Sunday 22 JulyWasn’t very happy about boxing my bike, but that was the requirement for travelling on the bus. Basically it meant removing wheels, pedals, seat post, bar ends and just loosening and sliding the handle bars in a bit.
Arrived at Cape Town station a full hour before departure to ensure that my bike got the best seat in the loading trailer.
INFO:
Intercape offers an excellent bus service between Cape Town and Upington at very reasonable rates. (R230.00 for me, bike and all kit!). The bus was a “sleepliner” very luxurious with genuine reclining seats.
Was really surprised to find that I had a fair size farewell party seeing me off, but even more surprising in that I didn’t recognise a single person in the crowd! Even the lady in the seat directly in front of me got caught up in the excitement, waving, crying and telling them how much she is going to miss them……strange person.
INFO:
Intercape offers an excellent bus service between Cape Town and Upington at very reasonable rates. (R230.00 for me, bike and all kit!). The bus was a “sleepliner” very luxurious with genuine reclining seats.
Was really surprised to find that I had a fair size farewell party seeing me off, but even more surprising in that I didn’t recognise a single person in the crowd! Even the lady in the seat directly in front of me got caught up in the excitement, waving, crying and telling them how much she is going to miss them……strange person.
It was an overnight trip, leaving from Cape Town at 17h00 arriving in Upington at 07h30 in the morning.The trip was uneventful other than when the driver took the wrong route and had to be redirected by one of the passengers on the bus.
Arrived in Upington along with a freezing wind just as the sun started rising.
Monday 23 July 2007
Was very happy to be reunited with my bike and see that it survived the trip in er….. 8 pieces. After getting some breakfast, I found a cheap place to store my belongings, assemble my bike, and get some sleep. (Reclining seats or not you just can’t sleep for more than 1km at a time!)
I finally met Tienie, whose farm (Swartstraat) I would be staying at after my first days ride. Tienie is a wonderful person, entrusting his farm house to me, a complete stranger. In our conversation, it came out that he had travelled around the USA in an old clapped out combie for 18months, and could thus relate to the spirit of freedom and adventure.
I also had my first blow, when Tienie looked at my proposed route and expressed serious doubts as to its feasibility. I have always found it a difficult thing to inteperate local knowledge. From my experience I have found that most non-mountain bikers underestimate the ability of the modern mountain bike, and consider anything but a district gravel road to be impossible.
However, this was the Kalahari and a mistake here could hold very serious consequences, so I decided to take Tienie’s advice and re-evaluate my route. In retrospect, this was a wise decision, as the sections of my proposed route that I did see, was pure undiluted curry powder.
After exploring Upington a bit, I met up with Piet Van der Westerhuizen who would be taking me up to Askham. I loaded up my bike and kit among the post bags, stores and supplies, and we were on our way along a brand new tar road running straight (and I mean straight!) up to Askham.
The trip up was very sobering and the realities of my journey started to prod my stomach uncomfortably. Over 250km of red dunes, no water, no cell reception, no towns and no people awaited me.
I also had my first blow, when Tienie looked at my proposed route and expressed serious doubts as to its feasibility. I have always found it a difficult thing to inteperate local knowledge. From my experience I have found that most non-mountain bikers underestimate the ability of the modern mountain bike, and consider anything but a district gravel road to be impossible.
However, this was the Kalahari and a mistake here could hold very serious consequences, so I decided to take Tienie’s advice and re-evaluate my route. In retrospect, this was a wise decision, as the sections of my proposed route that I did see, was pure undiluted curry powder.
After exploring Upington a bit, I met up with Piet Van der Westerhuizen who would be taking me up to Askham. I loaded up my bike and kit among the post bags, stores and supplies, and we were on our way along a brand new tar road running straight (and I mean straight!) up to Askham.
The trip up was very sobering and the realities of my journey started to prod my stomach uncomfortably. Over 250km of red dunes, no water, no cell reception, no towns and no people awaited me.
We arrived in Askham, not an officially declared town, just a collection of people and activities. The community has a hotel a garage a general dealer and BB, with Piet being the post master, garage owner, general dealer and his wife the BB operator.
INFO:
Askham accommodation Ph: Mrs Van der Westhuizen 082 3714549.
Rates are reasonable and meals can be provided on request.
It was great to finally know that tomorrow my trip would begin.
I packed my kit, boxed my “civi” clothes to send back to Swellendam, and hit the sack.
INFO:
Askham accommodation Ph: Mrs Van der Westhuizen 082 3714549.
Rates are reasonable and meals can be provided on request.
It was great to finally know that tomorrow my trip would begin.
I packed my kit, boxed my “civi” clothes to send back to Swellendam, and hit the sack.
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