The Otter Trail
Today we drove to the beginning of The Otter Trail, one of the world’s toughest trekking trails. We were about to take the first and easiest part, a 3.2 km long trek to a waterfall and back. All of us, except Laura, prepared our daypacks with cameras, water and some snacks. At first, it was relatively easy, there was some rocks to pass and curious rock dazzies were staring at us (see the picture …), but then it became difficult when the trail divided, one part seemed to go up along a quite steep cliff and the other down toward the ocean over large rocks.
I scaled the cliff to scout out the trail, it was actually quite easy for me, the only difficulties were the sharp rocks (it cut me in the little finger, buhu crybaby) and wet stones combined with patches of wet soil that were loose and slippery.
So we deducted that the correct route was down toward, and along, the sea, not over the rocks so I climbed down again and re-joined the others.
Halfway two of us broke off and turned back, while the rest of us continued in a slightly higher pace led by an incredibly spirited Marja.
The rest of us finally came up to the waterfall, tired and sweaty but in good spirit. After a short break, we split up and scouted the area, the sea roared behind us and broke against the rocks so the foam whirled and the gentle whisper of the waterfall drowned in the mighty roar.
Roland climbed up along a cliff that went around the waterfall’s pool to see if we could come up to the fall itself from that direction, but he turned around when it was evident that it was not possible. Then Amarins did an attempt in his tracks and I made a third, on the waterfront and with my body close next to the rock instead of the path Roland and Amarins had taken. Why take the hard path, when you can take the an even harder? None of us came up to the waterfall, however.
We walked back to the starting point of the trail, it was significantly faster than the way to the waterfall, I swapped out my wery wet T-shirt to a new one and we drove back to Tube n ’Axe. Here all of us but Han and Marja chose to chill. The two rented mountain bikes and took an hour bike ride while the rest of us went lazy in the sun, either asleep or with a book.
The Bar
In the evening we were back at the bar, first we gathered in the boma, where a large fire crackled in the night. Here we met Thomas, a German who normally worked at Reunion Island but now traveled around South Africa for a while, he seemed to be happy over the fact that we had two Germans with us. I gave him some advice on Coffee Bay, where he was going, but he was just staying there for one night only…
I pulled the joke about the Swedish bear från Skåne. The acceptance was pretty good, though it was a tough crowd, and then we went into the bar itself. Some of us occupied the pool table as I gathered a bunch for a card game.
We closed the bar…