It was the first Couchsurfing meet-up I ever joined in Cape Town and I already became very friendly with most of the people in the group. So friendly that one of them invited me on a hike outside Cape Town to a place called Bainskloof. I didn't even have any idea as to its location but if I wanted to explore further than Cape Town city center, I would need to rely on people to fulfill my desire to travel sinced I didn't have a license.
It was the five of us: Lydon (one of the admins of the Couchsurfing Whatsapp group), his friend Gideon (another active member of the group), his girlfriend Candice, their friend Brian and me.
The trip excluding the grocery shopping took about one hour and fifteen minutes. It was generally a scenic route that ended up in a valley with a river running underneath.
The gate to the hike is through a small cottage called Bainskloof Lodge, where you pay a small entrance fee.
The name of the hike we did was called Rock Hopper Trail, which ran for 6 km along the river. I should have seen how the name pretty much explained itself. The problem was, there were times one will have to cross the river to the get to the other side, but the water level will rise up to the waist. Since I had no way foreseeing this, I had my phone, cash, camera and credit cards with me. If I were to cross the river at these points I would have been soaked almost completely.
So, I started to scan the surroundings to construct alternative routes for myself. However, these routes required a lot flexibility, long arms and legs, and lots of luck. I still went for it to stay dry. There were times I had to jump from one giant rock to the other and I would have fallen into the river from a reasonably high altitude if I slipped off. It did happen quite a few times and now I can confirm that the cliche saying about one's life flashing before their eyes is actually true.
Nevertheless, it was quite entertaining to come up with these strategies to determine alternative routes. It made me feel like I was a contestant in a reality show.
The hike had relaxing views of rock pools that one could swim. Imagine how ironic it would be if I went in for a swim after trying so hard to avoid the water like someone with rabies.
Afterwards we stopped by the town of Wellington to buy ice cream. Apparently, this peaceful town is well-known for its nearby wine farms.
It was also the first time I heard a dialogue in Afrikaans when Lydon and Gideon spoke to the owner of the ice cream shop.
Overall, it was a beautiful day full of adrenaline and the first of many hikes to follow.
