{"id":145,"date":"2025-01-29T04:32:51","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T04:32:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theunseenisland.com\/?p=145"},"modified":"2025-01-29T04:41:31","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T04:41:31","slug":"travels-with-my-son","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theunseenisland.com\/?p=145","title":{"rendered":"TRAVELS WITH MY SON"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Horton Plains National Park on a Wednesday morning. We must have been two of only ten visitors that weekday, but it felt like we had the whole wilderness to ourselves for my son and me. The landscape looked almost prehistoric\u2014tall grasses, mountain forests, and flora that could have easily belonged to the Ice Age. We wandered through this prehistoric world for four hours, armed with a bottle of water, sunshine, and chills. I realised\u2014afterwards\u2014that we could have been better prepared than one bottle of water between us. But hey, what&#8217;s an adventure without a bit of hindsight wisdom?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our journey began at the ranger&#8217;s office, where they confiscated anything remotely plastic\u2014including the wrappers from our so-called protein bars (which, if we\u2019re being honest, were more like chocolate bars disguised as &#8220;fuel&#8221;). After that, it was just us and the wilderness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We soon approached Baker\u2019s Falls ( Named after Samuel Baker &#8211; An English Officer, naturalist, and oh big game hunter). Navigating a beautiful forest path, the sound of the falls called out to us as we descended toward them. Despite the temptation, a swim was out of the question\u2014thankfully! I\u2019ve heard freezing water is excellent for recovery, but I was more inclined to keep all my warmth intact for the trek ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we continued, the tall grass stretched around us like a sea of green. My son, Ryan, half-jokingly compared it to a scene from <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jurassic Park<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. I laughed, but deep down, I hoped it wouldn\u2019t turn into <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">that<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> kind of adventure. I\u2019m brave enough to lug my extra-large frame through the wilderness, but running from prehistoric creatures? Not on my itinerary, thank you very much.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then came the highlight\u2014World\u2019s End. We were blessed with a crystal-clear day, the kind where you can see the horizon stretch endlessly. It\u2019s funny how you expect things to be like you remember them from your youth, but sometimes they turn out even better. We sat silently, watching the natural world go by, grateful for the serenity and the view. It was perfect.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The final stretch was what I lovingly call &#8220;The Walk on the Moon.&#8221; The last 2 kilometres of our trek took us across a slightly elevated path of hard clay and rock. While it wasn&#8217;t the easiest terrain, it was certainly rewarding. We slowed our pace and were lucky enough to spot a couple of bear monkeys and the tiniest horned lizard, which Ryan found endlessly fascinating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the end, the trek was more than just a walk through Horton Plains\u2014it was a journey through time, nature, and memories that will stay with us forever.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Horton Plains National Park on a Wednesday morning. 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We must have been two of only ten visitors that weekday, but it felt like we had the whole wilderness to ourselves for my son and me. The landscape looked almost prehistoric\u2014tall grasses, mountain forests, and flora that could have easily belonged to the Ice Age. 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