Camping at Koitaki Country Club (Part 2)

The first part of my post about our Koitaki Country Club camping trip was just enough to show most of the pictures that I took there during the first day; and I did not want to bore you with too many pictures shown at once in a single post. Hence, I decided to write a part 2 of what went on in the second day of the trip.

This scene is what greeted me the next day. I had actually woken up in the wee hours with a slight feeling of being cold from the cool breeze that usually results to a build-up of mountain dew. The thing I did not bother to bring was my favorite blanket, which was actually not necessary because my tent has a door cover that I could zip up in case the weather got really colder.

I did zip it up and slept like a log.

In the early morning, crows flying back and forth with their loud callings loitered the place. I thought that it would be nice to record a video of them flying around while the crickets fine-tune the hum of their peculiar chirping sound in the background. 

The next day, we still have a lot of firewood left for cooking. The person in the red shirt was chopping firewood into smaller sizes to make it easier to start a fire. Others just stood there in admiration of what I can say an impressive display of Boy Scout skill. 

The morning dew has moistened the firewood, making it difficult to burn. But this guy is not backing down that easily and in a couple of minutes later, he seemed evidently happy to have made the fire.

Great! Now, if I could only find where I kept my 3 in 1 coffee.

Cess boiled a pitcher of drinking water and Malou poured in 3-in-1 coffee to the cups. Some were still asleep in their tents but I reckoned I would much rather rise up early to witness sunrise from this hill. If I get lucky, I might get to see a nocturnal animal retreating from an overnight spree.

While the sun has not risen up yet, the misty fog enjoyed the liberty to emblazon the horizon with blinding spectacle, stretching from where I stood and far beyond those mountains. You can see that the fog has made things less visible.  On times like these, an air traffic controller will divert incoming airplanes to the nearest airport or advise them to stay aloft until it is clear to land.

Or before they run out of aviation gas.

These tiny mounds are probably an ant nest. It’s a good thing to examine the grounds properly before setting up the tent, because the last thing we ever want to see in the tent is an army of crawling angry ants.

Cess and Malou prepared something more appropriate for breakfast. I helped by grilling up the eggplants which would be made to tortang talong later on. We had some leftovers from last night and Cess had fried them after the eggs were done. Everyone ate his or her share of breakfast in silence without qualms, I guess that’s because it's either the foods tasted great or it was just the morning dizziness.

Here’s Paul showing me a big bug he got out from his tent. I’m not sure if it was a giant mosquito or just a mayfly, but it’s an interesting bug to see. Actually, all bugs are an interesting sight to see.

As long as they remain tiny.

After having our breakfast, we went down to see the restaurant. I looked back and took one last shot of our camping spot. It’s nice to see how surprisingly small our tents were from afar. By the way, it’s a lot easier to walk down than to climb up. And if there’s some kind of an empty drum, I would so much like to lie down in it and ask someone to roll it down the hill.

Just kidding.

Here’s Malou with some kids. The restaurant has some washrooms where the guests can freshen up. You’d be allowed to take a bath if you wanted to, but I opted not to and did that in the house a few hours later.

There is a large pool at the back of the restaurant. I noticed that nobody was taking a dip. It was probably due to the warning sign that said, “Sharks have been spotted in this pool, they come out when they smell pee.”

Yikes!

The restaurant has a distinctive ambiance like that of a ranch and it looks wider from the inside. Even if you come with a busload of people, there is still enough space for everyone.

In one corner, this sign says, “Captain’s Corner.” I’m not sure what that means but this table is probably reserved to someone worthy of the Captain status.

As in Captain Hook, Captain America or Captain Barbell.

There are many tables in the lobby and there are some tables in the enclosed area as well. I believe that the ashtray on the table offers an obvious hint that this specific area in the restaurant is cut out for guests with smoking habits.

The foods are listed on the menu in this corner. The T-Bone Steak is around $25.00 USD. It’s a bit pricey for an average earner like me but it’s worth the price for all these amenities. On a side note, food servings in Papua New Guinea are generally more than enough for one’s regular consumption.

Although secluded, there is a mobile phone signal in Koitaki. In fact, we never had problems with uploading our photos from last night. There’s a large satellite antenna sitting outside near the restaurant but I’m not sure what was that for.

I guess I must upgrade my ability to ask.

If you’re not wary of horseback riding, like I do, you can try and ride one of these horses for free. If it’s your first time, you can say that to these staffs and they will guide you accordingly. Here’s Cess’ daughter being lectured on by one of the staffs as they prepare for a galloping-ride around the meadow.

My late uncle Alex used to have three horses in his A & J Farm, where I worked for a very long time. Compared to these, his horses were smaller and skinnier. We used to ride those horses around the farm. When he learned later that the horses were getting thinner from malnutrition, he sold them out immediately. A move that, I believe, was wise since nobody from us knew how to properly care for a horse.

Horseback riding is a fun activity because it somehow lets you experience one of the oldest mode of transportation known to humankind. Equestrianism is the proper term for horseback riding and people have been in this practice since 3,000 BC.

On the way home, there is an open market near the Koitaki Country Club. We stopped by and bought some fresh vegetables. I bought some Ampalaya sprouts and some other things that I already forgot. 

It’s a good thing to buy from them not only for the reason that they sell fresh-from-the-farm produce but also for the fact that it supports their livelihood.

That’s all for our camping trip. Until next time!