| Cycling South Africa |  | |||||
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| Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. J.F.Kennedy | ||||||
| Selected photos | ||||
 "[Windhoek] The barrel-shaped modern building adjoins the governmental district") |
 "[Windhoek] Christus Kirche – German Evangelical Church – reputedly the most beautiful building in Namibia") |
 "[Windhoek] Independence Avenue –the main avenue in Windhoek") |
 "[Road B1 40 km south of Okahandja] The table at the rest stop, decorated with a skull") |
 "[Etosha NP] Local zebras are black-brown-white, but there is also a black and white zebra") |
 "[Etosha NP] Zebras arrive in large numbers") |
 "[Etosha NP] The male is distinguishable from the female by the skull shape; however, there is no doubt about the sex in this case") |
 "[Etosha NP] Elephant cow with baby") |
 "[Etosha NP] Young elephants constantly nudge each other") |
 "[Etosha NP] Eye contact with a lioness") |
 "[Etosha NP] Giraffes at dusk") |
 "[20 km north of Outjo] Typical landscape - termitarium, dead trees") |
 "[30 km east of Khorixas] Wild elephants live here; I hope not to meet one on the road") |
 "[15 km south of Uis] One of several 'stores' with goods laid out, salesman nowhere in sight") |
 "[20 km south of Uis] The figures intended to attract passing motorists") |
 "[Henties Bay] The camp resembles a prefab settlement: each tent site beside a building with shower, toilet and kitchenette") |
 "[Swakopmund] Sunset over the sea") |
 "[Swakopmund] Former station") |
 "[Swakopmund] An advertising column from the beginning of the 20th century") |
 "[Swakopmund] Marine Denkmal - a monument in honor of the German sailors") |
 "[Walvis Bay] Flamingo dispute") |
 "[Walvis Bay] Yacht Club designed in blue") |
 "[Walvis Bay] At the whistle, pelicans fly in for fish") |
 "[Walvis Bay] This curious pelican flies in to take a closer look at us") |
 "[30 km east of Walvis Bay] Private road") |
 "[50 km north of Solitaire] Gateway to Rostock Ritz") |
 "[40 km north of Solitaire] Morning traffic is unusually heavy") |
 "[30 km north of Solitaire] Boots") |
 "[30 km north of Solitaire] A huge cactus") |
 "[Solitaire] Get in, and let's go!") |
 "[Sossusvlei] Road to Deadvlei") |
 "[Sossusvlei] 900-year-old dead trees in Deadvlei") |
 "[Sossusvlei] Walking on the dune ridge") |
 "[Sossusvlei] The colors change during the day") |
 "[Sossusvlei] Hidden Vlei") |
 "[Sossusvlei] Hidden Vlei") |
 "[Sossusvlei] Hidden Vlei bottom is formed by calcified crust") |
 "[C27 30 km from Sesriem] Entrance to Namib Rand Nature Reserve over the cattle grid") |
 "[C27 45 km from Sesriem] Hills resembling pyramids") |
 "[C27 55 km from Sesriem] Private lands alongside the roads") |
 "[C27 65 km from Sesriem] Zebras watch me suspiciously while ignoring passing cars") |
 "[C27 70 km from Sesriem] Time to find a place to sleep as it's getting dark") |
 "[40 km south of Betta] I love this brand, seeing it for the second time here") |
 "[Goageb] B4 road, very obvious difference from dirt roads") |
 "[Seeheim] Seeheim railway station") |
 "[Keetmanshoop] Finally, after a month, clouds appear and the sunset is picturesque") |
 "[Quiver Tree Forest] The birds settle in the trees") |
 "[Quiver Tree Forest] Trees") |
 "[Quiver Tree Forest] Trees") |
 "[Giant's Playground] Quiver trees enliven the huge piles of boulders") |
 ') "[Fish River Canyon] The Fish River forms the second largest canyon in the world (the biggest is the Grand Canyon in the U.S.)") |
 "[Fish River Canyon] In front, a romantic love declaration, behind it, a toilet – in case the over-abundance of love causes any digestive problems...") |
 "[Fish River Canyon] The Fish River stubbornly meanders, forcing its way through the canyon") |
 "[Fish River Canyon] Right below the Fish River, it still has a long way to go before flowing into the Orange River") |
 "[Fish River Canyon] Cacti grow even in such an inhospitable landscape") |
 "[Ai-Ais] Fish River Canyon") |
 "[Ai-Ais] Fish River Canyon – water in the river often disappears for hundreds of meters") |
 "[Intersection before Aussenkehr] Strong winds bring a change in the weather") |
 "[Near Aussenkehr] Picturesque rocks embedded in the sand") |
 "[Aussenkehr] The whole settlement consists of straw huts") |
 "[Near the intersection of Aussenkehr] The road along the Orange River surrounded by mountains") |
 "[20 km before the border] Rocks protrude in the Orange River") |
 "[Richtersveld Transfrontier Park] Five Sisters") |
 "[Mc Dougall's Bay ] The house on the coast") |
 "[Kleinsee] Bathroom decor at the Caravan Park") |
 "[Goegap Nature Reserve] Most of the flowers have faded, still a delectable sight") |
 "[15 km east of Aggeneys] Rest stop") |
 "[Pofadder] Sunset, industrial style") |
 "[90 km east of Pofadder] Instead of a set of used tires, the owner marks the farm entrance with a whole car") |
 "[Lake Grappa] Lakeside camp at sunset") |
') "[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)") |
 "[Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park] Young Springbok males in a fierce battle") |
 "[Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park] Oryx – known here as Gemsbok") |
 watch those who dare to disturb them') "[Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park] Wildebeest (Gnu) watch those who dare to disturb them") |
 "[Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park] Eland") |
 "[Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park] Giraffe") |
 "[Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park] Springbok in the morning, photographed against the light") |
 "[Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park] This young male lost the fight, so now sulks in the road") |
 "[Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park] The Hyena apparently sniffs a lion and suddenly runs away") |
 "[Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park] Suddenly the first lioness appears") |
 "[Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park] I persevered, to see the King of the Jungle here in the desert") |
 "[Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park] Black-backed Jackal") |
 "[Upington] Expensive Upington Manor Hotel on the Orange River bank") |
 "[Upington] Used car sales") |
 "[Kheis River Lodge ] Terrace, where I was staying") |
 "[East of Schmidtdrif] Crossing the Vaal River, the old bridge in the background") |
 "[Kimberley] The Big Hole – the largest hand-dug hole in the world") |
 "[Kimberley] Original bowling alley at the Big Hole open-air museum") |
 distended with moisture, Spring has arrived') "[40 km south of Hopetown] Cacti buds (locally known as Prickly Pears – delicious fruit, if you can get rid of the millions of fine thorns) distended with moisture, Spring has arrived") |
 "[Near Philipstown] Farmlands with a windmill") |
 "[Middelburg] Country Lodge in the town center") |
 "[Graaff-Reinet] Rather dilapidated house") |
 "[Graaff-Reinet] Reinet House now serves as a museum") |
 "[Graaff-Reinet] Collection of weapons in the Old Residency, the lion was killed in Kenya") |
 "[Graaff-Reinet] Parsonage Street") |
 "[Graaff-Reinet] Dutch Reformed Church") |
 "[Graaff-Reinet] Parsonage Street again, this time at sunset") |
 "[Camdeboo NP] Leopard tortoise in the road to the Valley of Desolation") |
 "[Camdeboo NP] Valley of Desolation") |
 "[Camdeboo NP] Valley of Desolation") |
 "[Camdeboo NP] Valley of Desolation") |
 "[Camdeboo NP] View of Spandaukop from the Toposcope") |
 "[Port Elizabeth] Lighthouse on Donkin Hill") |
 "[Ado Elephant NP] Finally, we spot an elephant walking along the road") |
 "[Schotia] A pair of White Rhino grazing") |
 "[Schotia] Rhino literally at our fingertips") |
 "[Schotia] Close-up of Zebra") |
 "[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") |
 "[Port Elizabeth] The Victorian-style greenhouse in St. George's Park") |
 "[Jeffreys Bay] Surfing Museum – the original surfboards are beautiful wooden hand-crafted items") |
 "[Storms River Village] American-style restaurant") |
 "[Tsitsikamma NP] On the route to the waterfall, vistas of the coast appear") |
 "[Tsitsikamma NP] Foam under the waterfall forms abstract shapes") |
 "[Tsitsikamma NP] The white Arum Lily – a typical local flower") |
 "[Plettenberg Bay] Beacon Island Hotel") |
 "[Plettenberg Bay] Rocks on Beacon Island") |
 "[Knysna] Metal maid – detail of a statue in the harbor") |
 "[Knysna] Thesen Island – newly built luxury district on the island in Knysna Lagoon – houses, restaurants and stores") |
 "[Knysna] The TURBINE Hotel and Spa on Thesen Island felt familiar to me") |
 "[Wilderness] Riverside home") |
 "[Mossel Bay] Lighthouse in the late afternoon") |
 "[Mossel Bay] Lighthouse at dusk") |
 "[Gouritz River] Bridge across the Gouritz River; bungee jumping is operated in the middle of the nearer bridge") |
 "[Riversdale] Evening photo from the N2 road") |
 "[20 km west of Montagu] Wide verge, good surface, hills, ideal cycling conditions") |
 "[30 km west of Robertson] Waiting for the train") |
 "[Worcester] The main square") |
 "[Worcester] Detail on Presbyterian Church gable") |
 "[Tulbagh] Reader's Restaurant in Church Street") |
 "[Tulbagh] Het Land van Waveren is a neat house at the end of Church Street") |
 "[Port Owen] Yacht harbor") |
 "[St. Helena Bay] Old cemetery") |
 "[Vineyard Dien Donné] Grapes are grown on the slopes above the town of Franschoek") |
 "[Simons Town] Penguins on a rock") |
 "[Simons Town] Penguins in their environment") |
 "[Cape Point] Lizard") |
 "[Chapman's Peak Road] View of beach from Chapman's Peak Drive") |
 "[Chapman's Peak Road] The surfer was really skillful") |
 "[Chapman's Peak Road] View of Hout Bay") |
 "[Hout Bay] Harbor") |
 "[Cape Town - Waterfront] Ferris wheel, Table Mountain in the background") |
 "[Cape Town - Waterfront] Shopping mall at the Cape Town Waterfront") |
 "[Cape Town - Table Mountain] The upper cableway station, Lion’s Head in the background") |
 "[Cape Town - Waterfront] Landmark statue made of Coca Cola crates, resembling a Lego construction") |
 "[Kirstenbosch] Statue in Kirstenbosch botanical gardens") |
 "[Kirstenbosch] King Protea - South Africa’s national flower") |
 "[Cape Town] National Stadium") |
 "[Cape Town - Signal Hill] National Stadium from Signal Hill") |
 "[Cape Town - Signal Hill] The city center from Signal Hill") |
 "[Cape Town] The facade of the Museum of Gold") |
 "[Milnerton Lagoon] Lagoon with flamingos, cycle path on the left, golf course on the right") |
 "[Table View] Coastal dunes with Table View in the background") |
 "[Table View] Nomen omen – beaches around Table View provide beautiful vistas of Table Mountain") |
 "[Milnerton] Lagoon surroundings") |
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| © Text and photos by Jiri Bina | ||||||||||||||||||||||