Rhodes - A Big Hole and a Big Hill
or Haircuts & Heart at the Big Hole
Cecil John links Kimberley and our remote north east Cape village.
It is universally known that barbers traditionally, and possibly through empirical training, are all knowing of their customers, almost a confessional sanctuary prevails around the well-worn leather chairs.
Last week one of our Kimberley resident 'Snowflake' runners pops into his local barber shop to have his locks trimmed.
Barber welcomes him, then exclaims "Oh, here is another chap who will be running your Rhodes run this year"
And so two strangers sharing two common threads, the same barber in Kimberley and the same sense of adventure that takes them to Cecil John's namesake village, are introduced under the revolving red, white and blue stripes.
A few months ago another Rhodes runner was feeling rather poorly, as in really not lekker, during a solo mountain weekend training run. Arriving home, and still feeling very out of sorts and extremely uncomfortable, he phones his mate, a Rhodes runner and Kimberley resident - not one of our barber shop duo. After an in depth telephonic diagnosis, not-great-feeling runner is advised to suck it up and if he's still feeling out-of-it on the Monday to go and see his chiropractor as he's probably ricked his back while out on the mountain. Seemingly reasonable advice.
Our not-great feeling Rhodes runner visits the local chiropractor next day, to be told "Good news. Nothing wrong with your back"
"However, you're off to hospital urgently, you had a heart attack while out running on Sunday, and you need a by-pass"
Rhodes is not for sissies....nor is Kimberley it seems!
Note: For a reasonable fee we can tell you who NOT to get medical advice from!
