A word on the facilities: perfect. The Camp Eureka buildings and grounds weren't so clean and new that we felt we had to be on our best behaviour, or so rough that we felt we had to wear hiking boots & check ourselves for scrub ticks (or each other).
The pit toilets were a bit scary; I felt like I carried a stinky cloud of ripe poo smell for a while after I went... but I have been on actual camp camps where we had to dig our own shit pit & just trust that we gave each other privacy, so everyone always knows exactly who is going to the toilet and what they are doing there. Enough to give you rock hard constipation.
The showers were unbelievable; thanks are due to every one of us who stoked or lit the shower tank fire - champions all.
And Ping-Pong. I didn't play, but those who spend long hours sitting crouched over a Formica table need to perform some kind of physical activity, and the creek was too small to swim laps in, and the gym facilities left much to be desired... and I thought Chairman Mao wished to ensure that every comrade participated in manual as well as mental labour in a socialist society. For my part exercise consisted of walking about covered in tiny spiders; for others the rigours of table tennis.
Awesome report Jo/hn! I will be doing a mine soon!
ReplyDeleteThe Ping Pong was the BOMB!
ReplyDeleteBig thanks to Andrew and Bernard in particular for really turning the pong-off ON!