Cederburg-Day 1

As per plan, Started for Cederburg on Friday morning, with Kombi overflowing with camping stuff and we all were overflowing with excitement.

This was my second chance to stay in (Camp) tents; first time was when I participated for NCC camps in Hydrabad.

The view was marvelous!! We reached Cederberg in three hours,

Just imagine camping in a valley surrounded by overconfident mountains standing high, gorgeous beyond description with river flowing from the pinnacle of mountain talking to each stone on the way, touching and revitalizing them.

The music of flowing water, moving breeze and humming of birds, you can not find a better place to enjoy Mother Nature! I felt, Cedeberg it self is a god’s best poem.

By 10 o clock we finished fitting tents, three tents for nine of us. We had a small LPG cylinder with a portable stove. it was really handy for cooking.


After lunch we accepted the challenge of most arrogant mountain. Once started, never looked back. Within two hours of climbing we were on the peak of the mountain admiring the waterfall!! Hiking down was easier than hiking up.


Camp fire kept us warm and comfortable; however fire also triggered desires in some of us and I am not talking about myself. Wine and women are the most addictive as well as tempting things in the world however every thing was under the limits of decency.


The soldiers of sun were defeated by murky night, threatening us with frosty winds; it was a nothing less than battle, fighting the cold inside our tents whole night.

Mission cederberg!!

We got tents, sleeping bags and mats today. We are thinking to start early morning tomorrow. I am really worried as we have so many things to carry; it’s going to be very tuff to fit every thing in one vehicle as we don’t have roof carrier in our vehicle.

So the first challenge tomorrow is to load every thing in Kombi and the other challenge is to reach there and fit those tents. I am hoping that we have all tools to fix them.

My tribute to Shakespeare continue,

William Shakespeare (1564–1616)Sonnet 55

Not marble, nor the gilded monumentsOf princes,

shall outlive this powerful rhyme;

But you shall shine more bright in these contènts

Than unswept stone, besmeared with sluttish time.

When wasteful war shall statues overturn,

And broils root out the work of masonry,

Nor Mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn

The living record of your memory.

'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmityShall you pace forth;

your praise shall still find room

Even in the eyes of all posterity

That wear this world out to the ending doom.

So, till the judgment that yourself arise,

you live in this, and dwell in lovers' eyes.

Getting ready for Cederberg!!

Every one is excited about the camping trip; we are supposed to leave on Friday morning. We bought all required stuff, however still need to get tents and sleeping begs.

Cederberg has wonderful bird life and stunning scenery the abundant opportunity for many outdoor pursuits or to just remain at your cottage and relax.

I am looking forward for it, hope weather would be on our side and kombi won’t betray.

The pressure I've put on myself

The only pressure I'm under is the pressure I've put on myself”.

Some time presence of some one pressurise us. The way an individual counter the pressure depends upon the calibre of the individual. Sometime this pressure helps us concentrate and achieve what we want as rightly said “A diamond is a chunk of coal that is made good under pressure”, however often; this pressure results adversely. I feel we can do something perfectly if we concentrate in totality. One thing at a time, thinking of something else, like anticipating results and thinking about the consequences deters you from focusing over something which you are doing and thus prevents you from reaching your aim.

I was playing lawn tennis this evening, could not do well as per my expectation.
Today I was not sleepy in class, as slept early last night. I could not continue with my diet today, had lots of food, comparatively. But I am sure from tomorrow I am going to control my self.

Today I read this poem, I rally like the style of shakespear, specially last two lines, and it means so much!! I feel the same for my love!!

William Shakespeare (1564–1616

When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
And look upon myself, and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possessed,
Desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee—and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arisingFrom sullen earth,
sings hymns at heaven's gate;

And now read the last two lines…. it is amazing!!!

For thy sweet love rememb'red such wealth brings
that then I scorn to change my state with kings.

A Daughter of Eve

Another monotonous day!! I was very sleepy in the morning as I slept late last night!! :) I could not play tennis this evening because of bad weather!! In Cape Town weather changes faster than the mood of a woman!

Nothing note worthy, just one poem which I liked.

Christina Rossetti (1830–1894)

A Daughter of Eve

A fool I was to sleep at noon,

And wake when night is chilly

Beneath the comfortless cold moon;

A fool to pluck my rose too soon,

A fool to snap my lily.

My garden-plot I have not kept;
Faded and all forsaken,

I weep as I have never wept:

Oh it was summer when I slept,

It's winter now I waken.

Talk what you please of future spring

And sun-warm'd sweet to-morrow:

—Stripp'd bare of hope and everything,

No more to laugh, no more to sing,

I sit alone with sorrow.

After reading this, I feel each moment of our life is very important, time once gone, will never come back and we may repent in future for letting it lose.

Sweet Poison

Desires are sweet poison!
So sweet that we
can no resist it
And so poisonous that
We can not live with it!!-
-Raj

Shredded Desires

I like this poem so much; it has a flow which takes me with it and evokes a familiar feeling of loneliness in crowd, another way of asking for sincere attention and honest love.......

Infatuation, reins let loose tramples my sanity

oblivion, where rationale once thrived,

leaves me gasping for reason,

as in vain I fight this sweet poison of self-indulgence.

O! guardian angels, crucify me not!

close upon me not, the doors of your mercy

for all I wanted, was a touch of affection,

loving care, tender words

no more I seek of you heaven, nor concordno

more I seek of you to shower your blessings

Buttered with bitterness!

Now my guitar, strings broken,

sings to me notes sweeter than ever
,pray leave them broke,

never to be tied back into that old, suffocating tensesness.

For all I wanted, was liberty

from this serpentine clutch of solitude,

from lonliness among crowds,

to heal this woundinflicted by scorching years of desperation

For all I yearned, was for the scent of a woman.- Misba Karoly

Stress-free Sunday

Sunday, Colleagues at LUWASA are on the way to climb Lions head mountain, I could not join them as I have pain in my left leg. I slept in afternoon under the sun, some time it is really nice to do nothing and just sleep and relax.

I was thinking about the human nature, I felt we are slaves of our desires, we spend our whole life in chasing and fulfilling these desires, never realising desires are like mirage, and we can never satisfy our selfs. Biggest irony is that we know what is right and what is wrong but we still continue on the wrong path because we are not strong.