People always say when you travel, expect the unexpected, the same rule applies for hiking. That way, you won’t be disappointed.

Well, we expected the unexpected on this hike. What we didn’t expect was for the unexpected to become the entire experience. The adventure started before we even reached the trail. A night before the hike, Jen sent me a text asking a very concerning question: “Are you comfortable driving?” I giggled so hard. I responded! “Gurl! Comfort and driving should never be used in the same sentence when talking to me.” I reminded her that I have spent years building a reputation. A reputation as a Professional Passenger. Honestly, if they gave Olympic medals for sitting in the passenger seat offering moral support, I’d have a trophy cabinet by now. She laughed and said she’d drive. Crisis averted. One of the things I was most excited about was swimming in a natural pool. Spoiler alert: I did not swim. And for that, we need to talk about Moses and Aaron.

Now, for privacy reasons, LOL these aren’t their real names. But for the purpose of this story, they earned those names fair and square. Those who know the Bible know Moses and Aaron were trusted leaders. Our Moses and Aaron certainly believed they were trusted leaders. Whether they actually were is another conversation entirely. As we were hiking to the waterfall, we passed a beautiful natural pool. The plan seemed simple enough. Since we’d be returning on the same trail, Aaron confidently announced: “Let’s swim on the way back.” Says Aaron. The confidence, The authority, The audacity, Naturally, we listened. 🤣 Because that’s what happens when someone sounds like they know what they’re doing.

We continued towards the waterfall and eventually reached the gorge. The waterfall itself was beautiful. The cool mist from the water was a welcome relief because the heat was doing the most that day. We spent some time enjoying the view, taking photos, and pretending we weren’t already thinking about snacks. Eventually, it was time to head back. This is where Moses and Aaron stepped fully into their leadership roles and led us directly into confusion.

On the return journey, they confidently took the lead. Again. At first, nobody questioned it. Then things started looking… unfamiliar. Then very unfamiliar. Then extremely unfamiliar. By then we were no longer near the natural pool. In fact, we were nowhere near where we were supposed to be. Yet every few minutes we’d hear: “Don’t worry, we’re on the right track.”Haibo!. The track wasn’t even tracking. The way was not waying. The confidence remained at 100%. The accuracy, however, had left the chat. To make matters worse, there was no network signal. No Google Maps. No magical blue dot. No technological salvation. Just blind faith and increasingly confused hikers. After what felt like seventeen business days, we spotted other hikers in the distance.

Finally! Evidence of civilisation. Unfortunately, they were very far from where we were. Getting to them required scrambling across terrain that nobody had signed up for that morning. At that point, the hike turned into an extreme sport. Eventually, we reached the correct trail again. Victory! Except not really. Because by then the natural pools were far behind us. Gone. Forgotten. Lost to the leadership decisions of Moses and Aaron.

On a serious note, I’ve been hiking for many years. And honestly? For the first time in my hiking life, I have almost nothing to say about a trail itself. The trail just didn’t do it for me. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe the confusion overshadowed everything. Maybe being repeatedly assured we were lost correctly affected my judgement. I don’t know. What I do know is that the trail wasn’t properly marked. And can we talk about water? Not a tap. Not one. Shocker. Yes, I know some trails don’t have taps. Usually there’s at least a shop or someone around where you can buy water. We brought plenty ourselves, but eventually we finished it. Would a tap have changed my life? No. Would it have made me happy? Absolutely. Before anyone asks, no, I’m not mentioning the trail’s name. I don’t want to be unfair on a public platform because this was simply my experience. I have, however, shared feedback with the owners.

The funny thing is that despite all the confusion, wrong turns, missed swimming opportunities, and unofficial wilderness navigation lessons, I still had fun. Because of my people. My hiking community. The laughs. The jokes. The collective confusion. We truly lived up to our name: Peak Adventurers. Not because we conquered a mountain. But because we survived Moses and Aaron’s leadership journey and still came back laughing.

Every trail teaches me something. This one taught me a lesson I didn’t expect. Nothing get to ruin my day. I’ve realised that the experience I have on any trail starts long before I lace up my boots. It starts with the intention I set when I leave home. The trail doesn’t decide whether I have a good day.

Although next time, if Moses and Aaron volunteer to lead again, I might suddenly develop a pressing need to walk at the front. 😅🥾😂Mind you I am so bad with navigation, maybe I will leave it to Moses and Aaron to redeem themselves. I still love them despite their navigation. 😊

Until next time Fabtastic People!

Air Force one signing out.

Moira

First things first, can we talk about how all my life I thought Franschhoek had one “h”? Only to discover, a few weeks ago, that it’s rocking two h’s, double the drama. 😂 South Africa never stops flexing, and Franschhoek is living proof. Surrounded by mountains, with winter mornings where the sun clocks in after 7:00, my body was like, “Sis, what time zone is this?”

I’ve been to Cape Town plenty, but never to this valley gem. Normally, I’m a water baby, give me the ocean and I’m happy. But Franschhoek had me forgetting the sea even existed.

So here’s how it went down: Pumza calls me up, says she wants to hike in Franschhoek for her birthday. My response? “Say no more, tell me when, I’m there.” My friends know I’m a liker of things especially travelling. If it were up to me, I’d be packing a bag every month.

We landed in Cape Town early evening, expecting gloomy winter vibes, but instead got hot weather and no wind. Cape Town, are you okay? Not complaining. We grabbed our rental car and hit the road. Franschhoek is only 50 minutes from the airport… unless you’re us. We managed to turn it into 100 minutes. Don’t ask. 😂

Our accommodation was rustic farm meets glamping, self-catering, surrounded by mountains, animals, and birds. Adulting? Forgotten. Peace? Unlocked. And here’s the kicker: this is where Pigcasso, the world-famous painting pig, lived. Yes, a pig. Her abstract art sold for over $1 million. Her owner even wrote a book about her. Sadly, she died in 2024. Google it. Travel really does teach you things.

The next morning, we set out for Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve. Known for its panoramic views, it’s basically Franschhoek showing off. But first, breakfast in the village. Pumza swears by carbo loading before a hike, plus coffee (non-negotiable).

Driving up Franschhoek Pass was breathtaking, winding higher and higher until we were halfway to the clouds.😊 We aimed for the 10km trail (our “minimum standard”), but the board’s time estimates had us laughing. “No ways, they don’t know us!” The board had long hours to finish most of the trails and we thought no ways. Guess what… 😂

Altitude humbled us fast. One kilometre felt like ten. Breathing was hard, noses leaking, sun blazing. But when we reached one of the viewing spots, seeing the entire village from above? Worth every step.

We even spotted off-the-grid accommodation tucked deep in nature. Looked dreamy, but let’s be real, I’m a city girl. Two days max, then I’d be begging for city buzz. Still, farm-meets-modern houses? Gorgeous.

By 1pm, we called it. We’d done just over 4km that felt like 15. Yoh! Next time, we’ll be more prepared. But honestly, the struggle made it memorable.

Back at base camp, we washed up and decided glamping wasn’t enough we wanted full-on “mini vacation” vibes. Pumza hopped online to check out a spot we’d been eyeing earlier, and boom, by dinner time we’d upgraded. After settling in, we hit the shops, and that’s where we met Nicholas a Johannesburg native turned Franschhoek local. The man was pure energy, a whole vibe. We spent ages laughing with him, teasing about everything he’s missing back in Joburg. He wasn’t budging though Franschhoek had claimed him for good. All love, Nicholas.

And when I say gorgeous, I mean gorgeous. Fit for Queens making the best of every minute. Five-star treatment, staff who made us feel like royalty the kind of place that erases all memory of mountain struggles.

Next day was Pumza’s birthday dinner. OMG, what an experience, quaint restaurant, food out of this world. And everywhere we went, people offered us wine. LOL. We don’t drink, but who says you can’t have fun in wine village without the wine? We hopped trams, visited wine farms, and laughed our way through it all.

Moral of the story: Not everything needs planning. Sometimes you just need to be a little crazy and wake up in a different province. Franschhoek gave us laughter, challenge, luxury, and memories that will last forever.

And because travel loves drama our flight home was delayed by six hours. We got home at 3am, but hey, that’s part of the adventure. When you travel, you’ve got to be ready for “anything can happen” and stay nonchalant.

So much happened, but I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. Fun was had.

Till next time, my Fabtastic People

Moira