Day 22 of Life 2 the Limit

Day 22 story

Huenu tries a new bean for brunch – and lives to regret it. But hey, at least she lives, right?

‘It was one of the worst nights of my life,’ wrote Huenu about her most recent misadventure – and one she definitely doesn’t want to repeat.

As you’ll see from the video, she found some beans in a tree on their beach, and did the ‘edibility test’: first you rub the suspicious plant on your skin and wait for around 20 minutes to half an hour to see if there’s a reaction. Then you rub it on your lips, then your tongue, waiting for a while in between to make sure it’s safe. Lastly, you give it a chew.

All was well, so she boiled some up and shared them with the group. While the rest of the group appears to have been fine (possibly because they had far more cautious portions!), Huenu spent the night retching, feeling terribly ill.

‘Uncomfortable inside my hammock on the sand, feeling incredibly nauseous and not knowing what the hell I’d eaten, it was all a bit scary.’

To make it that much worse, a fierce rainstorm erupted and Huenu and Maya spent the night cuddled together for warmth. And while Huenu was off being sick again, the flimsy shelter gave way and dumped a bucket load of water onto a sleeping Maya.

Just what they needed…

Otherwise all seems well, Joe is happy, and Saul doesn’t mention the sugar demons he was fighting. Nick writes: ‘With only five of us remaining, chores have become quite regimented. Saul and I fish, Joe prepares the fire and rice, and Maya or Huenu dresses whatever Saul catches that day.

‘Then there’s water to be collected and pumped, and firewood to be sourced. All this makes for a satisfying routine, and it feels like we’re operating as a tight unit.’

But he does concede that’s it’s all he can do to stop himself boarding a fishing vessel and hitching a ride to the mainland.

‘Then the sun starts to set and the water reddens, and I’m once again struck by the magnificence of my temporary home and the rarest of opportunities that this experience presents, and my heart is settled for another day.’