Survivor: Gabon
Charlie Herschel
Eliminated November 13

Did you have cultural shock moving from Manhattan to Gabon, Africa?
Charlie: It was a big culture shock. That wasn't what I was used to at all, but I'm a very adaptable person. I was definitely prepared for the diversity of characters that I was with in Gabon given that I'm a New Yorker and travel the subway with lunatics every morning.

It looked like you really enjoyed yourself after winning the reward challenge. What was it like to visit the Gabonese village and partake in their dance ceremony?
Charlie: It was amazing. We spent the night there. We hadn't eaten anything in three days, so we were thrilled to get some food. The first thing the natives gave us was a root, which turned out to be a hallucinogenic drug. We were totally high on that. All of a sudden I had a burst of energy and spent the whole day dancing. The ceremony lasted 24 hours and there was food galore, so it was really special. It made me realize that no matter what happened in the game, some experiences were just worth it.

After the tribes merged, you became the Nobag tribe. Were you a fan of the tribe's new name?
Charlie: I thought Nobag was a ridiculous idea. Kenny came up with that. But you know what, it's not the most talented bunch that's left there. The intelligent ones are in the minority, so they're not about to make waves over a tribe name.

Speaking of Kenny, did you have any idea he was so upset with you for taking the hidden immunity idol clue away from him?
Charlie: I really had no idea! No one told me. He never mentioned it. We merged and then three hours later we went to Tribal Council. I really had no clue that he was holding this personal grudge.

Who deserved to go home?
Charlie: I don't think anyone deserves to go home. I do wish that Crystal had gone home. I don't respect the way she's playing the game at all. She's very mean-spirited about every move she makes. But, she's in the majority, so does that mean she deserves to stay? I guess so.

What was the hardest part of surviving for 27/28 days?
Charlie: I didn't find it hard at all. I thought everything was so much fun. This had been a dream of mine for eight years. I ate up every second of the game. I have always wanted to be on Survivor, so if I was starving I embraced being hungry and if I was tired I just enjoyed being tired.

Did you lose much weight?
Charlie: I lost a ton of weight. I was down maybe 15 or 20 pounds when I left.

What was the first thing you did when you returned to civilization?
Charlie: I went to work the next day. I promised my boss, who generously gave me seven weeks off to have this experience, that I'd come right back. My first night back, Marcus came over because he had a layover in New York. So, we hung out and went out for sushi on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.