Pulling into the Visitors Centre having not appreciating that post Labour day the opening hours change we wondered why it was closing.
I started to panic as it was getting & the person in front of me was being sworn in as some kind of Ranger. I was afraid the office was going to close before I could find out if there were any pitches available.
A Good Pitch
After a bit of initial confusion we worked out that a number of pitches were available. So we were able to nestle Martha into one. Realistically we knew that climbing to the top of the dunes at dusk was probably not sensible.
However during the day it would be too hot & we were short on time. In addition we didn’t know the area well enough for a long distance night hiking especially given the mountain lion warnings.
So we decided just to walk a little way up the closest on to the camp.Taking a short exploratory walk around we headed back for supper & a beer where upon the notion of watching the sunset from one of the lower dunes struck us.
Flinging the flute in the back pack we set off across the dry river bed & headed for the smaller mounds of sand.
Toot that Flute
The sunset was indeed beautiful which was probably more than could be said for my flute playing. However we had a laugh given how windy it was & we only had phones to record the noise I was making on.
The video clip below is me trying to ‘play the scenery’ with my flute
Concluding ‘westernised’ music was not conducive to the surroundings. Trying to play examples of native songs in the dark with no idea what they should sound like was more than challenging.
Like many ancient cultures the music originally would not have been written down. I have come to understand ‘playing the scenery’ was an accepted way of composing tunes.
It’s my excuse & I’m sticking to it! Sharing this concept with my guitar teacher we concluded this could be a useful technique for musical composition.
Wildlife
Heading back in the dark we picked our way carefully & amazingly found the track back. Using only our wits & natural moonlight!
It truly was a magical place for as we traversed we were treated to calls of wild coyote. Presumably that were roaming in the mountains beyond the dunes.
At breakfast the next day we were joined by other wildlife.
The video clip is of deer that started grazing in and around the tents & camper vans.
Fill Her Up
Filling up with pricey fuel here lessened the risk of running out & meant we could get a head start in the morning.
Use the link below to find out more about the Great Dunes National Park