There were no special facilities in the compound, but thank heavens for running water. Of course, there was no tap, only a pipe sticking out of a wall, where fresh water from the mountainside was diverted into a series of guttering pipes. The locals seemed happy with the arrangement. Domestic running water was a new concept on that side of the mountain. The system had been installed the previous year by a group of American students, studying engineering.

The water was cold but soft and my hair succumbed to a rich lather as I washed it under the pipe. Sharon and Martini arrived and after celebratory hugs and kisses they too joined the washing detail. As I dried my hair, I faced them both - one hand grasping my towel, the other holding a beer. Behind them was the ridge where Tony and I had stood some twenty minutes earlier.

As we chatted about the descent, I became aware of small stones falling over to the right of the ridge, first slivers of tumbling gravel followed by rocks. Then a huge boulder which had been underpinned by large rocks began to slither and spin. "Landslide!" I yelled, as the boulder continued its slide down the mountain, gathering pace off the soft white rock, skipping over limestone slabs, before cart-wheeling with a clattering anvil-like clank onto the corrugated-iron roof of the cooking-shed.

The cook's daughter remained rigid, open-mouthed - convulsed in complete shock. Her mother who now ran towards her had escaped the cooking-shed a fraction of a second before the boulder smashed through the roof. Salous and the porters checked inside, but it was empty except for tonight's dinner and a destructive lump of limestone.

Home Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our sponsors the College of Public Speaking offers courses in Public Speaking Courses London, Presentation Skills Courses London , Executive Speech Coaching London, Train the Trainer, Advanced Presentation Skills Courses London, Powerpoint and Media Skills.