GIS

Lessons learnt in the past couple of weeks: keep a diary cause your memory fails you after a few days, jellyfish stings are pretty stingy (surprising really), don’t run and jump when it’s raining (cut and bruised knees aren’t fun), ants will get to any food that isn’t in a sealed container (packaging doesn’t count therefore 4packets of sugar crackers were wasted!) and don’t pour milk into your muesli before checking its not sour!! The last few courses were pretty fun when I managed to actually stay alert! GIS was fun since the three of us were actually on the same course. The course was just 2 nights expedition to Pangkor Island with participants kayaking over then trekking, rappelling and games. Our choice of hammock placement once again failed with one of the poles in the rickety shack breaking, not the pole I was attached to though! I spent the night in Aishah’s tent, no comfy at all with no roll-mat or pillow! The second night was much better with a wooden floor for mattress, dry bag for pillow, hammock and towel for sheet and sleeping bag liner for duvet ensured a brilliant night sleep, only woke up once! Me and Libby joined the trekking for the morning and then rappelling for the afternoon, Ali was vice-versa. After the instructors persuaded the kids that flip flops and short shorts weren’t appropriate for jungle trekking we set off up past the rappelling site. This was the first trek we had done. Being used to the Scottish landscape I became a little disorientated when we didn’t come out where I expected! The jungle is so thick and dense you don’t have a clue where you are! After reaching South Summit and witnessing our first leach, not on us thankfully, there was a quick first aid stop half way down and I’m not going to lie I was a bit of a hero and had it all under control: the skelves stayed in till we got back to base! A “fallen tree” on the way back down forced us to go back up and down another way, much to the joy of participants who were now claiming homesickness and missing McDonalds, not like it was only the second day of the course or anything! Rappelling in the afternoon was pretty relaxed, we stayed at the bottom and coached the kids down. At the end of the session we again proved just how bad we are at coiling ropes! Ali’s trek was cut short so the kids could go for a swim before dark and from what I hear the girls took a liking to screaming “Alistair” in a high pitched fangirl way and swarming round him! A shower was much needed for us, oh yeah the womens toilets and showers had no water so it was a case of pee in the bushes and take turns between guys and girls to use the guys showers: a large bath with buckets to throw the water over you, note not to actually jump in to and of course there would be no door in the showering hut! All I hope is that the rumours being spread by the kids weren’t true and the guys hadn’t actually done the toilet in the bath. Back to base the next morning to hose down equipment and ourselves and drop the instructors gear off at the quarters and Sisma in the back of the pick-up truck. I will most definitely hold on a lot tighter next time Wan is driving, not sure how legit his driving licence is even by Malaysian standards! The BBQ that night was hilarious with some of the performances even giving “Alistair” a special mention! His friend requests have certainly been up lately, safe to say he was a hit with the ladies *cough*13yearoldgirls*cough* (soz people had to know Ali)! I can literally not remember anything from AM bank course therefore I’ll move on to Valser. On a wee side note Libby is continuing to enjoy the company of the ants! Returning from camping at Teluk Batik with a very swolen lip and face and arm! Sleeping in ants nests is not advised, they bite!