AWW 09.01.2008 Not Mushroom for error! Cansado Reversed

Back in the Algarve after a great trip to Macao and Hong Kong for Myriam and myself, and almost fully up to date with WW activities thanks to the literary labours of the DCB and the ADCB, we were praying for a gentle reintroduction to the walking world - and so it came to pass. Desperate pleas from Hon. Sec. Janet for a Hero to step into the Breach and lead the walk as the designated leader, Rod, was convalescing from various self-inflicted injuries, and was doubtful, resulted in Mike volunteering his Cansado Circuit - but this time in REVERSE!!

Nine of the hardiest walkers showed up at 0930 in the forenoon outside Café Cansado on a grey and potentially rainy day, and Snapper Myriam got to work even before Lindsey and Peter had arrived! I had expected more new and innovative technical equipment to be on display after Christmas, but only Ian W. was debuting his new Canadian sourced anorak.

"I wish I had read the manual!"

Leader: Mike

Walkers (8): John, Lindsey, Paul, Myriam, Ian W., Peter, Tina, Janet

Dogs (3): Brontes (that’s the one with the long tail), Nandi and Oscar

Stats:(Resumption of service) Total Distance:13.9 km; Moving Time: 3 hrs 12 minutes; Total time: 3 hrs 36 minutes;

Moving Average: 4.3 km/hr; Overall Average 3.8 km/hr; Total Ascent 323 metres; Max Elevation 155 metres

Here is Mike's walk report illustrated by pix from John, Myriam and Paul.

Walk statistics: Chief Blogger to complete since my GPS was overcome by the occasion of his return to the fold. Nevertheless, we completed the walk to the minute of the advertised time – 3 hours 30 minutes. No doubt the Deputy Chief Blogger, the Assistant to the DCB et al, who maintained the blogspot so ably in his absence, will all be relieved that the CB is back with us once more.

We strode off bang on the designated time of 09.30 hours in a clockwise direction for this walk that we have done on several occasions anti-clockwise and which is a special with Janet.

CB: No apologies for publishing this picture, as the leader had predicted the occurrence and even refers to it in his report, but those of a sensitive disposition please look away NOW. The Dog Whisperer will be called in should it happen again!

Shortly after the start, Nandi, clearly having saved for the occasion, deposited a welcome back offering to the CB right in his path. This was not exactly appreciated but was also not unexpected.

As always when circuiting a route in reverse order the appearance of the countryside and the vistas that open up appear quite differently to the more familiar route. This walk has an ‘easy’ rating, though some who puffed up the occasional change in contour level were inclined to disagree with this assessment. Walk conditions were not ideal to enjoy the splendid vistas that open up overlooking the Barragem de Bravura and elsewhere. Nevertheless, it was pleasant enough walking.

John takes a two-pronged approach

Several muddy crossings of streams and one significant road wash-away, caused by a blocked culvert required some negotiating.

Water, water everywhere!

Some were left to find their own way due to the Leader's propensity for frequent explorations behind bushes at the tail of the party!

Amanita muscaria - Fly Agaric

With the moist, warm conditions mushrooms were out in abundance and, had Antje been with us, the walk would likely have taken considerably longer whilst she harvested the fruits of the campo. Some were quite exotically coloured bright red or yellow. Myriam has already researched these fungi and distributed her findings. It appears that had we eaten them we might have ‘danced on air’ throughout the rest of the walk. See link here

When shall we three meet again...?

A brief wetness, rather than significant rain, caused Paul to don over himself and his backpack his latest acquisition – a rather fancy light-weight poncho. This gave rise to the question as to whether Quasimodo (the Hunchback of Notre Dame) was a paid up member of the AWWs.

It is worth recording that the track that Paul had recorded on his GPS for this walk on a previous occasion showed up clearly a very faint caminho that was our route homewards through cistus undergrowth to the Café Cansado in Arão. Here we had hoped to meet up with Rod where we could have wished him well on his travels to the antipodes. Regrettably, he was under the care of the medics sorting out his convoluted back troubles so he was unable to join us.

The 'Wet' bar at Cansado

Comment: An accomplished reversal of the Cansado Circuit last done in September 2007. See link here
I have not published the map track as it was almost the same as on that occasion, apart from when the Leader and myself prematurely crossed a stream, and were rebuked by my GPS, and turned back to recross it. The stats were amazingly similar for both times, which proves something!
I was hoping for a lot of material for this my first Blog of 2008, but alas, the walk went far too smoothly, and we had time for a spirited discussion of East African politics and tribal characteristics by the two Old Africa Hands, Mike and John. The climactic conditions were apparently peaking for fungal development, so there were frequent stops to admire these specimens, but no-one fancied carrying the edible ones home for a meal, so we will have to make do with the pics:

Thanks to Mike for a relatively gentle stroll, and I believe the sub-committee convened in Café Cansado approved the reintroduction of at least one less demanding walk per month, so that those walkers marginalised by the strenuous training program before the RTC would return to the fold. Hopefully some of those will be able to prepare and lead some of these shorter walks in the months to come.

Let's finish with a couple of mushroom quotes!

"Life is too short to stuff a mushroom." Conran, Shirley

"Love is like a poisonous mushroom -- you don't know if it is the real thing until it is too late" (Unknown)