All lycraed up and slathered in sunscreen from head to toe, I felt the tendons in my shoulder tearing away from the rotator cuff even as I reached frantically for the escaping kayak: first afternoon, first activity, first moments of 4 1/2 hours as water patrol and instructor at the kayak station at Longmen Camping Ground, northern tip of the island, Taiwan. Arghh!
Cass and I were both tasked with the Grade 8 camp this year, after a heroic 15 years in a row for my stoic and brave wife. Even when she was 15 years younger, this would have been some test of the mettle. The sun seared throughout, the schedule of activities was brutal and relentless, and the constant vigilance and interaction with kids and adults alike, unrelenting. I knew it was quite awful, but until I personally experienced it, I had no real idea! It was regarded as the hottest camp ever by the double decade veterans, and we both guzzled and sweated litre upon litre of water and slopped on buckets of sunscreen from morning till night.
My activity schedule began, as mentioned, with an overly long stint in the water, basically rescuing novice kayakers in groups as they drifted downriver with the current by shouting instructions and often towing them back upstream. I was pretty exhausted by the time the first evening arrived, but flabbergasted to hear the camp sprukes saying that the camp really doesn't start until tomorrow....maybe for you it doesn't!
I was then tasked with accompanying the 10 km hike up the Tsao Ling Trail each morning. This took 3 hours and involved clambering up stone steps similar to our own Tienmu Gudao, without the intensity but about 6 times longer, before a precipitous drop to the ocean flats on the other side of the island: yes, it actually went from one side of the island to the other! My afternoon duty was similar to the kayaks on the first day, but this time at a different stretch of the river in the tidal confluence near the beach. I was the water patrol on my stand up paddle board (SUP) as coteries of students attempted to master the quite difficult skill. Again, much of this time was spent rescuing the uninitiated or uncoordinated from getting swept away in the current! More afternoons of 4 1/2 hours in the water, and we repeated these morning and afternoon activities for three days in a row!
Cass meanwhile was negotiating the seashore hike combined with snorkeling. This is even more arduous on the knees than the long hike over the mountains, as there are multiple sections of stairs going both up and down. It's also boiling hot as the sun blazes away on the rocky shore, heat radiating from the boulders beneath and shade-less trails stretch away interminably along the shore. Cass also had to work on the food prep teams for breakfast, getting up at 5.30, and also the supper, which meant she didn't get to sleep till 10.30 at night. This was combined with assisting to prepare the entire evening meal on the Tuesday and Thursday night.
Despite the fact that we were slaving away on enervating tasks or treks, we were still expected to supervise areas of tent living or game activities as the kids prepared for meal times. Later in the evenings, the compulsory fun and evening entertainment (usually in the form of dances or other physical movement) was seemingly also compulsory for the adults, as no-one was officially rostered off. It seemed bizarre at times, and certainly catered for the various "Kings of the Kids" who were among our number!
Our one solace was a rudimentary cabin with air-con that we could share, with a little ensuite bathroom. What luxury it was! The only trouble was that the only time we got to be in there we flopped down unconscious within seconds. I needed to spend one night in an airless tent with temps hovering around 40 degrees which was tough on my injured shoulder, and of course I got the obligatory wake-up call in the middle of the night from some needy kids!
Despite the privations we all experienced, the kids were quite amazing. There were precious few complaints and most of the kids made a massive effort at completing new and difficult physical challenges. I was really quite in awe of most of them and just occasionally disappointed by a few of them.
As an antidote to the dirt, sweat and tears of camp, we dusted ourselves off for a bit of 5 star dining at Il Mercato, Tienmu's newest and greatest Italian cuisine restaurant. We were served delicately at timely intervals by attentive, professional staff. The food was sublime and the pampering appreciated: why, by the time Monday rolled around today, we were just about feeling normal again.....(just about!)
Photos: camp stuff and its antidote!
Here is the camp photo album