Monday, 5th April 2010
Our journey from the airport, in a very comfortable coach, revealed a vast expanse of open land with hills popping up here and there. After a while a few remote dwellings appeared and long paths winding across pastures were visible. Occasionally people could be seen walking along these paths, which seemed to have no beginning and no end. The dwellings that were close to the road seemed to be of traditional construction and it was surprising to spot one with a satellite dish!
We stopped at a service station-cum-cafe-cum-gift shop area as we neared lunch time. Here there was a small supermarket to stock up on bottled water, having been advised not to drink the tap water at our hotel - how many bottles would one need for a week's walking?? Time to set off again and the scenery seemed less remote with more dwellings in evidence. Eventually we turned off the main highway to head up into the valley and the Cathedral Peak area.
Taking in some of the scenery en route . . .
hills seem to appear out of nowhere
A busy petrol station . . .
with various shops and 'eateries' . . .
and a few prettier areas, provides a lunch time stop
The driver awaits our return to the coach
There are more signs of local inhabitants . . .
on the next part of our journey . . .
but they are certainly well spread out
More hills and remote dwellings come into view
Are we really going to drive a big coach over that narrow bridge?
Yes, we are!
The route up the valley passes Didima Camp . . .
and the 'gatehouse' to . . .
Cathedral Peak Hotel
After settling into our rooms it is time to meet on the Sun Terrace . . .
with its nearby Weather Station
Exploring around the hotel reveals a fish pond . . .
a bowling green . . .
and a swimming pool . . .
all with great views of the surrounding hills