Clanwilliam to Dorp-op-die-Berg (134km) - South Africa

South Africa

Day 119 – May 11 – Stage 85

A group of us decided to take a "Seniors Ditch Day". In other words we decided to take our own day off from cycling. We were just too fatigued to spend the day cycling and climbing over 1'900m in elevation on poor dirt roads through the Cederberg.  Peter, Deborah, Murray, Judith and I racked our bikes and climbed into the Main Truck "Dog Box" armed with a cooler box of champagne, orange juice, crackers, pâté, cheese, wine, glasses and serviettes -  all of which we had purchased yesterday at the Clanwilliam Spar!

Before we reached the lunch position we indulged in the champagne & orange juice, then after leaving the lunch position had our cheese and wine party while the rest of the other riders battled the cold, misty weather and the mountains.

We arrived at the Camp site in Dorp op die Berg relatively early, pitched our tents and congregated at the “Boma” (an enclosed fire pit area) where we continued the day’s festivities, until our supplies ran out later in the afternoon.

We became a little anxious at sunset, when we realised Mike vd Berg had not arrived at Camp yet, it was very uncharacteristic of him to come in so late.  It turned out, he had not seen the flagging tape and so hadn’t taken a turn (his Garmin and cell phone had died) and subsequently he cycled an extra 40km, before arriving at the finish in near darkness. This earned him the “Columbus Award" for discovering far and distant places!! 

Not a bad camping site, at least there was an open fire "donkey" which supplied the riders with hot water for the showers and the opportunity to light a large camp fire in the Boma to keep the early winter chill away.

Our penultimate day would arrive tomorrow, and all of us who took the day off feel we are once again energised and will be back on our bikes with two more riding days to go before we reaching Cape Town, and our last night of camping scheduled for Malmesbury.

Cheers,
Mike T

A great spread for our cheese and wine

Cheers on our day in the "Dog Box"

The Main Truck and the infamous " Dog Box"

Lunch Truck position in a wet and cold Cederberg

Charles' Parents Colleen and Tony join him at the Boma

Sunset in the Boma around the fire

Briefing - Dorp op die Berg to Malmesbury

Camp at Dorp op die Berg

Supper time at Dorp op die Berg

Todays sunset as we wait for Mike vd Berg's arrival...

Liz is joined by Husband Tim and friends from Cape Town

Murray and Mike vd Berg build a Mother of all fires to keep out the Winter chill

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Nieuwoudtville to Clanwilliam (136km) - South Africa

South Africa

Day 118 – May 10 – Stage 84

Sunrise over a chilly Nieuwoudtville

Started the ride with Philip, and left a still-sleeping and cold Nieuwoudtville; riding to lunch on one of the worst corrugated roads we have encountered on the whole trip, it made the corrugated roads in Sudan, Namibia and Namaqualand  look like nursery school training rides! There was no regularity to them, it was just a continuous jumble of irregular, rock-filled corrugations, where riders were unable to pick a preferred line. At approximately 50km into the corrugations, I had a rare sense of humour failure, fortunately not witnessed by any of the other riders, as Philip had left me on my own to battle my own demons.

Philip setting out from Camp final destination Clanwilliam

Closer to lunch, I was joined by Peter (Peter the 4th) and the dirt road improved considerably, as we approached the Botterkloof Pass, where we were treated to an amazing vista. While the ride down the Pass was truly sensational, it was long, fast and a white-knuckle occasion,. We were travelling at high speeds down a Pass which had no side railings whatsoever separating us and the steep drop-off into the valley floor below.

Arriving at the top of Botterkloof Pass

Peter 4 admiring the view from the Pass

At 70km I reached the lunch position, had a long slow lunch while most of the back markers and the Sweep Rider caught up to me, then decided I had ridden enough dirt roads for the day, and caught the Lunch Truck. Peter joined me later, when he flagged the truck down as we passed him.  He had also decided to take a break from the dirt roads.

Arriving at the lunch position

Liz enjoying some grapes at lunch

We stopped at the coffee shop previously known as Khoisan Kitchen (the day’s designated Coke Stop) for Coffee and Ice-cream (with coffee sauce) before continuing onto Clanwilliam.

As the Bokkeveld gave way to the Cederberg Mountains we were treated to some amazing views of the Cederberg.

The start of the Cederberg Mountains

Deborah about to enjoy her cake at the designated Coke Stop

Both Judith and Murray did not cycle on the day, and on arrival in Clanwilliam, they went shopping in Town, where they bought cheese, biscuits and wine for our planned “Seniors Ditch Day” tomorrow.  A group of us had decided to skip Stage 85 (because we can) and to have our own Cheese & Wine in the “Dog Box” (Main Truck) tomorrow while traveling from Clanwilliam to Dorp-op-die-Berg.

Camp was situated at the Clanwilliam Dam, where we were joined by Charles’s parents, Anthony and Colleen Butler, who would be following us for the next three days all the way into Cape Town. Tony had been a Sectional Rider and had ridden with us through Malawi.

Cheers,
Mike T

Charles's Parents Colleen & Tony talking to Judith and Peter 1

Riders relaxing and enjoying some quality time at the Clanwilliam Dam Camp Site

Tallis at this evenings Briefing Session

Briefing board - Clanwilliam to Dorp op die Berg (tomorrow's ride)

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3 Days of Rest - Victoria Falls

Zambia
Day 89-91 / Apr 11-13 


Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: After a short 3-day riding section, which included some long cycling distances (a total of 489km) we had a well-earned & much appreciated, three glorious Rest Days in Livingstone - glamping (glamorous camping) alongside the Zambezi River at the Zambezi Waterfront Hotel Camp Site.

As one of the Oversees Riders commented to me, "Africa continues to surprise and disappoint all the time". But I will dwell on the positive aspects of our three days in Livingstone.



Day 1: The first of our rest days was declared a NAFI Day (No ambition, Flip-all Interest) and we spent the whole day in the Waterfront Camp. I just stayed and loitered with intent in the Restaurant/Bar Area. Later in the day, a few of us Riders managed to decimate the Mosi Draught Beer supply, much to the consternation of some of the other Riders who arrived later in the evening! Thanks go out to Peter and Deborah who assisted greatly in consuming the draught beer.

Murray and Andje organised a Cheese and Wine evening at the Pool and a great time was had by a select few - which included Liz and her husband Tim, who had motored up to the Falls with two of their sons on a boy-only Road Trip to meet up with her, and to spend some quality time with Liz during our three day rest period.

Our Group visiting the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls 

Day 2: Our second day in Livingstone was a bit more adventurous.  A group of us caught a Shuttle Bus and went off to the Falls, and proceeded to view the Falls from the Zambian side.

We paid our  $20 USD (very reasonable entry fee) and our first stop was a walk down to The Boiling Pot, a walk I had last done with my late Mother when I was 10 years old. The experience of seeing the whirlpool situated just under the Bridge was as exciting and as exhilarating as the first time I had seen it as a child! A most worthwhile climb down and out of the Boiling Pot.

Then it was off to and over Knife Edge Bridge to the Danger Point view site, in the process of which the majority of us were well and truly drenched by the spray from the Falls! 

The Falls are currently experiencing a major inflow of water, and the spray is very excessive, not conducive to great viewing but still a great experience. Judith aptly called it "upside-down rain".


Our final viewing point was at the edge of the Falls on the Zambian bank, where the River plunges over the lip and down into the Gorge below. All agreed that our visit to the Falls was truly a most enjoyable experience, which I rank as one of the highlights of the whole Tour thus far.

Soon after, it was off to Zimbabwe on foot; walking over on the Bridge (we have become quite blase about changing countries) and crossing over for lunch at The Lookout Cafe, followed by High Tea at the Old Colonial Victoria Falls Hotel.

In the early evening we caught a taxi to the Zimbabwe Immigration Offices, left Zimbabwe, crossed back into Zambia, then caught another taxi back to Camp, after a most superb and productive day.

View of the Victoria Falls Bridge while walking down to the Boiling Pot

Peter down at the edge of the Boiling Pot

Judith and Deborah on the rocks at the Boiling Pot

Philip, Murray and Brad down at the Boiling Pot

Edge of the Falls where the Zambesi River plunges over the Precipice

Judith and Deborah enjoying the spray from the Falls at the Viewing Point

Rainbow as seen from the Bridge

Geological Time Scale of "Mosi Oa Tunya" (The Smoke that Thunders) 

The Bungy Jump off point on Victoria Falls Bridge

Walking across the Bridge from Zambia into Zimbabwe 

Welcome to Zimbabwe our unofficial 12th Country crossing 

Art work at the Lookout Restaurant in Zimbabwe

View of First Gorge from the Lookout Restaurant 

Brad enjoying the opportunity of sampling some of Zimbabwe's finest Zambezi Larger

Cairo 5 165 miles away and only 1 647 miles left to Cape Town

Solange enjoying the view of the Falls from the Victoria Falls Hotel

Michael, Andje, Peter and Deborah very happy to be finally at the Old Colonial Victoria Falls Hotel

Enjoying "High Tea" at the Victoria Falls Hotel

Day 3: Our third day was spent doing the last bit of washing, organizing and the packing of our Daily and Permanent Bags, catching up on administration and trying to update the Blog, another truly NAFI Day.

Onward to our next leg of the tour, soon...


Cheers,
Mike T

Cruise Boat on the Zambezi River passing Waterfront Camp

Sunset over the Zambezi River our last Zambian sunset

The five day section before our next rest day in Maun

Victoria Falls to Kasane and a crossing into Botswana

The Stanely Room at the Hotel

Pianist entertaining the Hotel Guest's

Colonial memorabilia adorns the walls in the Hotel

The Bulawayo Room - Now if only the walls could talk !!

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