We are following Shaun and Pieter on a newly tarred road out of Mafikeng. They are relaxed and chatting to one another which helps them pass the time. They have new gel seats (bought by Roland) for extra comfort and to soothe the hot spot.
The veld is beautiful – very green with droves of donkeys, herds of cattle and startlingly white cattle egrets. Prickly pears, neat kraals and an entrepreneurial sculptor make the journey interesting. This is the land of donkey carts, the luxury version being pulled by four donkeys!
We have just done 22 kms in an hour travelling at close to 40 kph! Easy peasy for those of us sitting in a vehicle!! Because we are using the roads less travelled we travel through parts of town and countryside one would not normally see. Besides heaps of litter in places (mainly in the towns themselves) the countryside is as beautiful and restorative as ever.
Roland’s contribution to this blog: Yesterday we had a short stop in Lichetenburg because Pieter needed a water bottle for his bike. He saw four cyclists in the town and asked them if they could tell him where to find a cycling shop. Since it was too early for shops to be open, one of the cyclists, ‘a pretty young lass’, took us to her home nearby and donated no less than four bottles to Pieter who then could not decide which colour to use for the day! Just as we were about to set off again, Shaun’s feet got stuck in his pedals and he fell over, from being upright to being level with the ground in one shot! He scraped himself a little but the biggest dent was the one in his pride! Roland and Pieter were most amused by his misfortune. Shaun was not! For a while anyway.
Shaun and Roland had to share a double bed last night and I believe the one woke the other up with hair-raising nightly sounds (I will not say who woke who!). The Libertas Guest House at 5 RHODES Avenue was lovely with crisp linen, a pool, and friendly hosts who sponsored our accommodation. We are just amazed by the kindness of people along the way.
We all felt like fresh salad and cold meats and fruit last night so we are eating well and healthily. But I am putting on weight with the lack of exercise. I have threatened Roland with long walks every evening but I sense a lot of resistance from my driving companion!
Mishaps of the day
• We took the wrong turn off and the cyclists ended up doing a longer route than anticipated (29 kms longer)
• I left my laptop mouse behind at the guest house (won’t be the first time either)
• The Honda would not start after our second drinks break! Fortunately we were right at the entrance to a farm and the farmer drove past. He did not help us himself as he was on his way somewhere but within minutes a worker came along with a tractor and jump leads.
• The road in places was savaged by serious potholes – we were thankful we were not travelling at greater speeds
• Pieter’s knee gave him trouble and they had to stop more times than they would have liked to to strap it with Transact. At 13h20 after 100kms Pieter gave in to his aching knee and went ahead to Delareyville with Zane for a cortisone injection. Shaun soldiered on dodging potholes and listening to his iPod until Pieter returned and joined him for the last 15 kms to Delareyville.
• We stayed in a dump of a B&B, our first paid accommodation – no cutlery (Zane ate his cereal with a fork), Pieter had a cold bath because the hot water was turned on late, and the swimming pool was empty.
Highs
• Seeing two mini twisters in the mealie fields playing with dried leaves and spiralling them upwards to great heights
• Being in the veld and amongst farms on a fairly quiet road
• Seeing a young crested barbet eating dark orange flowers on a low bush at one of our stops
• Enjoying some warmth after the first lingering cold spell in Jozi
• Having a chauffeur in Roland (I enjoyed driving the Honda on Wednesday though)
• Clean linen and towels
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