I SAID YES!!...

...Of course I did!! :) It was probably the happiest moment of my life!

What a day! Bro and I had spent the morning clearing vines as usual, and we’d planned to go to the village in the afternoon to do some washing. At the last minute, Martin asked if we’d mind if Bro stayed and helped him in the Eco Camp so would I mind going by myself with Bobby? Of course I didn’t mind, so Bobby and I took the boat to the village and had a lovely afternoon cleaning clothes, folding clothes and eating iceream (a luxury we always try and squeeze in when we go to the village!). It was a nice afternoon as I got to chat with Zaza and Jumah and its always lovely being in the village as everyone’s so jolly and friendly.

We got picked up by Kamsa at about 6 and Chulai (a friend from the village) hopped on with us (which didn’t strike me as weird as she’s often at the camp) and we arrived back at the camp just before dinner. This was actually the longest Bro and I had been apart from each other for over a month, and I had that lovely warm-fuzzy feeling of excitement that I was seeing him again on the boat ride back even though I’d only been gone for an afternoon.

I didn’t think anything was unusual when everyone was super friendly (Kamsa gave me a hug!!)…everyone is generally pretty friendly anyway. I didn’t think anything was unusual when Bro kept running off on errands (“I left my phone at Janet’s”, “I need to find my shoes” (turns up in the same shoes), “I’m just going to change t-shirts” (turns up in the same t-shirt). I didn’t think it was unusual that Janet arrived at the dining hall early, or that there was a table missing in the dining hall (Brodie said it was broken), or that there was a particularly noisy game of Congka going on in the dining hall, or that the staff were milling around. I did however think it was odd that Bro insisted on playing 2 games of Shithead (or ‘Loserhead’ as we call it when we play with the kids) rather than start dinner, as his stomach needs always takes precedence, but even that wasn’t enough to give the game away.

I suddenly realised something was happening when Bro said “Ems, I’ve just remembered-there’s something I want to show you on the lake…an alligator’s climbed up on the bank!!”. For one thing it would be a small miracle if alligators were in the lake as we’re on the wrong continent, but for seconds, the entire congregation in the dining hall suddenly went quiet! And as I followed him down the decking, I suddenly caught sight of something glowing in the distance on the lake!

Bro asked me to hop in the boat, then sailed me out onto the lake in the pitch-black towards what gradually emerged to be the floating pontoon covered in candles and surrounded by hanging lanterns! It looked absolutely magical! My heart started pounding on the boat on the way over…

…We pulled up, tied up the boat, and hopped onto the deck-it was so so beautiful…and that’s when he dropped down on one knee and asked me to marry him!!

I don’t know how to begin to describe how perfect the moment was, and how all-consumingly happy, over-whelmed, ecstatic and elated I felt at that particular moment, but of course of course of course I said yes and in true Salter-style blubbed like a huge baby, so loudly that apparently they could hear it all the way over on the decking!

Bro called over “SHE SAID YES!!” and it was greeted by a their excited whoops and cheers. It turns out they couldn’t see what was going on as we were so far away, but they were all out there watching the little candle-lit blob in the middle of the lake anyway.

Bro and Janet had cooked a wonderful tempe coconut curry, we had a special bottle of Janet’s home-made Kambucha to drink (no alcohol allowed in the camp but it tasted like champagne to me!) and a huge platter of our favourite fruits so we sat out there under the stars and dined like kings and got ridiculously excited about everything that was to come! It was perfect!

The ring!!...And my FIANCE of course!! (Obviously I'm wearing extremely elegant, post-work-in-the-jungle attire, and sporting a very carefully manicured hairdo. What you can't see in this pic are my grubby fingernails and the delightful scab on my ring finger. #lovemoodlighting)

Just after I'd said yes...this is Bro showing me all of the goodies on the table 

A piccie Bro took of the pontoon when we landed back on the jetty later on :)

Eventually we decided to make our way back over to the camp and were greeted by Brodie’s lovely co-conspirators who were all wonderfully excited and wanted to hear all about it, and laugh and chatter about their roles in the elaborate and absurdly successful plan over a slice of delicious chocolate cake made by the very lovely Chulai who it turns out had come over to the camp just to be part of it all and feed us cake! :) It turns out Bro had only told Janet about his plan, but by lunchtime not only everyone at the camp (including guest!), but the entire village new as well! I can’t believe not one of them gave the game away all day! We loved that they were all so excited.

Me describing this is like taking a crappy photograph of the most incredible view you’ve ever seen…I can’t do justice to how simply perfect it was, but I know it’s etched into my memory and will be forever, and I am just so so happy to know that I get to spend the rest of my life with my wonderful, passionate, hilarious, loving and very very sneaky Brodie :) 

Happiest. Girl. In. The. World.