Middle Years and Secondary Camp

Middle Years and Secondary Camp

 

By Chai (Grade 6)

On Friday 27th of May, Mandalika Intercultural School took grades 3-10 students on a hiking trip with The Great Lombok Trail, for two days. I was there for the incredible trip and I experienced things I thought I’d never experience.

 

First we took a bus to Tetebatu. In my head, I imagined muddy landscapes, a few trees, tiring and boring. However,  we walked through jungles and rainforests greener and more alive than anything, with rivers and waterfalls so clear it didn’t look like there was water, and rice fields full of green and coconut trees. I was shocked. Sure there were the downs like the slippery slopes and the itchy plants but everything was a hundred percent worth it.

 

After our day’s hike, the campsite we stayed at was very comfy. They provided the tents sleeping bags and food and snacks and everything. I liked it because we still had to set up the tent ourselves which was a useful thing to know how to do.

 

The next morning was great. We all sat at one big table, ate, talked and laughed. Then we set off for our trek again. We left our bags in the car but brought a smaller bag to carry essentials like towels, mosquito spray and swimmers. Our first stop was this beautiful waterfall inside a big cave with vines and leaves coming down the sides. We swam and jumped off the rocks into the cold fresh rain water. Then we set off again to  a big river that you could just float through. Most of the hike was like this. It was mostly stopping, eating and visiting places like this.

 

It was a great way to connect with people because there was no way around them. I mean you were stuck walking through the middle of nowhere with these people. Suddenly the people you would normally find hard to be around would be helping you across the rivers. That’s what it was like. That’s what that small two day walk could do. It could change people. Half of the reason was the guides from The Great Lombok Trail. They were fun, exciting, funny, helpful, incredibly kind and very experienced.