a trip to sarawak - part 8

we started our journey with sandwiches for lunch in a pondok. Our guide Henry gave us some instructions for the 8km walk as he had to wait for other tourists at the pondok, "you'll pass by bridge.. small.. big.. one by one.. bridge..walk..." i wasn't sure of what he was talking abt, so i just listened.

The walk was a very simple one - except for the fear of leeches and mud and the burden of the luggage on your back.. it was a very easy one. So we walked.. (real slow.. as though shopping in 1-u..). every once in a while i'll lift up my pants to look for any cunning leech tat's hungry for my blood.. I kept praying in my heart, "Jesus.. i don't want any leech.. tell them to flee from me..." And God is good, no leech hooked on me! But KY, Jo n jun got a few leeches though...

The walk took us 4-5 hours.. by the time we reached camp 5 it was already 5pm and the sun was beginning to sleep.. and we learned that In and Bor who started the journey together with us finished the walk in just 3 hours! oh oh... no comment.. :P

Camp 5 holds some of the best sceneries on Earth! constantly i was reminded of how wonderful is God's creation.. his love..peace.. and i marvelled at the thought of Him. :) and to think of the wreckages human brought unto Earth (deforesting, war, etc)...

tat nite we cooked rice and used some of our canned food for dinner, then Henry gave us briefing for the pinnacle climb the next day, "If it rains, the climb will be cancelled... too dangerous... don't wear baggy pants.. wear tights... no raincoat, but jacket if it rains.. torchlight in case we get back at night.. there was once a group so slow tat they returned at 3am the next morning... water at least 2litres!"

I was screaming in my heart! 2 litres! u know how heavy is tat?! i thought of my 8km walk carrying the 5kg backpack and 4kg hand luggage... if not for God's strength, i would have fainted at 5km! how i dreaded the thought! carrying 2 litres to climb 1.4km mountain.. i'd swoon... So i discussed with jun n jo wat we gona bring up the mountain the next morn.. discounted this and that item to reduce our bag's weight.. so in the end i decided not to bring torchlight ( i'll try my best not to climb slow), bring 1.5l water, a little salt, ORS, sugar and tat's it. Not too heavy... yet.

Tat nite jun, jo and i prayed together, "Dear heavenly Father, give us good weather for the climb tomorrow.. keep us safe... give us strength and courage... in Jesus' name we pray Amen."