White dude on the rocks!
Went up early because I wanted to get out into the woods and hike before the others, I had not talked about it to anybody, so when Thabani asked at breakfast if I would lead today’s hike in the woods, which we had discussed the day before, I answered no, I would go solo before the others but that they would catch up. I told Roland that he had to assume responsibility today…
Half past eight I was out in the woods, with water, swimwear, towel and my book in the backpack.
I took two of the waterfalls on this trek, would have taken all three but this is what happened when I walked in my solitude. I had to think about things and although I have lived in southern Sweden for so many years, it is still the forests of Småland, the landscape I grew up in, that I long for when I need to think. Hogsback is even better.
Do you remember the three things you could not say to me?
On the trail map, there was a route with a small text, at the very beginning of the trail, saying ”Rock Scramble – do not take”.
Of course it was the route I took to ”The Cape Monarch Tree”, which is a 800 year old tree that stands in its own majesty in a small clearing. Here I made a short water break as the trek over the rock scramble was a bit… difficult.
I looked at the hand-drawn map again and saw that there were two routes to the first waterfall, Swallow Tail Falls.
The usual and a ”Difficult Path”. Yep, I took the difficult route. Or so I thought.
It was steep and always leading upward. I could hear the waterfall in front of me and came closer and closer… until I came to a nearly horisontal wall of solid rock and could not go forward anymore.
I had to turn – it was obviously the wrong route. On the way down I slipped next to a tree, grabbed randomly into the air and destroyed a large spider network – and the spider itself landed on my arm! Shook it off half in panic – those of you who have played D&D or Baldurs Gate, Sword Spider, you know? This looked just as bad as this – see the picture!
So I walked further along the trail that would end at Madonna & Child Falls, the third waterfall. Now I began to talk.
And sing. This is one of the songs:
Deep Deep Deep Into the the forest we go
Please little fairy queen
Promise Me That There Will Be a Little Bee
In the heart of the deep deep forest
With a beer only for me!
I also sang:
Oh little spider
We ran Into Each Other
Me Ruining Your Home
You Scaring the shit out of me
I’m sorry I ruined your home
Knowing it took you all night making it
Out of your spider ass
I’d love to help
But I’m no spider
So I can not help with my human ass
No, I had not taken any drugs and no I was not drunk. It was just water in the bottle, I promise! Neither had I suffered from a sunstroke, as the forest was too dense for the sun to strike me down. I was just .. euphoric.
Anyway. I came to the real trail that went to the Swallow Tail Falls… I had thus been wrong before. This is the case of the scale on hand-drawn maps! But … I had wasted a lot of time on ”Difficult Path” so I ignored the Swallow Tail Falls and went to Bridal Veil Falls where I took a water break again.
Around 11 o’clock I reached Madonna & Child Falls, the last and largest of the three waterfalls on the trail, with a rather large ”pool” to swim in. I jumped across the waters on the rocks and found a perfect stone to set up camp on – off with the clothes, on with the swimming trunks. I basked in the sun and rested for a while before I started reading my book. Monkeys jumping in the trees above me, curious butterflies came up to greet me, the largest was maybe 3 inches wide and actually took two laps around my head before it flew on.
The sun was shining and I fell asleep on the cliff, reassured by the waterfall’s noise that drowned the sounds of the forest.
I woke up after maybe 20-30 minutes as someone was around – saw a couple taking pictures of the waterfall.
I wonder if I screwed up their view – ”Oh damn, there is a white dude in the middle of the picture … oh well, there is always PhotoShop…”
Closed my eyes again and got another little siesta before waking up again as someone was calling to me.
The others had caught up now, it was Roland, Amarins, Welmoed, Laureen and Ines who came. They had taken all three waterfalls and started maybe an hour after me. It was midday now, I did not look at the watch though.
We talked a bit and took a swim in the clear, fresh water in the waterfall. With the amount of water that fell over my shoulders, it really felt like getting massages!
After perhaps an hour at the Madonna & Child Falls we broke up and walked up to the trail’s end – now it was a tough uphill hike back. I promise to quit smoking, stop drinking and live celibate, if it gives me more stamina. Or maybe I simply should start training again?
It was a 3 km trek back to Away With The Fairies along a dirt road, the sun was shining and I pulled a few jokes on the road. Tough crowd, tough crowd…
When we entered Hogsback again, it was wonderful to eat an ice cream, we were back around 15 o’clock and Godfree still had lunch for us! Bless that man…
The night was a bit quiet, we played cards in the common room because it was lighter than in the bar and we broke up early because we were to wake at dawn and drive to Lesotho…