I am sure that the way of St. James will present a lot more unknown obstacles if this little guide is left at home.
No way I'm leaving it behind.
As I was walking past the reeds at the side of the road with the dam just behind it, my attention was caught by the intense sound of the wind through the dry reeds.
I thought about the advice that one of the Camino Peregrinos (Pilgrim) gave when I inquired on music and radio broadcasts while walking the Camino.
He said: ''Leave all these gadgets behind and listen to the sound of the wind and the birds''
I actually stopped for a few moments to register the sound and to make sure that I can retrieve it for future reference, even when there's no wind.
As I am writing this post, a week after, a fresh South Easter, which was forecast and which I believe to be a Summer Wind is picking up speed outside and I once again vividly retrieve the intense sound of the wind through the dry reeds a third of the distance on the last practice walk!
Long ''blow'' the wind!
Walkingdown the multi-lined OLD national road that many years ago was the main route to Cape Town from the north, and noticing the early Arum Lilies juts opposite the Arum Lily sanctuary outside my home town, I reflected on the events that I observed on todays walk of 38 kilometers.
I noticed a maze or is it a labyrinth on a previous walk in front of a home stead in the extreme south of Paarl next to the farm FairView where they make world renown goatsmilk cheese but today was different.
I actually saw two people, a man and a woman walking the maze that they put in front of their house and when the maze disappeared out of view the man was still walking and the woman was seated on one of the errect stones at the centre of the maze.
I heard once that new age religions include maze's in their rituals but I am not sure.
I reached the halfway mark and had early brunch which I prepared before I left home around twenty to nine this morning and just as the late winter sun braved its head above the Drakenstein Mountains in the east.
I tested a pair of my other shoes and decided to rather change them at the brunch point.
Since about 20 kilometers were still left of todays walk, I decided to put on fresh socks also which my tiring feet must have loved!
For the next 5 kilometers I was chatting on ''mxit'' with two of my contacts and the folks at home.
Today I walked a section where there is only flat farmland in the middle 10 kilometer section and a merciless cold wind came in from the South East which threatened to freeze my fingers off my hands.
I take it that preperation for 790 kilometer Camino walk does include all sorts of weather conditions that may be encountered during the six week trek in the north of Spain and I gladly braved walking the chilly section in earnesty!
I again at the way mark at the small village of Klapmuts asked the hawker if they sell Naartjes loose and she said I can have a few for free after which I took 3 from her supply box.
I sat on the four way stop, eating the rest of the food I brought along as lunch while watching the activities at the busy intersection where they sell Naartjes, three types of fish and wind mills made out of thick wire and tin.
I amazed myself with the average speed of 6 kilometers and hour at which I walked today which really made me feel good.
It looks like the mountain walks of the past three weeks is starting to pay off now!
Sitting down at the waterfall without a single soul around for miles, I drank in the silence which was not at all disturbed by the falling water there right in front of me.
I thought about the things I observed on my way thus far and the scenes flashed into vivid view:
The old lady gathering firewood in the forest next to the graveyard struck me most and I thought back to a time when we gathered wood in the same forest for our outside fires to keep the cold at bay on cold winter nights.
Ascending the mountain earlier, I drank in the fresh clean mountain air blown along by a very light wind on my back.
The occasional mountain bikes flying by on the down course did not disturb my silent ascend as this natural setting in the Paarl Mountain reserve brought canvas after canvas, painted with the most beautiful scenes into view around each bend in the snaking mountain road.
The dirt mountain road crept ever higher until it reached a high point from where I could faintly hear the water falling about 500 meters lower down.
I passed a lonely and very tired cyclist just before the bend where a little footpath veers to the left leading to the surreal waterfall about 50 meters off the track.
I sat there in silence and just drank in the visions thrown up by the millions upon millions of falling drops that clamber over the hard granite rock before plunging down the few meters onto more granite and into the pools that become a long 30 metre slide just before it vanishes through a man made channel to the other side of the road and down the mountain side.
I sent a mms with the picture attached to my confidant and the response came: ''It is beatifull... So surreal.. Can one walk through the waterfall? Whats on the other side?''
I responded: I guess one can walk through the waterfall and I think there's a footpath with more trees on the other side.. I also think that walking through the waterfall can be magical in that you may end up in a different world, free from heartship and troubles, once you reach the beyond the waterfall''
''Yes, the response came... I prefer the magical walk today''. I responded: ''When do you want to walk through the waterfall? Sooner or later?'' ''Definitely sooner we both agreed almost at once''
I slowly walked the last few kilometers down the mountain to so the experience can last a little longer and as I came closer to the road way below, I started to hear the noise of traffic rushing by even on this supposed to be a day of rest in all christian countries.
I braved the traffic and floowed main road, then Lady Grey and eventually the home run via Drakenstein Road passing the olive orchard which looked massive from the mountain earlier today!
Next time, as agreed, we will walk right through the surreal waterfall and into the magical world beyond probably never to return!
Walking the one and a half kilometres to the raikway station reminded me of many years ago when I still used public transport to get to and from my place of work.
You may ask, why not anymore?
Public transport in South Africa is not exactly what it is in developed countries and it can be risky to your life if you travel outside of peak hours and also when you travel in certain areas. They say they're gonna fix it up before the 2010 soccer world cup.
It is also not punctual and trains may be delayed at any time. Some time ago I heard was that there were ice on the tracks and after that a whole section of track vanished in the early morning hours causing all commuters to make alternative arrangements to get to work. The other day, angry commutersput a few trains alight when they arrived late for the trip to work at the start of the day.
Anyways, on Sundays, it seems better and I made good time to start my walk at my 38 kilometer makr from home today.
As I went up the "Helshoogte Pass"directly translated as "Hells height Pass'' which is derived from the fact that it has short and narrow bends which created a hellish experience for any driver at the least!
The new pass is much less hellish but going over it today brought a new hellishnesh to my attention.... Bikers... Tens of them braving the long and steep bends of the new pass testing their skills to the utmost limits. I know ow where the term HELL DRIVERS is coming from.
To safeguard against harm I flipped over to the other side of the four lane wide pass whenever I happen to be in the line of oncoming bikers and fearing that a moment of trouble might bring serious harm to myself also.
The vegetation is beautifull and consist of mainly "Fynbos"translated as Fine bush which is the most widely spread vegetation in our mediteranean Western Province.
As I approached to summit I noticed a traffice officer ticketting five bikers and I can only think it must have been for reckless driving!
A welcome surprise was in wait just as I went over the top of the pass and I had to take a picture first before I pocketted the R50-00 ($4) note that lay fumbled up in the channel on the side of the road and well out of sight of passing motorists!
Going down the other side, I crossed the road again but this time to take a picture of the autumn colours in the vineyard.
A dead racing pigeon draw my attention as I made it back to the road and since I did'nt havepen and paper I had to cut its leg to safe the ring to let the owner know what the fate of his missing pigeon was.
With Area 14/77 coming up I could not resist o stop and take the pick,,, Read the words carefully... Its quite amusing and entertaining ;-)
See.... I told all of my readers before.. If you walk by, you notice things which would otherwise just flash by if you are in a car.
I saw the old advertisments on the side of the local co-operative and passed a few schoolboys hanging over the side of the railway bridge shouting something to me...
Taking off my head phones, the lad said: ''Sir, I see you have a pair of built up calves!" on which I responded ''Yes, it comes when you walk for long distances at a time!'' I lied because I had them looong before I even thought of walking long distances. It happened at a time when I had a personal trainer while still at high school and he worked me even harder than Karel does at the gym currently!
As I turned into the mainroad f my hometown and marking the 7 kilometre home, I saw the shadow of the pilgrim that accompanies me on all my lonely walks while Practising for the long Camino walk in Spain.
He's always there just as I need hime most at tghe end of the stage and I've seen him a few times just after the start when he probably wanted to assure me of his continuous presence all along the way.
I think the assurance is crucial since many people inquire on how safe it can be to walk the regional roads all by your lonesome self. Even today at the halfway mark in a little village called Pniel where an acquantance invited me inside for a SODA which I could not resist.
I said to her... I am sick and tired of our road belonging to the hooligans and is taking it back with a vengence!
Going over the Berg River about two kilometers from home I captured the late afternoon reflections etched into the mirror like slow flowing river.
Home and a well deserved rest after almost 40 kilometres is not not far away!
I walked with new vigour when I noticed the Du Toits Kloof Lodge and Trout Farm appear into view.
I called home just a minute ago, not realising that I was that close to the end of the walk and I said: ''If you take the old road across the mountain and not through the mountain in the new Huguenot Tunnel, you will find me still on the road''.
I didn't realise how close I was because I watched the baboons at the road side just in case they turn nasty but they luckily did not!
This time I approaced the tunnel on foot and even if its only about 300 metres long, I found that I had to use a torch to see where I go, even in broad daylight!
I didn't notice the waterfall when I walked out of the tunnel but soon heard the sound it made.
Oh! it looked so beautifull and I think the picture in this post has not captured what I saw and heard.
I now understand why some pilgrims advise that one leave your camera at home because capturing what you see and hear is impossible to say the least!
Four people interrestingly looked at me walking by at a steady pace of about 5 kilometers by the hour and the elderly lady ask: ''How often do you do this? Walking across the mountain?''. I said: Once a week and continued on my walk!
As I approached the top of the mountain pass at about 850 metres I saw the fluted erica next to the road side.
It looks like the ericas bloom early this high.
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