Leeches and Hiking

It was a day of cleaning and adventure. After a few hours of cleaning, yoga, and a nice yogurt muesli breakfast-it was time for me to go see the Dorrigo National park with a local friend. 

Dorrigo National Park is a World Heritage listed gondwana rainforests of Dorrigo with breathtaking waterfall walks, scenic picnic areas, and excellent birdwatching. It is a true gem and one of the best national parks in Australia.

He was really fascinating. His parents were hippy travelers, which made him start traveling at a young age. He was just 21 and he knew all about India, Europe, and was wise beyond his years. I had better conversations with him that any 40 year old American lately.

He was an adventurous, outdoors guy who did not wear shoes-that is a “thing” in Bello. And we stopped at the tourist center and then went to this trail….oh this trail that was not for tourists.

Normally I would love a local trail, but after the rain wearing my brand new running shoes and the soil being freshly wet and leaves slippery…this was not ideal for me.

We started the hike and it was flat then we reached the point where we would go down into the forest(steep decline all the way to the bottom). I am a hiker and I take any challenge, but I really thought I might just slip down lose balance and fall off the mountain. It was that steep and there was not one tourist even there on the trail….

He is walking with no shoes and his feet start to bleed-he is bleeding because of the leeches… I realized this was a huge problem as I had to keep pulling them off my shoes and my legs.  He asked me, “Should we turn around?”

I said, “No” we already started so we might as well finish.

He told me about his love for Indian food especially anything with Paneer or lentils. He spoke about his upcoming travels where he plans to go to South America or back to India. He embraces nature fully, very calm in spirit, and peaceful in mind. He asked such great questions about my family, my life in US, and my personal goals for India.  

Our conversation was fantastic, but with all the leeches and the slippery rocks I was getting super annoyed. When we reached the waterfalls, I was not even excited because I just wanted to clean off my shoes and then go walk back up the hill as fast as possible.

He was climbing up to the top of rocks and hanging off of branches- a true outdoors guy who also worked in the park for years doing maintence.

When we finally reached the top I realized that 10 or more of them were in my shoe and I was trying to get them all out and I thought I did.

I was trying to just play it cool in the car, but I was super annoyed that I had marks all over and they kept somehow resurfacing in my shoe!

I got back and there was one sitting in my sock the whole time and that one caused the most pain-yes they cause pain.

He said that he did not feel anything, but I definitely could feel something was happening in my shoe and my blood was being sucked.

When you look at it and you think of what it is doing, it is really disgusting to think about it and I am repulsed by these insects. People say they have wonderful healing affects for people, I don’t care.

It was around 7pm and it was time for me to do my sauna and cold shower. I made my Pesto Pasta and I spoke to Dirk a bit. Zack came back from work with his pizza box sitting in the kitchen and eating. He was adorably cute and had this charm, voice, and look of Avery on Grey’s Anatomy.

I sat and watched the bats again at night as they all just fly in the sky thousands of them and then they just disappear into the darkness…..this is life as we fade into darkness….at least that is my life.