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Day 2 - Trekking to Base Camp: I was up very early today and ready for some substanance after lastnights dismal dinner. Luckily the porter had made some coffee for himself so I asked and luckily was allowed some. The porter was busy boiling chicken and other things so chances are we might eat well today. The breakfast came out at about 6:30am and wasn't too bad with a couple of Arepas and an omelette, ham and vegetable mix which we were all very thankful. The weather was looking beautiful today and I was ready to go but unfortunately the Japanese were a bit slower and took over an hour getting their things together. The other groups staying at the camp had these cool little toilet tents but unfortunately we did not and were told to simple go wherever; when I used the bathroom I was makes by the little Puri Puei and ended up with 100s of bites all over my bum (will make me do my business quicker in the future). The walk today was breathtaking walking towards Mount Roraima and with only a slight incline and rolling hills it was enjoyable for all of us. Jose and the porters were very slow and we found ourself constantly waiting (I think they hired the oldest and most useless porters). Whilst waiting for Jose we met Andre and a Korean girl from the other group and had a good chat with them - both incredibly well travelled and with many stories to tell so I hope we can all hang-out later. At 11:30am we were told to stop and wait for Jose after getting some water and so we all sat around enjoying the beautiful weather whilst we waited nearlly an hour for Jose and the Porters. Lunch was made; cabbage, cucumber and tomato with a can of tuna between 5 of us - the others were given 3 bread rolls but when I asked for more or some carbohydrates Jose just laughed - what made it worse was Jose and the porters then walked off with the boiled chicken I had seen in the morning and ate what I am sure was supposed to be our food. We continued walking and now the trek got a little steeper and we were getting closer and closer to Mount Roraima, unfortunately the weather changed and we were met with a massive downpour of rain just as we arrived to Base camp. The atmosphere at camp was eary with the impeding mountain, rain and a thick billet of fog surrounding the top - like something from Lord of the rings. As it was only 2pm and already freezing we grabbed our bathing stuff and headed straight for the river to have a quick wash. I was in and out so fast I barely got wet and was quick smart into all my warm clothes. When we got back to camp out tents were set and some hot tea was served - woah a treat and hopefully a sign of things to come. We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the beautiful view and socializing with the other group. 2 hikers Felipe and Chris had just come down from the Mountain and it turns out one of them: Felipe had been couchsurfing all across the Guianas in the same hosts places I had and I recognized him from photos straight away. The guys told us of their epic trip and how there guide had left them up there and they had done the trek mostly by themselfs. Chris had so many interesting stories and had been sailing the Carribean for months and gave me a heap of advice how I might do the same when I get to the North of Venezuela. Dinner was served early and was actually quite good with lentils, vegetables and little pieces of chicken (we had asked specifically where the chicken was after seeing them cook it in the morning). Dinner was finished with some more hot tea and a brief plan to be up for breakfast at 6am tommorow and leave by 7am. It was still quite early so we stood around chatting and watching a beautiful sunset and chatting with our new friends. Chris really put me to shame with all his adventures and travelling on little to no money, only by ocean and putting himself in all kinds of new situations - this did however make me realize I don't want to be such a tight arse with money anymore and I can afford tours and luxury sometimes.
I climbed into my tent early feeling much warmer and thankful that I was the one who got lucky and had a whole tent to myself whilst the others had to share. In the middle of the night I have been snacking on peanut bars to keep my body processing food and subsequently creating heat - something I learned whilst hiking Torres del Paine in Chile.
OBSERVATIONS:
- Breakfast of kings
- Beautiful walk towards Mount Roraima
- Base camp started to rain heavy
- Net Andre, Korean girl, Felipe and Chris
- Good dinner to keep us warm
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