Let me preface this by saying, I have always been an outdoors person. I love fishing, strolling through parks and swimming in creeks. So when I was ten years old, I was ecstatic that my family was going camping. Later, we arrived at my uncle’s house to meet the rest of our family and friends.
They told me we would be camping in a place called Ituni, a forested region of my home country, Guyana. What they didn’t tell me was it would take hours to get there. We also needed multiple vehicles to get there, so I was in a truck with one of my dad’s friends and his son. We drove until the road was no longer paved. There wasn’t a moment that went by where the truck wasn’t swerving to avoid a pothole the size of a grown man. We were also blinded by mud constantly being thrown on the windshield. Driving about 60 miles an hour, while blinded, and going over bumps is the recipe for death. While swerving, the truck did two 360 spins, which I thought was our end. After I picked my heart up off the floor, we arrived at the beginning of the forest path.
We made our way to a log bridge where all the vehicles made their way across except for one. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the one I was in; it was the one with my mom. This vehicle was at such an angle, I thought it was going to tip over and fall into the stream below. Everyone got out and made their way to safety as another truck attempted to pull it out.
I decided to explore the surrounding area. I came across tracks, so I showed them to my dad. He told me they were mountain lion tracks. Judging by their size, I knew he was telling the truth. I thought to myself, “great, now we’re about to become fancy feast.” I hurried back to the truck, where I stayed until we were ready to go.
Finally, we arrived at the camp. We made our way down a hill to a small wooden structure with a roof and no walls. We set up our tents and ate; shortly after, everyone went to sleep. I woke up around midnight with the sudden urge to go to the bathroom. I woke my dad and he showed me where I could go. We had a small portable toilet, which I thought was amazing. I lifted the seat and to my horror there were black ants the size of grapes all over the seat.
The next morning, we spent the day by the creek. While we were swimming, my aunt was stung by a stingray. I found out later that not only were stingrays present, but also alligators. Swarms of mosquitoes were everywhere, but I still managed to go for a nature walk, and venture out to a neighboring farm. They allowed us to pick one fruit and keep it for ourselves. The owner of the farm also offered us a pet bunny, after his rabbit gave birth. I still regret the missed opportunity when my mom said “no.”
Despite everything, I still want to go camping again one day. It has to be better than this, right?
