Journey to Extraordinary ~ Comfort Restored

Ellie McKenzie • December 9, 2024

Day 8 – September 4th, 2024

A sunset over a body of water with trees in the foreground

We woke up that last morning to one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen, still high above a sea of clouds. The first thing I heard was one of our men coming out of his tent exclaiming, “Holy cow look at that sunrise! Ellie! I was coming to tell you how much this sucks until I looked out and saw this and I couldn’t believe how incredible it is!” Behind us, the mountain loomed in the distance and we still had a full day of hiking ahead of us. But soon we would be back to the ease of civilization and we were energized and motivated to have that comfort restored.

A group of tents are sitting in front of a mountain.

Although we were all feeling renewed by the fact that we would soon be back to civilization complete with a hot shower, a warm bed, and a hot meal, we knew that this last day would still be long and we were feeling the effects of the trip. Many of us had a large, swollen bottom lip. Our sick climbers were starting to feel a bit better. And my toes were a mess. I knew that wearing my hiking boots down the last bit of the mountain would make me excruciatingly slow, but I had brought my Uggs to wear at night around the campfire, so I opted to wear them down the mountain. Just in case, I tied my hiking boots to the back of my backpack in case I decided to change back into them. 
A muddy path in the middle of a foggy forest.
A tree with lots of branches and leaves covered in moss in a foggy forest.

The Rainforest

As we started down the mountain, the hikers who were feeling the best booked it down. They were feeling amazing and excited to get home. The last three of us stuck together and trudged. As we headed down we once again walked through all the climate zones in one day. This time, however, instead of ending up in the jungle, we finished in the rainforest. The main difference between the jungle and the rainforest was the different animals and, well, rain. It was a constant steady drip all the way down and mud as far as the eyes could see, which also made it a bit slippery. 

However, the plants here were amazing. Enormous roots of trees and leaves larger than a human towered over us and intertwined under us and all around us. Velvety moss hung from tree branches in large clumps making the forest look like something from a scary movie. Monkeys screeched in the distance and the unrelenting rain drizzled down. 

Civilization

Finally, we made it back to civilization. We took time to get our final certificates, use a real bathroom (with more gratitude than ever before), and get some snacks. Then we got on our bus to head back to the hotel.

A group of people are posing for a picture in front of a sign.

On the way back, Athumani took us to a fabulous little restaurant for hamburgers. The restaurant was covered in gorgeous foliage and flowers and the hamburgers were delightful. We also had a short ceremony where Athumani handed out our certificates one by one with a hug and praise for our hard-earned victory.

Comfort Restored

A garden filled with lots of plants and flowers.

One last stop at a museum and gift shop and we were headed back to the hotel. Once there, we took turns at a long, hot, well-deserved shower. It was the best shower ever! I sat on my bed looking at my poor, sad feet, swollen and bruised. I was going to lose about 5 toenails from that descent. But it was worth it! Then we all met for pizza and beer in the hotel restaurant and laughed at the amazing adventure we had all been through. Then, bed –  a thick, soft, cozy mattress with air conditioning, power and all the comforts of civilization we had missed so much. Finally, our comfort was restored.


Next, we will revisit the museum and gift shops and then drive to the airport.


For last week’s story click here.
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