5 March 2011 - New Zealand

And here I am, 4 and a half month down the line. Any interest out there in me writing some more? Send me a note and I will see what I can do.
Cheers, from a rainy but peaceful day.

24 May 2010 - Heideplaas Conclusion?

I have been back at the farm for a week now and am finding it hard to get back to a "normal" life. What is a normal life anyway? We all have different priorities, dreams and ambitions and this does not make any of us more-, or less normal than the next guy.

In my last blog, I said that I would try to write a conclusion. I don't think I am quite ready to do that yet, since I don't feel that this trip is over. But, I will try to write a bit of a summary and share my feelings and thoughts with you.

While sorting and labeling all my photo's I was taken on a trip down memory lane. Looking at a photo I took at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town of the rising full moon, I could not believe that I took a picture a moon month later, of the second full moon for the trip, in the Kgalagadi. How absolutely extremely different the settings... This makes you realize how vast the area and distance is that we covered.

In the title of my blog, I wrote that I wanted to "discover" my beautiful country and now I feel that one can never stop discovering all the beautiful places. I do however also believe that the world is full of beautiful places. During the week, I watched a bit of TV footage of both the Cycle tour of California and Italy. Incredible scenery! Now I want to discover the world! So much to do and so little time (and money!). A friend stated his disappointment that my ride was over, because what should he read now in the mornings (my blog). I replied that if he was prepared to sponsor me, I would continue touring and writing my blog just for him! To date he has not replied.....

26 May 2010 - He has still not replied, but I am busy planning my next ride! If all goes well, I am departing for Port Elizabeth on Friday. It should take me about 3 days (with distances just under 100km per day) to get to PE. The plan is to spend the week visiting friends there, then on Friday the 4th of June, I will cycle out to Shumba Lodge between Hankey and Patensie to spend the weekend with the De Vos / Jansen / Gryffenberg family. After that, I will cycle back to the farm again.

So, cheers again, I am busy packing and getting everything ready. This time I am going solo!

15 May 2010 Home! (from George via Knysna)

Today is the 15th, I am home! I could not write yesterday afternoon, because it started raining heavily on the way to Knysna. I ended up staying in town with Oom Sarel and Mari, the owner of the farm where I am staying now. Thys and Nerina came through to the farm, and had my laptop with them. So I will give you background on the last two days. A bumper edition, and possibly the last, unless I find the inspiration to do some summary / conclusion - I might just do it.

We had a lovely evening with Sus and Hendrik Vorster, whom I have known since I was 1,5 years old. They truly are like a mother and father to me. I was battling with a slow puncture on my front wheel the previous day and decided to fix it on the morning before riding to Knysna. I took my time, did my best to remove all the little thorns that were stuck in the rubber, but alas, after putting it all back together again, I still ended up with a flat tyre. This forced me to change the tube, which solved the problem.

After a lovely breakfast I hit the road, taking the old Saasveld road which is part of the Seven Passes dirt road to Knysna. What does "passes" say to you? Yes, the day with the most accumulated ascent of the whole trip! I climbed 1264 vertical meters! (Descent was second most of trip, at 1504 m).

The weather was great at the beginning. Mild wind, clear skies and cool, though sunny. The old road takes you through some lovely forest areas and I soaked it up. After about 32km's, I met Thys and Nerina along the road. They were busy making us some coffee - the last we would have together on this trip. Nerina warned me that a short distance ahead I would find a lovely downhill, followed by a climb of 100 meters vertical. I did not want to know this, but since I had checked the route profile on my gps maps, I knew that this would be just one of many climbs to come. The prize winning one, the Homtini pass to follow, ascended 177 meters within 2.6km. (think of a 59 story building and you have to carry a suitcase up the stairs!)

After the coffee I got going again, but the weather started changing. Clouds were being blown in from the sea and it started looking like we might get rain. In a very short period, the temperature dropped significantly and as I was climbing up the Homtini Pass, it started raining. Hard enough that I got soaked through my sleeveless rain jacket. This just made me realise again how blessed we had been on this trip. The only other day I cycled in the rain, was when we went from Hermanus to Gordon's Bay.

My rides through the "vast outback - the Groot Karoo", were far more relaxing in a way than cycling on the tar roads near Knysna again. I had a serious fight with a Nestle truck, which very nearly ran me off the road. This driver was simply not prepared to slow down and wait until it was safe to pass me. I don't know where he expected me to go, as there was no rideable surface next to the road at that moment. Anyway, again thanks to God, I managed to stay in one piece.

When I met up with T and N again, I told them that I did not feel like pitching my tent in the rain. We decided that they would head out to the farm from where we started our tour two months earlier and that I would try to find accommodation in town. This is how I ended up at Oom Sarel's place. T and N stopped for coffee and I sorted out the stuff I would need for the last leg of my journey. It was a lovely bonus and surprise that Amanda, my friend from the farm had arrived seconds before I went through the security gate.

The De Vos family (Oom Sarel, Mari and Amanda) and myself went out for a lovely meal after a glass or two of wine. I only got to bed near 11pm, which is far past my bedtime.

Distance I had covered for the day was 80.35km and I was out on the trail for 5h41 (4h39 cycling). Taking into consideration that I had to climb 1264m, I can see that I have grown stronger during my tour. My luggage weighs quite a bit, but I managed to climb some of those passes with gears to spare!

I had a good night's sleep and woke up to a beautiful morning in Knysna. Blue skies and crisp air after the rain. By 8:34 I was on the road and had to tackle the very long climb out of Knysna. I received a phone call from Braam Greeff, the people from George whom we had met at the Augrabies Falls (Braam and Joy). He said that he had passed me the previous day near Hoekwil. How small is this world! I had promised them a phone call when I arrived in George, but there just did not seem to be time, what with all the "lekker kuier" with the Vorsters!

The ride out to the farm was the 3rd shortest of the tour, but it had enough altitude gain. Over a distance of 27.86km, I climbed 570 meters. The N2 main road was quite busy and it was a relief to reach the turn-off into the forest (the back road to the farm). The road was still wet from the previous night's rain and it was very cool under the forest canopy.

I love a forest and could not help myself. At one stage I stopped dead and just listened to the forest talk. Green, lush and beautiful. I couldn't quite capture the forest with my camera, but I include a picture here of one of my favourite fern spots.

Just past 10:45 I arrived at the farm and after saying hi to T and N, I headed straight to Amanda's house to give Liefie, my cat a big hug and kiss.

My washing is done, all my luggage is lying around in my room and I "have nowhere to go".  I knew it would be a big adjustment to be back at home, but I think reality will only kick in later.

The total distance I covered is 2926.77km. It would have been great to hit the 3000km mark, but then I suppose I would have said, it would be great to do 4000km and so on! Where do you draw the line? I spent 34 days on the bike and the rest of the 2 months we had a lovely holiday.

There are so many highlights, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank Thys and Nerina for their selfless support, love and care. Without them it would have been a lot harder and less enjoyable. I thank you guys from the bottom of my heart. Cheers to you.

I am going to Amanda's house now for a glass of champagne, so please excuse me! Will write a last something in a day or two's time. Thanks also to my friends who sent e-mails and sms's. It made all the difference.

And here, a picture of my bike as I arrived home, you have not seen the end of me yet! This poor bike is in need of a serious service, but we might just tackle another few mountain passes together. I did not buy good quality pannier bags for nothing!

13 May 2010 Oudtshoorn to George via Montagu Pass

I saw the sea!

Only got going at 10:30 this morning! We spent the earlier part of the morning doing the touristy things in Oudtshoorn. We kicked off with a visit to a Belgian Chocolaterie. Big mistake. We were entertained by a lovely sales lady, who knows and loves her product. We were allowed to taste some of the ingredients used in making the chocolates and then we bought some treats.

Next stop was the factory shop of Olea. A company manufacturing olive products. More tasting and buying was done, before we visited Tantinki, a shop specialising in goat's milk products, where we did even more tasting and buying!

By the time we got to Trix's house, I was in a knot about the trip still ahead. The wind was not too bad, but the road to George was a concern. It is very narrow and winding. The highest heart rate achieved today was every time a car stressed me out. There were more than enough occasions this happened. As a matter of fact, I would rather cross the Swartberg Pass again, before attempting the first part of today's route.

I also had some concerns about my front wheel. It was losing air and the sealant was not sealing a tiny puncture I must have picked up along the way.

The going was not too bad, and by 13:00, I took the turn-off to the Montagu Pass. It amazed me again to see how quickly the landscape can change. Within a kilometer or two, the countryside turned from a barren dry landscape, to a green, lush inviting landscape. Mountains clad in Fynbos, trees and ferns. Majestic mountains and an impressive pass built by hand (before my time!) I was careful on the downhill, as the road surface is quite eroded and I had a scary incident on this road before, when one of my front brake pads came undone!

I include a photo here, of my first glimpse again of the sea. This is seen when you reach the top of the Montagu Pass.

I am tired again as it is late because we have spent the whole afternoon and evening catching up with my "other Mother and Father", Oom Hendrik and Tannie Sus. We were also treated to the tastiest meal I have had in a long time, and don't forget the dessert!

Tomorrow we head out to Knysna and our last night of camping. We will follow the Seven Passes dirt roads. The scenery is better and there will be less traffic, the route however will be more challenging than the N2, with lots more steep up's and downs. But once again,  we are doing this for fun, aren't we?????

I must just thank God at this stage, for divine protection on this trip. No injuries, illness, accidents or anything bad. And this in spite of dangerous roads and serious physical workouts. Thank you Father.

If you will excuse me, I will jump into bed now. Hope to catch up tomorrow, but otherwise will write a conclusion once I am back on the farm by Saturday. Thanks again for all the comments on the blog, emails, prayers and support. Without you, my Friends, I would not have made it this far.

12 May 2010 Prince Albert to Oudtshoorn

Feels like ages ago that I wrote my blog! Can't remember what I said and what not, so excuse me if I repeat myself.

The ride to Prince Albert was tough, as I mentioned and the weather was still not promising on Monday. After the visit to Ailsa and Andrew, I convinced Thys and Nerina's to stay in Prince Albert for one more day, so that we could wait for clear weather to do the Swartberg Pass crossing. It seems such a waste to do that lovely road in poor visibility. I could not stay in my cottage any longer as they had a booking for it and so we moved out of town, to Bushman's Valley.

T and N camped, but I took a "Bushman hut" for R100 per night. It is a thatched shelter, but inside they have a canvas tent, which means you have no creepy's crawling into bed with you. There is electricity and they provide towels. The setting is beautiful, amongst the mountains. I include a photo of my accommodation.

During the night, I heard some rain falling, and was worried about today's weather. All worries for nothing, as the day turned out to be clear and sunny with a mild breeze. It was cool, but we are well into autumn after all!  I only got going at 9:00 this morning, but was planning a relaxed ride anyway.

The word "awesome" is used too easily nowadays, and I believe it was created to describe this beautiful part of God's creation. The mountains are magnificent, massive, indescribable. Photo's can't capture the sheer majesty and size - you have to see it for yourself.

I crawled up the pass slowly and gently. It took me 2 hours of cycling to do the 998m of vertical climbing to "The Top", but you can add another 35minutes to this for all my photo stops. I wanted to brew myself some coffee at the top, but wind was howling up there, and very cold as well. After a quick photo or two and putting on my wind breaker, I jumped into the descent. Because of all the weight in the panniers, I had to take it easy - this I did not like one bit, as I love a fast descent!

Included here, is a photo of me on day 31, at the 31km marker going up the pass. I had to balance the camera on the stone wall, run across the road and put a big smile on my face. Didn't come out too badly?! You climb from 676m to 1587m in just over 16km. The views are indescribable and the air was so crisp and clear.

As mentioned above, the wind was howling on the going down side. I just kept going, but did stop again for a few photo's. One just can't help yourself.

Where the road leading from the Pass links up with the road to the Cango Caves and Oudtshoorn, is Wilgewandel, a farm stall and adventure center for kids. They offer camel rides and also have meals and coffee. I sent T and N an sms and told them that I would be stopping for coffee, and before I could order, they joined me. We decided on having a light lunch as well before I got going again.

The road from Wilgewandel winds all along the Grobbelaars River through Schoemanspoort (gorge?) and Thys joined me on his bicycle for the last 15km into town. We reached our destination just after 15:00 and are now spending the night again with friends of mine. We are staying with Hannes, Trix and their son Jaco. It is always great to catch up with old friends, and Trix treated us to some pea soup and "vetkoek". My stomach is full, and I am ready to curl up in bed.

Tomorrow I am going to George via the Montagu Pass. This pass is even steeper (downhill) than the Swartberg Pass, but I am choosing to use this road rather that the much busier Outeniqua Pass. Weather on this side of the mountain looks promising, but there might be some rain on the George side of the mountain.

So, it is cheers for now. Hope to have time to write tomorrow, as we will be staying with my "other Mother and Father", who gave me a second home when I was growing up. Oom Hendrik and Tannie Sus, who joined us for supper on the first night of my expedition!

Today was the 31st day and I have done 2748.6km to date. It looks like I am not going to make the 3000km mark, and Nerina suggested that I cycle to Port Elizabeth to make up the shortfall. To this I replied, that I might as well then aim for the 4000km mark! I don't think so!

9 May UPDATED Beaufort West (Karoo Nat Park) to Prince Albert

I am here, and I am too tired to write tonight. Today would rate as the hardest day yet, due to very strong wind. I will write more tomorrow, but now you know I am safe. Will be in Prince Albert for 2 days, so backside can have a rest tomorrow!
Cheers

Here follows the news - I am now all there again!:

As mentioned in the first paragraph, yesterday must rate as one of the hardest days of this trip. It was not the furthest, highest, coldest or even windiest, it was just very long, because of a head wind for the last 55km. As a matter of fact, I was out on the trail for 9h25, of which 8h55 were spent in the saddle. I had over 1000 metres of vertical climb and as mentioned above, a very strong head wind for the last 55km. This means that you have to sit and pedal non-stop, unless you want to come to a dead stop. It also means blisters on your bum! And I am doing this for fun?

I left Beaufort West at 8:15. (Photo of view back towards Karoo National Park in northerly direction) It was quite cool and the wind was very strong. I again, had a short stretch to cycle on the N1, fighting the wind and having to contend with big trucks. Scary stuff! Once I turned south on the N12 (road going to Oudtshoorn via Meiringspoort), I was flying. The wind was more or less from behind and I was doing an average speed of 25km/h +, even though I had some climbing to do. I stopped for a quick bite to eat at the 50km mark, but after that things started getting more difficult. The wind was blowing at 50 - 60km/h, and probably gusting up to 80km/h (I kid you not!). At times the wind was from the side, which meant that I was being pushed all over the road. It is just by God's grace that I did not end up under the wheels of a big truck.

By the time I turned off the tar road and headed west to Prince Albert, my average speed had dropped to 21km/h. This was where the fun and games began. I still had 55km to go, straight into the wind. My average speed for this last leg of the trip was only 11.1km/h! At times I was doing only 5.5km/h. BUT, I made it. Nerina was waiting for me just as you enter town, to show me where we were staying. It was 17:45, cold, windy and very grey! What a long day. I did however see a Kori Bustard while on the bike. This is the world's largest flying bird, weighing up to 19kg and they are under serious threat and one usually only sees them in our National Parks - a big bonus for me.

I opted for a self-catering cottage, while Thys and Nerina pitched their tent.

We spent today exploring Prince Albert and had a fantastic, late breakfast at the hotel. Most of the old homes are in good condition or beautifully restored. The gardens are neat and the Bougainvilleas love this climate - all colours to be seen. There are water canals that run through town, and the residents have "irrigation rights" (lei beurte) and may channel the water to their gardens on particular days/times.

I include a photo here, taken at Bougain Villa Guest House. The owner, a retired farmer, is keeping himself busy, training his Bougainvilleas.

At 16:00 we visited the local dairy to buy some cheese. After this, we popped in to see Ailsa and Andrew Tudhope, friends of mine from when I still lived in Cape Town. They have lived here for 12 years and have seen the changes taking place in Prince Albert. It happens so often that the sleepiness of an old town appeals to people from the city, but once they move in, the character of a place gradually starts changing. One can even see that some of the newer houses have different architectural styles than the original homes. I suppose this is what we call progress?!

Ailsa and I joked about the number of grey hairs that we have acquired since we last saw each other but she takes the prize as she recently had to play the role of the 90 year old Miss Sophy (Dinner for One) in a fund raising concert. I must admit though, that she used baby powder on her hair! A play I would have loved to have seen. After coffee and scones, we returned to our campsite.

I have convinced T and N that we should stay another day, as the weather forecast for Wednesday is more favourable than for tomorrow. We are a day ahead of schedule anyway and my backside can do with another day off the bike. I might have to move back to my tent tomorrow evening though, as there seems be a booking for my cottage. We will get confirmation tomorrow morning, but it seems that I will tackle the Swartberg Pass on Wednesday only and in sunny weather.

So, it is cheers for now, until a day or two!

6 May 2010 Loxton to Karoo National Park (B West)

Another short blog tonight, I am tired! The wind was pumping today and I was doing some low flying (that means the wind was from behind, yippee!) until I got to the N1 just before Beaufort West.

I left Loxton later than planned. Don't quite know why this happened, but I think it was because I was so relaxed! Just out of town I got onto the gravel road, which was really not as bad as the locals claimed! (again). It was very chilly and I was wearing arm- and leg warmers. The wind was probably blowing at around 40km/h from the NW, which meant that for the most part it was from behind.

The landscape again changes all the time. Autumn is here and there were many copses of yellow poplar trees. Too beautiful for words.

I passed a family riding to Loxton by donkey cart. They were very friendly and were also freezing. Nerina had passed them earlier and stopped for some photos. I wanted to stay on the move though, as I had asked T and N to stop at the 65km mark for some coffee and so I did not take any photos myself. Poor T and N battled to keep the gas stove going in the wind, which had picked up to 50 - 60km/h by then.

The total ascent for the day was just over a thousand metres, but my descent was around 1500m. Beaufort West is reached via the Molteno Pass, a spectacular gravel pass which drops very fast (my top speed was 76.6km/h on the gravel, with a wind that could not decide from which side it should blow! Exciting stuff!)

Once I got to the bottom of the pass and reached the N1, my average speed dropped to 10km/h (I had been doing 24km/h until then). Cycling through Beaufort West was challenging with a lot of big trucks fighting for space on the road. Add the wind to the equation, and it was quite scary coming through town and on towards the Park. I was pushed off the road by the wind following some of the trucks, but fortunately the Park entrance is not far out of Beaufort West. Once I got to the park, the real hard work started, as the wind was now directly from the front and there was still some climbing to be done.

But, I made it, and we are now camping under the trees, in a sheltered spot. We have had our supper and will go for a drive in the park tomorrow.

The total distance done so far, is just over 2,500km. There were 7 days in which I could not record data, due to the loss of my gps, but for the rest of the trip, my total ascent is just over 13,000m and I have burnt more than 48,800 calories! Now you know why I eat so much!

We will be in the Park for 3 nights (2 days) so don't expect too much blog news. If we see some lovely things, I will try to post a new page. So cheers for now.