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Day Two: Sugared squid and jungle toilets

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Wayne Dill’s diary from his participation in the gruelling five-day Kota Kinabalu Challenge through the jungles and mountains of Borneo is continued here, where he experiences for the first time the joys and horrors of sugared squid, and jungle toilets.Mr Dill undertook the challenge to raise money for Raleigh International Bermuda.For more information visit www.raleigh.bm.Day 2: Sunday March 4, 2012.We board the bus for a two-hour ride to the jungle training camp, called TAC.We stop at a gas station for a health break and Andi (member of another team) purchases a snack of sugar-coated cured squid and offers me the bag.Reluctantly I try it. The taste is revolting and I try to subdue the horror taking place in my mouth with a handful of candies and gulps of water.We arrive at TAC and are instructed to change, grab our rucksacks and prepare for a two-hour trek for jungle training.We trek to a clearing where Floyd (an organiser) and his team give very involved and comprehensive instructions on setting up camp, preparing a fire even when it’s raining finding dry wood and most importantly, using the Malaysian machete safely.This is about how not to injure yourself or others.At the conclusion of the demonstrations we are told to set up fires, cook lunch and trek back to TAC. (Teammates) Dueane (Dill) and Phillip (Faries) get the fire going; Liza prepares a lunch of noodles, carrots and string beans topped with tuna fish and onions.I contribute to the effort by washing up. Despite it being our first effort at lunch in the jungle, the food is hot and tasty.Back at camp we are given more instructions on how to pack, how to manage wet clothes and hygiene.Stephen the medic shares with us how to use the toilet and Daniella the reporter tells him with absolute conviction that she “simply will not be doing that!”Without flinching Stephen laughs and assures her that she’ll be surprised by what she’ll be doing after five days.Darrell the entrepreneur celebrates his birthday and is surprised with a cake, champagne and a card.There’s a rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday” as we take turns getting weighed for the helicopter ride into the jungle.I can’t shake the jet lag or my nervous anticipation and head off to my hammock and “mosi-net” (to combat mosquitoes) for an early night.