Hanging in the green room

Published Apr 30, 2010

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A green room is a space in a theatre in which actors and actresses relax off stage in readiness for their next call, a place for quiet contemplation before the bright lights and noise of public performance.

Among surfers of my generation the green room was the name for the barrel or tube in a hollow wave. It was said that within this vortex of water, time stood still, slowed to a frame-by-frame view of things, although that may simply be the cerebral response to a near-death experience. Being surrounded by that much moving water isn't for the faint of heart but I can attest to the idea that it is a special space, and to the sense of tranquillity within that raging hollow.

These days I prefer to take my relaxation without quite the same degree of risk but the message holds true. There are spaces both natural and man-made where silence is truly golden, and one of my absolute favourites is Cecilia Forest above Constantia. It is a special place, especially as the sun turns its back on the southern hemisphere and retreats north, allowing the cool breezes of autumn to hold sway.

On the way up Southern Cross Drive the golden tones of the oaks shedding yellow and tan confetti are a real picture. The flying leaves, winter's messenger, foretell of tougher times but at the same moment glory in the light winds and low light of autumn.

The squirrels were taking note of the warnings, scrabbling on the roadside to hide their acorns. I love to see them - there is something joyous about the way they move, and I stopped the car to watch them for a while. Up and down the trees they ran, busily stocking their winter larders, totally in tune with their environment, and driven by the need make the most of the shortening days and be ready for the bad weather to come.

I headed on to Cecilia Forest, where the carpark was almost empty, and parked in the shadow of the giant pines. It was already late afternoon, the sun's low-angled light filtering through the branches to give everything a slightly dull green tinge, the leaves backlit. There had been a little rain in the preceding days and the forest was filled with a slightly musty scent, the smell trapped and concentrated under the canopy.

I particularly love the sensation of walking on the thick carpet of leaves and needles underfoot, most sound absorbed. As I penetrated deeper into the gloom, the massive trunks blocked out the traffic sounds until all that was left was the crunch of my footsteps and the musical tinkling of a tiny stream, slightly invigorated by the early rains but far from the raging torrent that it would be in a month.

I followed the river bed, climbing higher over logged pathways and rocky outcrops, walking into my own forced dusk as the mountain blocked the last rays of the sun. Skirting a massive bluegum, its bark stripped from the silky smooth trunk and hanging like bunting on its lower reaches, I strode along a wide track towards Kirstenbosch, and burst quite suddenly out of the forest and into wide open space created by logging.

The transformation was remarkable. Within a few strides I was out in the open again, the sunshine slicing between the peaks with no greenery to ameliorate the affront to the senses. My dilated pupils tensed in the brightness and my ears were battered by the road noise and the chop-chop-chop of distant helicopters as I left the plantation's quiet embrace. In the distance a lone and barren trunk stood testimony to the devastation.

I simply turned tail and returned from whence I had come, fleeing the bright light and noise for something more subdued.

A walk in a forest is like a hug from nature, tranquillity and peace in the midst of a raging city, one's very own "green room" simply waiting for you to sit still and appreciate it.

Cecilia Forest offers numbers of walks and serves as a gateway to the Contour Path, Cecilia Waterfall, Kirstenbosch Gardens or a more strenuous scramble up Spilhaus Ridge. If you don't feel that energetic, a short stroll in the plantation offers a rare chance at total tranquillity, not only providing some exercise for your legs but also a light massage for your soul.

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