Once we'd rested, which is weird since all we'd done was sit down on the plane and coach, we managed to get the tent set up.  Now with us being desert novices and it being only the first day/night we were a little naïve in rigging the tent to suit our needs.  After my many laps of the bivouac looking for the whereabouts of people, I had gained a few tips looking at others tents.  They were set up for you in a pretty standard manner, open and accessible, which is great for when you arrive but not so great when the cold night wind sets in.  So there were lessons to learn, and quick!  Paul soon took this on like a true boy scout.  He soon learnt about adjusting the poles and propping up the corners, what was needed and what we could take out.  The tent soon became our fortress, more compact, protected, weighted down by any rocks we could find.  The first night was a big eye opener, a crispy cold breeze whistling under the tent making us all feel very cold and vulnerable to the elements.  Personally I was ok just my face was a bit cold, the others found the whole night to be a cold restless sleepless experience.  We thought wow if its like this every night we're in bother as they were all wrapped up in any spare clothing and jackets they could find.  As the week progressed though the nights seemed warmer, whether this was an actual fact or because our bodies were exposed to the heat all day every day I'm not sure.

Our first morning, there was lots of hustle and bustle around the camp, excited people dancing about tussling with their kit before the all important kit checks and weigh ins!  Not in our tent, it was more like a morgue due to the lack of sleep during the night and the knowledge our kit checks weren't till after 11 so no hurry.  Unfortunately though what we did manage to cock up on our first day was the first water collection, 3 litres of it, infact our entire days water.  We slept through the 6.30-7.30 one hour window allocated to you collecting your ration.  A very smug Lynton (my mate from Uni), came hovering round the tent probably looking for any food he could scrounge, seeing how we were getting on and revelling in our confused state and bomardment of questions about when we could get some water.  He particularly enjoyed telling us how he had loads in fact about three bottles to be exact, and then proceeded to wander back to his tent.  We all just looked at each other, expressing our stupidity in some very colourful language, and it wasn't French or Spanish!

My first mission was to sort my kit out and test the weight of the pack without water, of course, since we didn't have any aarrgghhh!  We were all desperately packing, emptying and re-packing our packs trying to reduce the weight scrimping and questioning previous decisions and choices.  The obvious goal was to get it down as close as you could to the minimum weight of 6.5kg, but mine was just under 11 oh dear!  I kept taking more and more out, asking everyone's opinion on items I wasn't sure about and then getting the eventual ultimate question of 'do you really need it, or can you eat it?'  Check-in and pack weigh time was fast approaching for Paul and myself, and oh yeah I'm a tad thirsty wonder why that is, numpty!  So all packed up, I tested the weight without water and it was 9.79kg.  This seemed really good at the time compared to the first time I weighed it at just under 11, oh how I did  regret not getting that lower lol!

So off we went to find the check-in tent, all excited at the prospect of not having to worry about my pack any more and to stop stressing over what kit to have and what not to have.  We dumped our hold all bags ready to go on the lorry to the hotel at the end and joined our respective queue's.  This first bit, the weigh in and medical/ECG check seemed ok and pretty quick, we were shunted through the tent and told to then go and join another queue for your race number.  Of I toddled pretty pleased with myself and excited at the prospect of nearly finishing the processing, and joined the next queue.  Once I got to the front I received my bib and I was then handed two more brown bag de kakka's, oh joy!  Yet again I was then directed to another queue which I thought was just to get your official picture taken with the sponsors backboard, so I told Paul we might aswell skip that unless you were that bothered about the pic which I wasn't.  We were soon advised to join the queue as it was a reference picture for them plus you needed to log your tracking device into the system by registering it over the line in the tent.  Ooops nearly another major cock up!  We headed back to the tent happy now we were done and couldn't change anything, by this point I was starting to feel a little weary and dehydrated so was praying for tea time when we could get a drink.  We entered the tent where the other two were still stressing over there kit before heading off.  We rested and dreamt of the forthcoming start line the next day!

The bivouac from a distance.

Paul, Tim and I went for a little walk after all the processing was done.  It was nice to stretch our legs a little and absorb our new environment for the week.  We scrambled up a little hill and took in the views before heading back to camp.

We were now all set and ready for the big off!  Lets have it ha ha!