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We got out of the car after a bumpy dirt road ride. The air was hot, we were sticky. The valley was endless pine tree plantations. The screaming of bugs and insects reverberated through the valley, and we thought that this was the perfect way to spend the day. But then we looked down and saw that we were not dressed for a hike of any length. Even a small one. I had flip-flops on, my fiance had a pair of jeans on. We did not really have any water with us. But this was after all unplanned and not part of the day's plans. We were here, and we were not planning to go back soon, so we just had to fit this into our plans. So, please join me virtually as I take you on this short hike, through some untouched forest betwixt massive pine plantations, and an unexpected indigenous ceremony upon which we walked in unnoticed. ___ # The Destination in the Background ___

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___ We saw the little feet indicating the route we needed to take to get to the waterfall. We saw the waterfall in the distance, our eventual destination. As we turned around, we saw the endless plantations stretching and covering the horizon. It is sad that native forests were destroyed to plant these "dead forests". In the background, facing towards the real old forest, there were thousands of sounds - birds, insects, animals. But facing these endless swaths of plantations, there were no sounds, only the wind trying to breathe through these trees. ![4.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/246athXiS8pX4H9igvfmd8VibcsBaDR46PYzp2YtFraLbsG31eAuvdkyTqG6DsEn44TC9.JPG) ___

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___ Alas, we set out for the short hike! As I noted, we were underdressed, by a long shot. I had my trusty flip flops on and my fiance her pair of jeans. We had only one small bottle of water with us, but we knew we had to do this hike. The pathway (below) was beautifully maintained - lucky for us! And the sun tried to shine on us through the forest thicket. But to no avail as the thicket was too thick and overgrown. It was an old forest amidst the dead pine forests. ___

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___ # Photographs From Within the Old Forest I could not stop myself from taking some nice photographs of the forest. These old forests are becoming rarer by the day - few corporations want to see them as it does not bring them money, but most locals see them as sacred (as I will show at the end of this post!). It is sad to see their demise, as people across the world destroy them just to make extra money. Luckily, I could take some photographs of these old forests while they still remained. ___

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___

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___ I could feel the earth breathe through this forest. The air was thick, but alive. I breathed this fresh air in and I myself felt more alive than ever. I could see myself living in these places, in a hut of some kind seeing the forest move around me. But these were only short-lived utopian ideas. ___

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# Sensing and Approaching the Waterfall As we walked deeper into the forest, we started hearing more and more waterfalls, water flowing through the forest, and the growth turning to bright green overgrowth. Various species of ferns covered the sides of the valley, indicating the presence of water. The smell of the earth also became different, moist, wet, and alive with different vigour than we previously when we were further away from the waterfall. It became louder and louder. And interestingly, there was a kind of surprise at the end of our journey, when we reached the destination... ___

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___

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# The Bridal Veil Falls As we walked through the thicket, we saw the top of the waterfall. A thin *bridal veil*, the water came down in droves but it remained a mist as it fell further down the mountain. As we approached the waterfall, we heard the loud screams coming from below. At first, we were worried that someone got hurt, then we got scared that something else was happening, but then we saw the indigenous priest praying. We tried not to disturb them, and I felt a kind of moral conflict taking photographs of the event, but it was in a public space. And it serves as a memento that these places of beauty are still seen as sacred. (See the photograph below). The waterfall was also so long and high that I could only take a video to show its true size, as my 50mm lens was too close to capture it in its entirety. ![18.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/23uEqtTeR5aYdfi7cWZCtVhg6PPrkFoG8U5NAf8i8RExwrZ6Uv9Pdb4FPfgwE89bB3wNp.JPG) ___ I took a couple of videos to illustrate its beauty.

___ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWjkTWN7AlE ___ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=386D3VFLNDE ___

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In the end, it was a pretty special short hike. Unplanned always serves to expand our horizons, challenging our need for structure. # The Beautiful Cliff Faces As we were planning to go, I looked up and saw all of the beautiful cliff faces. It was incredible how in such a small space so many different rock formations presented themselves. I tried to capture a couple of them, and they had a stunning beauty of their own. Nature truly is the most wonderful of artists.

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It presents itself as so many layers, and I see myself in them. As complex beings, as layer upon layer forms each passing year, we become more and more of ourselves. Our mistakes become dense layers that create us. We are poetic beings with many phrases challenging the very notion of what we are perpetually renewing. \*** ___ ![23.JPG](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/fermentedphil/23wBZUy9EoXNHUuFJVyPSLxCTuaqDNnPwpWhUS44DFoWaJbdCpycXXJbnAdiA7sok7Q5q.JPG) ___ # Postscriptum, or So yet another Journey Ends So many journeys end, but that is what gives them meaning. I hope that you enjoyed this hike, unplanned with some unexpected adventures and gifts. It is a rare moment that we capture by being present. For now, happy and safe travels and keep well. *All of the musings and writings are my own, albeit inspired by the beauty of the forest and the unexpected finds that presented itself. The photographs are also my own, taken with my Nikon D300 and 50mm lens, or my Nikon D3200.*

[//]:# (!worldmappin -25.08164 lat 30.72426 long Bridal Veil Falls d3scr) [//]:# ([//]:# (!worldmappin -25.08164 lat 30.72426 long Bridal Veil Falls d3scr))

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