Cycle Around South Africa 2013: Day 60: Garden to camp beside road near Gods Window.

Mia the awesome pitbull. Next time Ill let you stay in the tent. Promise.

I awoke to find that Mia had slept outside my tent the whole night. Shame, maybe I should have just let her stay inside my tent as it was quite chilly that night. I had decided to check out ‘The Shoe’ which was a local tourist attraction I had heard about also. So I left my luggage and headed off. You cant really miss it if you on the road because there is a giant shoe on the one side. So in I went and paid my R3 or R5 to check out the shoe. The main attraction which was setup before the shoe itself are these man created cave sculptures which were made by the owner after he underwent a spiritual experience. He then proceeded to create a cave system depicting all sorts things from his experience and the bible. That section requires visiting with a group minimum and I think about 45minutes of your time as it is a guided tour where the proper facts are explained regarding everything. I was alone and didn’t have 45mins so checking out the shoe was my only other option. You go through door at the back of the store entrance and find yourself immediately in this space filled with artworks of all sorts. Check photos for that. Once through the little entrance section you are now in the shoe. The bottom section is also filled with all sorts of art things, with the main ones being wooden scultures which I found to be quite well done though the only one Id ever consider owning is the eagle one. Then you walk to the back and you can go up a little wooden ladder to the top section. Not really much to see at the top to be honest, though as I child, it’s probably awesome. I mean, you in a giant shoe house. That’s definitely cool for a kid. It was time to get going.

See, a giant shoe. Cant miss it.

The start, once you through the door.

Pretty serious looking face you got there. Shiny too.

I dig this sclupture. Upclose, the detail is quite amazing.

All sorts of things.

Going towards the back now.

K, not yet.

Mmmmm. You win this round sculpture.

Finally at the back. Lets check out upstairs.

Mmmm. Patch of sunlight looks warm enough.

Looking down.

Close up of things at the back.

The eyes from that fce follow you as you walk. Moving along slowly now.

Goodbye giant shoe.

I headed back, picked up my gear and set off. The road slowly ascended at a much gentler incline compared to yesterday so I was glad about that. I eventually reached the top section again and rode through a little village or town all the while having these mountain tops a little bit in the distance. Eventually the road takes one closer to where you have to take a turn off to now see the view, and wow it was fantastic. This was Blyde River Canyon! I never thought we had such a place and to think I had just cycled here. I was once again glad to have taken this route thanks to that stranger I met in Hoedspruit. I took my time to take it all in and enjoy the rest. Wow, it was stunning! People, you have to take a trip out here and see this view. Looking back at it, the whole scenery looks like a bunch of Table Mountains somewhat squashed together. There are other sites to see as well in the area such as the 3 Rondavels and Bourkes Potholes but I skipped those as I was staying on this road.

Last of the flat road.

Starting to look good.

Reached the top. Now to get to the edge.

Little bit of downhill still.

Edge getting closer.

Edge. Blyde River Canyon!! Make it!!!

This place is amazing!!!

Amaaaazziiinnnnnnnngggggg!

Ill let the pics do the talking for a while.

Sweat pig is relieved, for now, but totally blown away by surroundings.

See, squashed table mountains.

That will do Giant, that will do.

Quick side story. While heading towards this area I was asked where the potholes were by a foreign couple I think. Now I hadn’t known that they were an actual tourist site and all I knew at the time were the usual potholes one finds in the road which suck. I was confused by their questions to be honest and answered, ‘Uhm, potholes, they’re in the road?’ as I pointed somewhat to the road ahead of me. This didn’t make any sense to them as it sure as hell didn’t make any sense to me. They left mattering a string of obscenities of which I returned my own combo of cussings and finger gestures before using my mind powers to blow their entire car off the roads edge in a giant ball of fire. For those of you not living on planet Earth, that last sentence didn’t happen.

I was now also in the Mpumalanga Province and after the canyon I carried on riding past the Blyde River Nature Reservation. The landscape changed to that of renewable forests and it was pleasant riding all the way, well mostly. Hills could have been slightly less but they weren’t too bad.

Lets get outta here now. Weee down I go.

Foresty area starting.

See, potential campsite, but still got some riding to do.

Downhill aproaches. Shade is becoming a bit cold now.

Sleep here I hear them whisper. Its exactly because I hear that, that I move on.

Pretty decent place to ride through.

I was also on the lookout for a place called Gods Window which I was told was pretty awesome. I was hoping that it was on the side of the road so I could check it out easily enough then try and hit Graskop as that was my target for the day. I came to the Gods Window turn off which was 8kms from Graskop but the thing was that Gods Window was 10kms away. ‘Nee, this is kak!,’ I thought. I stopped and thought what the hell should I do? Gods Window or Graskop? If I went to Graskop, I sure as hell wasn’t gonna backtrack here tomorrow so decided to just go to Gods Window. If I made it there, then that’s where I would also call it a night. Turns out I didn’t make it as the road was a steady uphill again so that sapped the last of my strength so I decided to just call it a night somewhere next to the road. I would be checking out Gods Window tomorrow. ‘Haha, foolish meatbag. That’s what you think.’ ‘Huh? God? Was that you?’ Must be losing my mind as I fell asleep.