I've never been camping before and the idea of camping no shower never amuse me. Mr. husband has been trying to persuaded me to camping since we were back in Canberra but no luck so far, as I always have good excuses to bail from it. But last weekend I was running out of excuses and also it was his birthday, he wants to celebrate his birthday by camping in Ant atoll. It was a good plan since he got 5 days weekend for Easter and Anzac Day. Yeah among many other things that he can do, he chooses camping. Suck big time for me, no toilet for 2 days, how can I survive?. This time I can't say NO, it's his birthday. As a good wife *cough*... I respect his choice so off we go camping then.
Mr. Husband is doing his best to tell me that it’s very easy and it allows us to escape the pressures and troubles of the urban lifestyle for a more natural, simplified, relaxing time. Nothing could be further from the truth. In theory camping should be a very inexpensive activity since you are literally sleeping on the ground. But the more simple it appears the more expensive it actually is.
The first stage is to buy a tent and a matress. Our new tent and matress arrived weeks before the day and we even had a trial at home on how to build the tent, yeah he was so determined to educate me about camping and the FUN of it.
Here is our tent and matress:
The second stage is to plan the meal, what should I cook? Since there were other people on the camping site so we divided the cooking turn per couple and per meal time. We decided to cook for Saturday lunch, my thinking was that I can prepare everything at home and I can relax at night. The meals I prepared: couscous salad, sausages marinated with soy sauce & ginger and mango up-side down cake. A friends said it was the most lavish camping meals she ever heard lol.
It was a beautiful day when we arrived at Ant atoll and I was thinking uhm... maybe I can enjoy camping, relaxing by the beach while looking at a calm sea, simply heaven!. But when the night started to settle in I started to feel a bit uncomfortable because I hadn't had any shower and the humidity and salt water make my body sticky. After dinner we all sit by the beach and enjoy the night, by talking. Yes, camping requires you to talk to each other since there is no other distraction like TV or computer. I was a bit bored at night time since we just sit around the fire but then I have to admit it that I got excited to see the stars, thousands of it. We even can see the milky way and southern cross stars eventhough we are on the north side of the equator. It was an awesome view, because we can't really see the stars from Pohnpei especially at our house with all the lights on. Don't get me wrong, the company of the people at the camping site really helped a lot, we had good conversations and laughs.
Sleep time was the worst time of all, because it was stinking hot and humid no breeze at all. The sound of the forrest didn't help either. I used to sleep in an air con room with double blaze window so I only hear the humming noise from the air con, to suddenly I can hear everything, from the sound of crabs walking on the dry leaves, birds, to the sound of the wave on the ocean, not a good change. I had a horrible sleep, and beyond normal I woke up before Mr. Husband.
I don't mind spending the day at Ant atoll since it is a beautiful place and we can see beautiful fish and corals by snorkling, but to spend the night? No shower, no toilet. Uhm... I don't fancy that. I really like my comfort zone: shower, air con and a nice comfy bed.
Well maybe next time we will do better, if there is a next time :)
Aside from me whinging, here is the reward from last weekend camping:
1 comment:
It seems like you were pushed in the deep end too fast too soon.
I was like you, a camping virgin, but now I actually like it. BUT, I don't like the 'roughing it up' camping, which is what you just had. My hubby tried to ease me into camping idea bit by bit. He's learned his lesson with horse riding (but that's another story).
So, camping with me, we usually go to a nice site, with comunal bathroom/toilets (usually have hot water as well), and our car is just parked next to the tent.
If my hubby wants to do his kinda camping, he usually leave me home, and he'd do it with our son. Make it a boys' bonding camping, and really roughing it. Apparently boys love not showering more than girls do, the harder access is to a place where they can keep themselves clean, the better it is.
Camping can be fun. Next time you are back here, we'll take you out. Promise.
Post a Comment