An early wake-up and an early departure—we have a busy day ahead of us.
Today is Adeline’s birthday! For the occasion, we wake her up by singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY in French, English, and Spanish. A hat on her head, balloons on the canoe—everything has been planned to make sure this day is festive and memorable.
We have a good coffee or hot chocolate; breakfast can wait a little. Before hitting the water, we close up the latrine! Catherine arrives with the equipment, and I can’t stop laughing. Her outfit of the day matches every piece of our gear. I couldn’t resist capturing this moment for the archives! I think she has a gift for bringing joy to the little details of everyday life.
Joel is eager to leave and asks me to take his picture. He seems proud and happy to be here. We are sharing a canoe for the day. Since we both fall somewhere in the middle between introverts and extroverts, we enjoy moments of silence as well as deeper conversations. He is a great paddler and canoe partner! I am grateful to be paddling with him.
Only a few minutes after our departure, the “troublemakers,” Loïs and Steven, begin their antics. Incognito, they make their way toward the other canoes and hold on to the back to let themselves be pulled along. This becomes their main activity of the morning. They are having fun, and it is contagious—like an invitation not to take things too seriously.
To continue letting the current carry us, the guides suggest that we form a raft with the canoes and eat breakfast on the water. It is incredible how well fed we are. Everything is delicious! Jessica—as well as Nic and Anne-So—pays close attention to detail and quality, and it makes such a difference!
Today, we cover 20 kilometres, with a portage of approximately 900 metres at the end. It is our longest portage so far. It comes with its share of challenges, but we are together, and we take our time. At the end, we take a moment to talk, congratulate one another, and discuss how we could improve and work even better as a team during the next portage.
Our campsite for the night is waiting for us on the other side. As soon as we arrive, the task teams get to work.
The latrine team outdoes itself. They decide to create a VIP space for our basic needs: a luxury latrine, complete with support and comfort.
Marshall and Julien are on the cooking team. They are naturals and take their role seriously.
After several hours of beautiful weather, the rain begins to fall. It gets a little colder, but fortunately, we are well equipped. In all honesty, this is a slightly more difficult moment.
We sing “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” We know the storm will pass and that the good weather will return soon enough.
And sure enough, the sky clears, the stars shine, and we end our day by celebrating Adeline with a delicious caramel popcorn dessert, marshmallows, candles to blow out, a video her family made for the occasion, and a birthday card signed by everyone in the group.
In all honesty, it was a big day! We are tired and ready for a good night’s sleep!
I can’t wait to tell you what happens next…
See you tomorrow!
Geneviève
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