Cows

Cows aren't the smartest of animals. I know this because during high school I had a part time job as a horse-back trail guide where, when there were no guests, one of my duties was to help herd the small herd of cattle between pastures and the kraal. After endless dismounting from my horse to chase stray cows from thorny thickets and generally keep them alive and going where they were supposed to be despite their best efforts to get lost and die, I concluded that cows are dumb. The reason I am mentioning this is that I have noticed a startling similarity between the looks that I get from most people on the road, and the looks that you get from a herd of cattle as you walk past: That blank stare with jaw ajar and slightly to one side, caught off guard during its routine of cud chewing by your unexpected appearance. Knowing what I know about cattle, this leads me to wonder about the general population of the country... But I digress.

Jeremy and I joked about me losing my mind when I started walking through what we affectionately called "the nothing", and I came pretty darn close! "The nothing" refers to the desolate semi-desert that I find myself in at the moment, the Hardeveld and the Namakwaland, but I must say it is actually very beautiful out here! The mountains are hard on the legs but easy on the eyes. Scattered here and there are tiny clusters of yellow, pink, and white flowers, I can only imagine how pretty it is here when the daisies bloom! It took a few days to see the beauty here though, and walking out from Strandfontein without having had a proper rest took me for a physical and psychological 6 runs! But I trudged on through uphills and headwinds, driven by anticipation for what the brochure had described as the cultural oasis of the Hardeveld: Bitterfontein. The brochure lied.

Bitterfontein is the end of the line, literally. It started when a trucking company won a legal battle, halting the construction of a railway line to Springbok. Nevertheless I found my oasis in the Dawn Ridge Guest House, where I was given a bed in trade for some computer help by John (a retired parabat, amongst other things) and Dawn (a retired nurse). Staying with them was more like visiting eccentric relatives than staying at a guest house which made Bitterfontein a great experience! This despite the nature of the rest of the locals. Bitterfontein, my hosts explained got its name not from the taste of the water but from the nature of the people. I had to laugh at the honest humour.

After two days' rest to make up for the lack of rest the previous week, I walked another 2 days to Garies to conclude a 154km week. Yesterday I walked to a picnic spot where I had a great rest day! Writing, playing guitar and drinking coffee made with the local water(which tastes pretty bad on its own but makes a great coffee strangely enough). A few hundred metres down the road I met Johan and Magrieta Leeuwner who cooked me supper and gave me a bed, so today I return to my usual routine feeling strong as an ox! And smarter than a cow...