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Expeditions

Rabaska Manicouagan 2019

Today is our day off. We don’t change camp. Anyway, it’s just so perfect as a site that there is no hurry to go elsewhere. We are on a very small sandy island with beaches and a clear plateau where we are floating on a cloud, like the Greek gods in their Olympus.

So, we organized Olympic games: sprints, marathons, biathlons and tugs-of-war, all in canoes. The Alibaba team competed against the Big Fat Ponies. Who won? I don’t remember, but what I do know is that we easily equal the Greek gods in our own way.

First, there is Mario, spiritual father to all, pioneer of the On the Tip of the toes Foundation. Of course, he’s our Zeus, the god of the gods.

Then there is Adélie, our woman of letters, our poet. She is also a music lover: she knows singing tons of singers, some of which I had never heard, like a certain Azna something.
Simon, the joker, funny and convivial, is our Dionysus, god of parties and pleasure (and pike fishing). I could also have seen him as Poseidon, since he likes to stay in the water for a long time, no matter the temperature.

But the true king of the seas, our Poseidon, is Lucas who made us win the biathlon hands down, crossing in no time the strait separating us from the neighbouring island. In addition, held back his power, not to discourage other participants.

Sarah-Eve is Gaia, the nourishing earth. Joyful, always ready to try new things. She loves to play, just for fun and to bond with us all.

Samuel, by his strength, is the Hercules of the group. He doesn’t boast about it, but he could stand at arm’s length a canoe with us all in it above his head! He is also the pivot in the group. He is the only one who speaks French as well as English and he helps both groups to connect.

Blake is Ulysses, he had the courage to cross the whole country to join us. He has a thirst for learning and is always ready to discover new territories.

Lily is the Tethys, the goddess of the sea, who could almost sleep in the water if we didn’t ask her back on dry land. She is also our siren with her angelic voice. Her song capsizes the hearts of everyone who hears it.

Yan, like Hestia, excels at making meals. One day, she will have her own restaurant that will certainly be popular, I’m sure. For the quality of her refined dishes, but also her smile, her calmness and liveliness.

Zachery, like Hephaestus in his blacksmith’s shop, is able to invent anything he wants, like a raft to floating with a fire. He is ingenious, resourceful and aims for success. He has everything you need to survive in the woods.

I imagine Madeline in Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. She impresses me by her maturity and wisdom, by her openness to others. She is a leader in the group.

Elijah has the determination, courage and agility of Prometheus. Of all of us, he had the greatest challenges. And he meets them with perseverance and, above all, with a smile!

Jack is Perses, our gentle, patient and observant hero. He loves music. He’s the kind of guy you win to know more about. One day, I would love to have the chance to see him play the guitar!

Fabricio is cheerful and unifying. His joy is contagious. He easily reaches out to others to create links. For me, he personifies Heaven. He’s our Uranus, watching over us, good weather and bad.
Last but not least, is our modern-day messenger with her YouTube channel, our national Hermes, Florence. Excessively enthusiastic, extremely talkative. Nothing resists her.

All the gods that we are, tonight we end up drenched in the storm that Pythia was forecasting for the last week. I went to my tent to write in my travel diary.

Tomorrow is our last canoeing day. Already! Time flies so fast!

To conclude I have a riddle for you: Touch don’t touch, but don’t touch me do touch. What is touching? Impress me with your answers when I return.