I simultaneously snooze four alarms that desperately try and wake me up for a dawnie. I get out of bed and word in the backpackers is that the waves are good. I wolf down a coffee and peanut butter Provita breakfast.
Running down with Kim and I’m watching the cyclists come past again - helicopters overhead. The waves are objectively better than yesterday morning - wrapping from behind the rocks all the way through the sandbar. There are no waves that are too big, and the smaller ones have a great line to them.
Kim goes well but I’m feeling a bit pap; so I made a few mistakes and fall behind the peel of the wave. I still get in a couple good roundhouses and snaps in that feel good. There are dolphins that pass under our boards, birds and a glassy ocean.
The current starts up again and the paddle commences. After a good one I am walking back up the beach and decide to go in for one last one. When I make it out to the back I feel the first breaths of the Easterly wind coming up - thank goodness. I take a nice one to the beach and walk back home.
The plan was to leave today. I make some oats and another coffee. I’m weighing up the rain forecast for this weekend with the fact that there might be some waves on Saturday and I’m not too sure what I should do. I look at the time and it’s coming closer to 11am. With a 5 hour drive ahead of me and some shopping that I have to do. And then it’s decided - I’m going to stay the day and try leave early tomorrow morning.
I go up to the common room and begin to put together the Mdumbi Magic post. The sunroom is full of nice people and Bongewize Mabandla is playing. I’m planning on going for a run down to Lwandile after lunch.
I eat a quick lunch in the kitchen with Chris and Eli of tinned muscles and Provita. Then follow it up with peanut butter and Provita for a treat. A coffee down and I’m ready to run. I pack a dry bag this time.
A beautiful run down the beach and I reach the Mdumbi mouth. I take off my gear and test the depth - it’s about chest deep at the most. With the hydration pack in the dry bag I go across but the tide is pulling quickly and there are some holes in the sand; so there is some swimming.
The grassy hills begin on the other side of the mouth. And thinking like a cow is vital. The meandering paths often fork off left and right and slowly diverge. You never really know where each one takes you, until you think like a cow. The path to the left slowly takes you up the hill and over to the left, the one to the right sticks on the beach. The reason that the cows would go left as opposed to sticking to the beach would be that they had reached their next grazing spot and were going into the hills to eat for a while. This path may lead directly inland. Therefore by thinking like a cow you know that this is not your pasture - so you choose the path to the right.
The views and paths were breathtaking. I encounter two dogs and they come running from far away to confront me. I am carrying a stick this time and they don’t come too close. I run off from them down to the beach and plod along the sand. I can feel by confidence building around the dogs and they obviously can sense that.
Pockets of goats and sheep litter the hills. I bleat at them and they respond by bleating and running away. I treat myself to a peanut butter chocolate overlooking Lwandile. The run back is a dream - the wind is behind me and I don’t have to think about which paths to take. I flow my way home and before I know it I’m back at the river. This crossing is quick and easy.
Sarah joins me in the common room; a Belgian woman travelling Africa. We have a great chat about South Africa and Bryan and Doro join me us for a cute dinner. We go outside to watch the lightning storm and Doro and Bryan and really bring up some amazing topics - about love, surfing, health and their take on yoga and wellness.
Bas has ordered a cappachino cake for Cam’s birthday tomorrow. We go down to the braai area and sing for him. The Richard’s Bay crew (their gang name is the “Pirates”) are there and once again out in full force.