Friday, November 10, 2006

Where have I been?

The pic on the left is what my men and I have been doing for the past 5 days. EVERY DAY. On this deserted offshore island, we go every morning and lay this trackway onto the beach. Its a "toilet roll" on a truck and we lay it out so that vehicles can cross soft sand without sinking in. We are stationed on a landing ship and our equipment and people land on the beach from boats.





The good things:

  • I learn how old time explorers feel on ships - cramped, bored, constantly rolling and swaying, oh yes... if the boat is small... constantly wet as well no dbout those guys were tough
  • I got to know my platoon better. Many backgrounds and experiences. (uh languages also hehe) no much choice when after our job is done all there is left to do is WAIT to be picked up.
  • Beach is better than jungle - more wind, less insects in general...hehe
The bad:
  • The navy forgot about us and we were left on the island for 4 extra hours in the middle of the night... only being picked up close to 2am! uh guys we are not trying to become "lost" season 3 here!
  • The mustering of the boats takes HOURS before everybody is ready to attack. so its HOURS of sailing in a circle in a small boat till everybody is launched. Water splashes into the boat and breakfast starts to come out of the men. ugh
  • Our equipment and personal belogings (i.e. fresh clothes and food... ) got lost (put on ANOTHER SHIP!) so ... no change. Stay away from me for your own good hahah.
  • I got a bee sting! Middle of the night... something enters my clothes and OUCH! really really OUCH! Doc says its a bee sting...never mind, 6 hours later it was fine. But still it was like a hot needle.
  • I got softer and weaker because my high protein food was ALSO ON THE OTHER SHIP!!