The boys took it easy today to prepare for
a very long day tomorrow – Olifantshoek to Upington (167 kms). They covered 50
kms in 2 hours today at a slow pace and they then joined up with me at the
SHEQ. Show back in Kathu. The Departments of Health, Safety, Environmental
Management and Quality Assurance had a local show that was sponsored by Anglo
American. The usual stalls one would expect to find at a show were there with a
vengeance (boerewors rolls, pannekoeke, vetkoek, coke, etc along with stalls
selling a variety of safety clothing, solar heating and so on along with a mini
Idols competition – even the sound system crashed with one particularly badly
sung song!). There was an HIV testing stall and we were there to raise
awareness around autism. We handed out hundreds of booklets on autism and
disability to passers by who I think were more interested in the bikes than too
much else.
Kathu reminds me of Texas – everything is
beeg! There are monster mining trucks with wheels taller than a man, iron ore
trains that are 2 kilometres long, massive bonuses for miners (3 000 miners
from the foreman down received R350 000 each at Xmas time last year).
Furthermore, the boys are burning around
6000 calories per day on some days and people are hugely generous.
We once again had a memorable meal with the
van Heerdens – moussaka with tsatsiki and a Greek salad, and tiramisu for
dessert. Louise has been spoiling us rotten and I do not look forward to
leaving tomorrow. We have had a wonderful stay and respite with much laughter
and fun. It will be a sad farewell.
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