The Hike
Well I have always been a bit reluctant to go on a hike when you can drive and see pretty views.... anyway 3 years into our marriage Tess got it right and we headed off with our friends the Marshall's for a 2-day hike called "2 River Trail" on a farm near Grahamstown. It was a blast and we all really enjoyed it!
We arrived on Friday at around lunchtime and set up camp. The facilities are brilliant and we spent the afternoon snoozing and relaxing before having a braai in the evening. Andrew and I took on Tess and Karen at Pictionary and handed them their smashed ego's in a brown paper bag...ok...maybe it was the other way round.
After a good nights rest leaving our bags behind to be transported by our hosts we set off for the first day which is an 18km stroll. As it turns out we loved walking so much that we made it a 20km day after missing a turnoff! The terrain is a mix of open plains, dense jungle and rocky outcrops. We saw a large variety of wildlife including a variety of bokke, birds, 1 hare and I think the count by the ladies was 13 types of butterfly.
At around 4pm we arrived at the 2nd hut and were all feeling a little weary but cheerful. This location reminded me of "Little house on the Prairie"!
Following a nice hot shower and a snooze, we heated up our pasta and sat around the fireplace before having an early night. We were up at 6am to be greeted by rain! It was actually quite pleasant as we hiked the 11km's of day 2 in gentle soaking rain. By the time we reached the 1st hut where we had parked the car it had cleared nicely so into the river for another swim.We then drove about an hour to Ocean Basket on the banks of the Kowie River in Port Alfred for a well deserved seafood feast. Then a hop, skip and a jump down the R72 to Kleinenmonde for a 1 night stay with family there and more swimming in the sea and river.
In the midst of this time the Marshall's celebrated their 6 year anniversary and we were a few days short of our 3 year.
What a great weekend!
We arrived on Friday at around lunchtime and set up camp. The facilities are brilliant and we spent the afternoon snoozing and relaxing before having a braai in the evening. Andrew and I took on Tess and Karen at Pictionary and handed them their smashed ego's in a brown paper bag...ok...maybe it was the other way round.
After a good nights rest leaving our bags behind to be transported by our hosts we set off for the first day which is an 18km stroll. As it turns out we loved walking so much that we made it a 20km day after missing a turnoff! The terrain is a mix of open plains, dense jungle and rocky outcrops. We saw a large variety of wildlife including a variety of bokke, birds, 1 hare and I think the count by the ladies was 13 types of butterfly.
At around 4pm we arrived at the 2nd hut and were all feeling a little weary but cheerful. This location reminded me of "Little house on the Prairie"!
Following a nice hot shower and a snooze, we heated up our pasta and sat around the fireplace before having an early night. We were up at 6am to be greeted by rain! It was actually quite pleasant as we hiked the 11km's of day 2 in gentle soaking rain. By the time we reached the 1st hut where we had parked the car it had cleared nicely so into the river for another swim.We then drove about an hour to Ocean Basket on the banks of the Kowie River in Port Alfred for a well deserved seafood feast. Then a hop, skip and a jump down the R72 to Kleinenmonde for a 1 night stay with family there and more swimming in the sea and river.
In the midst of this time the Marshall's celebrated their 6 year anniversary and we were a few days short of our 3 year.What a great weekend!
posted by Al and Tess at 10:27:00 AM
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