Hiking on Clove

Rain!

When I was a kid, I hated hiking. The idea of climbing hills and sweating a lot in order to see a view that others had already seen didn't really appeal to me. But I changed and these days I like hiking. I like the peace of getting away from people, the joy of exertion that is rewarded by nice views and fresh breezes. I like the freedom of just walking, putting aside other cares for awhile.

But hiking on Clove Island isn't always like that. Yes, it still involves sweat and hills, but peace and quiet? Maybe not.

Awhile back, I went for a hike with a (white) friend.

Our goal: the top of a big hill.
Our outlook: positive.
Our timeframe: I needed to be home midday to prepare for an English certificate ceremony.

It was a trail I'd taken before, so we headed out without any local friends to guide us. We walked past the airport, then along the beach, and saw dark clouds over the hill we were about to climb-- oh no. Rain!

Well, not to be deterred, we kept walking. Now on Clove there are really no private places. Anywhere you go you'll run into people. By this point we had a couple of people walking with us and they took shelter from the rain under a large tree. So we joined them, waiting for the rain to let up.

But it didn't. Nope, 15 minutes later it was still pouring rain, so... we all started off walking again. We were already drenched, so what's the harm of walking in it? Leaving the beach, we started up the hill, but the rainstorm had turned our path into a fast-moving stream.

And our companions weren't about to leave us wading up the mountain alone. So we chatted, sharing stories and ideas, explaining what we believed and why we weren't planning to adopt the local belief system any time soon. Those conversations happen pretty naturally here on Clove.

Eventually we reached a T-intersection and our companions went a different way.

Total time hiking: 3.5 hours.
Total time hiking without extra companions: 1 hour?

But that's the way the culture works. They're inclusive, not exclusive. They feel responsible for white people wandering around. They make connections everywhere they go. And I can't begrudge that. But sometimes I have to remind myself of that when all I really wanted was some peace, quiet, and good views.