I was fortunate enough to experience one of my favourite activities just recently, namely to go paddling in a canoe up the river here at my location on the south coast of Africa.
This is an absolutely exquisite experience, if you have the time and opportunity to relish the wild untamed beauty of nature. A friend loaned me his two-seater canoe, which is quite light for its size, although I could only just lift it onto the roof racks of my car single-handedly.
Certain things are crucial in life, and even if you don't have a canoe of your own, you still need roof racks on your car if you want to transport it to the river. So I had the good fortune of being able to purchase some roof racks a year or two ago, and on rare occasions I come across someone who has a canoe which i can borrow.
It's been a while though, and I haven't been out on the river much at all, particularly not through the recent winter. And so when I finally met up with a friend who had a canoe available, I jumped at the chance.
Another thing which is really important in this endeavor, is to get the timing right, when it comes to canoeing up-river here on the South Cape coast of Africa. Because I'm at the coast, this river called the Keurbooms, is connected to, or flows out into a lagoon, which then flows out into the sea.
As a result of this connection with the ocean, the tidal surge regularly pushes water upstream at high tide, and then downstream at low tide, as the water is receding. The sea water pushes up river quite prolifically, so the secret is to time it just right so that one can pop the canoe into the river and harness the tide as it is pumping and thereby make the paddling so much easier by canoeing with the tide instead of against it.
The weather was warm but overcast and this was just perfect for a day outdoors paddling about on the River and in the lagoon. Direct sun would have been a bit harsh and any other conditions may have also been difficult.
For example, when the wind blows it can certainly make paddling a serious challenge, as I've experienced in the past. I once went paddling upstream, only for the wind to pick up, and when I turned around to paddle back, I had to work like a crazy horse, pumping the paddle rigorously against the headwind which blue fiercely in just the wrong direction.
The river where I go paddling ands its journey in the lagoon after flowing under the national highway which hugs the entire south coast of Southern Africa. Once in the river gorge itself, I find myself surrounded by very steep slopes on either side. This gorge has sides which are so steep that there is not a single road, path or track for any person to access the area. The only way up stream is buy boat.
And that's why I love it so much.
It gives me a chance to go canoeing into what appears to be epically remote and hard to access terrain, where I feel a sense of peace, stillness, tranquility and privacy, which is hard to find anywhere else. Fortunately today's outing was under just perfect conditions which were warm, cloudy and relatively windless.
And this is how our life is. We need to harness the perfect opportunities that come our way when the climate is just right. Once upstream, I was able to stop here and there on the thin slithers of sandbanks which cropped up occasionally on either side of the river.
This made for an ideal meditation place and it allows one to feel what it's like to be in a place that could be anywhere in the world, with no sign of human life or any trace of human activity.
This is how life should be.
We should all be able to take time out to retreat into pure, beautiful, natural surroundings where we can really get in touch with nature and the wonderful good health that she provides. But also we become peaceful and calm within ourselves by surrounding ourselves with these beautiful conditions.
In this way not only the physical health but also the mental health can be greatly improved by such outings into the natural environment, whatever it may be in our particular locale.
After paddling upstream, I felt the breeze picking up slightly so I turned around and made my way back down stream towards the bridge of the national highway. I then paddled underneath the bridge and into the lagoon.
Since it was low tide still, I found the water fairly shallow. But knowing the terrain well by now, I was able to find the relatively deep channel along which I could continue my paddling, without getting grounded on the occasional sandbanks just below the surface.
On my way towards the lagoon I passed the small local yacht club where residents anchor their boats. I was amazed to see what looks like the construction have some houseboats.
What a beautiful concept.
I would love to have my own flat-bottomed houseboat in which I could live like a captain of the waters. This houseboat looked like a nice double story apartment.
Can you imagine the idyllic environment of being upstairs on your houseboat with the view all around you while being anchored in a peaceful calm Lagoon such, as the one right here at the town of Plettenberg Bay, with this particular river close to the sea shore?
Obviously there are other important conditions that are needed to facilitate such a life upon the water. And this lifestyle probably requires constant maintenance and repair work on your houseboat.
Still, the romantic dream of having a mobile home could be upgraded so that one has a mobile water home. Now that would be a real treat. In this way life goes on and our dreams inspire us to strive for improved quality of life, whatever that may mean to you in your particular circumstances.
After all, real wealth is not dependent on riches, but is more based upon a quality of life where one can live and experience things as if one is a millionaire, without having to have the actual cash to splash out for the luxury.
Here I was able to experience such a beautiful lifestyle activity by canoeing like this while actually not having to spend a single penny, except perhaps to drive to the launch place on the riverbank just a few minutes from my home.
I'll definitely wait for the next opportunity that arises to borrow my friend's canoe once more and go paddling again when the conditions are right. If you ever get the opportunity then I do recommend that you experience something similar in your neighborhood if you can, or make your way here to this beautiful region on the south Cape coast of Africa, where you can join me in the canoe and we can go paddling together.
I will show you all the beautiful places in this area and you too can experience this lifestyle of the millionaire, with this high quality of life which is actually - in one sense - priceless, but also completely free.
(photos my own)