Man, oh man, what aches and pains I have this fine morning! I had very little sleep, as the ground wasn't level and I kept rolling to the one side. Standing up for the first time, a complete and utter bitch! We packed up, had breakfast, which consisted of a Jungle Oats bar, and chilli bites. Oh how I miss my coffee, but never mind.
Today wasn't as easy as the others. There were trails leading somewhere, which we followed, but they all seemed to come from the one side of the mountain to the other. We had to plot our way through rocks, tall grass and dense bush, which meant we didn't go as fast as we wanted. To be quite honest, my body just didn't want to accept the fact that it was moving again.
Doesn't matter though how hard the terrain, or damaged the body, this is such a privilege, to be up here, where we hardly ever see anybody, except the occasional person who has made a home (shack) on the mountain. This is soul food, and from up here, all the troubles in the world seem to disappear.
As we got near the point where the road cut across the mountain, at Horn's neck, we simply couldn't move an inch further. We couldn't even encourage each other to just cross the road, our feet were aching too much, and even Dante & Katryn was moving slowly, and seemed tired and hot. Well, it was extremely hot. I got scorched and was seeking shade myself, so I could imagine what they were feeling.
We picked the nearest spot, under a tree that didn't offer too much shade, but it was good enough for the moment. We put our sleeping mats down, got lunch ready, which consisted of smoked oysters, provitas, and cheese. I was actually too tired to eat, but felt I needed the energy. I left some oysters for Katryn & Dante, but she didn't like the look or the smell of those funny creatures, so she buried the entire lot, until she couldn't see the tin anymore. It was so funny, but we get the message, no more creepy stuff! She didn't even give Dante the chance to have a go, but got rid of the creatures before he could lay eyes on them.
After some time and a great deal of effort, we got back up, and started walking along the road. It was getting late and the way up seemed almost impossible. Suddenly, as if sent by God himself, a sweet as ever guy named Shaun, stopped and offered to take us to a campsite close by. We didn't even discuss the matter, but jumped on the back of his bakkie, and away we went. I don't know who was the most relieved, us or the dogs.
The poor guy only meant well, but turns out this lovely campsite, is quite some distance away from our mountain. We didn't say anything at the time, as we figured it's punishment for cheating, and we would be rude. So tomorrow, there's at least a 5km hike to get back on track, but well worth it today.
Also turns out that the campsite is deserted, but at least there's water here. We both had an icy shower, rinsed our clothes, and I'm heading off to bed. So this is it for now. I'm tired, and am heading off to bed.
Sweet dreams…
