Royal Natal National Park: December 15

Eager to get into the park, we quickly packed up our gear, grabbed breakfast and flagged down the first taxi we could find going in our direction. It wasn’t hard for the four of us to convince the taxi driver to take us the extra distance to the visitor’s center of the park; he probably doubled his monthly earnings on the added fare! After checking the weather, we decided that the next two days would be the best for our overnight hike to the top of the amphitheater. Making friends with the rangers, we obtained maps, a campsite for the evening and a secure place to store our extra gear while on our overnight. With all of the logistics in order, we spent the rest of the day playing in the mountains. Following a river through the canyon, we were treated to amazing views of the towering mountains before us and lush valley below. At the first waterfall, Joe and one of our friends decided to scale some boulders in search of the top while Kelli and our other friend took the opportunity to rest and fill up on water. Joe’s adventurousness was rewarded by a glimpse of a bright red freshwater crab and an unexpected plunge in the cool water up to his bellybutton. (Our waterproof bag thankfully saved the camera.) Energized by the waterfall, we decided to seek out another. A steep climb and a little bit of scrambling landed us at Gudu Falls- a spectacular fall emptying into a perfect swimming hole, which we took full advantage of! Our quick dip gave us the energy needed to speed back to our campsite before dark and the impending thunderstorm.

pictures: Royal Natal National Park; waterfall swim