I ponder trailing back. Nope. no good. I will only get more lost. I pull out some more thorns from my jeans and my hair. I stop to hear a rumble! A car is it?? I run forward to a clearing only to realise its a passing small plane. I wonder if they are looking for me? Darn, no one even knows Im here. I didnt tell anybody I was going to Pedernales Falls. I was worried about getting lost on the highway. That feels so much better than being lost in the woods! (Take a look at the photograph alongside to see what I just emerged from at a clearing)As I march on aimlessly (but in my head Im still moving left), I pull out the map the nice lady had handed to me with the entrance pass. Its only a road map, how can they map the woods? But, it is reassuring to realise that the huge park area I am supposedly in is bounded on the left by the road and on 2 sides by the river, which seems to be meandering away making the area bloat on the top and on the right. 'I just have to make it either to the road or to the river. If I reach the river, I walk upstream to make it the falls and to the road.' I feel better now. I take stock of what I have. I have only sipped a few drops of the Lizard drink and gobbled up a sandwich, so Im left with only one. Damn, I should have had a compass. Atleast I could know which way to go. I dont even have a watch on me to tell the time. After around 20 more minutes of suppressing panic and dismissing thoughts of getting lost, I reach another clearing and hear another faint rumble. I look skywards. Nothing. Damn, could this be a car? The rumble continues for a long time. There is a speed limit of 25mph on these roads. So, if that is a car, Im gonna hear the rumble for some time. And to my delight, I do! I can hear it in the distance. I make a mental note of the direction and hurry on.
Im so excited now that I plunge through the bushes and the thorns. Its like Im a kid in a remote village who's never seen a car, but only heard about it. Another car swishes by. Im so sure Ive traced my route back to the road now. More low-hanging branches and cactii to tackle. But, somehow God has increased the traffic on the road for me! Its like a lighthouse in the sea now, ever visible. After about 10 minutes of maneouvring, I catch a glimpse of the road! Awesome!
It feels so good to be back on the beaten path. Now, Im not looking into the woods again. I will walk along this road like a horse, who sees only straight ahead with those things covering its eyes.The falls
I finally make it to the falls! This is what I was here for in the first place. I just took a brief sabbatical on the way. The clear blue water is a sight to behold.
The rocks lining the water are pristine themselves, carved by the fury of the river. 
Alluvial soil, somewhat yellowish in colour, lines the river. What is disappointing is that there isnt actually a waterfall. Its a trickle a couple of feet high! Thats it. I wonder why they call it the Pedernales Falls. I know the river is called Pedernales. Or is it some famous Mexican guy who comes and falls here? That doesnt make sense. Maybe a mexican going by the name Pedernales once came and fell here. So, they should be calling it Pedernales Fell. But then, the Mexicans aren't really good at English, so I should give them a break. This is really Pedernales Falls. I take my comment back. 
Another exploring session, where I dont venture anywhere where there aint people. I watch a bunch of kids going behind the rocks into the woods. I aint going there pal. Another miss, when I fail to shoot a tortoise that came out of the water for a short time. He (or maybe she, I dunno) makes me wait for another 10 minutes giving me hope that I will get another chance. But, I finally lose patience. Catch a vulture from pretty close though. I havent missed out on all the animals after all. To be frank, there arent many. I have mentioned all the animals I have seen on this blog! Yeah, not to forget the fish in the water, but that goes without saying. Like the dragonflies and the bees and all them wierd insects in the woods.
As I walk back toward the parking lot, I try to locate the point where I ventured out, away from the road. But, its so damn difficult! It all looks the same. Finally, after an exhausting walk with the terrain frequently climbing upwards, and where I have guzzled all of my Lizard stuff, I make it to the car, which is so damn hot! I had put it in the shade, but the shade apparently decided to move. I drive out again, slowly, cos they dont allow fast cars in the park. Once Im on the road again, I hit the radio back on and push the gas pedal. Its good to be back driving! And my rock station is faithful, and plays my favourite stuff again - Audioslave, Weezer, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Killers, Fuel, Foo Fighters. The freeway drive is refreshing. Feels so good to be back in the concrete jungle, on the concrete roads, making my way past the slower cars, on a path I know leads home (hotel in this case) for sure.
Ouch, whats that? Damn, these thorns have gone through my sneakers. There are more on my feet everywhere. I wish I had my mom or my girlfriend or my sisters here to hand me a tweezer. Where do I get one now?
No comments:
Post a Comment