Monday, July 19, 2010

Trekking Taz: Day 3; Fast Day at the Bay

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…Once again he flipped up the flap of the beanie from over his eyes and stared at the tent ceiling. He must have slept for two, maybe three hours. There wasn’t much time left for daylight. The young man frowned to himself. He would have liked more time to explore the bay. He didn’t waste any time. There was one particular area he wanted to check out.


Those rocks in the middle of the bay

It’d be hard to get there.


He went right down to the beach and made his way to the stream. He got to the water’s edge and peered over. He smiled, took a few steps back, ran up and hopped over.


Pu Ploosh


He found himself standing on the other side while various birds observed the young man’s antics. He proceeded to the orangish rocks that marked the next step before he could reach his destination. The perfect water lapped against the edge of the stones as the young man daringly hopped from one to the next. Finally came the next step, perhaps the most difficult. The young man had to scale up a stone wall and then scramble up a very steep hill. The young man studied the wall trying to figure out where to start. He jumped onto a part that wasn’t vertical and managed to remain on the wall on the sole merit of two small crannies his hands found. He remained there for a few seconds trying to decide what to do next. He felt around with his feet and found a couple ever so slight juts that he could use to climb further until he could find a few more protrusions and get higher.


All the while the young man pondered the odds of slipping…

right into the water…

or rocks.


He made his way up the wall and found himself once again on dirt, holding onto a tree branch in order to pull himself up the hill and not slide down to a painful end. The earth was steep enough that he had to climb on all fours and use the various floras to ascend. When he finally got to the top he immediately reflected:


How the heck am I supposed to get down?


The rest was easy. The young man needed only to walk toward the water and slide down the dirt onto the cluster of rocks that protruded out in the middle of the bay. He finally made it. He stood out there, looking at the whole bay from a new vantage point. He looked around at the deep water, satisfied with his little accomplishment.


sweet


Suddenly, right before him, burst the most magnificent and unexpected thing the young man could have imagined. Never in his life had he ever seen such a thing and he never expected that he would. Not only this, but thanks to his efforts he witnessed it closer to himself than would ever have happened otherwise. The young man gasped in absolute surprise. He looked upon it wide eyed as if his mind was yet to comprehend what just occurred. Then, as if to say ‘yes, that really did just take place’, it happened a second time. The young man clasped his hands over his face to stifle the mechanical ‘oh my, wow!’ that discharged from his mouth and may have been audible throughout the whole bay. The young man had indeed, half heartily for he didn’t think for a second that he would, said that such a thing would make his whole trip.


A whale

A big whale

Jumped right out of the water

Right there

Twice


The sun was already dropping behind the mountains. The young man still had to daven Mincha plus he was eager to boast to his friends what he had seen. Now he had to actually face his previously realized predicament.


How the heck to get down


He couldn’t find the spot on the hill that lead to the part of the rock wall where climbing was actually feasible. He finally found some branches and brush that looked familiar and seemed like the right location. The hill was so steep that, using his feet to for control, he simply sat right on his butt and slid down to the edge. Climbing down the wall wasn’t difficult and he skipped a good deal by jumping right onto the rocks. He skipped and hopped his way to the sand, hopped back over the river, and in no time found himself by the tent, with the wallabies, davening Mincha.


Get some water to prepare


The sun had already set but its rays still rivaled the light of the stars that appeared. The boat was still there and the cabin light shown through a window.


Three stars

The fast is over

Maariv

Dinner


While his water was being prepared with chlorine the young man jimmied open a can of salmon and began to dine on it with Pringles.


Mmm yum

Thump de thump de thump


The two wallabies showed up. The food had clearly aroused their curiosity and they even had the audacity to try and steal it! The young man laughed as the wallabies bullied his friend the whole time, taking his chocolate with their little hands and hopping off while he chased them. The wallabies tried to take his food too but the young man wouldn’t have it. He didn’t hesitate to he pick up his water bottle.


Wack!


Take that wallaby. Needless to say they bothered the young man a little less than his friend. Of course, they still tried.


Wack!

Wack!


He went back out to check out the bay. It was already completely dark as he descended onto the sand. There were two beacons of light that reflected off the black water of the bay. One was the yellow glow emanating from the boat and the other was the white shimmer of a brilliant star. The young man could see the mountains from the way the numerous stars disappeared behind them.


spooky


It was time for the young man to sleep. They would have to hurry over the ridge and back to society in time to catch the bus back. The young man also hoped to see sunrise from the bay. He learned for a bit and then switched off his torch to sleep, ready to get up early, pack up, and skedaddle over that stupid ridge…



Day 4; Heading Home

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