Sun is hanging high in the sky as I'm climbing another mountain. This is not an easy ride, as I'm trying to tackle more than twenty named mountain passes on my way from Cape Town towards Post Elizabeth through the Karoo region. The more difficult the pass, the better the view. Or maybe I'm just so happy to be finally on the top.
The trip starts in Cape Town, I'm going east through the mountains hopping over them from south to north and back a couple of times and then I'll retrace part of the route along the coast.
Leaving Poland early December, train to the airport, cold, gloomy, snow behind the window. Perfect time to switch the hemisphere. Turns out I'm very lucky, next day there's going to be a flood of snow that would halt all the flights in Poland, Germany and couple of other places for a number of days.
Cape Town welcomes me with beautiful weather, even if I'm being told by the locals that the weather in Cape Town is not to be trusted.
I have a couple of days in the city, time for a walk. The kid is as photogenic as the colonial architecture.
On one of the walks I'm ending up in an Arab district, which is not something I was expecting to find here. Apparently there's quite a large community and the district is not only colorful but also one of the safest parts of the city.
A tomb on a hill reminds of long history of muslim community in this part of Africa.
Obviously I can't wait to start the ride, so after two quick nights in Cape Town I'm jumping on a bike and heading east. First kilometers on tarmac, need to be careful about animals, especially fast ones.
On a top of the first climb I have a chat with some people (also cyclists, but driving a car this time). Just before I leave they are taking a photo of me with baboons. Now you missions is to find a baboon. Not on the right hand side of the pic please.
I'm fully prepared with all the camping gear, but as I would realize later, logistics are easier that expected here. There's plenty of accommodation and resupply and I'll barely ever use the tent.
Few things beat warm meal after whole day of cycling. Beer-can stove does the trick.
Next day I'm finally hitting off-road and already starting to find some interesting fauna even if hidden in their fancy houses (and there's much more to follow!).
What I'm going to hate on the trip are the fences. Everything is fenced in South Africa, I've seen mountains that have been fenced off. The one above is fine, gate is closed but leaves the way for cyclists to pass, but this is an exception and in the coming weeks I'll have to turn back many times because of blocked roads.
Regardless of fences, views and pleasant.
Heading towards tonight's accommodation. I need a proper hotel tonight, shower, dinner, beer.
And I'm getting more than I was hoping for. South Africa in general seems to be great value for money - really good quality accommodation and food is relatively inexpensive. This one, apart from letting me to sleep with my bike had a jacuzzi!
Ok, if I already started on non-cycling topics, I'll add a couple more. I thought I'll be able to understand a little bit of Afrikaans, and written version looks familiar, but when I heard it spoken I couldn't understand a thing.
My beer hopes were fulfilled this time, but in general it wasn't as easy. Alcohol distribution is strictly regulated here, permissions rare, time-bound (and presumably expensive).
After the dinner, to my surprise I discover that the city I'm in (Montagu) hosts massive colony of sacred ibises and the video is a proof that it wasn't just my imagination or beer.
All the birds decided to setup their nests on the same tree, fighting for space on each branch, but leaving all the surrounding trees empty. A housing bubble.
On my way out from the city I have empty road towards Barrydale. And it's a very hot day today.
How hot exactly? That hot!
When I'm finally reaching a cafe I'm getting three cans of coke and waiter cannot comprehend that I'm planning to drink it all immediately. But there's nothing like coke on a hot cycling day
Tonight I'm sleeping in an interesting neighbourhood. Fortunately my new neighbours stayed indoors during the night.
To my surprise I cycled for multiple weeks without single puncture despite the fact that there's quite a potential for flat tyres here.
Getting ready for some serious passes over next couple of days, including one of the most famous - Swardberg Pass. There's going to rain tomorrow, and I need to recharge a little anyway, so I'll have one day break in a place that used to be a water mill.
Towards Swardberg Pass
My water mill is a perfect place to recharge. Timing is perfect too, as my no-cycle day is the first rainy day during this trip. Reading by the fireplace with the sound of rain outside.
Today there's a nice weather again. Lizards feel the same. Time to continue.
Mountain aloe used to be utilized by the indigenous cultures for the medical purposes. When they bloom they produce 2-3 meter long flower spikes, I'd need to come back later to see it.
On the top of one of the passes, but that's only the beginning. There's much more climbing before Swardberg.
This evening my companion is Sunny.
Early morning start, if everything goes well I'll be on the Swardberg Pass today.
The pass was built in late nineteenth century and was one of the most important routes connecting north and south in this part of the country.
It's a marvel not only because of views. My engineer eye is also impressed - it's not an easy terrain to build a road, even less so with only 19th century technology.
This was steep, but finally I'm on Die Top, which probably doesn't require translation.
Way down on the northern side of the pass is even more breathtaking than southern side from when I came. I'll be going down to the town now, I deserve a big dinner today. Tomorrow I'll continue my way east, but that's in the second part of this post.
Amidst the mountains en route to Port Elizabeth, I'm going to encounter a myriad of fascinating creatures, some slightly scary. There are also some that I will try hard not to meet. Views continue to be amazing all the way though. Trip map created with Wanderlog , a trip planner on iOS and Android To the coast. Twice. Starting this part of the trip on the northern side of the mountains, on the very first day I'm jumping over the pass and going south. It's mostly down, but today's ride down is going to be anything but easy. It's going to rain and the wind is so strong, that going downhill I'm pushing hard in the low gear and barely moving at all. What's at the end of it? Mordor? Nope. It's Shire. Listen to the squeak. Hobbit house is a good prize for the struggle. My Hobbit house is inhabited though. It comes with this little friend. I'll have to politely ask him to leave the house for me for this night, just this...
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This supposed to be a short trip from Buenos Aires to Misiones province, mainly to see famous Iguazu falls. It ended up being something slightly different. Iguazú falls are located where borders of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil meet. Temptation to visit these countries was simply too strong. I did return to Buenos Aires, but instead of retracing my original path I went there through Brazil and Uruguay, with a short visit to Paraguay. Map provided by Wanderlog, a travel planner on iOS and Android Misiones Misiones is a province in north-eastern Argentina known for one of the biggest waterfalls on earth and for being a host to a number of Jesuit missions. Jesuits have been very successful in building their position, economical position included, in South America. Successful enough to be expelled from the continent by the king of Spain in the eighteenth century because economically they were becoming stronger than Spanish Crown in this part of the world. Ruins of ...
The trip starts in Cape Town, I'm going east through the mountains hopping over them from south to north and back a couple of times and then I'll retrace part of the route along the coast.
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