Our intention was to return to the coast today but as it turned out the day had ideas of its own, which was fine. We just tagged along.
Having left the bus terminal early, we were on the road and out town before 8.30 am. The urban environment gave way to more rural scenes. Each side of the road the ground appeared an odd colour? Our curiosity got the better of us and we pulled off the road to investigate further. Our suspicions were confirmed. The 1st of October and the first frost!
As we climbed up into the mountains, little fir trees were spangled with dewy cobwebs. Good enough for any Yuletide scene, albeit a bit early.
Up and down, in and out of mountain passes until we reach a curious point on the map. Our paper map clearly shows a road, the road signs disagree? An old man sees us pondering over which road to take and stops to offer his advice. Go straight on for the canyon and water fall, then park and walk for two hours, you will need to sleep before reaching the other side!
The frost has gone and the morning mists lifted, it is now a beautiful day. Let's go up this road and see what we find. What we found was the Kure Mountains National Park. The roads became tracks, no problem for Fay. Then we reached the place the old man said we would have to walk. We hadn't had a serious walk since leaving Pakistan, so of its own deciding the day turns into a walking day. For the next three and a half hours we follow firstly a track to a high view point over the gorge and then a second track which at first appeared blocked but which Richard decided was worth exploring! Indeed it was. Once we were over the barricade, the track was actually well marked. It led through a wood toward the waterfall. The forest floor was covered with pine cones and autumn fungi, dappled sunlight intermittently fell between the shedding canopy. It was a lovely walk.
We never did reach reach the waterfall though, the last part of the track had fallen away! It didn't matter, we had had a good leg stretch and enjoyed an unexpected, different day.
Back at Fay and closer look at the map. The Map.me app shows a tangle of tracks which eventually leads to the sea. Our other choice is to back track to the town with the old man, pick up the main road and do a big loop round the mountain. Well....no choice was there?
The going is slow, up and down steep rock and dirt roads. Richard is spurred on by what we saw Hiaces doing in Pakistan, this isn't as bad as that. The scenery is lovely, with views that stretch for miles. One such view point is nominated as our stopover for the night. With the table and chairs set up, we munch on nibbles and sip wine as we watch the sun go down behind the mountain.
Without the sunlight it soon becomes chilly up the mountain, so we retire inside the van to play the card games we learnt in Pakistan. We were miles from anywhere; through the window a flashing blue light, out from their car step two armed policemen! I thought we'd done with them on the KKH? Neither speak any English, one checks our passports whilst the other nurses his gun. I offer them our phase book but no luck, it is a rubbish phase book, we already know that. The one trying to make himself understood eventually gives up, writes us note we cannot understand and they leave. We can only assume that camping is not allowed??? Next time we have internet, I will see what Google translate reveals about our police instructions.
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