ylp bussed to the iwokrama field station on thursday night. we had to wait at oasis restaurant until 2 a.m., when the bus arrived from lethem. we boarded the bus, but it was just full enough that i was the only one who didn't have a seat and therefore had to sit on the ground next to the driver. the very uncomfortable 3-hour ride didn't officially get underway until we passed the second bridge. we all had to get off the bus, because the bridge was in the process of being fixed and was basically nonexistent at that time. so we all walked in front of the bus, on the path next to komodybash (the "anaconda pond"), and waited for the bus to off-road through the muck next to the pond and climb up the bank on the other side. so: 3 in the morning; anaconda pond; rupununi savannah; pitch black; cranky/drunk passengers. of course, the bus got stuck. and this is guyana, so of course nobody really did anything except yell at each other. after about an hour of waiting around in the dark, somehow someone got the keys for the backhoe that was parked up near the bridge, and decided to try to pull the bus out with it. they attached the rope to the backhoe's claw, and actually managed to pull it out of the muck AND up the bank. i secretly hoped the claw would break off, but i am glad that the bus just got out of the mud.

the point of this story: i discovered i really want to become adept at using heavy machinery. i think i will get my dad to teach me, maybe when i am home this summer. once when i was at kelsey's, her dad was doing some work with the backhoe in the front yard. he saw us through the window and waved at us with the backhoe claw. i would like to do that. maybe i could learn to paint with the backhoe claw or something. i would be just like that elephant that paints with his trunk. if not painting, i would at least like to be able to dig a nice little hole, and make a nice little pile with that dirt. the fun just doesn't stop with ole' c.g.