OMG, we made it! Bruised, battered, scratched and bitten but with all limbs intact and still functioning, albeit rather stiffly. What an incredible experience. I really cannot find the words to describe just how dreadful and fantastic it was. The trekking was tough through dense mountainous jungle. Some of those gradients just made our stomachs turn and churn. Cannot imagine how we made it up most of them with our heavy rucksacks, especially in the humidity. In many places our guides literally had to hack their way through the undergrowth. What an adventure - I never imagined we would be going to places so remote. Thank goodness for satnav! But if the trekking was tough, the overnighting was a million times worse. We actually stayed in tiny primitive villages where most of the people have never travelled further than the bottom of their hill. They regarded us as total aliens and spent many an hour just staring at us. We must have looked a sorry sight carrying the weight of the west on our backs. Our "accommodation" was usually a wooden or bamboo shack where all 13 of us shared the one room. We were lined up in our sleeping bags like sardines, just a centimetre between each of us. What with the constant shuffling to get comfortable on the excruciatingly hard floor, the snoring, the sleep talking, the pigs snuffling and groaning, the stink from the day's sweat, the smell of buffalo pooh (thanks Linda!), the cockerels crowing from 3am and, one night, the chief and his wife "at it" in the "room" next door, I don't know how any of us slept a wink. I got up one morning and announced that I now knew what hell looked like and I resolved to become a nice person to avoid it in the afterlife - my resolve lasted half-an-hour until I got in a fight over who was first in the "bathroom". The "bathroom" facilities are indescribable. You will have to wait for the pictures. They usually consisted of a little shack, sometimes with a roof and sometimes with a door that you could actually shut. The toilet was a hole in the disgustingly filthy floor and the "shower" was a cold tap if you were lucky. My biggest challenge yet and one I will never, never forget. Believe me, I have earned every penny of my sponsorship. But I wouldn't have missed it for the world. However, I cannot tell you how relieved I am to be back in civilization and, having had a hot shower, looking forward to a decent dinner - without rice, which we had for every meal, including breakfast. So many stories to tell...
Raised so far: £1,000.00
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Knew you would do it, Jacqui! Donation by George Mina on 09/12/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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well done that woman!! Donation by sue jolly on 07/12/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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Well done Jacqui - an amazing achievement. Donation by Karen Parry on 01/12/11 |
£25.00 + £6.25 Gift Aid |
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Thought I'd better do this before having a general anaesthetic in case I come out even more demented... hope it goes brilliantly! Donation by Brian Hancill on 15/11/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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Hope you all have a great time xx Donation by Susan Simpson on 13/11/11 |
£50.00 + £12.50 Gift Aid |
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Donation by Anna Jury on 07/11/11 |
£3.00 + £0.75 Gift Aid |
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Have a great time - good luck! Donation by James Tute on 04/11/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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All the very best with this adventure Jacqui x Donation by Jane Daniell on 25/10/11 |
£50.00 + £12.50 Gift Aid |
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Good Luck to the four pink ladies! Rosie and Mike Donation by Rosemary Jones on 23/10/11 |
£30.00 + £7.50 Gift Aid |
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Good luck Jacqui. Don't worry about the lack of alcohol - we will drink your share while you're away! Julia and Bruce. Donation by Bruce Garner on 21/10/11 |
£75.00 + £18.75 Gift Aid |
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Good Luck! Love Steve & Suzanne Donation by Suzanne Darlington on 18/10/11 |
£30.00 + £7.50 Gift Aid |
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Good luck. As you know it's the alcohol deprivation I'd find hardest ! Donation by Marion O'neill on 17/10/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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Donation by Anonymous on 15/10/11 |
£10.00 + £2.50 Gift Aid |
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Go Girls ! Really proud of you>Lots of Love, Annexxx Donation by anne franceschi on 14/10/11 |
£20.00 |
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Go girl go ... Donation by Sharon Gordon on 14/10/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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Since when do 5 star hotels have leeches (unless you mean the ones in the bar)? Good luck xx Donation by Siobhan Watkins on 13/10/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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I suppose it will make a change from sunbathing, Jaks! Donation by christopher lee on 13/10/11 |
£10.00 + £2.50 Gift Aid |
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Never trust Tarzan x Donation by Helen Beatty on 13/10/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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Good luck "girls"! I hope you all get back in one piece. Just watch out for those snakes. xxx Donation by Kit Maharajh on 13/10/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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Good luck. Surely the jungle can be no worse than The Informer officers circa 1988 Donation by Sally Brockway on 13/10/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
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Good luck! Donation by Karin Wright on 13/10/11 |
£20.00 + £5.00 Gift Aid |
| * Total raised online: | £523.00 |
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| Offline donations: | £477.00 |
| Mobile donations: | £0.00 |
| Total Raised: | £1,000.00 |
| Gift Aid plus supplement: | £125.75 |
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