Despite the winter weather here on the south coast of Africa now, I still enjoy regular hikes along the remote and rugged cliff sides overlooking the Indian Ocean below. Today I managed to access a fairly precarious position on the slopes right under a waterfall which makes up part of the local river course. I could only position myself at the right angle to capture these photos for a few seconds before it became dangerous. But it was worth it to get these shots.
The slope is steep and the moisture made the rock and ground slippery, so I had to crawl along and lie on my side to get a good angle for these photos. I wanted to capture the idyllic setting which, of course, comprises of a wide vista which cameras simply don’t take in. It’s not easy getting the full landscape scene to squash into the camera lens, so the photos seldom do justice to the epic surroundings in which I daily find myself. Nevertheless, I attempt here to show you a slice of life as I see all the time.
The river is a mere trickle at the moment as we await the heavier rains of the season to fill it up and allow it to return to full flow once more. As a result you can see the little droplets of water as they pour over the cliff at this particular part of the stream. There is another waterfall just a few meters further down the sloping ravine, closer to the ocean. That one is much bigger with a sheer drop of about 30 meters to sea level.
At this point though, the cliff creates a smaller waterfall onto sloping rocks and into a natural rock pool further down, which I can bathe in during the warmer summer season. At present it’s a bit chilly and the water is much reduced so bathing can wait a bit. By gaining this particular angle, I was able to capture the scene as best I could to show you both the waterfall and the ocean nearby, so that you can get a better picture of the overall setting. The droplets suspended in mid air make an interesting image as if frozen in time and space by the camera.
This is one of my favorite nature spots on the hiking trail along these remote cliff tops overlooking the sea, yet I doubt that more than a handful of people have actually found this particular waterfall or know about it. It is a hidden secret zone that is probably inaccessible to most locals in the area. They are either too unfit to reach it, or they don’t have the time or inclination to explore enough to find it. As a result I have the place to myself and am probably the only person who ever actually gets to admire this particular setting.
That’s why I love capturing it on camera and sharing it with you. And there are other spaces all along this remote and rocky stretch of coastline that are equally unexplored and unknown to more than one or two adventurous souls who have all the time in the world to simply wonder around with no fixed purpose or destination, other than being in the moment – the eternal present – and in the “zone” so to speak.
Here I am surrounded by nature with not even a mobile phone signal to connect me to the busy world of humanity. It’s just me and the beautiful natural surroundings. I could probably camp here and live off this fresh rain water if I chose. So I have my own escape zone, which I call a Julescape, since my name is Julian, or Jules for short. It’s a combination of landscape, seascape and Julescape where I can escape and discover the jewels that nature has to offer.
These treasures are all free for anyone to experience and enjoy or appreciate. They are uplifting and invigorating. These windows on the wonders of the natural world which we call home, are the best that the planet has to offer, and they are here for us all. We can find ourselves among these natural picturesque surroundings and feel whole again. I live in this environment all the time and have for most of my life, being born on this coast.
So if you ever wish to escape the madness of the modern world and the hectic society of humanity which appears to be somewhat on edge in this decade, then you are most welcome to come and join me in this zone of peace, health and tranquility, surrounded by the beauty of nature. This is a truly wholesome and uplifting space to live in and these southernmost shores of the African continent are a perfect sanctuary for anyone who has become overwhelmed by the artificial constructs imposed upon us by civilization today. Let me know when you are in the area and I will be happy to show you around.
(photos my own)