Nice?

Good evening

I find myself back in Cape Town. Alive, healthy and in good spirits. A new day a new dawn awaits tomorrow. I will catch you up over the next few days. Things for the most part have been pretty amazing. Africa Burn was an experience i shall never forget. I doubt I would do it again but my time there was undoubtedly worth it. I look forward to our catch ups so check in soon. I shall do my best to get down the details of the past days. For now i kiss you good night and the sweetest of dreams. 😚

Afrikaburn

I do find myself a little scared for tomorrow. Not the ride but the adventure that awaits. 13000 peeps. My peeps. Party peeps. I look forward to meeting them. Greeting them. Exchanging stories, having a beer and a good old chin wag. If life lets it be we shall chat on my return. Catch up on what's been appening. You know geezer.
On a good note Mana is doing much better 😙.
On a sad note. Avicii is dead at 28. Amazing artist and musician. I wished him a safe passage last night in my thoughts. Very sad.
Ok home slices. Off to bed. Until then.
Peace.

Sunday's

The Spar is closed. So is the other small takeaway shop. It's only 4.30pm. What the hell do i do now? Call 555hungry?
There is no answer. Ride through to Ceres???? It's 50kms away. Not going to happen. I see a couple of locals and ask where to get a drink. They point to the township. I find the shop they are taking about. They don't sell water so 2 liters of cream soda it will be followed by a packet of lays. Mmmmm yummy.
I pack my purchase and head off.  As much as this was my destination i actually had no idea where to camp. I rode down the road. Looking searching for anything. A small road appears. It doesn't look used. I ride for exactly 375 meters. Flat earth. No issues.
It is getting a little dark. Nervous as hell i pitch my tent and get to it. Not the best but it will have to do.
I stay up for ages thinking what each and every sound could be. It is horrid. I find myself falling in and out of sleep.
The morning arrives and i am not sure if i have even slept or not. These are the tough days. I do not deal with them well. Apart from the fact i hardly slept it was minus eleventy thousand and million degrees. Absolutely freezing. Do not try to tour in winter. It was very very cold.
But today sees me a little better. I have booked into an amazing place. I camped here on my first tour. The same place where the dam was empty.
So i am in my room. Very very affordable and amazing place.
I am off to the Tankwa tomorrow for Africa Burn. So again i leave you. I apologize for my poor attendance. It shall improve.
I bid you all good night and good fortune. I have come to realize that although we need money, fortune is worth so much more. If i could this would be my job. It costs little and bears so much reward.
I love you all and wish you your own fortune. Sleep tight 😘
G.

How are we at Sunday.

Who knows where we are. The finale to my shortcut is a walk through a river. I take off my shoes and socks and cross. Oh shit. There on the other side is..... freedom. The tarred road my stinky gate keeper told me about. I was no longer a trespasser. I felt comfortable now.
Just over an hour down the road and i am eating at the motel. I was in Citrusdal. Basically a town that grows citrus. Rows and rows of trees with golden fruit. Amazing.
I stop by the cafe for a coke. I have seen the map. Not much ado about much. 50kms and i am where i want to be. I leave.
Less than 10kms in i start questioning my map reading again. I am just going up and i have already drunk a bottle of water. I only have 4. It is what it is i guess. Indeed i keep going. 20kms in and 2 bottles down. Not looking good. I am about half way up a mountain that makes  Everest look like a speed bump. I get to the summit. I have completely underestimated this day. As i think this the crows and buzzards start circling. I show them the bird as i don't want to look vulnerable. Inside i am scared.
The descent is a nightmare. Steep and fast as hell. My brakes are screetching and also fading. WTF. I guess the extra 30kgs i am carrying are just too much. A sharp corner i try my best to stay on the road. I remember i have a spare pair of pants just in case. I made it. No need for a wardrobe malfunction.
I keep going. This is the first day of my life i ever get really worried about running out of fluid. I am basically recycling my sweat just to stay alive. This carries on for another 40kms.
Then like an oasis in the desert i see it. Op Die Berg. The town i was aiming for. I have been here twice on my previous tour so i know wherei am going. Spar good for you.

Monday Bloody Monday

Thanks for coming back. I wasn't sure if I would. Let's start with where we left off.
Early Saturday i pulled myself towards myself. The bike was ready but i wasn't in as good a shape. I needed fuel. So into town i moved. Basically down a hill. Spar was open so i filled up on supplies first then scouted for breakfast.
A cute little shop was open on the main road. I paid the parking and went in. The place was abuzz. Insects everywhere. It was still early and cold. I took up a seat and was eating quickly. Omelet it was. Cheese with cheese. My favourite. My cherry tart was telling me NO NO NO but who cares. You only live once.
The reason i was up before satan was because i had heard the climb into Beaverlac was tough. I was ready to go. The reactors were fired up and ready to go. I got to the base of it. A little disappointed. I could see the top and it wasn't that far. Less than an hour later i was looking at my achievement. I was at the top. It was spectacular. Our country is absolutely stunning. The scenery is just second to none. We are graced people make no mistake about it.
I get to Beaverlac. Perfect. Go there if you can. It's not far. Do the walks. Do the fishing. Do the holiday. Enjoy yourself and take in the beauty we have.
Yesterday i got up rushing like a tortoise. As far as i could see i was in the golden seat. 70kms to ride with no issues. I get to the gate and the gentleman puffing on his cancer stick gives me a major shortcut. He says i should be fine as long as the owner of the farm i am about to ride across is still asleep.  🤤😲😱😴😪. Ok i figure.
That 12kms was out of this world. Over a river. Scenery like you see in award winning books. Just phenomenal.

We meet again!

Todays ride was incredible. The first part would take me from Elands Bay to Picketberg. Roughly 95kms. The morning started spectacularly with me waking up. That was a good start. A little bit about last night. It was cold. Not just a little brrr but i mean cold. When you know you really do have a skeleton because your bones are rattling. I mean C O L D. So i pack and shower and get myself ready. Boom i am off. You may have heard it... around 7.10am. Yip that was me firing up the nuclear legs. Roughly 6kms in i see the most amazing sight. My heart sinks. I feel sad and disappointed all at the same time. It is a brilliant campsite. I stayed in town at the campsite which was absolute rubbish and bloody expensive. Here lay what campers dreamt of. Big open spaces. Your own shower and toilet. This place looked the shizznezz. Nothing i could do now but pedal on feeling like i owned a million Steinhof shares. 😭
Not to worry life is about learning and taught i was. Not sure what it was i was schooled in but off i went. Not much further down the road i see animals. Lots of animals. One of those little brown antelope, lots of Springbok and several billion ducks. I have photos but the signal here is pretty rubbish so i will post them in a day or two. I stopped and admired the creatures. Beautiful majestic animals the whole lot of them. Just getting on with their day eating and peeing. I said my goodbyes and the reactors turned back on.
Not long after that was i when i was shown the most amazing sight of the day. It was just spectacular, jaw dropping some would say. Double D'S. That's right folks double digits. The temperature had warmed to a refreshing ten degrees. I hoped it would not end there and i was not let down. By the end of the day it was a lovely 27. I know right.
Anyhow back to the ride. About 60kms in again i was summoned to the landscape by my eyes. Kudu. Lots of them.  I figured this is where kudu biltong came from. I tried to slow to get a picture for y'all but there must be something about a person on a pink bike shouting "picture time" that put them off. I can't for the life of me think what it could be.
The rest of the miles to Picketberg were pretty much standard. Pedal, move forward, pedal you get the picture.
Lunch was dealt with swiftly at Spur. I was starving. Burger and chips for starters followed by ribs and salad then a chicken for dessert. Delicious.
This left me with 20kms to my destination. Here i sit. A place called Waterval. Nice little place. The campsites are close. Very close. I heard my neighbor picking his nose just now. Yip... that close.
Last bit of news. It's good news. Mana seems to be mended and back home eating robbers. I am over the moon. She is such a gentle loving soul.
I shall be in the mountains for a day or two so probably no post until Monday. Safe and fun weekend all.
Lots a love G.

Daytime

That's not table mountain

The ride?

Luckily the ride is a better post than my previous one. I hope it does something to lighten your day....
The day started on a somber note. I was a little peeved that i had not ridden the previous day. It had rained over the evening so my water bed was back. I was not amused or impressed. But the day needes to start so i got cleaning and tidying. It didn't take long before the rickshaw (my bike) was packed and ready to roll. I smelt like a new person and i was happy to be fleeing my current abode. It was still very misty and slightly dark so i was very wary.
Onto the main road and klapping it like a professional i was going at least 20kms an hour. I figure my stuff must weigh at least 15kgs and me about 90. I know right. It was a good Christmas so be quiet.
After about 30 minutes everything cleared up perfectly as soon as i cleaned my glasses. I think i forgot to do it the night before and wasn't sure now if the fog was real or not. I haven't had any alcohol either so that rules that one out.
Anyways the day was perfect now and i was following the beach to a place i had never been. My goal was Lambert's Bay. I would see how the day would pan out. As to this reality.
Riding along the beach front is pretty much the same the whole way. Water, sand, sky, road and crappy vegetation on the other side. It went like this for about an hour and a half so i got out my book and read a few pages.
Unexpectedly and to my surprise i saw a right turn up the road. I downed my book and took full control of the steering wheel. I hadn't done one of these today. Not only was it a right turn but also an incline. I questioned myself why someone would make my life so difficult. I took the task very seriously and managed to get through it without any altercations. I was pleased at my success. Nearing the summit of said incline a bunch or rather gathering of motorbikes came past. Some friendly with a toot and some revving their motors like evil knievel. Well done i shouted as more and more of them passed. I was a tad out of breath so i let the rest of them be.
Down the other side it was back to childhood memories. Picturing i had 5 playing cards attached to my bike wheels making that rrrrrrrrrrr sound. It was fun.
I had previously decided to change my address for tonight to Eland's Bay. It was better placed for my ride tomorrow and i had clocked up 70kms. Not forgetting my tent was still wet and most of my clothing too.
I am situated next to the hotel on one of their camping spots. It is an absolute sight watching the ocean here. I will be up early tomorrow to get to Porterville. About 120kms.
Sleep tight all and don't forget a small prayer for Mana.
😗

I sit here

I sit here today a little fragile. Mana, Jacqui's Saint Bernard is not well. I am informed she has a twist of some nature in her stomach. Not only is this animal one of the most beautiful and kind creatures on this planet i had a special bond with her. I took her for walks and she was always happy to see me. Are we not the luckiest species on the planet? We get to have amazing animals live with us and be our best friend. We get to talk to them, play with them and tell them our woes. All they want is a little food and some play time. No agro, no backchat, no conditions just love and a wagging tail. I find myself very emotional and sad. She did nothing to deserve this but wag her tail and give love. If anyone ever works out why who gets what in this world and for what reason let me know. I have words for the person dishing out life gets and get nots and trust me these words are not good. If you are religious do me a favor and say a prayer for her tonight. The next few days are going to be rough for her. ♥️

Didn't move

So as it goes on a bicycle you don't have a roof, windows or windscreen to protect yourself from mother nature . It rained all last night and still going now. My tent found a leak for a few hours to boot.
I don't have a bucket so what to do. ☠
It was not serious but a little annoying. I guess that's camping and why most people do not do it. You are totally subjected to the elements. My tent is also rather small so one has to exit it just to change their mind.
Oh well it is what it is.
I got up to breakfast and ate, trying to decide what to do. This is not the Epic so if i don't ride today i will not be disqualified. In fact i will be fresher for the next day. With my mind made up i went back to swimming in my tent.
A little reprieve happened just after 11am. I was showered and dressed for the day so i decided on a ride to the town. It's only a few minutes away. So if the rain returned while i was out it shouldn't be too bad.
I left the campsite and went on my way. No one else there so not even a good bye to say to a friendly neighbor.
These trips can have their moments when you feel absolutely alone and vulnerable. It is daunting to say the least. Luckily for me i have 2 imaginary friends. One in my head and the other on my bike with me. It is very seldom lonely with these characters.
Town is very quiet and i wonder how this place exists. The biggest building is only double story and the busiest car park is the Spar. It is a small wonder where all these people work. My ride is completed by 12 after i have done almost 2 complete laps of the place. I decide it is mostly a fishing village due to the amount of big fishing rigs in the harbour.
I find myself back in my tent after lunch listening to the rain on the roof. It is a pleasant accumulation of drops and brief wind bursts. It reminds me of the rain storms back in my home land Zimbabwe.
This tent was sold to me as a two man tent. I look forward to the day when i meet the designer and watching him/her, and a friend try to live in it for a few days. That certainly would be entertaining. We could get a few gopros and video them like the big brother houses. Everyone who has bought one could throw an obstacle their way. Mine would be to watch them write a post on a blog and tell all their friends how much they are enjoying themselves.
Anyways i have taken enough of your precious time for the day. Tomorrow should see an improvement in the weather so off to Lambert's bay i am heading. Roughly another 100kms so a good ride it will be. I am all packed and repacked and checked as i had a few spare moments today.
Be good my comrades and if you aren't make a donation to WGAF.
Peace out ✌

The other way

Best it's been all day

Midget ostrich

Mosque (quito)

Seconds

So today was excellent. Well sort of excellent. It got better all day sort of excellent.
I awoke. It was cold and surprisingly very damp. Not rain but a thick mist everywhere. Checking the time i had an hour to spare so i moved slowly. Showered and teeth sparkling i decided to just get moving now.
Packed like a taxi driver doing a long distance drive i set off. Cold but not shivering my day started.
Just after i had turned left onto the main road i saw 2 more small brown antelope. Same sort of animal i saw as the day before. Not even 9am and ticking off the wildlife. Chin Qui.
I was not entirely sure of where this day would take me. I was just going to ride until i was done.
The miles went on. The day started to clear. I much prefer the heat of the Tankwa to the cool of the coast. I work better in the warmth.
Not far down the road i see a cyclist on a recumbent. That's a lying down. I wave, he waves back. We shout a greeting to each other and i decide to cross the road and chat with him. Well blown me down with a feather. This bloke, a Belgian has ridden from Cairo. He is almost done as his destination is Cape Town about 80kms down the road. We have some small talk and he is on his way. I didn't get many details but he was a pretty cool chap.
Not long after i see a food shop. Brakes on and screetching into the place i order food. French toast and a coke should see me good for a few hours. It was ok as food goes. I am back at work.
The miles pile up. Low and behold i see more wildlife. Again i screech to a holt. It's a tortoise about to cross the road. I don't know what to do when this happens. I lift it up and place it near a patch of grass on the other side. A quick lecture is given about the safety of cars and roads. I don't think he was paying much attention as he refused to come out of his shell. Oh well. Down the road again. Hell for leather. The speedo can't keep up. Almost not believing it i slam on the brakes again. 2 eland not far from the road. I haven't seen this much game since i was 10. Flippin cool.
As if today was all about animals i spot a few ostriches. They are running with me behind their enclosure fence. They did about 200 meters. I was absolutely grateful for my days privileges.
After my lunch stop i see this ridiculous building. It looks like a mosque. I stop and name the mosque "quito". I have a laugh to myself then move on.
The road goes on for a bit. Not much in the way of anything. I see bits and pieces but nothing to write home about.
Eventually i get to a town called Velddrift. Not a big town but my legs have seen just over a hundred kilometres and they are telling me it will be sufficient for them.
I find a municipal campsite which is actually pretty bloody nice. Not many people here apart from permanent residents.
So i am clean and ready to eat. I miss you all dearly and again i thank you for keeping up with me. Maybe one day one or all of you will join me in a small tour for a few days.
I can promise you it is an adventure to remember. Good night all and keep well.
G.

Nearly bed time.

Guess who's back....

It's really close

Done

So day ones riding is concluded. About 20kms in near Sunninghill my rear tyre deflated. I tried pumping it but the problem was more severe than imagined. It just wouldn't inflate. There goes my trip i am thinking. I know a bike shop not far so i start walking. After 30 minutes i get to what i thought was the shopping center where the shop is. Well guess again dumbass. Wrong place. So at this brand new shopping mall i start to fix the issue to get to the correct place. My shit is everywhere. Bags, tools, water, clothes and a whole bunch more. I get to the task. After a few minutes i look up and see a few chaps starring at me. Oh my god i am going to be robbed. I put my hands up and say take what you want. They look at me then look at each other. Listen here the biggest guy says. You cannot put your tent up here and sleep here. 🤤 WTF is this guy on about. He was head of security as i managed to station myself pretty close to a bank branch. I think they thought i wanted to do a land grab there. We briefly exchanged words and satisfied that i was not an illegal land occupier they watched me fix the problem. I think they were impressed with the speed at which i worked. No one making tea, no one sitting by watching for the boss just me doing what needs to be done as quickly as possible.
I leave not long after and get to the shop. I see a guy who works there who i know. We chat and my bike is taken to surgery. About an hour later it is returned. They said they tried to do it with my tubeless conversion but that was not working. So they redid it all and working well. I thanked them, paid my dues and scurried off. Irritated my workmanship was less than rubbish and a little annnoyed too i decided it was school fees and next time not to skimp on the parts.
The ride from here on was excellent. Quite a bit of traffic on the West Coast road so not ideal but as usual the scenery was above par.
I even managed to see a small antelope just past Koeberg station. Small and brown and an absolute first class runner. He watched me for a bit then obviously realized he was late for his tea as he bolted quicker than Usain.
With everything back up to top speed i made it to the first nights camp. About 80kms covered today with an hour in the shop.
If anyone is looking try Cycles Direct they are a great bunch there.
I am fortunate enough to be just by the sea. I am listening to the waves while i wright this. I am not a big fan of the sea side but it is enjoyable here. A few more days up the coast before i head inland.
Thanks for reading today and i hope you all had a good Monday. Love and prosperity to you all.
Greg.

Tomorrow

So tomorrow i head off on part two of touring. I leave from my friends house in Pinelands. It is central to CT so routes are plenty. It should be good going as i figure tomorrow's ride is about 70kms. Checked out a place to stay on the other side of Koeberg. That is South Africa's only nuclear power plant. When they see the power in my legs they will know all about nuclear power.
Hopefully my destination will be reached just after lunch so i can prepare myself for the first night. It is always a little daunting and scary. It gets better quickly so fingers crossed all smooth sailing for the day. I expect many emotions again and will definitely be feeling very queasy.
I haven't decided night two yet but will probably continue up the coast for a few days. At current status weather looks favourable but we all know how trustworthy the weather reports can be. Yes you know like when you are looking forward to an outside event and you check all the weather reports until you fond the one that reports what you want to see.
So good night for now and chat with you all tomorrow. I hope you get a good nights sleep and ready for a good work week.
Night.

New day

A new day arrives and brings with it many special offerings. I shall be doing a semi final check for my trip. My packing is better and much more refined. I have a new air mattress that cost the equivalent of a small house. My last foam one was about as comfortable as a bed of nails so i hope it is going to be worth it. I am also taking a real camp size pillow. Luxury has been stepped up a notch with the fall going to less off the bike clothing. We are entering rainy season and winter now so it is a bit of a gamble.
I will be looking for a job while away so all you out there keep your ears to the ground for me. This is one of my biggest stress factors right now. Who knows i may even find something on my ride. It certainly would put me at ease some what.
Life has been challenging for me recently. All my own doing and my own decisions. I never try to appropriate blame for anything that happens in my life as i create my own destiny. We all do. Every day every decision we make will take us to a place we have created. It will affect a lot of people and determine our future. I would always like to think i am where i should be but understanding it all is more than overwhelming. It is a trust with yourself that can be difficult to fathom.
I will see you off now for this a magical Friday and bid you a safe and fun weekend. For Monday the wheels start rolling again and my life goes back to the world.
Peace out.

Better Days

So after a few days now things are a little better. It was good to remove myself from my current situation for a few days. I had wound myself up too much and was being a little hard on myself. It is not for me to put rules in place over which is not mine. It can be difficult to see the road when the cloud on your head is so thick. Today is another step forward and a day closer to my next ride. I am almost ready to go so it won't be long.
Up the West Coast then back down the Tankwa. Probably a little bit in between. My goal is to clear my head (again) and start looking for a job. This is one of my concerns right now so will be on my list while i am away.
I will be keeping my blog going so read when you can.
Happy Wednesday all.
Peace out.

Choices

I have made some bad choices in my life. Things have gotten out of hand recently. I shall be taking another tour very soon. My head is clouded with anger right now and i need to decide on a path forward. Riding helps me to see clearer and gives me time to understand. My life has had so many ups and downs. Right now i am probably at my worst down. I need to go and relax on the bike and do a few thousand kilometres. While away recently we passed through Namibia. It is simply stunning. Our route was immaculate and i hope to do some of it by bike this time round. I shall be bringing this horse back to life.
Chat soon all and good night.