We reach the river and the excitement builds. We step into the river and won’t leave its shores for quite some time. Sweetie Pie asks Eneil about how his camera is set up. He looks at her a little strangely because she’s talking f stops, aperture settings, etc. “She’s a professional photographer,” I say trying to help him out. He looks incredulous, “You said she was a cook,” and then he looks at her, “What do you do now, really? How can you do so many things?” Sweetie Pie clears things up and she and Eneil have a connection that grows through the afternoon. A lot of chatting back and forth. Eneil really wants to be a professional photographer and has a ton of questions for Sweetie Pie.
Mayfield Falls is a rugged spot. Even though it was fairly full of tourists the day we were there the river and falls have been left in a condition that makes it easy to let yourself drop back in time to when natives first discovered this gem. There is no sign of any development near the river and the only permanent indication of human presence is the footpath that runs near the river in spots and a limestone wall at one point that has a lot of stick carving done on it. Even that has a fairly ancient hieroglyphic feel to it. You walk straight up the river from one small waterfall to another. At just about every little fall there is some sort of break in the boulders or ledge that creates a rush of water. Almost all of these rushes fall onto a spot where you can sit. These seats all become different variations of a natural Jacuzzi. It is really a lot of fun.
As we get a little ways up the river we’ve passed several impressive bunches of flora that Dave just won’t seem to mention so I have to say, “Look up on the hillside, Sweetie Pie, see how tall and straight they are, that’s some BIG BAMBOO!” I get a good laugh from everybody. There are large clumps of bamboo all along the upper hillsides of the river bank here. They bend and meet over the river like gothic cathedral vaults. It adds to the sense of making a verdant pilgrimage.
After a couple of nice Jacuzzi seats we approach what looks like another nice little rush of water. “Go on up to it,” says Dave as he walks up to the shore. As you get nearer to the rush the water gets deeper than any place we’ve been in the river yet. Eventually you can’t touch bottom and the current of the river pushes you back. Dave and Eneil laugh. I won’t be denied and I backstroke my way to the eddy and swim in place for a bit. It’s a very unusual and enjoyable sensation. “Yah, mon, that’s the way you do it!” encourage Dave and Eneil.
