Through the Wild Flower Region

Springbok
In the morning, I walked around to check other accommodation options. Two of them had WiFi, but currently it had been out of action for several weeks. So I stayed in the original room and decided to recover a bit. I was woken up several times during the night by strong leg cramps. I had apparently violated the alcohol regime and would have to catch up on everything so that the body was supplied with the right nutrients. There were two places in town with public Internet access. In one, they had WiFi but charged 1 Rand per minute. The second was a computer repair shop, where they were charging a nice 10 Rands per half an hour. They had no WiFi, but let me connect via the network cable. However, the following day, the boss would not allow this (he had not been present the previous day) claiming that I could infect their network with a virus. Then we experimented for half an hour with three computers, before we managed to induce Internet Explorer to work. However, on the previous day had I just plugged the network cable into my laptop and it had functioned like clockwork.

[Springbok] Dutch church in the center

[Springbok] Town center

Wild Flowers
One of the greatest attractions of Namaqualand are the wild flowers, in Spring covering the plains and hillsides with a delectable mix of colors. The best time is from mid-August to mid- September, but it depends on the weather. During the peak season, accommodation in Springbok is very expensive and hard to find. After most of flowers have withered, the area again reverts to pleasant year-round prices. The most popular attractions are two locations—the Namaqua National Park and Goegap Nature Reserve. Goegap is located 15 km from Springbok, so I cycled there without my luggage. In the Reserve, there are hiking trails, tracks for ordinary vehicles and 60 km of trails for four-wheelers. Cycling is allowed, there are no predators.

[Goegap Nature Reserve] Most of the flowers have faded, still a delectable sight

[Goegap Nature Reserve] Gemsbok watch me closely

[Goegap Nature Reserve] Park rangers have an attractive, vivid garden of local flora outside their office

It was a pleasant morning. I arrived early in the morning as the first visitor. The animals are active in the morning, so I saw many Gemsbok, Eland (another species of antelope), Springbok (coming from the Afrikaans words spring – to jump/leap – and bok – antelope / goat), Klipspringer, and several ostriches. I only did not encounter Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra. On the 4WD routes, I repeated some rough terrain cycling, it was a really nice change. Only one moment was critical. I was going downhill in quite deep sand when I saw a snake, as thick as my arm and about 120 cm long, crossing the road in front of me. I could not apply the brakes without skidding, so I did what I could not to run over it. I estimate that I missed the snake by about 10 cm. I returned to take a photo of its tail as it slithered into the bushes. But I was wary of not trying to lure it out of the bush to take its photo in its full glory. Instead, I hurried off. I did well, because later I found out that it was a puff adder (highly aggressive venomous viper) whose bite is lethal to humans.

[Goegap Nature Reserve] I almost cycled over the tail of this reptile (puff adder)

Contrasts
There are two big supermarkets – SPAR and SHOPRITE – in the town. They are close to each other and compete in the selection of ready-made meals. It was meaningless to cook, I went to the store and bought fried fish, salad, fresh bread, fruit, vegetables and yogurt and stuffed myself as if I was starving. This abundance was a great contrast to the poverty of some people. Throughout the afternoon, a middle-aged lady was half-lying in front of the Police station and literally howling in grief and despair. Cops walked around her and no one paid any attention to her. In the evening, in the middle of our street, I saw a guy nicely dressed in clean overalls, turning over a trash can and eating leftovers from the surface of the road, fighting off a stray dog who also wanted to eat off this plate.

It is problematic to give anything to these people. Immediately you attract attention to yourself and cannot get rid of the intrusive demands of other people. Whenever an African started talking to me, it ended in a request for money. Therefore, in towns it was better to give a very busy and determined impression, not to dawdle in the street, but to rush off on some, albeit imaginary, purpose. If possible, not to talk to anyone, and if there were any requests, to say: "Sorry, I have no time, I'm in a hurry". That is why I took very few photos in towns, as I would have revealed the fact that I was a tourist and would draw unwanted attention to myself.

Super People
Most of the white and wealthier black people were really perfect. They forced food and drink on to me, offering to give me rides in their cars. About 30 km after leaving Springbok, I met a cyclist on a road bike coming from the opposite direction. He was cycling on the same side of the road as I, that is, in terms of the local rules, on the wrong side. He explained that he felt safer, he did not have rear-view mirrors like I did. His wife was driving to the store in Springbok and he had decided to cycle the more than 100 km and travel back by car with her. When I told him I was going to Aggeneys, he told me that they lived there and that I had to sleep over at their home. He wrote the address down for me and insisted that I definitely had to come, he would buy meat for a braaivleis (barbeque) and we would have a feast.

[Aggeneys] Hennie and Rose Botha

[Aggeneys] The Botha's mining company home

[Aggeneys] In the evening we grilled huge steaks on the patio

I was very lucky. Aggeneys is a typical small mining town (the Black Mountain Mining company) with no accommodation available. Another option was to continue on to Pofadder, 70 km away. Arriving at Aggeneys, in front of the store I asked how to find the address which had been given to me. The black guy in a car whom I asked replied that it was complicated and told me to follow him. He kindly guided me right to the place. Hennie and his wife were not yet home from their shopping spree, so their neighbor immediately called them to say they had a guest and sent me inside. After about an hour, they arrived and the first thing Hennie’s wife, Rose, did after we shook hands, was to pull out a cold beer. She also cycles a bit and knows what every cyclist needs after cycling.

[Aggeneys] Hennie accompanied me when I left in the morning

I refused to sleep inside and pitched my tent on the lawn next to the house. The evening was very pleasant. Hennie grilled huge T-bone steaks on the fire, each one well over a kilogram. Then we chatted pleasantly. I showed them my website. They had lived for several years in Rosh Pinah in Namibia and knew the location of my photos. Hennie is a real cycling enthusiast, he started cycling at the age of 50, as I did. But he has undeniable organizing talents and so he founded and actually managed a local cycling club, organized competitions, joint excursions, etc. He works in the mining company as a Project Manager. The mine, whose main shaft is 1,870 m deep, produces copper, zinc and lead. A few kilometers further on, they found another hill stuffed with zinc. But the problem was the lack of electricity, which, together with the fact that frogs protected by environmental activists, live on the hill, has prevented the start of mining thus far. Therefore, the company melts (up to 1.5 tons) only part of its production to ingots and the rest is sold as a concentrate for further processing. The town is divided interestingly, people live in the area according to their position in the company, with the workers in one district, administration in another, managers elsewhere. When someone gets a considerable promotion, or, on the contrary, loses his position at work, the company moves him accordingly.

[15 km east of Aggeneys] Rest stop

Pofadder
My attention in this small town (bearing the Afrikaans name for puff adder) was captured only by the awful modern extension of the stylish Anglican church. The Master Architect had surely gone crazy. I stayed in a camp in which each tent site had its own lockable bathroom and toilet. I locked up the bike and bags for the night in there, even though they assured me in the camp that this was unnecessary, that there was no crime. I guess it was true, because after my arrival, a Police car followed me into the town until they learned where I was staying. A young man living in a trailer in the camp had a perfect new mountain bike and said that he would start cycling soon, before his beer belly grew even larger. We chatted about everything and he invited me for an evening braai (barbecue). I refused, as I had really eaten too much meat recently.

[Pofadder] This modern extension of the Anglican Church aroused a desire in me to murder somebody

[Pofadder] A cat in the window

[Pofadder] Sunset, industrial style

By the way, on the previous day I had weighed myself and my weight was 63 kg (I had lost more than 4 kg), although I had stuffed myself under pressure in Springbok for two days. My body reacts in this way whenever it gets close to my student-age weight of 62 kg. Then, in times of plenty of food, I get a chronic, wolf-type hunger and I am able to eat an incredible quantity of food without any ill-effects. A reduction of fat reserves is also manifested by hunger during the day, when the body cannot be fooled by munching on a few carrots. And so I carried biltong (dried, seasoned meat of Kudu, Springbok and other game) with me. It is very protein-rich (more than 50% protein, only 5% fat) and substitutes very well for artificial energy bars. It has an excellent flavor.

The journey from Pofadder in the direction of the Augrabies NP was indeed long and boring, but easy. The road rippled only slightly, a slight South wind blew from 3 o'clock. The vegetation of the surrounding desert is sparse and always the same and it reminded me of Kimberley in North-Western Australia or the northern part of Baja California in Mexico.

Farmers usually indicate the entrance roads to their farms with used tires to be able to see home in the drab landscape. But there are also exceptions: from various signs to life-size figures and imaginatively used veteran cars.

[90 km east of Pofadder] Instead of a set of used tires, the owner marks the farm entrance with a whole car

After 125 kilometers, I arrived at the turn-off to Augrabies Falls. The closest camp was in Kakamas, but I would have had to cycle back 10 km on the following day. Therefore, I studied in detail the advertising billboards after the turn-off and went to a campsite 10 km away at Lake Grappa Farm. The proximity of the Orange River and plenty of irrigation has changed the face of the whole countryside. Green vineyards dominate and the homes of agricultural workers, though miserable by our standards, are luxurious under local conditions. There are many workers in the area, most of the work in the vineyards is done manually, this is definitely cheaper there. The camp was part of the wine farm, as well as a large complex with an (apparently artificially created) lake (actually a pond), where I could pay for a water-skiing lesson. I was alone in the camp, the five nearby huts were inhabited and everyone greeted me, saying that they had seen me on the road. Not only today, but also six days earlier on the Atlantic coast.

Grapes are cultivated in the area. Originally mainly raisins were produced, but following the success of the Cape wine-growing region, they embarked on the production of wine. They have even organized and marked the Orange River Wine Route. I stopped at one winery, bought a bottle of local red wine, but was disappointed. The unbalanced acidity dominated too much, the bouquet of molasses was indistinctive in character, the acidity too marked for my taste, too viscous to the taste, but sliding rapidly over the tongue, with an aftertaste of ripe mango, unfinished fruity tones, obtrusive bittersweet tail. But most importantly, it was too little, I did not even start to feel intoxicated. I will probably remain faithful to my favorite Robertson Winery which makes a very satisfactory and inexpensive Ruby Cabernet and Cabernet Sauvignon to meet my requirements.

I hope you realized that my description of the wine-tasting was ironic, I am no expert. But I really did not like it. By the way, I discovered an excellent stout (dark beer) – South African Castle Milk Stout. A great delicacy, plus its alcohol content is 6%, so it is also nutritious.

The Hour between Dog and Wolf
I borrowed the designation from some theatrical play, I think. For me it is the twilight time for taking photos when the light does wonders and even a boring and depressing landscape can offer an attractive photographic theme. I know, there are too many of those photos, so just skip them.

[Lake Grappa] Lakeside camp at sunset

Augrabies Falls
I had left the Orange River near its estuary at the Atlantic Ocean in Alexander Bay, 517 km away. The river forms an 18-km long canyon, 56 meters deep at the Augrabies Falls. The pool below the waterfall has a depth of 130 meters. The average flow is 313 m3 per second, the maximum is 14,159 m3 per second. It is evident from the statistical data that the character of the waterfall changes dramatically with the arrival of the rainy season. While I saw a decent river falling through the cleft down into the valley, when there is an abundance of water, the water spills over the edge of the rock opposite the lookout platforms. I saw the photos and it is a breathtaking and fascinating sight.

[Augrabies Falls] In the rainy season, the water flows right over the edge of the canyon opposite the observation platforms

[Augrabies Falls] Despite the lack of water, it was a breathtaking sight; unfortunately conditions were not favorable for photography before noon

[Augrabies Falls] The Orange River canyon is 18 km long

I took photos out of necessity, because it was clear that there would be no glory in the harsh morning sunlight. The local small lizards, with their beautiful neon colors, were interesting. And also the huge number of dassies who peered out from behind every rock and fed on the flowers of the blossoming trees.

[Augrabies Falls] Augrabies Flat Lizard - small, attractively colored lizard found only in this area

[Augrabies Falls] Dassie having lunch in a tree

I was hungry all day. I had a steak at the waterfall restaurant. When I arrived at Kakamas, 30 km away, I ate a kilogram of bananas and a pie with who knows what in it. Then I gobbled up half of the cheese originally intended for breakfast. This finally filled me up, so I decided to cycle another 40 km to Keimoes. A strong wind was blowing from behind and so it was an incredibly easy ride.

[Near Augrabies] Catholic mission with primary school

[20 km west of Upington] Farmers sell their products at roadside stalls – one of the signs in Afrikaans (Gifts, lots of dried fruit, home-baked goods)

My most Faithful Admirers
In Keimoes, several campsites were advertised on the billboards, so I knew I was well provided for, and went first to buy some food. At the local SPAR, as usual, a bunch of young loitering men threw themselves at me. But really they had good intentions, no effort to steal anything, not at all. They were interested in everything, the bike, bags, pannier racks, where I came from, the route. And of course they had to have a photo taken with me to post on their Facebook pages. And, as it happens today, they took photos with their cell phones. That is why this time I let them take the photo with my camera as well, so that I can show it to you. Great boys, if everyone was like that there, Africa would be cool!

[Keimoes] With my fans outside the Spar store

The lady at the first campsite demanded 250 Rands, an incredibly high price, and I had even removed my helmet and scarf. I told her that the price was suspiciously low, and that it might not be too safe or of a high quality there and I would rather go elsewhere. She stared like an owl for a while, but then caught on to my clumsy joke and began to laugh. She said she would give me a discount. I put on a serious face, said that I did not want any discount but demanded quality and that I did not need to save. And I cycled off to a campsite 2 km away, where the price was 70 Rands. The owner of the campsite and adjacent farmhouse and vineyard came for a chat and we got into a very politically incorrect debate on Apartheid and the work ethic of the local population. He told me that, in the period of the greatest onslaught of work when, due to the weather, everything had to be done in the vineyard within a few days, the whole bunch of workers did not come to work for a week. And so on, they just have a different attitude, period.

Upington
The original plan was to stay in a facility with available WiFi. I occupied the local Information Office with my inquiry for half an hour, but the result was zero. At least they showed me on the map where it was presumably possible to access the Internet. I went to the campsite on an island in the town, accommodating myself in my own tent for 105 Rands. I washed everything necessary and went into the town center 30 minutes away. I found a company providing Internet connection. Without any problems they let me plug into their cable network. These firms usually close at 5 p.m. at the latest. In this case, there was just enough time. I bought some food and returned to the camp still in the daylight. Walking in the streets after dark really was not safe, so what would I be doing out there?

[Upington] The Roman Catholic Cathedral in the city center

[Upington] The Orange River 300 m from the city center

[Upington] Expensive Upington Manor Hotel on the Orange River bank

[Upington] Used car sales