Ready? Are they closed? OK, you're gonna have to open 'em to read, I guess.
Well, we arrived in Trinidad on Christmas Day....wait, it was long past midnight, so I guess it was really the 26th. We left snowy Indy at 4 a.m. on Christmas morning, had a few hours of visiting friends in Miami (ate Christmas lunch at a Jewish bagel cafe--that's a first for my Christmas lunches!), arrived in Trinidad around 1 a.m., but by the time we got through customs and immigration, got our bags and drove to P's sister's house, it was nearly 4 a.m. We were all exhausted.
I spent most of that next day in bed as I awoke feeling horrible. So, while the family went on beach adventure #1, I happily stole some zzzz's and dreamed about the Colts game I was missing.
By the next day, I was feeling somewhat better, but not really good enough to travel 2 1/2 hours to the south of the island and drive around all day visiting people I didn't know. But I went. By early evening, I was so nauseous, I was begging my brother law to go home...but nope, we stopped at a big party. There was lots of heavy, spicy food and alcohol. My stomach wanted to revolt, and I hadn't eaten a bite, but God was merciful and I made it through that night without much to talk about.
The next couple days were good and pretty uneventful, just nice days of relaxing on the beach and hanging out with family...then Thursday came...the day I had longed for for many months. We were making the trip to Tobago--Trinidad's sister island. I had been there twice before...sooo gorgeous! The other times I'd visited, we'd taken a "puddle jumper" plane. This day, we took the ferry boat. I was ready for the 3-hour boat ride adventure. Let's cut to the chase and just say...Thank you niece Heather for suggesting I take a Dramamine-like pill. I needed it.
OK, now's when you need to get in the Susan story mode...We hired a large taxi to take our party of 13 to the other side of the island, to go hiking in the rain forest, out to a beautiful waterfall. Most of you know, I'm not really the hiker type, but hey, I'd made it before...and now I was a Wii champion runner, bowler, tennis player,...I'd be fine, right? We got there and started our 2-3-mile hike. We got about 10 minutes or so into the hike and I asked, "Did anyone bring water?" NOPE! Well, it was 90+ degrees F, with humidity in the...well, who knows, but it's the rain forest tropics people. I'm sure you can picture it. I was HOT and THIRSTY, but no one will ever say I'm not a trouper! We get about half way to the destination...a wonderful waterfall when suddenly...just realized this blog has gotten too long...will continue tomorrow...
No? You want more now? OK, stop calling me those mean names. I won't tease you like that. Here's the rest and the best. I do warn though...for those of you with weak sensibilities, stop now. I am not going to sugar coat this.
So, you've stuck with me this far...thanks. OK, I was at the part where ...when suddenly, I began to have severe stomach cramps...I mean the kind that double you over, make the hairs on your arms stand up and make you begin prayers like this..."Oh, help me, Jesus, please Jesus...ahhhhh!" I frantically began searching for a place to find release. But where? I was with 13 family members, we're on a rugged trail, with an even more rugged off trail and there were the occasional tourists passing us on the way back. There was no privacy, NO place to go. I plowed forward, begging Jesus with every breath to make it go away. By this time, I knew in addition to stomach cramping, I was also severely dehydrated. So, I began to cold sweat on top of the hot sweat. By the time we reached the destination, my bum cheeks were squeezed so tightly together, and I was in such pain, I hardly noticed the beauty of the cascading waterfall. I did take two seconds to snap this picture at the right.
My kids and all the other nieces and nephews were eager to swim in the pool below the waterfall. All I could think of was finding a bathroom. I knew there was one back down at the base camp...3 miles away! Could I make it? Dare I venture back on my own? I'm scanning the surrounding area frantically now, praying, squeezing, begging God, looking pleadingly at my husband to help me. I quickly announce to one and all, I must head back. I run, cantor, limp, drag, stop, deep breathe, pray, gallop some more--all the time maneuvering over rough, wet rocks, precariously steep inclines, etc... I didn't care at this point, I was desperate. I got about halfway back to camp when about 20 feet ahead, I spy the huge bamboo tree we had passed on our way up and where I'd gotten my photo taken.
OK, I thought. That could work. It could provide me a little privacy. At this point though, I barely cared. I needed this offensive, foul poison out of my body. I gingerly began the last long 20 feet...victory was in sight...but was not to be mine that day. I could hold my cheeks together no longer. And out it came...filling my bathing suit. I had no t.p., no towel, no nothing. I crept...almost crawled to the bamboo tree and finished the job and looked around for leaves. Now, I began to think about the potential creepy crawlies that could be around. What if I chose a leaf that was poisonous? ...What the heck! I had to clean myself somehow. Then, I realized, I was still a mess. I knew that there was a creek down the ravine. It's where the water from the waterfall flowed. Was I brave enough to go off trial in search of water. If you smelled me, you would know why this scardy-cat did it.
I bush whacked my way through the forest, carefully watching each step, yelling when needed to ensure that no viper would fang my bare ankles. Then, holding on to vines protruding from the side of the ravine, I readied myself to climb down to the ...ACKKKK, there was no water below. The creek bed was dry. How in the world could a creek be dry in the middle of the rain forest? Jesus? ...but wait, I heard water...I followed the creek. More than once, now that I just stunk and didn't feel like dying, I pretended that I was that guy that ekes out an existence in the jungles, you know, like a female MacGyver.
Ahhh, water, glorious water. I rolled and flopped and bathed and scrubbed and lapped and frolicked. Water, glorious water. Once I had got most of the stink off me and drank until my belly jiggled, I knew I now had to climb back up and find civilization. I used sticks and vines and rocks...and I did it. Had I fallen, I seriously doubt anyone would have ever found me. So glad I didn't think of that in the moment. Now, the decision came--do I venture back to the waterfall to find the group or just call it a morning and hike back to camp? I opted for A. Why? I was mad that I was missing out on the fun. By the time I made it back within vision of the waterfall, the group was heading back. I SAW the waterfall for the first time really. Beautiful.
On the hike back, a God moment happened. From nothingness, it just started to pour down rain (we were in a rain forest after all). It was an amazing moment for me. I just raised my hands, my head and my eyes to the heavens and cried in joy and wonder. Water, glorious water. God, glorious God!
The story is basically finished. Once we got up to the camp, I realized in addition to toilets, they had showers. Rachel and I were in a changing room together, undressing to ready for the shower. Rachel looks and me and says, "Mommy, why do you have mud all over your back and legs?" Pause..."and why does it smell like poop?"
Picture at right: The beach in Tobago. We had a wonderful rest of the day. Water, glorious water. : )
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