The Andaman Chronicles - Day 0
Denial. Alarm clock rang. I tried to get up but I couldn’t make it. Something was telling me I didn’t want to. But I did. I forced myself out of the bed and run to the shower. Refreshed my mind and went to the kitchen to prepare some fruit, cheese and milk. Then it was time to finish packing. Denial again. I was too apprehensive. Maybe because it was my first time so far in the east, maybe because it was a long flight, maybe because I have never spent so long in a boat. Although the feeling I could never imagine what was about to happen.
The flight was long and boring. I tried to sleep with no success, so I spent the time watching movies. The rest of the group did the same. We landed in Bangkok and took a bus to the base of our expedition.
The group was tired, but not tired enough not to explore a bit of the surroundings before starting the boat trip. We rented some bikes and headed to the mountains, a Natural park consisting of a rain forest and water channels. The climbing was getting harder and harder and the track narrower and trickier. Niko and Basha, not so fit for a climb, were slower and stood behind. Then the track finished and we had to leave the bikes on the parking lot. It was time to walk.
The first leg took us one hour and lead us to the lowest level of a waterfall. A wide pool was bathed by the falling cristal clear water. Francis was the first jumping in the water, still wearing his t-shirt. Frey, the funny Frey, followed immediately after. I was too busy taking shots, and by the time I decided to get rid of my clothes the others were already in the water. All except Alex, who rest under a tree reading a book. I entered the water and suddenly felt a bite on my left foot. Then another on the right one. Scared I screamed and jumped to a rock while the others laughed. Darius shout “Hey pussy, are you afraid of fish?”. I looked down and realised what kind of beasts have attacked me. A school of little fish surrounded the place I have left just seconds before, swimming in circles. Those little beasts only wanted to clean my skin. Slowly I entered the water again while the tiny skilled piranhas gave me a full feet massage which left my skin soft and healthy.
It was time to resume the climbing. Francis and Darius lead the group. I followed with Suzette and Frey. Frey was telling a story about her last trip to Africa. Niko, Alex and Basha preferred to go on the back. They needed more time for the climbing.
The slope was high, the track a narrow passage between the trees and shrubs with no easy steps to place the feet. Slowly we climbed, losing balance or even falling few times. Suddenly the track split in two. Francis and Darius have taken the left passage. When we were about to follow Frey screamed. I looked back, she was still and pallid. First I could not see what was happening, then I saw. At her side, few meters away, a green mass moved between the leaves of a tree. Same colour, almost unnoticeable. My first instinct was to run, but I kept calm. Frey was the nearest to the monster, Suzette still behind. I told them not to move. I waited to see where the monster was heading to. A long and thin green body with white scales was moving slowly enrolled in a branch. It was a snake, about two meters long, maybe more. Initially I could not see the head, then I saw it. A rounded head, also green but darker. I relieved. Usually rounded heads are not danger. Slowly I picked up my camera, pointed, zoomed and shot, once, twice. The monster kept moving its own way, not threatened by us. I told Frey to move forward slowly. When she passed by me I ask Suzette to do the same. Then we moved following the same direction as Francis and Darius. The others were not yet in sight. By the time they would arrive here the monster would be long gone.
We gathered all on the bottom of the second waterfall. The water was falling vertically from a height of more than 100 meters, splashing hardly in a pond and showering everything around. I had to protect my camera, too late to protect my clothing. After finding a sheltered and dry place where to leave our belongings,we went to the pond. The water was falling on us, stretching our muscles like a jacuzzi. This time Alex joined us in the water.
We may have spent more than half an hour in the water and were preparing to leave. Another level was waiting for us, but time was slipping quickly. Sun was getting low and soon darkness would embrace the place. A shout echoed in the forest, then another a bit closer and the forest stood still. No birds, no wind, nothing, only silence. We looked at each others, not able to move or speak. Then I saw one … two, three … I could count six, but maybe there were more. Monkeys, jumping from tree to tree and getting closer to us. It seemed to me as they were pig tailed macaques, but my zoology skills are far too poor to be sure. We whispered between each others if we should move or stay still. Francis suggested that we moved slowly, this could be their place and they would not allow intruders. Slowly we took the same track we have come from and we descended to the first level. Once there we rest a bit, drank few water and walked back to our bikes. It was time to go back to the base and have some sleep before starting our boat journey next morning.
