Along the Indian Ocean Shores

Port Elizabeth
When passing through the city center, I had to be very careful in the traffic, watch out for potholes in the road and still manage to navigate myself, so I certainly could not take delight in any of the sights. As I later learned, there were not many sights anyway. The center is situated along a heavily frequented road, with a highway running parallel to it. The main street is crammed with stores, but mostly of inferior quality. When I took a walk there later, I was the only white (although quite tanned and weathered) face in the crowd. I also felt that some of the people were studying me speculatively.

[Port Elizabeth] I stayed in the city center which becomes quite dangerous after dark

[Port Elizabeth] Under the highway in the city center

The nicest part of the central area is Donkin Hill, which rises about 70 meters above sea level. There are many historical buildings, a park, a lighthouse and churches. But unfortunately it is in the wrong area, and it is definitely not safe at night. In the city center, all the stores close at 5 p.m. After that, there is no sense to be present there. Another very attractive location is St. George's Park, a well-maintained park with lush tropical vegetation. At night it is closed and during the day is watched over by Police. Even so, I was the only person there. Not even joggers go into the park, preferring to run in the road around the park. Better situated people have simply relocated to Humewood and Summerstrand, about 4 km south of the center, where there are beautiful sandy beaches, a casino, shopping mall and where it is perfectly safe.

[Port Elizabeth] Lighthouse and Pyramid on Donkin Hill

[Port Elizabeth] The Victorian-style greenhouse in St. George's Park

Addo Elephant National Park
Mike, owner of the Backpackers, recommended that I book an excursion to the Addo National Park and Schotia private reserve. I did not really want to go to Addo, as I had seen so many elephants in Etosha, that the number could hardly be surpassed. Besides, along the way, I had met some people who had been to Addo and who had only seen elephants from a distance of several hundred meters. But he urged me to visit Schotia, where, as he claimed, the animals would be literally at my fingertips. At 9 a.m. I was picked up by Peter, the driver-cum-game ranger. Before reaching Addo, we picked up another four people – a couple of young Austrians and a Canadian couple of about my age. I was surprised to see the Czech flag on the Canadian’s peaked cap. He had bought it in Prague and both of them were enthusiastic about the Czech capital.

[Ado Elephant NP ] Gordon from Canada, wearing a baseball cap bought in Prague, was the biggest promoter of the Czech Republic in our group. Our driver-guide, Peter in the background.

The area north of Port Elizabeth is very fertile, due to the favorable climate. Citrus fruit is traditionally grown there. Before the arrival of the settlers, there had been a considerable amount of wildlife in this area – elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, antelope. The settlers began to establish fruit-growing farms, but the large animals, in particular elephants, were thwarting their efforts. Therefore, the animals were slaughtered on a massive scale by the farmers. The farmers, however, were unable to complete the task and so, in 1919, they hired Major P.J. Pretorius to exterminate the remaining elephants. The Major was quite efficient. In two years, he shot 114 elephants and even managed to sell two captured calves to the circus. This led to a change in the opinion of people and the slaughter was halted under pressure from the public. The remaining 16 elephants were given refuge on the lands of farmer J.T. Harvey.

[Ado Elephant NP] Buffalo – one of the most dangerous animals. Every year buffalo kill several hunters

In 1925, Addo National Park was established on 5,000 hectares where the remaining 11 elephants were herded. The Park was unfenced and so the elephants continued to damage crops, thereby seriously annoying the farmers. The Park Manager came up with the idea of providing food for the elephants in order to keep them within the Park's territory. Every day a truck delivered oranges, pineapples, pumpkins, hay and alfalfa. It was good for tourism because the elephants all gathered together in one spot. But it also created problems. The elephants stormed the feeding place, taking oranges with their trunks directly from the truck, and often fighting each other for food. They remained in the vicinity of the feeding area all day, especially fearing that they would miss their favorite oranges.

Thus not only did they devastate the landscape, but also each other. Their offensive behavior resulted in many injuries. Feeding of the elephants was stopped in 1979. Instead, the National Park was fenced in with resistant fencing of posts and thick cables. The fencing was a success and now more than 500 elephants live in the Park. The fence works perfectly, thus far only only two elephants having managed to escape. The most famous fugitive was one named Hapoor, an elephant who was the leader of the herd for 24 years. He was only replaced in 1968 by a young elephant who expelled him from the herd. In that year, the 44-year-old Hapoor managed to climb over the Park fence. His ending was bad, and he did not enjoy his freedom. He was shot by rangers, due to his aggressive behavior.

As it was raining heavily, it was clear that we would not see many animals. Nothing forced them to go to waterholes if they could drink from any puddle. Fortunately, we were traveling in a covered vehicle during this part of the trip. Our guide, Peter, was trying hard to show us some elephants at close range. He consulted with other rangers, but even they were not lucky, the elephants were out of sight. The Park is enormous and elephants often are seen on their own. This is in contrast to Etosha, where elephants have a greater sense of family life and roam together in herds of approximately 25 individuals.

[Ado Elephant NP] Zebra

At the Park entrance, there were large signs requesting drivers not to drive through elephant excrement. Dung beetles, the size of a child’s fist, live in the dung heaps. Naturally, a tire smashing through the heap would kill them. An adult elephant produces 175 kg of feces per day, during which he consumes 200 kg of leaves and other vegetation. I do not understand how elephants can grow to such enormous proportions on that remaining 25 kg.

[Ado Elephant NP ] The Warthog is a bristly pig with an unpleasantly shaped snout

Bingo!
Peter received an SMS that an elephant was in the road 25 km away. He took us there in record time and we managed to see the elephant before he became disgusted with civilization and ambled back into the bush. Then we had more success, seeing some elephants at a distance of 20 meters. People driving around the Park on their own do not have much of a chance. I liked Peter’s attitude – you have paid to see elephants, so I simply must show them to you.

[Ado Elephant NP] Finally, we spot an elephant walking along the road

[Ado Elephant NP] The elephant grows tired of civilization and retreats into the bush

Schotia Private Reserve
After lunch, which was included in the price of the excursion, we were transferred to an open vehicle in Schotia Private Reserve. We were given blankets and rain ponchos and headed out. The roads were terrible, narrow ruts with deep potholes filled with water. Dirty water sprayed from the wheels up on to the seats and I realized that the blankets were fortunately not merely a protection against the cold. The reserve is relatively small, a few square kilometers fenced off with an ingenious system of electric fences. But I knew immediately that I would like this place.

[Schotia] We viewed the animals from this open Landrover

[Schotia] The private reserve is enclosed by a system of electric fences

Indeed, my money was well spent. Rangers have a complete overview of the movement of the animals and so we saw many examples of the wildlife living there. The rhino were beautiful. Suddenly they were about half a meter from our vehicle. If I had so chosen, I could have gripped a horn. Fortunately, these were peaceful white rhino. Black rhino would probably have trampled us into the ground. We saw also giraffe, wildebeest, impala, eland (the largest of the antelopes), kudu, zebra, hippo, crocodile and many other animal species. In addition, I also saw a mongoose, which I encounter on a daily basis because it is written on the frame of my bike.

[Schotia] A pair of White Rhino grazing

[Schotia] White Rhino

[Schotia] Rhino literally at our fingertips

[Schotia] Giraffe

[Schotia] Close-up of Zebra

Lions at Last
The local lions, actually lionesses, provided the highlight of the day. We saw a lion about 10 meters away, but he felt too noble, remained lying down and devoted himself to meditation or perhaps the digestion of his food. However, two lionesses blocked our path and they did not mind at all that they had a Landrover full of people literally a few inches from their noses. When the rain became more intense, they crept under a bush for a while and then returned to the road and lazily strolled in front of us, as we slowly drove behind them. It was dusk, the sun was setting and it was useless to continue photographing with the compact camera. That’s when I only started to enjoy it. The cherry on top was a great dinner (included in the price) and the 30-minute night safari with spotlights. I’d had my fill. Peter dropped off the others along the return journey and I happily fell asleep during the drive to PE which lasted just under an hour. At 10.30 p.m. he dropped me off at the Backpackers, turning the car around so that I did not have to cross the street, but could enter the building straight from the vehicle. He also pointed out some sex workers standing on the corner of our street and assured me that AIDS was a certainty in their case. I went to bed while he still had to do the paperwork and in the morning undertake the same excursion. In the season, he works without a rest for several months on end, and still is grateful for it. A tough life.

[Schotia] The lioness blocks our way and does not want to move

[Schotia] The nice pussy looks very innocent

[Schotia] We are annoying her, so she yawns from boredom

[Schotia] Lionesses hide under a bush, it is raining quite heavily

[Schotia] The rain stops, so the lionesses get up and lazily promenade along the road

Jeffreys Bay
It rained all night, but in the morning only puddles remained. The sky was still overcast, but it would apparently be improving. I had a feeling that I would not get wet that day. The N2 road to Cape Town is a highway and I did not want to take it. Cycling on the highway is prohibited, but that would probably not have been a big problem. However, I would not have enjoyed it, although it is very safe, thanks to the wide verge. I found a road on the map, leading around the bay and went to consult the hostel owner about it. He told me that I had picked a nice route with only two flaws. Firstly, several kilometers of the road were underwater, with houses along it submerged up to their roofs. It was the result of the three days of steady rain which had done considerable damage in that area three weeks earlier. The second problem was the township which I would have to pass through and which was always avoided by white people. There one would be robbed of everything and maybe even killed, Mike claimed.

Finally, I cycled along the original old road to Cape Town. Road 102 was used before the building of the highway and now is a little frequented local connection. The first 20 km after leaving the city were problem-free. In the meantime, I managed to solve a linguistic mystery with which I had actually struggled from the beginning of the journey. Whenever I asked for directions in a city, I was often told: "go to the second robot and turn left." Sure, but what did "robot" mean? Initially I thought it was a roundabout, but this did not make sense. Then I realized that it meant a crossroads controlled by lights. I was reconciled with the meaning, although I kept wondering what a strange word it was. The mystery was revealed when I saw the sign: "robot" in the road before an intersection. So, Czech writer, Karel Čapek is to blame for the commonly used designation of "traffic lights" in South Africa.

Further on, the road had a satisfactory verge for about 15 km, so I did not have to watch the traffic in the rear-view mirrors. The verge disappeared, but the traffic significantly decreased as well. An hour later, I reached Jeffreys Bay. I wanted to go to the campsite, but they wanted 220 Rands for a tent site. This did not seem fair to me, so I leafed through a Backpackers booklet and had success at the first one. I took a room for 200 Rands. It was a suite of two rooms, with a bathroom and toilet, a lobby and kitchenette. I was alone, so the conditions were just luxurious. The hostel was in a great location, 30 meters from the beach, 50 meters from a SPAR store, a 15-minute walk to the town center.

[Jeffreys Bay] The beach houses are mostly new and well-maintained

[Jeffreys Bay] Indian Ocean

Jeffreys Bay was originally a small insignificant settlement. In the 70s, surfers discovered the great waves there. The surfing conditions there are reputedly the best in South Africa. Every year in June, the World Cup of Surfing is held there – on the Supertubes Beach –where I was staying. The town lives from this sport – surfing equipment rentals, surfing schools, clothing stores. I even saw a small Museum of Surfing on the first floor of the largest surfing equipment store. Besides surfing, people come here to swim. There are extensive sandy beaches where surfing is forbidden so that swimmers are not at risk. An important role is played by the significantly warmer water than in Cape Town, where the waters of the Indian Ocean mix with the cold Atlantic. The conditions are accompanied by a real estate boom, all the houses are new or in a very good condition. There is a wide range of accommodation choices and many stores selling alcohol.

[Jeffreys Bay] Surfing Museum

[Jeffreys Bay] Surfing Museum – the original surfboards are beautiful wooden hand-crafted items

Storms River
Storms River is a crucial river in the Tsitsikamma National Park. The starting point is Storms River Village, a small settlement about 100 km from Jeffreys Bay. I did not know for what distance from PE the N2 was actually a highway. It was not evident from my map, nor did the local Eastern Cape map make the issue clear. Therefore, I followed the local R102 road. Fairly hilly, no verge but minimal traffic and so it did not matter. About 45 km later, I crossed over the N2 and saw that it was already a normal road with a wide shoulder. The nearest opportunity to get back on to the N2 was in about 5 km. After then, the cycling was great. A top-quality smooth surface, about 2-meter wide verges, with minimum variations in altitude. Moreover, a fresh wind blew from behind, a perfect idyll. The road quality was probably due to the fact that this is a toll road. This probably did not apply to me, as the prices on the signboards began with motorbikes.

The rivers have a tough time, with each one having to carve its own canyon through the coastal rocks. The hills stretch out at an altitude of about 200 to 250 meters down to the coast and then there is a sharp drop down to the ocean. Therefore, there are many waterfalls, albeit inaccessible. I cycled across the Storms River Bridge, about 10 km from the river mouth. The canyon is at least 100 meters deep, but very narrow, the rock is probably pretty hard. In the photo, it is not obvious at all, only a dark line is visible of the canyon and no light penetrates down to the water stream.

[20 km east of Storms River Village] Scarecrows

Storms River Village is a small settlement, existing exclusively from tourism. I stayed at a Backpackers. Instead of paying for a room, I preferred to camp out. The beautiful grassy area actively encouraged this and the weather was also good. A bonus was the cheap price and the option of taking advantage of the hostel facilities: kitchen, showers, evening fire and even WiFi. Although the rate for WiFi was 20 Rands per hour, with the price of 70 Rands for the tent site, it was not a problem. A private double room cost 350 Rands, an unnecessary expense for a lone traveler. Single rooms are usually not available and only the smarter entrepreneurs offer a room at a better rate to single travelers.

The “American” restaurant in the village, with a polished Cadillac and Chevrolet, photos of Presley, Marilyn Monroe and the Beatles, gave the impression of something out of sci-fi. The music never went beyond the 60s, with a typical American menu and surprisingly very tasty food. I was there boots and all, and enjoyed two dinners there with gusto.

[Storms River Village] Shiny 1960 Chevrolet Impala outside the local 60s' US-inspired restaurant

Tsitsikamma National Park
At this point, no breathtaking cycling performance could have been expected of me. There were so many attractive sights to be seen, that I could only cycle 40 km per day and still had a full program. After all, I had already covered over 5,000 km, so I was certainly entitled to enjoy a vacation. And really, what vacation! When I did not cycle, I walked.

The main attractions of the Tsitsikamma National Park are the waterfalls on the Otter Trail. This is a five-day trek along the coast, reportedly very demanding, with several river crossings. It is usually sold out a year in advance. Its initial part is conceived as a day trek to the waterfall. I could not miss it and so I cycled the 13 km to the National Park. The trek was very difficult, especially in cycling shoes. Roughly half of the 4 km-long route led across coastal rocks and I was very careful to avoid my feet slipping on the shoe clips. There were narrow gaps in the rocks, in which a foot could get stuck and, with a bad move, cause ankle or knee injury.

[Tsitsikamma NP] Flowers contrast with rough rocks

[Tsitsikamma NP] Graphic route marking to the waterfall

[Tsitsikamma NP] On the route to the waterfall, vistas of the coast appear

[Tsitsikamma NP] Waterfall

[Tsitsikamma NP] Foam under the waterfall forms abstract shapes

Another attraction is the Storms River Mouth where the river flows into the sea. The canyon is still narrow, albeit a little wider than under the bridge, impressive, but not photogenic. The mouth is spanned by a suspension bridge accessible via two other suspension bridges. The site is extraordinary, seals frolicking in the river and the surrounding flora dominated by majestic white Arum lilies.

[Tsitsikamma NP] One of the small waterfalls near the coast

[Tsitsikamma NP] The series of three suspension bridges which allow crossing of the Storms River mouth

[Tsitsikamma NP] Storms River Canyon just before the mouth to the ocean

[Tsitsikamma NP] The white Arum Lily – a typical local flower

Plettenberg Bay
The small town of Plettenberg Bay is the renowned center of the Garden Route. The town center rises 90 meters above sea level. It is surrounded by beautiful sandy beaches, with good waves for surfing being the norm. It is just over 60 km from Storms River Village, at first on the great N2 toll road. There is only a single toll booth – Tsitsikamma Plaza – but it is strategically placed so that it cannot be avoided. There simply is no other road. Of course, I did not pay, they do not have a tariff for bikes, but they had to direct me around, to prevent the photocell from counting me as another vehicle. So I had to go in the opposite direction, across the lawn around the gate and photocell and then zigzag along the guard rail.

[Plettenberg Bay] Bay with interior lagoon

[Plettenberg Bay] Coastal rocks

[Plettenberg Bay] And have you heard about the man who came all the way from Europe by bike?

There was only a phone number at the first Backpackers. It did not matter, about 50 meters further on there was another one where I dropped anchor. Although it was a Sunday, three big supermarkets were open, so there was no food scarcity. Then I ran down to the ocean and, when it finally got dark, ended up in a Sushi restaurant, to relish the difference from my usual diet.

[Plettenberg Bay] Beacon Island Hotel

[Plettenberg Bay] Central Beach on a Sunday afternoon

[Plettenberg Bay] Rocks on Beacon Island

[Plettenberg Bay] Beacon Island

[Plettenberg Bay] Fishing catamaran

Minor Defects
That year, I had so far not had any major problems with the bike and equipment. Nevertheless, something always happened. A month earlier, the rear bag strap, which holds the buckle securing the bag tightening, had ruptured. I put on my favorite tightening strips and the repair was done in 5 minutes. Another problem was the valves, they spontaneously loosened and were leaking very slightly, so I always had to inflate the tires every few days. This happened only with the Schwalbe tubes. I exchanged the rear tube for a Panasonic tube bought the previous year in Chile, and after that the rear tire held. The next defect then occurred. The cyclocomputer holder on the handlebars cracked. Fortunately, the transmission was by wireless and the computer could function even in my pocket. But it was a pain in the butt not to know what distance I had cycled and how much was left to the finish. I put the computer into the map holder, but the display misted over and, in addition, started to report senseless temperatures. Well, the temperatures were actually correct, but I was not really interested in monitoring the heat inside the map holder. I solved it by buying some onions in a string bag. I put the computer into the string bag and hooked it on to the front bag. Yeah, it worked.

Knysna
Knysna, with its 55,000 inhabitants is the most important town on the Garden Route, which stretches between Storms River in the east and Mossel Bay in the west. I comfortably cycled the 30 km from Plettenberg Bay and reached Knysna already by noon. I needed to recharge the batteries in the headlamp and GPS, so I booked for one night in the Main Street Backpackers directly in the center, and did not go to the Caravan Park which is situated in a very nice spot on the lagoon shore. The weather was not good, totally overcast and at times it seemed as if it was going to rain all day. Which fortunately did not happen.

[Knysna] Gray Street

[Knysna] Metal maid – detail of a statue in the harbor

[Knysna] Yacht harbor and pleasure boats

[Knysna] The yacht harbor and surroundings

The dense settlement has its advantages. My food bag had already been almost empty for several days. There was no need to build up any food stock, as in Knysna, the choice was abundant. 250 meters from the Backpackers there were four major supermarkets – SPAR, Shoprite, Checkers and Pick n Pay. My favorite was SPAR, as they stock a varied range of products, for example, also European cheeses and a wide assortment of ready-to-serve meals, and they also had the shortest lines at the checkout. And because the Backpackers had a microwave, it was no problem to enjoy a quality lunch or dinner cheaply. However, the Knysna SPAR exceeded all my expectations – the local fishing cooperative has a counter in the store selling freshly-caught fish. The fish are already cleaned and deboned. I could choose from eight types of prepared fillets. I chose three types – that is, three fish halves, which they immediately cooked naturally, in less than 10 minutes. To go with this, I bought some ready-cooked vegetables and a great dinner was taken care of.

With the basic needs secured, I could go sight-seeing. There are not many. About 30 km from the town is an area with freely living elephants through which several hiking trails lead. The number of elephants in this area is debatable. An optimistic estimate is that three individuals live there, but there are also opinions that there are no elephants any more. Therefore, seeing an elephant equals a miracle, and that is also why it is possible to walk there.

The greatest attractions are the local lagoon and Thesen Island located in it. 90-minute boat trips are organized on the lagoon. It was clear to me that, with a nice sunset, the cruise would be pleasant. The sky began to clear, so I bought a ticket. Unfortunately, before departure at 6 p.m., the sky definitely clouded over, which affected the voyage significantly. The cruise was limited to the lagoon and did not go out into the open sea. The gap is 60 meters wide, 20 meters deep and guarded by limestone cliffs called 'The Heads'. Englishmen have been shipwrecked several times when trying to sail into the lagoon, and therefore the entrance to the lagoon is considered as one of the most dangerous port entrances in the world. I have to agree with the classic “It does not seem so from the outside”.

[Knysna] Thesen Island – newly built luxury district on the island in Knysna Lagoon – houses, restaurants and stores

[Knysna] Houses on Thesen Island

[Knysna] Thesen Island is interlinked with water and bridges

[Knysna] The TURBINE Hotel and Spa on Thesen Island felt familiar to me

[Knysna] The entrance to Knysna Lagoon between limestone rocks – The Heads. Englishmen considered it the most dangerous harbor entrance in the world

Nomen Omen: Wilderness
Long-distance cycling is impossible here. Natural attractions follow upon each other in rapid succession and I had no reason to skip any of them. I enjoyed them all. I moved on to Wilderness, 50 km away. This is the center of the National Park of the same name. It consists of a 27-km long sandy beach, surrounded by sand dunes. On the other side, there is a large complex of deep forests, in which fortunately no dangerous beasts live and even the local, quite numerous hobos avoid them. Wilderness is a small village, it does not even have a proper supermarket, only a KwikSPAR. Nevertheless, I bought vegetables, fruit, bread and cheese without any problem there.

I arrived at Fairy Knowe Backpackers, 2km further on. With satisfaction I noted that it was just to my taste. The owner was one of those who enjoy providing accommodation and consider it his mission in life, and of course, it also pays the bills. I pitched the tent, as the only one there. However, before that, I familiarized myself with everything I could do there. It was a program for a week or so. I quickly washed my sweaty clothes, the hills were not dizzyingly steep, nevertheless I had sweated somewhat. And then I set off on the 10-km trail to the waterfalls recommended by the owner. He lent me a pass to the National Park, which saved me 90 Rands. The Half Collared Kingfisher Trail leads through the deep woods along the Touws River, more difficult sections lead along a boardwalk. Half of the trail can be kayaked and the rest covered on foot. Kayaks are available to rent at very low rates in the hostel, but all are for two persons, and I was unable to find a sidekick. But it was a pleasant and easy three-hour walk. The Touws River is crossed by the Trail in two places. One place was a pontoon, which I pulled on a rope from the opposite shore, comfortably crossing the 7-meter narrow river. Another possibility was about 500 meters further on, which was to jump across the rocks to cross the river. I left this to others, the pontoon suited me well. Birds sang, everything smelled of spring, the river roared, the perfect picture only lacked a pub or a kiosk at the waterfall, through whose smoke-blackened windows a tired man could watch the natural scenery while pouring some refreshing drink down his throat.

[Wilderness] The sandy beach is 27 km long

[Wilderness] Touws River lagoon

[Wilderness] The start of the Half Collared Kingfisher Trail

[Wilderness] Pontoon across Touws River

[Wilderness] Trail leading through the woods along the Touws River

[Wilderness] Waterfall at the end of the trail

Show Me the Highway
That night it started to rain heavily. However, after a good dinner, I slept all the better for it. Unfortunately, a well functioning WiFi was available in this solitude. That is always a reason not to sleep properly and then I have to catch up in less developed destinations with 10-hour sleep marathons. However, in the cozy tent (I left the baggage on the bike, it did not make any sense to lock it) I tossed and turned until 7.30 a.m. George (200,000 inhabitants) 15 km away was quite an uphill ride. The main problem was the extensive road repairs which narrowed down to one lane with no defined verge. Well, that was always a problem. Without a line indicating the road verge, cars took it all and some less sensible individuals sharpened my mirrors with their car bodies.

[Wilderness] Riverside home

The highway to Mossel Bay began before George. Neither of the maps that I was using (map of South Africa and road map of the Western Cape) clearly defined the alternative road, the traditional and original R102. In the GPS I saw the side road, because a few days before I had bought a GPS map of the Western Cape province online. It was very accurate and, what was most important, it listed all the accommodation establishments. I would have had to go through George, wriggling my way through all the traps of everyday traffic. I do not really enjoy cycling on highways, but resolutely entered it, curious to see how the local cops would react. It is true that many people were hanging out with kids and dogs on the verges, because they were taking a shortcut from the adjacent township.

It turned out just as I had expected. About 20 police cars passed me indifferently and it did not occur to them to stop and reprimand me. Thus far it had been like that everywhere – surely the cops would not hassle some poor foreigner (bike, flag) from whom no profit could be expected, and in addition, for the sake of safety, whom they would have to lead to a normal road (as would be the case in the U.S. and Canada). With the 2-meter wide verge, it was very safe for me. No complicated intersections with other highways, only the usual exit and access roads where it was no problem to pay extra attention. Only one section was critical – a steep descent down to the river where the bridge narrowed to just two lanes and no space was left for a verge. I waited in the middle of the hill until no car was in sight and then speeded down towards the bridge. I managed it just in time, a wood-carrying truck crossing the bridge just behind me.

This ceased to entertain me, so I dropped out on to the parallel R102 which emerged next to the highway. After 10 km, the road took me back on to the highway, so I finished the route on it. In Mossel Bay, I came across a bike store in which, oddly enough, they had a spare holder for my cyclocomputer. There were about 10 cyclists in the store, and it seemed to me that they were speaking Russian. This was a group of men and women from Ukraine who were traveling without luggage from Jo'burg to Cape Town. A minibus drove behind them with the luggage and a carrier for the bikes in case somebody got tired of pedaling.

[Mossel Bay] Pensioners playing bowls

Originally I wanted to go to The Point Caravan Park, but I did not like the place and also the price distinctly exceeded the quality (190 Rands). I found a Backpackers a short walk from the center for 230 Rands, with shower and toilet in the room, and very good WiFi just for good measure (so I slept badly again). I walked through the town center which is situated several meters above sea level and offers very scenic views. I liked the local lighthouse. Hopefully you enjoy seeing my photos. The following day I would depart the Indian Ocean shores for some wine-tasting in the local vineyards.

[Mossel Bay] Lighthouse in the late afternoon

[Mossel Bay] Lighthouse at dusk