Dateline: 20 April 2011 – Rabi Banane
The no-see’ums are so thick you can clearly see-um! Where there is flesh it is like having a second moving skin that bites! Horrible!
We are camping along the Rabi River forming the north boundary of the eastern portion of Loango National Park. We are actually at the end of a track from the village of Rabi Banane, so the ground is flat and gravelly. We arrive around 5pm very hot, sweaty, I’m filthy, and it is raining off and on. Very uncomfortable indeed and nowhere to escape to. I have to cover up my arms with a raincoat to keep the see’ums off some of me, but then I drip. It seems almost suffocating. A soggy fire eventually makes the usual field cuisine of a kilo of rice cooked with at least ½ cup of oil and sardines (with all the oil from the can) mixed with a bit of tomato paste and a can of green beans. After a wash in the river I am clean but dripping like I never had the bath, and the hot food is not helping.
After darkness the see-um’s are replaced by mosquitoes, although not as bad as they might be. But everything about me itches – I go into my tent to lie all night without sleep. Is this supposed to be fun?
Next morning we did the last and longest hike of this mission – about 7 km each way. Everything went fine and it felt good to have the mission complete and headed for a real bath and indoor room for the night.
Peter -- didn't you know it was selfish to keep your blood to yourself?
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