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It was the perfect day to be in nature, clear skies and mild temperatures. Ray and I were on our way to a winelands hiking trip in the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, situated just outside of Stellenbosch.
The Reserve
The drive to Jonkershoek is beautiful. You drive on this narrow road through the vineyards and mountain ranges until you eventually arrive at the entrance of the Nature Reserve. Ive been here once before when I came to cheer on a friend of mine, Anel, when she did a biathlon. Afterwards she told me that it was one of the most difficult but fun biathlons shes ever participated in. Personally Im not one for such adventures, but I do enjoy the occasional hike.
After parking the car, Ray and I set off on our trip through the park. There are quite a few trails from which to choose. After an hour or two we reached the first waterfall. With fresh water descending like mist around us, the cool air was a welcome to a very tranquil spot. We stopped for a few minutes to refresh, enjoy the view and have a chat about things we had been thinking about during our hike. I find that when you walk there isnt much conversation, which gives you the time to think about things you dont really have time to during a working week.
Spotting the wildlife
We continued our walk further up the mountain and saw a few Dassies along the way. Theyre such cute little animals. About the size of a small cat, these animals have a squirrel like appearance to them, except for the lack of a bushy tail, and their size. They are at least three times the size of your average squirrel. You only see Dassies in rocky areas. Theyre quite shy and are prey to birds like eagles and hawks.
We continued our hike until we reached the top of the path. We stood there in silence looking over the wine land countryside. It was close to lunch time, so after a few minutes of ogling over the view, we decided to lay out our picnic. A smorgasbord of cheese and crackers, with sandwiches and ice tea I made the previous night.
While sitting there Ray told me that he wanted to move to Stellenbosch; a decision that not only shocked me but also made me happy. For a while now Ive been toying with the thought of moving to Stellenbosch, but was not sure what hes reaction would be. When I confirmed that I had also been consedering the same, he sighed in relief. So its definite then? he asked, to which I excitedly agreed.
Stellenbosch and its surrounding areas have such an air to it. Its difficult to explain, but I do know this: both Ray and I seem much more relaxed and happier whenever we come to Stellenbosch. Although quite a big town, the pace just seems so much different to any other town or Cape Town city.
The road back down
After our picnic we continued the road back down. We made sure our pace was not too fast so that we didnt tire ourselves out. And it was a good thing because the walk back felt a bit more challenging. I almost slipped twice but Ray pulled me up in time just before my backside greeted the earth. We eventually got back to gravel road and were safely on our way back to the car. It was a day spent with someone I cared for, admiring stunning views, enjoying fresh air and of course reflecting on where the road would lead us to next.
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