Perfect 🥚

On My Way To The 🧂🍳

Today saw me leaving luxury 🛏🛋🚿🚽🖥. Again thank you kindly Gerhard Els. It was great to put a face to our chats. 🙏

After a full 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🍳🥓🍞 I was ready to start today's episode of WHAT THE FFFF WILL GREG DO❓❔ I had a plan. Not a long winded one but a plan nonetheless. It was simply to leave Upington and see how far I could get. Over the 🍊🏞 and on the tar. It is a busy road. About 30 or so minutes in, a Mitsubishi is stationary on the roadside. Gerhard. We chat, it is short but a meeting I am grateful for. On top of everything he hands me a water and some drywors (spelling). He informs me of a lady cyclist coming towards us.

A further 20 or so minutes down the road I meet said cyclist. Her name will drop now.... that's it Penny. She is touring 🇿🇦. From Jhb. She had just come through the 🇳🇦 border post. Said it was absolutely 🌧🌧 there. We chat briefly and go our separate ways. This is the 🥇 other touring 🚲 I have 👀 on this trip. 

Into town. Not much happening. I get some coke, sorry... a coke and a 🚰. I tell you, I look forward to the 📅 when you see a price on the shelf and the item rings up the same as that. Anyways... I pass the bike shop (lunch bar). I go in. Chat to the owner/staff. Lekka bunch. Get a few tips on today's trickery. BOOM.

Out of town. It's a long road. It's extremely long. Longer than a piece of 🧶 incase you were wondering. To add to its longness it is also quite straight. When I say quite I mean I think the road maker found his destination on the map 🗺🧭 and just 🖋📐 a straight line there. The he gave the 🦺⛑👷‍♂️👷‍♀️ the ⛏🔨🪓 and said... "follow line. Build road" and low and behold that's exactly what they did. First time for everything. 

I move with precision and caution. 😅😅 I am all over the place. There are very few 🚗🚘🚙🚚🚛🏍🚐🚔. The first ⏲ is quite fun. Then it can like to be getting 🔥🥵 When I say hot I mean, if you don't ride fast enough your tyres start to melt. You sweat faster than you can drink 🚰 which by the way is so hot you could easily make a cup of ☕🍵 with it. You really do start to question if what you are doing is 1 safe, 2 a good idea or 3 a nice way to ⚰. In for a penny in for a 💷 I think the saying goes? Wonder how Penny is doing 🤔😅.

I keep going. Reach the first camping spot. Way too early. Like just after midday. Next spot. Still... too early. By now it is around 4ish and the 🌡 has luckily increased to triple digits. Yay 🥳. I keep pushing. In order to keep my sanity I have tied a 🧵 around my handlebars and I have taken to playing solitaire ♣️♦️♥️♠️ on my phone. While the views are magnificent I am on my way to Hakskeen and I will take the return trip to digest the scenery. 

Eventually I come across a 🛣. It is what I have been looking for. Goerapan Lodge 👌. Boom shakalakka. I eventually find the reception. The signage is 💩. In my spot for the night. 

I have 🥚🥚🥚 for dinner. They were raw when I left but in this heat I am sure they are perfect now. I like them at 8 ⏱ in a pot so 6 hours in this 🌞 should be grand.

Right my dinner time. Chat soon. Tomorrow looks warmer 🤩🥳🕺. Holy 💩. A word of advice. Don't 🚲 to Haaaaaaaaaaakskeeeeeeeeen in the middle of January. It is just a dumb idea.

My toast should be ready too. I put the bread out 20 minutes ago. Hopefully the 🐦🦆🦩🦢🦉 haven't eaten it.

Be good my friends. 

G.

Rain Man

Did You Kil It 🦟🦟🥴

What Happened To Yesterday ?

No post Saturday 📪. Apparently the staff were on strike 📵. So Yesterday's ride was good. I was 80kms from where I needed to be. The bush sleep was good and I was in a fantastic mood. ✅ So as with the day before the tailwind was on point. I was barely working and STILL managing an average speed of around 30kms/⏲. Honestly I don't know who was watching but thank you. I made it to my stop and got a drink before checking in.

Now I must stop here for a second to say something. I am on a cycling platform called "The Hub". There is a member who lives in Upington. I ask him for a safe place to stay over night there. WELL. What happens next is just beyond me. The gentleman Gerhard Els has arranged a place for me in Kenhardt. 🥩🥩🥦, 🛏 and 🥓🍳🥓🍳. The lady who I stayed with, Linda has apparently donated this to my trip 😳😲🙏. So between them I am extremely grateful. 

Now there is more to this. I am also booked in at Ikaia for the night too. I have never met Gerhard but he has done this for me. I honestly am speechless. I owe this man a debt of gratitude. He has also suggested routes along the way. Sir when you read this, please know you have changed my outlook on humanity. Thank you. 

So as for yesterday I booked in and felt very happy. Linda is a marvelous woman. Great character and a super soul. If ever any of you ever go to Kenhardt please go and visit her. Even just to meet her. You will not regret it.

Dinner was 🥩🥩🐑🐏🐑🐏 of course. We are in the Karoo. You can basically 🎣 for 🐑 outside your bedroom window. 🐐 not so much. They are probably not as tasty 🦧🤔🤷‍♂️. Never had 🐐. Keen to try though. 

One thing about the northern cape. The 🦟🦟🦟 here actually love peaceful sleep. It's like heroin 💉 for them. I currently have a black eye from hitting myself in the face trying to kill one 😅🤣😅🤣. 

So up this am. Another fantastic feast. 🥓🍳🍳🍞. It was grand. Todays ride... A copy of yesterday. Well sort of. About 80kms. Little climbing. Tremendous scenery. The rain over the last 📆 here has turned this place into a paradise. It took quite a 🌧🌧 or two to end the 7️⃣ year drought before this. I hear the dams are full and good times ahead. How this world can change so rapidly from one scenario to the next is just mind boggling. 

To add, there have been huge rains up North. Or wherever the 🍊🏞 starts. The river is at heights not seen for many years. Just watching it you can see the power of this beast. It feeds many industries and I am sure they are all pleased with its current status. 

I have been 🛒. Food for a few days. Grateful. Happy. Peaceful. Rested. 

A last quick thanks to those mentioned above. To all who send me messages of support too. Thank you. I hope you get some insight to my trip through these small posts. ✉📨. If not send an email to.... whocares.com.comdot. 

Happy Sunday all. Be safe. Be happy. Beeeee happy now. I said don't worry now! Here's a little 🎶🎵 👁 📝 going ✌ 🗣 it 🎵 🔢 🎼 .

That's all I got. 

Up to Hakskeen tomorrow. You may not 👂 from me for a few days. Depends on 📶.

💙➕☮

G.

Sunset

Friday 🔢

It was up this morning. Not the best 😴, even though I was in a 🛏. They are struggling for business so were very negotiable. Not like the other place I went to 🚫. I think that is how you sink or swim now. You either adapt or 👋. Well that is my thought. 

So I was up. 🚿🧼🧽🪒. Felt great. Breakfast was... yip 🍞. ⛽ and ready for the day it was off. Quick chat to the landlord on the way out. Tells me a cyclist was killed down the road the other day 😳😲😯😳😲😯 for FS bru. Not what I needed to hear. Through the town. See a few places I recognize. It is a tiny town but it has grown on me 🤷‍♂️👻😋. All the extra 🚰💧 I am carrying feels like an ⚓. Seems someone is on my side. After yesterday's shambles I am not surprised. The tailwind is glorious. Quick check 🥉🧿 kilometers per ⌛. It is blinding. 

I do my best to keep it 🆙️. The scenery again is simply gorgeous. Definitely not as hilly ⛰🗻🏔🌋 as the Western Cape. The Northern Cape holds its own beauty. I simply love it. Quite a few salt 🚛 trucks. Going both ways. I am in a world of my own here. I wave 👋 to every single vehicle going either way. I want drivers to know cyclists are humans too. It must be just 1️⃣  or 2️⃣ that don't return the gesture. 

The day was unfolding like a brand new pair of 🩲. I am not sure the script could have been any better if I wrote it myself 🦧🐒 📜. My plan was to get to Brandvlei for the night and camp there. Well... I got there. Ate lunch... yip 🍔🍟🥛. I had 🔨 through 145kms. By the time I had eaten, paid the 🧾 it was only 🕒. I wasn't tired. I wasn't too sore 🦓. So I get a  cool drink and have a quick think 🧠🔨⛏. Right off. Everything is still in my favor and I now have a full tank of gass.

This is where the 💩 hits the ☢. About 15 down the road a broken spoke. I think I know what happened❕. When I turned my 🚲 around at the restaurant I heard a ping. Well that's what I think. I ponder this while I keep going. Eventually I see a lay by. Tyres and brakes screeching I pull over. I have a spare spoke. I have the 🛠🔧⚒ but I have never done this before. 

Low and behold in about 20 ⏲ I have the entire wheel apart and am on the 🐕 ➕ 🦴 to uber. Please send one by 🚖 to collect me. 

Nah that's rubbish man! I managed to fit the new one and true it as best I could. It was better but not 💯 per cent. I get going. It is cooling magnificently and I know I need to find a place to ⛺. 

I find myself here. About 60kms from Brandvlei. 210 kms for the day. I feel tired but good. I pushed hard today. The voices in my head were around now and again. With no one to talk to it can become interesting. 

All in though I am happy for this day. It has been outstanding. I have some news which I will share in my next 📬. I am grateful today. Happy. Uncertain but okay with that. Grateful for all you people. My friends. My family. Thank you for being part of my journey. 

I am under a 🌁🌉 not quite as big as those! 🤪🤭. I love this spot. The middle of nowhere. Windy but not too bad. I hope I sleep better tonight. Curfew peoples. That means stay at 🏡🏠😅🤣. No driving around. 

Sleep tight. Be safe. Be happy. Be kind. Everyone is dealing with their own life. 

G💙