Act 1:
Nonchalantly lolling on top, unbothered by the world beneath, how did they even get there? The steepest of edges …those goats are killing it!
I wanna get up there, I wanna be a goat, I’m so jealous.
I follow their footsteps, guided by their …. Well poop, what else, those goats leave massive bread crumbs. My worn-out, old Converse don’t compare to their sturdy superhero hooves however.
Slow breaths now; I wanna get in the zone. Don’t muscle your way up I say to myself, don’t think it, let go. Your feet will know exactly what to do, your muscles will catch up to the rhythm of the movement, all you need to do is shut your brain and dance.
I make it, no waver … smooth, no slips …. I’m so happy I crack up laughing
Act 2:
Remember, don’t put yourself in harm’s way, those cliffs are a death wish, you are in the middle of nowhere (mountain top), with no gear, no one on earth knows where you are, and if you break a leg you’ll never be able to make it back.
Cross my heart, I say to myself….. Until that moment, I look down … a mesmerizing, breath-taking bay, and it’s totally mine. I start to descend … Gosh, it’s incredibly steep … it’ll be worth it I say to myself … now I’m stuck, it’s no longer a slope, it’s a friggin wall, it’s a fall. A prayer, I carefully turn back, I breathe, and in seconds I scan the terrain, plan the safest route, and climb as fast as I can, if I think for one moment I may slip (just like a heavy deadlift or squat). I make it. I scold myself; that was stupid!
As if riddled with secluded- bay amnesia I soon forget the whole charade and make the same mistake again, and then again, only this time it was scary as hell, super steep, super smooth, I can’t climb it … I am stuck!
I switch into spider man mode, just don’t ask me how did that happen! One step up, hand and feet in unison, on autopilot, monkey style… OMG, I say to myself, this is AWESOME! I reach safety fast, I have a runner’s high, I wanna do this again …. This climbing thing!
Confirmed once more … I wanna be a human goat!
Not a rock climber, not an expensively clad and geared mountaineer … a raw, natural mover, who can hike/ climb/run and jump up and down rugged terrains steep and flat, rocky and smooth.
Diaries of a wanna-be goat:
Day 1:
I’m so ill-prepared, but damn it, I’ll do it anyway. I pack my 500 ml water bottle (it was a spontaneous decision remember), and that’s kinda it, some tissues, a beach towel, my notepad and pens, an extra t-shirt, and a banana. This is how my first solo 6-hour hike along the Carian trail begins. I fill my tummy, with a hearty breakfast of liver, sweet potatoes, and fruit, gulp down two cups of Joe, and as happy as a daisy I shoot out.
I love those wee morning hours, crisp and fresh, the promise of something new … I chase the promise.
I am instantly greeted by two horse-size dogs, I’ve never seen such huge dogs in my life, XXL pooches everywhere, yet sweet like honey. I pet them and they tag along. What I love about being here is that I’m always accompanied by dogs, random pooches just tag along and accompany me all the time. These two will walk me all the way to the beginning of my hike.
I meet a few good-looking dudes walking their humungous dogs, the biggest Rottweiler I’ve ever seen, fresh outta the sea, dripping, he jumps all over me …. Then a dark grey cane corso. Dog heaven!
I’ve always loved hiking, for me it seemed like the most intimate brush with nature. My hikes however were far in between – opportunity – and always in groups. So this is new.
The walk to where my hike begins so to speak takes a full hour, a dusty back road of sorts.
Today I’ll hike along the coast from above. An easy climb, I decide to part ways with the Carian trail marks as they will lead up into the mountains, and deep into the pine woods. I’ll leave that for tomorrow; today my soul is bathing with the sounds of the crashing waves.
I’m a very light sleeper – my worst skill – the slightest noise will immediately wake me up and I use things like wave sounds to block the noise around me and help me fall asleep. I could not help but wonder what it would be like to camp out here; well I don’t need to wonder for long because I’ll be doing it.
Day 1 was as much re-training myself as it was enjoying and marveling in the moment. Living for a long time in a big, crowded city, the fast pace, the clutter ….etc seem to have robbed me of so much of my ability to quiet my mind and slow down. I realized I was going hard and fast. I had to keep reminding myself, that there is nothing else to do and nowhere else to go, it is the here and now. This is not a workout, there is no to-do list, and there are no shoulds. Yet also I did not want to turn this “live the moment” into another task, I did not want to think or do, so I decided not to stick to any plan … I slowed down my step, immersed myself more and more into my surroundings …. I will hike as long as it felt naturally delicious and turn back when I’ve had my fill.
Getting uncomfortably hot now, sunburnt, and thirsty, I decided to call it a day, I still have to hike my way back home (a couple of hours).
As soon as my mind was made up, and right before I turned around, the narrow path opened up to heaven...... The sea!
What we do for love
As I started my hike very early, I made it back around noon. It is Saturday and I cannot miss the Farmer’s market … I need my fresh farm eggs!
First, I hydrate properly and by that I mean raid the plum tree; electrolytes, water, and sugar, I mean how perfect is that! I wolf down 12 … I search for a 13th to no avail, in 2 days I have stripped the poor tree bare.
I drink 2 cups of coffee as I cook then eat lunch, shower, get dressed, and walk to the bus stop, then I figure, why walk there, ill simply stand in front of my house and usher the bus to stop, it works.
Done with my shopping, I check my phone, 40 minutes till the next bus, what the hell am I gonna do, it’s true all the stuff went into my backpack but the eggs! They will crack if I keep jiggling them, so I decide to sit at the bus stop and wait the 4o friggin minutes …. And you know what I had not one iota of regret, because I know those eggs are so worth it, and they were!
To be continued ….