Cottaging

A peaceful night’s sleep in the wilderness, where there still happens to be 3G connection, such is the decade in which we are living. The cottage is well equipped with oven mitts and a whisk, but no cups, so I slurped coffee from a bowl and prepped for a hike to a waterfall. Whilst protecting myself against the fierce sun, I wondered what it means when sun lotion turns into the consistency of cottage cheese.

The waterfall hike was a three-hour trip in rugged terrain. I don’t feel in shape at the moment so it was tough going in the heat, as of course I set out at 11am when it’s becoming searingly hot. I whipped out my notebook at the summit and made some pledges for 2020, the principal one being to maintain more strict working hours and say ‘f*ck it’ (in my head, not to boss) if I haven’t completed X task by X o’clock.

The above will assist in making time for the below:
- changing my terrible habit of eating peanut butter sandwiches for dinner, as I’ve been too lazy and/or preoccupied to plan better
- practising yoga more frequently as there was a clear correlation between my peak yoga activity and how good I felt physically
- being more active in general with more cycling and exercise, hoping that the endorphins spur me on to greater heights and promote greater well-being

I trotted back down the path from the waterfall, gnawing on an energy bar. South Africa does the outdoor life very well, starting with good hiking snacks and culminating in families on camping expeditions packing everything they own from portable fridges to sets of rummikub.

The number of people who have expressed incredulity at the fact I’m road-tripping solo for a few days has surprised me. Are people generally against too much of their own company? It’s either that or because of the reputation of South Africa, which I don’t feel is deserved. Yes it does have higher crime statistics than the UK, but it’s hardly that you get stabbed around every corner.

I was very sleepy in the evening so went to bed at 9pm, which I felt was respectable enough when in a remote area.