This shot really hits the mark. Cape Town is so beautiful, but there is an undeniable darkness that is such a presence here. So much poverty and crime.

Back to the title.

It’s killing me not to hike. I really miss the Trail. The planning. The pain. The accomplishment. The healthy exhaustion. The eating. The time in my tent. The people I meet. All of it. I miss it. 

I guess I’ll walk the hills around our flat and go surfing when the conditions are good. 

It’s winter here, the best time to surf. Bigger swells and the wind blowing off-shore at my beach. Muizenberg.  I was there today. I really didn’t want to go in, but I did and it was great. 

There were a whole bunch of groups taking lessons today. I pretty much know all there is for me to know about surfing. It’s not like golf. I’m pretty sure you can improve all your life with lessons and practice. Whithin reason.(I have a friend who would know way more about that than me.) Surfing you just have to do. Practice and be way fitter than I am. Surfer fit I mean.

I’m HIKER fit, definitely not surfer fit. Back to the Surf students. I am only 1 step past a beginner now. I know all the important stuff about riding waves. How to not get hurt. How to catch a wave. How to get up. How to turn and how to adjust the ride to the wave. I know all this stuff, I just can’t do it!

I surf with resolve really. By the time I paddle out, my arms have used half their daily energy. Then I rest out there, to have the strength to paddle into and catch the wave. Then I catch the wave, that’s no problem. Getting up. That’s the problem. Resolve is the right word. Without resolve I’d be FINISHED.

You’re supposed to just pop up to your feet. Me, I can’t do that. I go to my knees, then get up, trying hard not to lose my balance. I don’t really lose my balance, it’s pretty much not there. So, I wobble my way to vertical, sometimes swinging my arms around,  and exhale. Celebrate the moment. I’m  up! Can you picture that?

After that, I pretty good. I’m just a step past the beginners. They pretty much just ride the white water straight in. I can actually sort of surf once I’m up. Sort of.

It is really fun though, I think. I am always in a great mood after. That’s a good thing, right? 

Oh, I forgot. The wetsuit. Getting it on is a struggle, then I have to find someone to zip me up. It’s too tight for me to do it. And taking it off is crazy hard. My hands and arms have no strength left. I can peel it down, but getting it off my legs and over my feet…now that is awful. I nearly always dislocate my thumbs getting the rubber over my heels!

Then, I feel good. 

So, I’m going to surf until I can hike again.  😊 Maybe this old frame CAN get surf fit again. We’ll see.