(V for Victory)
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an explorer, but I could never exactly put my finger on why. That is, until we hiked up a river to a waterfall in the Jonkershook Valley outside of Stellenbosch. Standing at the base of a deafening waterfall, lounging precariously on a moss covered rock, soaking wet and thoroughly exhausted, surrounded by friends, I felt a range and intensity of emotions that I had never before experienced.
(Jonkershook Waterfall)
After a bumpy van ride into the Jonkershook nature reserve and an embarrassing piecing together of the previous nights mis-adventures at several of Stellenbosch’s finest drinking establishments, we arrived at a dusty trail head under an overcast sky (Shout out to HOPEY!, who was visiting this week). We traipsed about a kilometer up the path before coming upon a waterfall, doing its best to carve away at the canyon wall. I was relieved that it was so close, and sitting down with some biltong and cashews, we snacked and enjoyed the view while our more adventurous compatriots took part in some artful, rock jumping-based exploration.
(Posted up at the 1st Waterfall)
(Hands up means your having more fun Hopey!)
Joe had a moving again before we knew it, back down the trail, Further up and Further in! There was a second waterfall to see, Joe told us, just a bit farther up. As we walked, little trickles of water on the path turned in to larger and largerstreams, until the puddles and pools of run-off forced us to battle the sharpest of all the fynbos plants to walk just along the edge. We came upon a place where run-off had overtaken the path completely, and we were challenged to our first real display of acrobatics to clear the stream while staying dry. Up a devastatingly tall hill, then down again, we made our way slowly into the wilderness.
(Roman, explorer)
It wasn’t until the hiking trail came right up to the edge of the full, fast river that we became suspicious. This, Joe told us, is where the trail is the river. After securing water bottles and belongings, Joe helped hoist each of us onto the first rock. And so it began.
(Back when we cared about staying dry (Courtney, Micaela, and company))
(Roman and Hannah, Killin’ it E’ryday)
I never really, fully understood how pertinent team-building activities can be until this hike. As we moved from slippery rock to slippery rock, we at an one time had at least two people, one in front and one behind, giving advise on where to place your feet, jumping technique, and offering goodold-fashion encouragement. We made moves that could have easily led to serious injury, but the faith and warmth of the team was there to encourage us, guide us down cliff faces, coach us over big gaps, commiserate with us about the fish in our hiking boots, and in extreme circumstances, to pick us up and carry us.
(The caravan, en route)
(Gettin’ cozy with the cliff face, I thought I saw my doom in that pool, but it turned out to be a leaf.)
(Courtney welcomes me to the other side… of the river)
(Courtney is pumped about that waterfall, “Only 10 more km to the top!”)
In the end, everyone fell in at least once, to varying degrees. Many of us gave up the rock jumping and just waded in through the freezing, knee-height water when needed, but at other times we could be found being intimate with the sheer rock face that walled in the river or engaging in strategic rock placement techniques in an attempt to build bridges. Eventually, after about two cold, wet, exhausting hours, after seeing the sun peak out from behind the clouds for a few moments to send golden beams onto the water and countless swear words and congratulations adding to the water’s symphony, we reached the most magnificent waterfall I’ve ever seen. It looked a lot like victory.
(Sassy Catherine, hooded Hannah, we make it look so easy)
The whole of the river hike was really just one painfully obvious metaphor for our study abroad experience. Studying, living, and being in a culture that’s not your own makes everything more difficult, and its challenging not to slip into the cold and wet of cultural distance and loneliness. But the important thing is, of course, we have each other, and people all around us who are there to help, people who are facing the same problems, who are sometimes a little ahead, and sometimes a little behind. And in the end we arrived back where we started, at the van, a little tired and with wet socks, but having accomplished and seen something together, that changed us in some small way. And in the end, no matter how many times you fall in, socks always dry.
(This is it people, the main attraction, zee Waterfall)
(Shit got pretty beautiful when the sun was out)
Butt Naked Travels 