Tuesday 28th July 2015
“But I need water,” I mumbled, somehow forcing the words out. Jack was panicking, and I was convinced I was going to die, growing thirstier by the second. My body still refused to stop retching, expelling the last remnants of liquid and leaving me even more irritable and shaky. I didn’t want to keep trudging through this endless, greenish desert, but I had no choice. I had to keep moving, because it was getting darker.
Jack raced ahead, determined to find a solution, and after what felt like an eternity, he finally found a small stream trickling through the cracks in the rocky path. We filled our bottles, and I collapsed onto the ground, not even caring if one of the local bears came and mauled me to death.
The water tasted like soil, earthy and gritty, but I didn’t care. Floating bits of gravel mingled with my gratitude. It was the best thing I had ever tasted.
Jack continued to motivate me down that path, like a soldier determined to get me to safety... No man left behind! But just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, my sickness decided to take a break from one end and make a debut from the other. Brilliant.
“But I need water,” I mumbled, somehow forcing the words out. Jack was panicking, and I was convinced I was going to die, growing thirstier by the second. My body still refused to stop retching, expelling the last remnants of liquid and leaving me even more irritable and shaky. I didn’t want to keep trudging through this endless, greenish desert, but I had no choice. I had to keep moving, because it was getting darker.
Jack raced ahead, determined to find a solution, and after what felt like an eternity, he finally found a small stream trickling through the cracks in the rocky path. We filled our bottles, and I collapsed onto the ground, not even caring if one of the local bears came and mauled me to death.
The water tasted like soil, earthy and gritty, but I didn’t care. Floating bits of gravel mingled with my gratitude. It was the best thing I had ever tasted.
Jack continued to motivate me down that path, like a soldier determined to get me to safety... No man left behind! But just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, my sickness decided to take a break from one end and make a debut from the other. Brilliant.
READ PART ONE HERE
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| High Tatra Valleys |
I used branches as a seat and leaves as paper. You can probably imagine the rest. For the first time in hours, I felt strangely unrestrained, almost free… like a wild animal.
As every second dragged on and my body threatened to collapse again, I began to hear familiar sounds... The hums of traffic and voices in the distance. We were getting close to the end. A car park. A road. We had made it! I couldn’t wait to collapse on that bus, head back to the hostel, and sleep for the next century.
It was 7:00pm when the bus finally arrived to take us home. Hot, sweaty, and utterly defeated, I scanned the carriage for somewhere to sit, but of course, every seat was taken. Irritable and desperate, I must have looked as terrible as I felt: pale, eyes half-closed, swaying from side to side, clutching the pole for dear life.
A woman tapped me on the shoulder and gestured for me to sit. She smiled cautiously. I mouthed “thank you,” but her smile quickly vanished as I violently hurled into an empty plastic bag. When I came up for air, everyone was staring, and in that moment, I was overwhelmingly grateful to have Jack by my side. He sat next to me, rubbing my back... A knight in shining armour amid my vomit-soaked misery.
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| The longest walk of my life, High Tatra Mountains |
When we finally arrived back in the small town of Ždiar an hour later, I staggered toward the hostel like a zombie on a mission, weakly waving at the guests lounging on the terrace and mumbling a polite greeting with only one destination in mind. I collapsed onto the bed with the same profound appreciation I had felt earlier that morning and slipped instantly into a deep, much-needed sleep.
It was ‘Italian night’ at the hostel, and though I loved everything Italian, especially the food, it was the last thing on my mind. I spent the night darting to the bathroom, disturbing everyone in the hostel. Despite still feeling terrible, there was a strange sense of contentment that hung around, lingering like a stubborn ghost.
It was ‘Italian night’ at the hostel, and though I loved everything Italian, especially the food, it was the last thing on my mind. I spent the night darting to the bathroom, disturbing everyone in the hostel. Despite still feeling terrible, there was a strange sense of contentment that hung around, lingering like a stubborn ghost.
After one final trip to the bathroom, I crawled back into bed. Jack asked how I was feeling, and for the first time in hours, I managed to open my mouth without immediately regretting it. As my exhausted eyes met his, a smirk creeping onto my face, I softly muttered, "F*** you, Jeff." With the faintest of smiles, finally drifted off to sleep.
