For the past two weeks, the Green Team and Youth as Promise (YAP) have planned to meet up at Hermitage Dam, a spot rumored to be a hike away from each of our hub sites. So this morning, after being awake for a set-up (pre funeral celebration) until 2am, I awoke to overcast skies and, after assessing the chance for rain, assembled 4 others outside of my home by 8:30am. None of us knew how to get where we were going, but we knew the trail to start on and the general direction of the dam, so we set off, down the paved road beyond my house, which simply ends and becomes a wide path leading to farm plots and houses.
Passing by my neighbor’s house (Shameaka’s cousin) her older son, Akiyme jumped from the stoop as his sisters washed clothes, heralding Pat and asking if we were going to the river and that he wanted to come. We’d been keeping the event under wraps since no family member wanted to go into the bush and walk for hours, and we had to have a chaperone so, glad to have a Jamaican with us, we set out, as Akiyme asked, “Mi nuh know di way, unu?” Do we know the way? HA we laughed and good heartedly joked about bush whacking as the road ended and banana trees began.
The trail was initially well traveled, a by-way for farmers to reach their plots, and we happily joked as we walked the crest of the hill, looking far down to our left and the front into the valley, where ‘our’ river lay. Batting coffee trees limbs from our path, the trail began to narrow, and the red clay began to get slick. The trail began bearing left and the farm plots gave way to the bush, my first foray into the jungle. The soil darkened to a mulchy black, the rocks got bigger and moss covered, the tree cover got thicker and vines fell from their limbs. Climbing down the trail, we good naturedly lamented the climb back up, as we really were jumping from roots and rocks feet below each other, less of a hike and more of a controlled fall. Akiyme negotiated this all in flop flops, turning sharply and flinging out his arm if he heard me slip even a little behind him.
The sound of the river beckoned us, as we wove around forests of bamboo and the trail leveled. We basked in the cool rush the river provided, mopped our faces and appraised this next obstacle. Everyone chose a different path- some just waded across, but some, like me in my recently delivered hiking boots, chose to piggy back on several large boulders downstream. The trail continued, this time up the opposite mountainside- I’m sweating just thinking about it- the scenery, a jungle much like before. We walked for a while this way, ascending, descending and winding along the skin of our earth until we came out on the bank of another river. We thought we must be close, as the river pooled a bit downstream.
Fighting the urge to strip down and swim in the crystal clear flow playing about many large boulders, we took off our shoes and crossed to the opposite bank and, unable to see the trail again, decided to follow the river, as we must be closely upstream of the dam. We were right, and the pool we had seen in the distance opened up into a large, dark reservoir. Still, we didn’t see the bridge where the YAP crew was supposedly waiting at, the the trail continued to allude us, so we continued wading in the shallows of the reservoir- pants wet and shoes slung over our shoulders, we finally came to a spot that could be a trail. Climbing up the slippery and muddy bank, we came across a man who had been fishing who told us that our friends were waiting ‘pon di bridge! the trail widened and finally we glimpsed the massive concrete structure of the dam, and a walkway going across the top- the bridge. In glee I pulled out my harmonica and played a cheerful tune to indicate that we were coming, which turned into a rambunctious O-Susanna as we spotted almost the entire YAP group, perched on the railings and building roof, waving and cheering at our muddy sweaty entrance. Dramatic slow hugs and general happiness followed.
View of the reservoir from our hike home.
This is a map highlighting what maaay possibly be the route we took to get to the dam… it might also be very wrong, but at least you can see where we started (lower right) and where we ended. click for a larger view
The YAP kids had a very knowledgeable guide from their town with them, and he took us around the west shore of the reservoir and once again into the jungle to show us a waterfall. Upon reaching it, I said barely a word but stripped to my skivvies, and launched myself into the small clear pool. Everyone else quickly followed my lead, and I followed Patrick, swimming under the freezing cold falls to perch on the rock ledge behind it, gasping for air and smiling from ear to ear.
A Jackfruit that was obtained during the walk from the reservoir to the falls was cut open and devoured, the sticky sap covering our lips and fingers, the sweet nectary fruits refreshing my beaten body. I sat on a rock and chatted with my good buddy Josh, who I hadn’t seen since Hellshire and slowly, reluctantly, re-clothed for the walk back.
A quick pit stop led by the YAPpers guide brought us to a small clearing of boulders and a large tree dangling one lone vine over a stream. We all excitedly took turns swinging on it and I was pleasantly surprised by how far I flew and how fun it was.
Finally, it was time to separate ways, and the YAPpers guide gave us directions to a more direct route home. I think we followed that route, although the trail got questionable (once again) at times- most of it was uphill and we did not cross any more water. We found ourselves coming out at the southern most village in Woodford called Cottage and it took us about 45 minutes-an hour to follow the steep road back to Freetown. Upon returning home, I peeled off my clothes and gladly bathed beneath the freezing cold showed water and, looking at my watch, was glad to see that it was only 3pm. I fell asleep just as the rain began to fall, hard and melodious outside my window.
*I did not bring my camera on this trip to keep a light load, though I did post a video on facebook and snap a few photo’s with my ipod- keep an eye out for photo’s I’m tagged in on the book*
...harmonica? yer cool.
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