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All hell has broken loose. The ground was shaken by an enormous clap of thunder and everyone sat up in bed. The thunderstorm continued for ages and it rained incessantly. Quarter to six: Christy had been washed out of her tent. Not only did the roof leak - we knew that and that was why she camped under the large tarpaulin, but the groundsheet also leaked like a sieve. Christy lay shivering on the ground next to the campfire and had left her things all over the place.
The gentle stream that flowed not far from the campsite had become four times as big and was transformed into a swirling river at the point of flooding over its banks. By eight o'clock it had improved. Everyone pack up!! We are now in our third day here and the bees are becoming numerous. Very numerous - particularly under the tarpaulin. Truly thousands of them! Everyone except Christy is ready - she still has stuff lying around. I ask her to get a move on and pack up because "We are all waiting for you!" This was all too much. The wet tent and the lack of help and sympathy had broken her spirit. It took Mathon three quarters of an hour to console her and the bee plague had become really awful.
Hell - we have to get out of here! We could not get away from the bees for more than two minutes. There were so many and they knew exactly where to find us. All damp and sweaty backpacks and clothes were black with bees. Everyone was angry and I told Mathon and Christy that if they did not leave now we would leave without them. If there are problems they must be solved at a suitable moment, but not here at this moment and at the cost of everyone. At last we set off.
By the way, the next day it was Christy who tested the depth of the 10 m wide river we had to cross. Everything was ok. She was with us again!
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