Loop No. 2 returns!

Hooray, the Phase 2 Loop has successfully made it round its tour of Alphas 1-4 and returned safe and sound to Field Base to tell the tale. The first and most important thing to report is that everyone is doing great and there is plenty going on at all the project sites. Here's a rundown of all the latest news...

The Loop set off from Field Base last weekend, with Logistics Martin (aka Bob) and Expedition Leader Larissa sharing the driving, and Administrator / Accountant Gill manning the GPS and navigation side of things. It was a bright and early start as the first stop was Alpha 4 down in Danum Valley, a full (and long) day's drive from Field Base in KK. Arriving late afternoon, the Loop set about its normal business of distributing post (and blog comments, of course), collecting outgoing letters, and opening a small mobile shop of essential items that participants might need - shampoo, postcards, mozzie repellent, choccie bars etc...

Caspar and SJ relaxing in the spare Alpha 4 hammocks

After a delicious dinner featuring banana fritters and custard for pudding, everyone hung out and chatted then headed for their bunks ready for another long drive for the Loop and some hard manual labour for Alpha 4! The next day the group had arranged with the local rangers to help dig up an elephant's skeleton known to be underground nearby, and as the Loop departed they were hard at work with pick-axes and shovels. (Unfortunately, it took a full two days of digging and the assistance of a JCB and a Caterpillar earth mover before they located the elephant. Even more unfortunately, once it was found it quickly became obvious that despite being dead and buried for over a year the elephant was not yet fully decomposed and gave off a nasty niff once un-earthed, at which point Alpha 4 beat a hasty retreat. They do now have a three-foot elephant bone at their camp site as a souvenir of the experience, however!)

Alpha 4 digging for buried elephants...

The Loop's next stop was Alpha 2 in Batu Puteh. As the blog has already reported previously, due to heavy rains and high water levels Alpha 2 have had to evacuate their riverside campsite and set themselves up temporarily in the village goat shed. Although the river is now finally starting to drop, they are still at the goat shed at the moment, but it is hoped that the next group in Phase 3 will be able to return to the campsite. As the Loop discovered, it is actually not a bad little place - nice and dry, with a handy porch for cooking and storing muddy wellies.

Alpha 2 relaxing at the headquarters of MESCOT, their project partners

Despite the inclement weather, Alpha 2 have still continued to get stuck into their work and are building up plenty of muscles doing lots of lifting and digging at the eco lodge, where they have been laying paths and walkways. And it appears they're not tired enough from all that activity, as they're still finding time to fit in a bit of sport and this weekend they've got a football match scheduled with the community.

From Batu Puteh, the Loop headed on to Alpha 3 in Imbak Canyon. It was Martin's birthday so the Field Base visitors were greeted with great festivity and an enormous feast of Thai curry followed by Project Manager Skinner's now legendary bannoffee pie. After a slow start to the phase due to (yes, you've guessed it) the rain, Alpha 3 are now flying through their work on the suspension bridge and are hoping to complete the foundations by the end of this phase.

Andrew getting the Alpha 2 kitchen ready for breakfast - very early!

It was an early-ish night with very full stomachs, as some of the group were getting up even earlier than the Loopsters the next morning to go on a dawn walk with the rangers. Close behind, the Loop headed off at first light for the final leg of their journey, visiting Alpha 1 at Tampasak. As well as cracking on with the floor and wall supports for the Kindergarten, the group there has also found time to organse a sports day for the local kids. However, despite spending their days wielding tools and lugging heavy loads around their work site, puny Alpha 1 still lost the tug-o-war!

The kids of Tampasak showing Alpha 1 how it's done...

Finally, as you know Alphas 5 and 6 sadly can't receive a visit from the Loop as they are all out either trekking in the jungle or diving on Mamutik island. However, we are still in touch with them every day over the radios and can report that all is well. Alpha 5, first of all, have had a brilliant trek - the total opposite of the weather experienced by the trekkers in Phase 1, with scarcely a drop of rain! They've now moved across to Mamutik to complete their diving courses. Alpha 6, meanwhile, are just completing their trek and preparing to return to KK for Changeover - when the whole expedition gets back together, sorts out all the kit and swaps into new (and final!) Alpha groups for Phase 3.

There'll be another update on the blog as soon as the new Alpha groups are announced, so you'll know who is where for the final phase. Keep an eye out for that towards the end of the week...