Dorje and I did one of my favourite short walks today – from Kirstenbosch to the ‘waterfall’, which in summer is more like a leaky shower faucet, but today in early spring was a respectable water-saving showerhead. It’s one of those ‘secret’ walks that no-one seems to know about. I’ve often gone to a spot nearby to do some meditation, and rarely see anyone.

It took some coaxing to get him to walk uphill. I’m sure he was much better about two years ago when he walked from our house in Oranjezicht all the way to the Cable Station, unaided. Now every time the gradient exceeds 5% he feigns exhaustion and asks to be carried. Finding an exciting bug about 10 metres ahead seemed to do the trick most of the time.

It’s a pleasant, shady walk most of the way, and we spent the afternoon ‘feeding the fish’. The curtain of water, as it fell, separated into a two streams, and the gap became the ‘mouth’. The hungry fish got well fed as we tossed small stones, and the occasional nut, into the gap (or at least in the general direction of the water).

Sometimes we got hungry too, and ate the assorted ants, spiders, ladybirds and snakes that we’d brought along – raisins, nuts, goji berries and peanuts (with the skin that moults like a snake).

The full album is on Facebook with selected pics below.

Dorje passed out at the end of the hike. Rolling 40 metres down the grass probably helped.

The ‘fish’ in the background.

It’s a 50m drop below – I tried to get him to hold on with two hands, but the Spiderman shirt was making him feel invincible.

And I hope the moss isn’t too slippery.

One of the pictures Dorje took had a recognisable human form.