10 days and counting...

Greetings all,

Apologies for the gap in between entries, but I figured there was probably only so much you could all bear to read about me packing a bag.

So latest updates: kit list= 95 % fulfilled, starting to pop the old malaria pills pretty soon, prepping to have a trial pack (or trial 'cram' might be more apt...), and have just cleaned boots out of 50% deet insect repellent for at least a good while.

I had a "challenge workshop" a couple of weekends ago in Surrey, at which I met about half of the people going on my expedition. It turns out that there are at least 190 venturers travelling out within one day of each other, so we have been split into two expeditions. I chose the most popular destination apparently. So the weekend was spent playing various introductory games, often involving potatoes and some form of circular sequence- I travelled down with a fellow Raleigh-goer from Edinburgh, by plane then train, and met a large bunch of others at the train station in East Grinstead where we waited for our horse drawn carriage to transport us to the royal castle where we would be residing for the weekend...

pah.

We were driven in a big bus to a nearby scout camp where there was a freeforall scramble for the nearest bunkbed. However, we did get the more luxurious accom out of the two groups- they were sleeping on the hard wooden floor of a big hall next door. Snuggle up! However little did we know that we would soon enough be craving those harsh floors and squeaky beds, upon receiving the information that we would be making our very own 11 man shelters in the woods...and yes...inhabiting them for the night, tarp, string and all. We spent the first day (Saturday, after spending Friday night in the bunks) playing team building exercises to basically get some problem solving going and get to know each other a bit better- the usual practice and whatnot. Each group of 11 or so was allocated two team leaders, essentially sadistic puppet masters who very much relished the exercise of making us jump for "food money"- the fake Costa Rican currency which we needed to buy our food for camping that night. Tasks included such gems as "you have 2 minutes- choreograph a dance"/"get members from the other group to dance for us"/"make a human pyramid...successfully." Bizarrely they all seemed to revolve around some form of performance arts...nonetheless we were good little monkeys and got stuck in. In the end- they did give us all of the food, after some intense bartering...quite deflating our sense of self-achievment once we realised we had been well and truly duped.

All in all, the shelter went up, with a bit of logic, some bonzer knot tying and a whole lot of rocks, and I am even proud to say that I had a pretty good night's sleep in the end. The weekend was a great way of getting a taste for what life on the expedition was going to involve, and how not only to simply get on with the necessary tasks but how to have a great time doing it.

Final notes: must remember- get last rabies shot, label mosquito nets, buy colouring pencils for village kids, trial pack all equipment into ONE bag...oh dear.

One month to go

So I've finally got around to sorting myself out cyberly and have set up this blog to allow all you nosy busybodies out there to follow my progress after I step out solo into the big bad world. I guess this blog will be devoted to the first part of my travels to begin with, on the long road to Costa Rica (and Nicaragua).

Leaving on the 8th February, I will be spending 10 weeks working in both of the aforementioned countries as part of a philanthropic organisation called Raleigh International (which I'm sure will ring a few bells...). I am yet to discover my exact location to be, but the set-up goes a little something like this: the expedition is divided into 3 sections, roughly- 3 weeks environmental work, 3 weeks community work, 3 weeks trekking. I think there is a group of about 60 of us going, and we're divided into smaller posses of about 15 or so. We have all been informed of a list of potential projects, but I have to wait until my introduction weekend at the end of this week to find out exactly which of those I will be working on. This is what I know for certain- I will at some point be staying with local families, communicating in spanish and learning about their (in some regions) indigenous culture, one of the parts of the trip which I am most looking forward to. I will be putting hard graft into various construction projects- indicated rather worryingly by the kit list's requirement for "working gloves"...something which I am however confident I will get stuck into, despite my complete lack of knowledge in said area...and I will be cooking/washing/sleeping/working/surviving out of one measely 65L rucksack, something which I am yet to come to terms with, and plan to tackle as close to the leaving date as possible due to well...sheer fear at the basic quantities of possessions I will in the end be able to take with me- although I'm sure it would be wise to nip it in the bud...still...every time I spy my pack in the corner of the hallway I am filled with what can only be described as an ominous foreboding.

Anyway, enough of my materialistic panicking. I am trying to tick everything off of my "to do before I leave" list, including my final rabies shots...yes that facebook update was a joke and I am in fact, and always have been clear of the disease...getting my malaria pills, buying last minute kit (including one very flattering steve irwin-esque kaki hat to keep the rays off of my noggin), head torches, a bountiful supply of antimalarial products, US visa waivers and the contemplation of packing. A month to go then off into the wilderness.

Bring it on.