I have had a busy few weeks. The thought of having to disrupt my routine was a no-no for me. There was just too much to do to consider getting away. But last weekend was a friend’s birthday, and he chose to celebrate it in the jungle with an overnight stay, camping. I had no choice but to go. I told him I would be there. I had given my word.

I am glad the birthday celebration was in the jungle as it gave me a few hours away from my routine which made all the difference.

The campsite location was where we celebrated Markus’s, my husband, birthday last year. It is a perfect spot, especially for first-time campers. The birthday revellers were mainly first-time campers, and it was a gentle first step to camping. Markus and I are veterans at camping, especially camping wild. For us, this campsite was ‘luxurious.’ It had showers, toilets, and common areas for cooking and cleaning.

I had a morning meeting before we left for the jungle. My brain was busy thinking until we got to the campsite. The minute I stepped out of the car and saw the trees and the river, like a switch my brain ‘let go’. Also, seeing our friends helped my brain disconnect from my thoughts and connect with them instead.

Markus and I decided to use our roof tent this time. Last year we took our large tent as we had friends sharing it with us. We had not used our roof tent in a while and thought it would be best to air it. What a great idea it was. The roof tent is spacious, comfortable, and cooler. It has good ventilation via the windows. And the great thing about the roof tent is that it is elevated. No need to worry about wildlife.

I remember many years ago camping in the jungle when jungle rats bit through the tent to get some food in the tent. We had secured the food high on a tree, but the rats came for the smell of food from one of our containers. Our mistake. In the jungle, everything needs to be secured as we are in their territory.

We popped up our roof tent and set it up for the night before joining our friends in the river. Though the Malaysian ambient temperature ranges between 26 and 33 degrees C on average, the water temperature was cold. Last weekend was particularly hot, and the river brought instant relief from the heat. Most of us found the river water too cold.

It was good to reconnect with our friends whom we had not seen in a while.                

Time went fast and soon it was time to make a fire to cook dinner. We brought wood from our house to complement the charcoal. The fire caught well and required an hour to get to the temperature we needed for grilling.

It was a great dinner with everyone bringing side dishes and more. I can’t say we were short on food or drink. After dinner, it was more chatting and laughing. There is no electricity at this campsite, in keeping with nature. However, camping gear is so innovative now that darkness was not a problem. Portable camping lights are wide and varied. And thanks to our new campers, we had a variety of portable camping lights. It was festive!

The next morning, there was a wide breakfast spread. Things that I don’t even have when I am at home. Pancakes, toast (yes, bread on charcoal fire makes great toast), eggs, and sausages (freshly grilled) were some of the options.

We then had a belated Easter egg hunt for the children in the group. This was followed by packing up and a last swim in the river. The river felt colder than the day before. Then it was time to leave for home.

It felt like a heartbeat but a few blessed hours in nature made all the difference! I felt refreshed, alert, and calm. Reconnecting with nature and friends was just the disruption to my routine that my brain needed.

And it made me realise that perhaps we need a break the most when we think we need it the least!

Worth a thought.

As always, you can reach me at yoga@yoganesadurai.com