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Where the first village had no electricity, this one did. Or maybe those that had the batteries were happy to use them after dark. Where the other village seemed more homely and cosy or otherworldly, this one seemed a little more worldly wise. Certainly the owner of the house that we stayed with seemed to be worldly wise. Maybe that happens when your husband leaves you with the seven children for a younger woman without any means of support?
Perhaps that is why it she was so keen to see us pack up the next morning. What did we have and what could we give her? The little money and the scrubbing brush that we did give seemed almost to be sneered at. Where the other village was very accepting and you felt at home there, this one felt a little more predatory. Or maybe it was just the owner giving us the wrong impression? It was surprising that this village seemed to have so much when it was far more remote than the previous night's village?
We didn't have much time for reflection when we arrived as we cleaned and packed away the kayaks (tomorrow we were heading downriver on a motorized longtail boat). Not long after it was boots and kit on and across the river we go. Like any professionals, these boatmen made getting in and out of the thin dugout canoe look easy; they made paddling across the river look easy. Ing and I felt that a single sudden movement and we were in the water!
Noy had said that there had been a lot of rain recently (yep, we saw a lot of it that very morning) and he wasn't sure about the state of the river that came out the cave that we were supposed to be trekking into. Oh, and don't forget your headlight. Hmmmm…… I was not quite sure about this. But Noy seem quite insistent. It seemed that because it was mentioned on the itinerary, it had to be done at all costs!
It did not take long for us to realize that the rain had not quite soaked in yet. What looked like an open field just behind the riverside tree line was, in fact, a quagmire where the mud only came up to your ankles. Squish, squelch and suck. Step after step was like trying to drag each foot through gloopy treacle. Nice! But the further we headed away from the main river and headed toward the cave, the mud just got deeper and deeper. Our local guides just took off their flip-flops and walked, skidded, slid over the path and in the general right direction. All the time, the jungle closed in around us. Noy, our ever happy and enthusiastic guide, was having a little bit of a sense of humour failure behind us. When your legs are calf deep in mud, there is not much more you can do but smile and laugh!
The little beck that was supposed to come out the cave was now a strong river and the path disappeared under its waters. Whether we wanted to or not, there was no way that we were heading into that cave with water rising and darkness falling. Charming….. now we just have to get back the way we came!
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