I woke up unwillingly. I’ve always envied people who can go right back to sleep if they wake up before they have to.
I had to check out of the campsite by noon, so I was in no hurry. I took all my clothes and went to the wash basins. I hadn’t found an ideal piece of travel soap yet, but what I did have worked just fine. I washed my clothes and hung them up.
The problem was that my clothes would not dry in time. I should have done them last night, but I had been too tired.
As I showered, I noticed a tick in my side. Great, I thought. I didn’t know much about ticks, but I did know that they spread disease, and that you should remove them without getting their head stuck inside you. I had recently read that the traditional ways to do this – holding a match against the tick or drowning it in oil or something – were not such a good idea after all. There were apparently special tweezers that were the best way to get this done.
I had all morning to hang around the campsite. I called my Mama in Germany and we talked for a bit. I mended my guitar bag, which had a strap that was coming loose. I sat on the outdoor tables writing in my journal and eating some overpriced bread and yoghurt from the campsite grocery store. It started raining lightly, so I hung out under an overhanging roof.
Eventually I did pack my damp clothes and headed out. I would need a hat, I thought. My nose was quite sunburnt. I tied a wet shirt around my head like an Arab head covering, and it kept my head cool, but did not really keep the sun off my nose. I packed my things and started walking.
