Falling

Falling #1:

 

I was destined to fall in love this weekend. I was given the Honeymoon Suite for Pete's sake!

 

I left the house at 5:30 am on Saturday. I started to get concerned when I figured I was about an hour and a half from my destination, and didn't see the mountains that I was headed to see. I kept thinking of drives from Chicago to Denver, and how you can see the Rockies for hours before you stumble into them. Where were the mountains surrounding Clarens??

 

I also realized, that maybe I had set expectations too high, and that I should just go with the flow, certainly the mountains here would be vastly better than the Berkshire mountains back in Massachusetts.

 

And then they appeared. Gracias a dios! I wanted some elevation and trails, and I was going to get it.

 

As I pulled into Clarens, I actually forgot I was in South Africa. There was a town square, with shops, galleries, and restaurants surrounding the common grassy area. My secret goal had been to find an B&B within stumbling distance (literally) of a nice pub, and enjoy a night of music and then stumble to my bed. That's been my MO in Telluride, Aspen, Breckenridge, PTown. . .

 

My trusty lonely planet made some suggestions about budget options. I went to the accommodation center, and quickly realized that my price range was already looking unlikely. I had hoped for a room for US$20 a night, but quickly was looking at prices of US$ 40-50 a night. (Here's where I'd like to remind readers that I have no income this year, I'm using a philosophy of splurge/save spending. Living cheaply on a full time basis! Cheap groceries, cheap wine, not eating out, but am also going to live up my time here and small sacrifices will benefit the overall travel fund).

 

I had my trump card! So I asked about the budget place recommended by Lonely Planet, and ended up going there and scoring a room. A self-catering, Honeymoon suite for US$30! Score. Kitchen and fireplace included. Spouse not necessary. I explained to the very cool woman running the place that the honeymoon suite was perfect! Let me also mention that there were hiking trails right out my front door. And also, coffee shops. And And And.. just very cool.

 

I was falling in love with Clarens.

I had a nice light lunch of Greek Salad (which of course made me think of my favorite Greek back in Massachusetts, and wondering about my friends who finished residency last month, and have, or are, joining the real world).

 

Part of the attraction in this area, is that these mountains are on the backside of the Drakensberg, and the National Park is called: Golden Gate National Park, or Golden Gate Highlands National Park-depending which source/map/sign you read. So, that was my next destination. Initially I had meant to pack my hiking stuff and make use of the day to do some real hiking, but didn't get organized, and with such little time, figured I'd scope out the area, and if I felt the need, would let me Adidas shoes suffice as hiking boots.

The time was going to be perfect. 4 hours of hiking, and then an hour and a half to finish driving the park and find a place to watch the sunset.

 

So, I was hiking along, happily enjoying myself, lost in a train of thoughts.

 

Falling #2:

 

Literally, falling on the trail. I've taken some falls while backpacking the past 2 summers. One in the White Mountains, New Hampshire, when I kind of slid down a wet rock face, the other last summer (early-may) in the Catskills. In fact, it took almost a year for my knee to get back to normal, and it's been great since then. Great enough that running isn't even bothering me. So, I've learned that often when hiking, I get distracted, and don't really pay as much attention to the trail as I should...

 

And of course....

 

I came across somebody who had fallen. Priscilla, a lovely 60 year old lady hiking with her family had taken a fall, and he ankle was pointing at an unnatural angle (they felt obligated to show me the ankle). I hate to admit, but there was a serious dilemma going on in my head when I saw her lying on the ground. Her daughter and son-in-law and a few grandchildren where there; 2 other grandkids had already run down to summon help. (They had passed me running down, and I assumed they were racing).

Evil Brian: Hey, she's fine, it's just an ankle injury. Going to take surgery to fix it. Not much you can do, and look at the time, you have another trail to hike!

Doctor Brian: Hmmm. Evil Brian does have a point. But isn't there some oath or moral obligation to think about? 

 

It was going to be a while before help arrived, so I said I'd be around and just holler when they arrived and I'd help carry her down. Oh, did I mention I was hiking to Echo Point? Literally, all they would have to do is holler. So, I compromised, and kept walking. Of course, I only got about 10 yards when guilt set in, and I went back.

 

Me (the Doctor): "Has she had anything for pain?"

Family: "No."

Me: "I have some ibuprofen, I think it's called brufen here."

Family: "How much can she have?"

Me: "800 milligrams." The looked skeptical. So yes, I said it. "Trust me, I'm a doctor."

 

Ahhh! Yes, I did say it. "Trust Me, I'm a Doctor." God I wish it could have been recorded, I could feel people mocking me when I mentioned this story!

 

So, I cleared my conscious with 800 mg of ibuprofen, actually assessed the ankle to make sure there was circulation, and kept going... Knowing full well I'd be back to them before the rescue help came along... I went to the end of Echo Point, or Echo crevasse, or Echo place and took lots of pictures. I felt to self conscious to try out the echo.

 

To sum up the rescue: The paramedic and 2 EMTs and 2 park rangers arrived. The Paramedic gave morphine. We splinted her ankle. And they placed her on the scoop.-stretcher and strapped her in for the upcoming ride. My work was done. There was one little problem. Well, two actually. Ok, maybe three. Firstly, my down vest, which has sentimental value because it kept me from freezing my ass off on the Inca Trail, and which I had given to the woman to use, was still covering her, and now she was strapped to the scoop stretcher. I couldn't tactfully figure out how to ask for it back, because, dammit, I was hiking for a few more hours! Argh. Could they leave it by my car. It would get stolen. Could they mail it to me? Shit. Problem two: The protocol was 2 people in front, two in back (sometimes needed 6 of us to pass her down the rocky unsteady sections of trail), with a plan to swap out all 4 people regularly; so my quick calculation made me realize that I'd need to help carry. And Three.. I felt obligated to make sure she got into the back of the ambulance in the same condition in which I had found her, what if, heaven forbid, something bad happened on the way down.

 

So, 4 hours later (after stumbling across them), they were off to the hospital. They were lovely folks. I think they have great pics of "The Rescue." The son-in-law is a photographer and has a developing studio in Durban. We swapped details, and I'll go visit granny when she's up walking later. We stood around talking for ages waiting for the rescue squad. Got to know them. Talked about travels to the US. They had been a couple of times, to New York City, somewhere in Ohio, and were planning a trip San Antonio next year for a conference. When talking about travels, I hadn't known that he was a photographer/owner of developing studio (though he had a huge camera). And so, trying to keep conversation going, I asked what kind of conference. (Maybe they were in the medical field as well).

 

AA. Yes, the international Alcoholics Anonymous conference is in the US, regularly. Two thoughts came to mind. One, I like international flights, free drinks. Two, thank god I hadn't mentioned going for a drink after all of this.

They are of Indian heritage, so I'll join then for food Indian food in Durban.

 

So, we finish the rescue. The Park manager and I are chatting, and I'm still bound and determined to get one more hike in. But the park manager convinces me to come back another time, and instead tells me the spot to go and see the sunset.

 

So, I drive around for a while, end up by the "Vulture Restaurant" (see pics which will hopefully be up in a few days). And proceed to watch one of the most beautiful sunsets that I have seen in years. Part way through some wild coyote-thing (I don't know what the South African term for this wild dog-thing is) comes up very close and I'm thinking maybe it really isn't a coyote thing, but more of a wolf thing, and that maybe it's not a scavenger, but more vicious, and that it's getting close enough that I need to stop trying to take a picture and make sure it realizes I'm not sharing my dinner, or my flesh! (Insert saying here: "The dingo ate my baby"). And off it scampers with some madman hand gestures.

 

I look around. I envision real South Africans watching this unfurl.
"Look at that mad American scared of a pathetic ishyeant!" (I've made up ishyeant, by the way).

There is nobody around.

 

I'm there until the very last bit of orange-red hue is gone, just watching and thinking. I get lost in a sea of thoughts, thinking in amazement that a month is already gone! Thinking that Dean, who sold me his car which I took possession of on Friday, kept mentioning that he couldn't believe that his year in SA was over. And even though it has only been a month for me, it feels like I've been here longer. And there is so much more to do, to see, and to learn.

 

I get up to leave. And then I get rewarded with stars. And the Milky Way.

 

The combination of fatigue, sunburn, dehydration, and coffee-deficiency have hit, and I actually feel a bit physically ill. I head back to town, make my way to "Friends," a local pub where I'm told the owner of the Inn is playing music. I promptly order coffee and beer and a hamburger. Living up to it's name, the bartenders, Andre and Vic and I enjoy friendly conversation, and for the second time today, I forget where in the world I am....