A natural shower

The first time I hiked up to the Cecilia waterfall above Kirstenbosch was about 6 months ago. I was dismayed at the prospect of the steep climb and it seemed to never end, with every twist in the path revealing yet another flight of steps so thoughtfully built in a bygone era for the many people who love to walk in these beautiful mountains of ours. Sometimes large boulders had to be scrambled up and over, and the thickets of trees and saplings on either side of the path provided a useful handhold to pull oneself up. It was winter and cool under the trees, and it was the steepest and most arduous climb I had done in my new hobby of hiking.
Yesterday we climbed the same route, but this time it was high summer and the trees were an absolute blessing. A strong northwester ahead of a desperately needed cold front was blowing down the face of the mountain, but we soon found ourselves sheltered close against the slope and temperatures rose considerably. It was still an endless uphill trudge, the stairs as steep as ever and the boulders immovable. The stream alongside the track was down to a trickle and even absent in places. However, months of hiking have paid off, and I barely felt a raised heartbeat along the route, the uphill caused no strain on the lungs (my biggest problem my whole life) and the most difficult part was the long downhill, quite hard on the knees. Success indeed.
Our rest at the waterfall was like being in a little paradise. The high moss-covered cliff face bore only a light shower of droplets rather than the torrent of winter, and interspersed among the emerald greenery were numerous splashes of red - the magnificent Disa Uniflora, the jewel of Table Mountain, in the flesh so to speak. What a thrill that was for me, having wanted to see one for many years now. Of course, I only had my cellphone, not the fancy P900, and so a decent photograph was out of the question. Maybe next summer.
Having limited access to water due to the current severe drought, the first thing that crossed my mind at the sight of the waterfall was 'shower'! So without further ado, another thing ticked off the list - stand under a waterfall until wet! What a marvellous experience!