Zwin! Oh, the Zwin. From what I remember, our energy levels took a nosedive as the day went on. Perhaps it was our excitement from the bird sanctuary, or maybe even the idea of running barefoot through the grass, but the relatively quiet mood and bus full of snoring Cal students was a stark contrast from the usually highly energetic group we have here. Even tonight, I feel it may be the first night that everybody stays put in the hostel after 10pm. This side effect of hiking may also be compounded by the fact that we are just over 2/3 of the way done.
But that is not to say that this hike was not enjoyable, as a hike is not a hike if you don’t feel the need to have a store bought (and microwaveable) feast, a hot shower, and a long nap. I found the whole experience rather refreshing, to walk down a seemingly endless landscape of salt-resistant wildflowers and grasses. It was a nice change from all the developed cityscapes and tourist traps that we spend the majority of our time in. I felt especially liberated upon removing my shoes and running barefoot through the sandy trail, patches of grass, and the gooey silt many of us struggled with at each stream crossing.
And with this, we came to the road less traveled, and made our own path through the brush. The bad news is that for many of us, our bare legs paid the price of cuts and rashes. The good news is that, for those adventurous enough to walk through the silt, we were rewarded with a protective layer of mud.
Overall, I felt that this was a very rewarding experience and invaluable to the program as a whole. The Zwin offered a glimpse of the natural landscape unlike anything we have seen for the past month. The shift from the built environment to this preserved wetland was much needed, at least for one day to just get away from the bustling city centers. In this case and as the saying goes, the grass is much greener on the other side.
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