Photo Journalism > Journal Excerpts > Coron Expedition
journal excerpts |Coron Expedition - 12 Days Expedition from May 19 to 30, 2000
Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
I'm writing this in virtual darkness - can't put torch on because of mossies. Gin soaked! Not sea water!
My turn again - it does come round quickly. After making a real exhibition of myself boarding the "Lagoon Explorer" last night I was determined to keep dry today! Slept relatively well as Patrick was given his marching orders! He slept in the other side of the beach but we could still hear his snores! We all woke up early and Ronnie prepared our breakfast. It seems rather incongruous to be eating cornflakes on a beach! The day looked promising, lots of the sky so we set off at 7:45 a.m. to paddle further down the island to find the caves and beaches promised by Greg. The sun got warmer and we paddled over incredible coral, sadly all bleached but it was still spectacular and hundreds of little fish all colours and patterns - one looked like - humble bee fish -- all darting in and out of the coral. The limestone islands are impressive, rising like awesome cathedrals out of the sea, covered in trees and holes - goodness knows where the roots go or spring from. The stone rises into sharp points with crevices forced openly greenery, impossible to climb and they go deep down into the sea bed. It was a lovely paddle, so peaceful, just surrounded by nature - no blaring music nor mobile phones just the sounds of crickets and paddles, very peaceful. The sea was like a mill pond but turquoise blue. Jumping fish and some spectacular colourful birds and large buterflies and even bigger jelly fish, transparent and blue varieties. Stopped at a sandy area, it would be ridiculous to call it a beach, just wide enough to land the 2 kayaks. The men snorkelled but I am now very wary of jellyfish so I searched for shells instead. The shells are disappointing. John was saved from an enormous fast-advancing jelly fish by Patrick who scooped it out with a paddle and threw it into a rock and the huge mass slithered down like a scene from "Ghostbusters" disintegrating into smaller globules only to probably resurrect itself into 50 smaller jelly fish. Who knows. Uch!
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What surprises you most about your camping experience? John: "The amount of sting in the trail provided by paradise. Jellyfish, mosquitoes and stifling heat of being in the tents. Floating cottages help immensely with the latter two problems." Sue: "The comfort of the new mattress." |
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It had been a long paddle trying to find the caves so we decided enough was enough and paddled back to base.
Greg had not returned with the speedboat and supplies so we had a make-do lunch prepared by Ronnie. I must say the food is nothing to write home about - adequate but little variety and certainly cheap. Greg eventually appeared again and after much discussion and changing of plans many times, it was decided to speed over to Coron for supplies and whilst there I managed to fax home to let them know I was ok and asking them whether they were still alive and about world news.
Managed to wash hair under the hosepipeline at the Diver Centre - must have looked like a native complete with sarong - Sue took a photo! Head felt wonderfully clean and sandfree.
Returned to base with new supplies, the boat loaded with water to drink and to shower under so we can all be clean tonight. Sat on the beach sipping our gins with the replenished tonics - what bliss - watching the glorious sunset over the hills opposite. Took photos, wrote and chatted and as darkness descended the mossies came out in force to attack again. Creams, sprays, candles and coils couldn't keep them back. The mossies that go "Bzzz-bzzz" are not the ones that sting the learned Patrick informed us! Hope he's right!
Another fishy sups, looked rather like sardines and hard to see the food in the dark. All very tired so an early night all round ready for another hopefully busy, more organised day tomorrow.