Rain stops play in the desert!!!

It is almost impossible to put into words the experiences of the last 24 hours. If there is a sense of frustration as you read this, then if you read on you will understand where it comes from.

The coach was due to leave the hotel at 9 yesterday morning. Russel (who I was sharing a room with) and I arrived at the coach at just after 8.30 to be told that the coaches had ben rescheduled for 8a.m. - we had not received the telephone call! The coaches eventually left at 9 for what was meant to be a 6 hour journey. We had only just set off when the rain started. To call it rain is an understatement and does not do it justice. For the whole journey there was a torrential downpour. Dried out river beds where in full flow. It was almost impossible to see out of the window, which was probably useful. Our coqch driver considered himself to be the Lewis Hamilton of the coach driving world. He obviously thought it was compulsory to drive in the boot of the car in front, and believed that single solid white lines down the centre of the road where an indication to overtake. He also thought his coach had a 4 wheel drive facility as he kept trying a bit of off road driving.

Eventually at about 4 pm we came to a halt. We had had to travel a different route as one of the road bridges was not passable. (The French and German competitotrs had flown into Ouzarzate in the morning and left a couple of hours after us and were not able to get more than a short distance before the roads became unpassable due to the amount of rain.) At about 4.15 we transferred to a lorry for a very bumpy 25 minutes to the camp, with a lorry driver aho also had been watching too much of Lewis Hamilton. Even when we arrived it was already a quagmire. Russel and I were the first from our tent of 8 to arrive so we struggled across the mud field to get a tent. The tents are made of hessian with sides but no front or back, and a tarpaulin cover. The rain was dripping through the hessian and onto the sleeping area and we were digging channels in the ground to try to divert the water.

I had put sun cream on before we left the hotel. Grease or whatever it is cross channel swimmers use would have been better as we were shivering with cold. I put on 2 pullovers and the jacket and jeans I had travelled in from UK and got a bin bag liner to keep some rain off. When we heard that the French and Germans would not make it we pinched their tarpaulins to make a front to our tent. By this time we had been joined by Ant and Nick.

At about 7 we headed across to the organisers area for some food. I put flip flops on as the mud would have ruined any shoes. Within a few yards my flip flops had been sucked off my feet and disappeared into 2 or 3 inches of mud, to be rescued by hand. Eventually gave up and for much of the time went bare footed. By this time the ground made Glastonbury on a bad day look like a picnic during a drought.

As we reached the organisers tents we were informed that the camp was being evacuated and that we were going back by lorry to a hotel. Several of the other coaches had been held back in the nearest town and where also heading to the hotel without going out to the camp at all.

Had to head back to our tent and get luggage and back to organisers tents before eating. By this time the first group had gone back by lorry and we had to wait an hour for their return. As we eventually arrived back at the nearest town at about 10 pm we crossed a bridge and the water was flowing rapidly and almost up to the bridge, until we got half way across and found the water flowing over the bridge. Got into hotel and were allocated our room - with one double bed - and I only met Russel 2 weeks ago to do his ECG as a favour - hope I don't get struck off!

Apparently at abouit 4 this morning there was a further downpour with thunder and lightening. Headed down to breakfast at just after 7 and eventually at about 8.30 the announcement we had been dreading, but expecting was made. Day 1 has been cancelled. So no matter what happens I cannot say I have ever really done the Marathon des Sables. We are staying at the hotel tonight and further information later today. At present they are not able to dismantle the camp site, as tents to wet, and as it has rained most of the morning they have no chance to start to dry.

We are trying to have a good laugh but everyone is thoroughly pissed off and feeling totally frustrated. The unspoken fear is that the next announcement will be the cancellation of Day 2. To be absolutely honest I am not entirely sure at present that the event will take place. The ground is now mud and the dried out river beds we were meant to run on will now be full flowing rivers. The sheer logistics of getting the show on the road may proof too much.

I first thought about entering this event 20 yeas ago. I wrote my first cheque on 20th April 2006 to enter and for the last 12 months it has dominaed my life. Hours of training and planning and a large expense. The thought that it may not happen is difficult to take on board. In addition it will impact on my fundraising for those kids in Watamu who so desperately need support. Psychologically it will prove difficult to prepare myself again even if we do get informed that we are starting albeit on a reduced course. That is why I am frustrated, and as I sit in an internet cafe in a town whose name I don't even know it is difficult to fight back a few justifiable tears.

I can only hope and wait and see what transpires over the next 24 hours - I will try to keep everyone informed.