what kept me going. That and imagining my beautiful SPACIOUS bed in blighty.

I've decided to book into a hotel for a night in Miri to pamper myself. I'm also thinking i might TRY and comeback for a few weeks at Christmas. IF you think you can handle it, I will be doing a non-stop tour of every eating establishment in the UK during this period. Any suggestions kindly welcomed.

This last week has been by FAR the toughest physical challenge I've ever faced. Has it whetted my appetite for more? Not sure. Ask me another time.

I know I've only been gone a short while BUT I think often how much I love(d) hugging/laughing with/talking to/being near you. I appreciate this is a group message but it's to a group of people I qualify my life by. I think my life is pretty spectacularly awesome so thank you for that.

Internet here is woeful otherwise I'd call. Also sorry if I haven't sent you a personal email please do not be upset with me, I will. One day. 

I don't want to make this part clichéd BUT, you're rarely out of my thoughts and those times in between, you are carried safely and warmly in my heart. 

Much love as always,

Ads x

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Halfway... and not counting

Well well well. Here we are again.

I've officially passed the halfway point for my training and as usual I'm extremely happy and love the fact that this is my life edit now. As I mentioned at the end of my last missive, I could see myself doing this... For how long? Not sure but I think I picked the right company and the right course. Even if I don't end up with a proper job I will DEFINITELY love take you all out and about...

Since we spoke last, I've been to Long Lellang and lived like a jungle king. It was one of those weeks that will go down in my history as the cause for the MOST superlatives needed. I'll try and list a few but I'm sure I'll forget some. I ate: lizard (tasted like barbecue ribs), boar, python (which I helped gut and skin... Oh yeah it was 6 metres long and wider than my thigh), the snake fat, three types of deer, MANY fish, frogs and probably many flies and spiders in my sleep. I taught our housekeeper, yeah we had a house keeper, how to cook yakitori frog. She's going to teach me to cook deer rendang - a spicy fragrant Malaysian curry. CAN'T WAIT to cook it when I get back!! We hung out with a Penan fella. The Penan are the indigenous kings of the jungle. He gave us each a pisour which is a long handled knife. I spent the next day carving my parang handle with it. Looks AWESOME. We went frog hunting/wacking in the middle of the night. This basically involved looking for the reflection of the frogs' eyes and hitting them hard enough to knock them out... With a MASSIVE sword/knife. It was fun. I also reckon I've perfected the sumpit (blowpipe). I managed to shoot a small peach from 10metres away. Next up - using it for hunting. We taught in the school for the afternoon and basically spent a week laughing hard enough that I thought I COULD end up with a sixpack. I didn't.

Jim and I took care of business and paved the way for our fellow 'TELS' to trek there (only a 6 day walk) as well as securing a steady supply of pineapples and rice upon our arrival. We've hopefully organised a few projects for next year after meeting the headmen and village council so who knows, maybe I'll get to work on them?!?

We had to write it all up in 18 hours in Miri as well as risk assessments, casualty evacuation plans and a provisional logistics plan and budget which meant 16 hours in an Internet cafe... An hour was needed each day for KFC and Pizza Hut. Job done.

We have been in Pa'Umor for a week staying in a longhouse. It's like a Victorian terraced street but none of the houses have dividing walls. It's kinda nice with all the families together.

We've been learning river crossings and getting feedback from month one. It seems all is going well and I'm ticking all the right boxes which I'm properly chuffed to hear. ALTHOUGH I did fail my river crossing but, in the instructors words, 'you were making it look to easy so we fucked you over a little bit'. I lead a days work fixing a local bridge and got a high grade for that... I've passed everything else with high passes so having to re-take the river stuff isn't so bad.

I'm lying here listening to music writing this. We're packing for 8days in the jungle so I've no doubt that I'll have more to add as the days go by, assuming we've survived the trek in with 25-30kgs on our back. Oh. And belt kit night assessment which involves 2/3 nights out with nothing but out survival kit. I'll let you know (I hope).

So!! I've returned. Triumphantly. It's been an amazing few weeks. The march into what is now known as sun bear camp was dealt with. As usual, I sweated like a beast but enjoyed every step. It was wonderful to setup camp in maiden rainforrest. It's hard to put into words how elated I feel at the moment but basically having spend 5 nights in a gorgeous spot, setting it up for the next group, we wondered into a NEW part of the jungle with our belt kits to make our own homes. On. Our. Own. Most of you already know that I have been looking forward to this to MONTHS. It  lived up to my hopes. Pure bliss. I made a wonderful shelter that I think I will go back to at the end of the course. Set some traps (part of the assessment) and generally soaked in my surroundings. I had a wonderful spot next to a meander in the Pa Semarang river. It was cold at night especially as I didn't have a sleeping bag (they're pretty hard to make from leaves) so I kept a fire going each night next to my bed but all in all I slept really well. I'm back in Bario lying on a real live bed once again questioning how I've come to deserve such holistic joy and happiness in my life. I'm pretty sleepy now so I'm going to have a snooze before I cook boar for everyone later.

We're walking to Long LELLANG in two days and that should take around 6days/nights. I'm not sure when we'll have Internet again so until then...

You are seldom out of my thoughts. I wonder/ponder how you all are and love reading your words when they come.

I am sending lots of love, energy and happiness as always.

Ads x

PS my beard is getting very bushy!!!!