347 Km
Yes, yes I know, yesterday I said that we have a 400km day ahead but this is what happens when you start taking shortcuts on gravel roads. Also, it is my report so I can do and say what I want. One thing that did not change was the distance we traveled on gravel today. We decided to have breakfast before leaving since there is nothing before we reach Upington some 240km away and if the road is bad that could take a while. This meant we could only get away just before 9 am when the sun was already high and burning hot.
The road to Ashkam started out on a bad note for a poor little bluebird when he miscalculated his take-off. I actually thought I missed him but much later when I stopped to fill up with petrol (yes it is petrol, not gas) that I found the poor bugger lodged firmly between the engine and the frame, well-cooked by this time.
Izabel did some riding when we turned off onto the Upington road (originally we would have continued straight). She is quite capable of riding a bike but she is a bit cautious when handling Putin.
Riding these roads you will always find lots of interesting animals and birds such as vultures, turtles, and meerkat (this region btw is the place where the Nat Geographic series Meerkat Manor is produced) but one of the most interesting is the sociable weaver bird. They build these huge nests and anybody is welcome to come and stay. So when you find one of these nests you can never be sure just what bird species will greet you. Obviously, only smaller species can be found in these nests since the openings are small and suite to the weaver.
While the majority of the road is in fairly good condition there are patches that are really bad and an attempt is launched to dislocate your shoulders and remove any teeth filling every time you reach them. So needless to say there will always be casualties, it’s just a matter of waiting to see what it will be. On this occasion, the first one was the screen bracket that broke right off.
And then a few k’s further I realize that my ‘top box’ which is actually a motorad tank bag strapped to my back seat, was flopping weirdly. Both straps were torn off. Luckily I had a cargo net over it so it remained on the bike. I fastened the bag with some bungies and off we went.
We filled up when we reached the main road to Upington, a bit further away than I anticipated due to our ‘shortcut’. This is also when I found our feathery friend from earlier.
Just short of Upington we stop to have lunch. Jam sarmies (it is sarmies and not sandwiches), some biltong, and water. Yummie.
Upington really surprised us as we were expecting it to look like most other cities, dirty and run down. But we did not linger, just filling up with petrol (see you are getting it now) and pushing on to Keimoes. But before we get to Keimoes we pass the Khi Solar Mirror Farm and it is a sight to behold. From a distance, it looks like a huge ball of fire just hanging in the air, and this is in the middle of a 38C day. Taking pictures of this is like taking a photo of a super moon, it just won’t do it justice. But do yourself a favor and Google it. Seems like everything just got bigger when they started that thing up.
So Keimoes. Well, I am not really sure what it is known for (it is next to the Orange River and they produce grapes here) but it is a really lovely little town. We stopped for something cold to drink and indulged in some brownies and ice cream.
The last stretch to our overnight stop is a short 40km and we were just over 1km from our stop when all of a sudden there were flashing lights and traffic came to a standstill. Seems like they are busy moving a mining truck somewhere. Now if you have never seen one of these behemoths in real life you are missing out. It is difficult to comprehend that they can make something this big. Obviously, they cannot move on public roads so they are transported on the back of trucks but they take up all the space there is.
Luckily for us, this happens just opposite a cute little ‘padstal’ and we decided to spend our time there rather than sit in the hot sun waiting for the convoy to pass. Izabel gets a rose quartz crystal from Barbie.
The signs in the men’s toilet were hilarious.
When we get to our overnight stop we find Oom Houghie trying to get out of his car. He can hardly stand, but apparently he drove somewhere, because of issues with his legs. I help him out and into the house where we find out that him and his wife (who also has health issues and is in a wheelchair) is running the B&B. They are not in good shape and the irony of the establishment name is not lost on us – Kaniklani, which is a type of Afrikaans slang for Cannot Complain. Kudos to them.
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