I leave some of my luggage at the guest house and cycle to the canyon. It is longer then I thought and I can feel that it was a good decision to make this a resting day. The viewpoint architecture is nice.
It is making the canyon more interesting. And from the WC on the bottom floor you also have a great view.
The canyon is very deep and big, allmost no water now. I have my breakfast at a table.
Some guide asks me about my trip, speaking loud and making it a show. I think he is annoying and answer short on his smart questions. I watch the landscape for a bit and go to another viewpoint on a super bad road.
After that I am ready and cycle back for lunch with my new friend, the construction guy. On the way back I see some groups of ostriches. First four, then two and then another two. Then also a couple of zebras.
A slow and worried evening goes by as I hear some terrible news of a terror attack in Sweden.
I prepare the bicycle, change a broken spoke and I also meet some South Africans on motorcycle. We talk a long time.
Next morning I wake up around 3.00 and decide it may be a good idea to go in the more cool night. It was so hot going to the canyon. So I pack and go within a half hour.
It is very dark and I go slow. It is a fairly good dirtroad but my light is not lighting my way ahead in a proper way. I have done an adjustment because of my bottlerack and therefor my light is fixated by tape and difficult to adjust. So I dont dare to change the light in the dark. Oh yes, my forehead lamp is also broken since a week. But I have my phone in worst case. After a couple of hours around 5.30 the sky starts become purple and pink. I wait until the sun goes up for an early breakfast.
There is a head wind and it is a slow ride. I listen to Selma Lagerlöf, Gösta Berlings saga. What is that book about?! I have come more then half way through it but I think it is very difficult to follow.
I see an old turtle shell.
Then after about 70 km I finally arrive to the tarmac road. The first sign to SA!
And who is standing there by there car if not my Swiss friends!
They just saw me, one minute later they would have missed me. But now we go to a nearby place for a good coffee.
It is a good wind in the afternoon. I intendent to go all the way to the border and stop at a campsite with the Swiss couple. But wind the great open spaces. The looong downhills and the long uphills making the wind blow strong I am very dependendant on the winds direction. The road is super straight and I can see maybe 20-50 km ahead.
In the first distance I go 20-25 km/h and with the side wind 10-15 km/h but when the wind turns towards me around three I can not go fast. Maybe 5 km/h. I struggle for some time. When the sun starts to go down I ask to camp with some roadworkers. They are very nice and laugh a litle at my adventure.
They offer me a place to put my tent and water for a nice cold bucket shower.
Oh it feels great after that shower and to sit in the shelter of the tent, resting from the wind, resting from a long day on my pedals. I have a great dinner. One can of tuna, one can of tomatoe and onion, half a loaf of fresh bread which the manager at the last guest house gave me. It is hard to survive hear. There are simply no shops. I also eat a plate of poorage with raisins and müsli, cold of course. But I am used to it. Even come to like it cold.
In the morning I role down the 20 km long downhill still in the dark down to Orange river and the border.
Just before crossing over to South Africa, I take my time and buy myself some good sandwiches and a latte at a gasstation. Here I update the blog, the first chance with good internet in allmost a week.
