I should start this by saying that I have never hiked before today. Once everyone got out of their cars, I noticed for the first time what my fellow hikers were wearing. I looked around and saw one mom with a cute shirt tucked into her equally nice & belted bermuda shorts; little girls wearing linen shorts, button-up shirts & other outfits I might attend church in; sweaters; a jacket; long sleeved shirts; flip flops...and large sun umbrellas. "What the..." I thought as a looked down at my tshirt, running leggings, and gym shoes as I tightened the ponytail I had just sloppily tied up. A moment of self-consciousness passed over me but was forgotten as quickly as it came. It appeared as if I wasn't the only one new to this hiking business.
The guide brought me back to the real world and my attention shifted to the pile of walking sticks behind us. "Oh come on," I said to myself. "Yes, I'm out of shape. But there is no way I'm out of shape enough to need a stupid walking stick." Reluctantly I made my way over to the pile and grabbed one. Lesson of the day: When the guide suggests you do something, just do it. Chances are he/she knows what he/she is talking about. By the time I had finished the route, my heart was in my throat, an invisible 50 lb weight was pressing against my chest, and I was panting like you wouldn't believe. I was practically crawling up the last flight of stairs. Needless to say, that stupid walking stick became my best friend along the way.
Our trek brought us down very steep hills and over lots of unstable ground before we reached the fields and fields of rice...which to me was a waaay better prize than the waterfall at the end.
I spent so much time in the beginning of the hike looking down & watching where I stepped in order to avoid tumbling down the hill...so when I looked up, I lost my breath. Unfortunately- as it always seems- pictures do no justice to the absolute beauty I witnessed. Everything for that moment was perfect. The heat of the sun, the gentle breezes, the nearly blinding green of the rice plants, the perfectly carved terraces, the serenity of the surrounding mountains...I can't even begin to describe it. I lost myself inside my head for a moment as I started thinking about where I'd want to live when I "grow up" because in that moment it became obvious to me that an absence of such a wonderfully halting scene just wouldn't do. My mind started wandering potential locations. Scotland? Ireland? Japan? The Himalayas? I love trees though, hmm...SQUISH! Cut daydreams and cue classic Rachael moment. I heard giggling behind me and looked down to see my entire foot swallowed by mud. I had just stepped into the actual field part of the rice plants. Right. Great. Of course that just happened. I decided then that I would split my time between daydreaming & minding my ever-so-clumsy body.
After about an hour we reached the waterfall, which ended up being on the sorry end of cascades. It was still pretty though but since I'm not a huge fan of swimming I opted for gazing...and quickly returned back to my daydreams. People swam for a while and a few of the local kids stripped down to their underwear (boys and girls) before racing to the water and jumping off of rocks.
The way back up was, in my opinion, even grander than the way down. And since I didn't have to worry about slipping I was able to lose myself in my head again. There was also the added bonus of moving slower so there was no rush to take in my surroundings. All in all a good day and I'm happy to announce that I will opt for hiking more often!
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