Diary Writing Practice Sheet.
Ariana Svenson works for Apus Peru Adventure Travel Specialists, a company that
offers you opportunities to visit little-known places. Here she writes about a cycling
journey across the Andes Mountains in South America, through varied scenery.
OK. I admit it, we go looking for adventure. We had always wanted to visit the Manu
region but it had seemed hopelessly expensive so we had the idea of cycling there,
seeing Peru's National Bird, the Cock of the Rock, and then going home.
It was low season and although it was totally the wrong time of year to be crossing
mountain passes, we set off, armed with an excess of wet weather gear, and brimming
with enthusiasm. Two minutes after we had reached the top of a mountain pass it was
hailing and we were drenched.
Our descent would have been truly exhilarating in good conditions – when it's freezing it
is hellish. Our hands, though gloved, were the first part to lose feeling – not good when
you need to be (not)able to feel your hands to apply the brakes on hairpin corners! Your
lips go numb first, and then your nose starts running and your knees begin to freeze up
in the cold. It was pure agony. (T&F -hardships,agonising,extremely challenging(P) –
(Dev) -not what you hoped to experience.
An Andean village, that appeared to be warmly welcoming from above, was coldly
abandoned and shut up as we passed by closed doors. About three hours later,
bedraggled and miserable, we arrived at Colquepata. There they told us it was only
another forty minutes downhill to Paucartambo: it took us over two hours! At least the
journey was downhill and at its best there were smooth roads, good gradients and high
speeds. (T&F – disappointed(/discouraging(abandoned village)- miserable and tiresome
journey -consolation was the roads…
We passed through pretty farmland, groups of eucalyptus trees and herds of cattle and
sheep on their way home at the end of the day. Paucartambo emerged around the
corner, a charming place, with cobblestone streets, narrow alleys and whitewashed
houses. People in skirts and draped in colourful blankets added an old world charm and
we felt that we had stepped back centuries.(T&F-wonder/awe/intrigued -step into the
past – a welcome change/respite)
Later we arrived in San Pedro to see the Cock of the Rock birds doing their mating
dance. We camped on a nice man's soccer pitch, and woke up at midnight to the sound
of rain – incessant, heavy, continuous rain that pelted the tent with a somewhat
dismaying regularity. We roused ourselves and trudged through the muddy quagmire to
see the Cocks’ dance again, wondering how many would look for a mate in this foul
weather. We were right – very few!(T&F – continued difficult journey -frustrated at not
witnessing the dance )
Following a flat tyre, brake adjustments and load rearrangements, we were jolting our
way downhill again, through ever more beautiful and warm jungle. Soon we were racing
along through pampas luxuriant with grasses – the rich moist air of the jungle filled our
lungs which felt as if they had been starved in the Andes. It was heady and intoxicating
– and we just wanted to smile and laugh, out of sheer happiness. Great flocks of big,
bright, buttercup-yellow butterflies were feeding on the road and when we passed they
fluttered up and surrounded us, so we were cycling in a haze of butterflies – utterly
dreamlike! (memerized by nature – experienced sheer happines)
We continued to the village of Pilcopata where we managed to get some necessary
repairs done to the bikes. We decided to travel further by local bus but had to wait
because all the buses out of the region were full, and there were no more for two days.
(delay in the jouney)
In those long hours of waiting we developed the art of conversation with complete
strangers. In our time-oriented society, it's not something that we usually do. Everyone
is far too busy or has lots of friends. However, in the heat of the jungle people aren't in a
hurry and are happy to discuss things with strangers. I got into a conversation with an
old woman who had lived all her life in the region. She exclaimed, “Do you know how
much tourists pay to visit Manu?” She added, without bitterness, “Not a cent reaches
our town. They come with all the food they need – even bread and water! And all they
leave is rubbish!” It struck me then just how important it is to buy locally, and be
environmentally conscious in all our actions. I am glad that when we travel
we buy at small shops and eat in local restaurants. You can't please everyone, but you
can make a difference.
1) Imagine you are one of Ariana Svenson’s companions on her journey. You are
now on a boat on the way home and are writing your impressions of the
adventure in your journal.
Write your journal entry in which you describe what you think were the good and
bad points of your journey.
In your journal entry you should include:
• your thoughts and feelings -
• what you have learnt from the experience.
You should base your ideas on what you have read in the passage, but do not
copy from it.
You should write 250-350 words.
Up to 15 marks are available for the content of your answer, and up to 10 marks
for the quality of your writing.
1)P- writing your impressions of the adventure in your journal.
A-yourself
F- Journal
T- personal, emotive,details
2) Identify points for the bullet points in the question(a & b)
3) PDD Point-detail-devt.
4) You write as directed
