Map of days 28-38 overview.

All gravel road except the last day.

Day 38: Tsidilamolomo to Mafikeng

With a tar road now under my wheels again I had decided to push on all the way to Mafikeng. Damn it was a long ride. I cycled through a handful of small towns or villiages all not listed in my map book. I saw plenty of cattle, goats, sheep, donkeys and chickens just doing their thing all around the place. Life in this part of the country was definitely more rural.

The friendly Tsidilamolomo police.

You take that centre stage Mr Telephone pole.

The road was pretty much straight the whole way with a few minor inclines and I found myself about 50kms later in the small town of Makgobistad. I stopped at the local sasol to have some lunch. I ended up having a lovely conversation with the ladies who worked there. Was nice to have someone to talk too while resting. They even gave me a free vitamin water for the road. Thanks ladies. I also asked about the distance to Mafikeng as my map book seemed a bit off. They said 70kms. No fokken ways! I wasn’t even halfway. Turns out they were wrong. It was only 60kms.

Lovely service and lovely smiles.

Moooove along now.

The vast open flatness.

Holy moly that's vast and flat.

So many miles of vast open veld and roads with crossing cattle later I slowy made my way to Mafikeng. At first I thought I was in Mafikeng with all the houses I was riding past but that turned out to be some section of Mbatho I think. The sun was starting to go down and I was really starting to feel tired. Part of me even thought about just stopping at one of these houses to ask for a place to pitch my tent but I was determined to just get to Mafikeng without having to have any extra distance to do tomorrow. So I eventually entered Mafikeng. Man this city was busy. I took it slow making my way into the main part before finding the police station. I met a friendly police officer who had just come off duty I think and we ended up talking. I told him I was looking for a place to camp in the back somewhere. He helped me out by taking me to the captain who said it was okay and showed me to the back parking lot where I could pitch my tent. My day was done. All I wanted to do was lie down. Todays ride of 110kms had totally drained me seeing as I had been riding much less in the last week but I was here and I would rest.

At the back in the Mafikeng police parking lot.

I was irritated to find out that one of the bottles of tube sludge I was carrying had spilt its contents in the top section of the pannier bag where I had kept all my other bike related tools. Luckily it didn’t spill out of this compartment into the main one. There was nothing left for me to do but just clean everything as best I could. What a ball-ache as all I wanted to do was just rest. Once the cleaning was done I went online to look for places to stay in Botswana as I had now decided I would cross over the next day. I figured, why not. It will be cool to get a few more stamps in my passport and actually see some of the country. Plus the road would take me past Gaborone before I headed back into South Africa. This new route would follow the border much better than going through to Zeerust through to Rustenburg then up as initially planned. I was happy to say that my plans had changed again.

Distance 110kms

Day 37: Farm house to Tsidilamolomo

I was now on a mission to reach the fun pronouncing town of Tsidilamolomo. The main reason was that the gravel road I had been on for the past 9 days would come to an end. Holy hell, I thought it would never end. I was also chuffed as this entire section since Askham had turned out fairly pleasant and my good decision to go north from Upington was further reinforced.

Goodbye Mundy and Margaret.

Lets get this over with!!

A refreshing Brutal Fruit thanks to some passing hunters. Beats beer on a day like this anytime.

I arrived in the small to medium sized town of Tsidilamolomo shortly after passing the Setlagole river bed and headed to the police station. I asked if I could stay on the front lawn of the police station(it was quite big to be honest) and I was taken to the Captain. She had no problem with letting me stay but I would need the local chief’s permission first. Not police chief but tribal chief. This sounded interesting and I was now eager to meet him and ask for that permission. So I jumped into police van again and we headed off to where it was thought he was working. He wasn’t there. We then headed back to the police station. The word reached him shortly enough and I was given permission to stay and ground with where to pitch my tent. I spoke with some of the officers on duty who were all very friendly and inquisitive as to my journey and it was great talking to them. Then supper then sleep, which it turned out to be quite a cold one.

Setlagole river bed.

Setlagole river bridge.

Skulking in the bushes.

With permission.

Distance 60kms

Day 36: Road camp to farm house

It was a new dawn and a new day and I woke up exactly where I had fallen asleep the night before. I was glad to see my tyre was fine and off I went. I came across Brian again shortly thereafter and said hello. Turns out it was him who had passed by me in the night. Aha, it all made sense! Calling me his friend. The calm yet friendly demure in his voice. The fact that I wasn’t attacked and sold into slavery on the planet Apokalips. But one question still eluded me. Why had he walked past me last night when he had been going in the opposite direction when we passed each other yesterday? I had thought that he would have stayed put for some reason once he reached his destination. I had to have my answer, but I knew it would take great cunning to get it out of him without him knowing he was giving it to me. So I just asked him. He told me and I can’t quite remember now to be honest. I laughed at the whole thing and wished him well as I set off once again.

Put on glasses first next time, BEFORE taking pictures.

Saying hello and goodbye again to Brian.

The more things change the more they stay the same.

I realized after an hour or 15kms since I left that morning that I wasn’t wearing my glasses. Shit, not again! I had left them in my tent much like the morning I left Strandfontein. Dope. But then I recalled I had shaken my tent out this morning to clean out the dust and grass and maybe I had thrown them out like that. Noooooooooooo!!!!!!! I had to know. So I quickly unfolded the tent as fast as my mortal body would allow. Am I really this cursed I thought? I was. My glasses were gone. I doubled checked my pockets and anywhere else I may have placed them but they were nowhere to be found. My poor glasses. All alone out in the wild, in the hot sun lying amongst dried stone and tree. There was only one thing to do. Turn back and find my glasses, for I did not want to do this trip with only 97% clear vision. Plus it was only 15kms away so it wouldnt take too long.

So I turned around and already a plan was forming in my brain. I would stop at a farmers house to ask if I could leave my stuff there, then cycle to where I started this morning, find my specs then just return to pick my stuff up. Solid plan. Little did I know that the plan, had plans of its own. Sooner than I remembered I came to the farm I was thinking of but instead of me going up to ask, I was met by a man called Mundy, and he sounded Kiwi to me. He had seen me passing by and was interested to find out what was going on. I told him. He said not to worry and that I should stay put here for a little bit till his brother returns, then they would give me a lift as they were going in that direction anyways. Sweet! So I unloaded my things and met his brother’s wife also, Margaret. And their 2 cool dogs.  Then his brother, Carel arrived, filled up some diesel and off we went. We were quickly at the scene of the accident and I found my specs after a minute or two. There was only one place to put them, on my face. Then we head back a little bit before they stopped to check on some cows they were raising. Then we headed back a little more, before they told me they have to go off this road but will be back shortly at the house and that I could stay for lunch if I wanted. I said cheers and rode back the last 4kms or so to their place.

Farm where I stayed after shortest ride so far. Maybe I should leave my glasses behind all the time.

My day felt a little disrupted and there was no way I would be able to reach Tsidilamolomo if I carried on now. So I asked politely if I could just stay. Margaret said ok. I was then showed to my room which was had a super comfy bed. The brothers then came back and we had a lekker lunch. The brothers farmed a bit of livestock and some vegetable too. Mundy had immigrated to New Zealand a few years ago from Joburg and came through regularly to see how things were running and to do his share related to the farming they did. After lunch I lay down for a bit happy to be chilling on a soft bed on this Sunday afternoon. They also excused themselves for their Sunday afternoon nap. I then got up a little later to walk around and take some pictures. I was really stoked to have ended up here. All thanks to my little mishap with my glasses this morning.

You gotta be tough as this lot to survive out here.

Friendly looking pets.

Not so looking friendly pets. Must be pals with the Cat in Van Zylsrus.

Looks super refreshing the ol water damn.

Where water comes from.

Hey hey! No pictures allowed.

A little while later, a neighboring couple came over to visit. I met them both before the wife went to speak with the other wife, which left the 4 of us men to sit and talk. I didn’t say a damn thing for almost the entire time. But that was alright because I could have listened to this other guy talk all day. Man, the stories he told and the way he told them. Flippen hell they were kak funny!! I wish I had them recorded somehow. Eventually him and his wife left and we then had supper before I watched a bit of tv before turning it. Was stoked at how this day turned out considering how it started.

Distance 15kms plus another 4kms for the return trip.

Day 35: Bray to road camp.

Shortly after leaving Bray my back tyre went flat again. What?! Had my nigh perfect patching skills revealed themselves to be nothing more than a sham lie. I stopped. Pumped my tyre and went on. Unlike a bloated corpse filling with gas, my back tyre decided to once again go flat. Clearly the patch wasn’t working. So everything was unloaded, bike turned upside down, and I commenced bike surgery. Turns out the sludge from inside the tube had found a way to leak out from under the patch. Clearly it was a big thorn I had ridden over yesterday afternoon. I decided to use a different patch as the quick patch was clearly no match for this job. So I used the old school one, where you use glue. Yeah, that one. After pumping my tyre and loading my bike I was off. What a waste of time I thought. I could have been way further.(Further to what Jones? You have days of gravel road ahead of you so just chill ok?)

Thanks again you lovely people.

Again! Really? Just gotta pit stop and sort it out.

My target for the day was a spot called Moloporivier but I just decided to ride till 5pm and stop wherever I was. That worked out fine. I came to a fork in the road whereby I swung left following the border some more. Stopped at a café before heading on. After a while I met a guy walking towards me during one of my food stops. His name was Brian and he was from Zimbabwe. He was also surprised by what I was doing and he wished me well. Also quite a friendly chap. I asked him where he was going with his big luggage sack and he told me some farmhouse that I had passed a little while earlier. I think he mentioned something about playing soccer there. So I bid him farewell. 5oclock came and I pulled off to the side of the road. 

Trees. Dead or alive. Always interesting.

Keep moooving two wheeler!

During dinner I was surprised to hear someone walking past outside and talking to me. Immediately my stranger danger alarm went off but I stayed calm and carried on eating all while answering the stranger’s questions. (Good plan Jones, No fight, no flight, just eat instead) He addressed me as his friend and asked what I was doing? I told him I was busy eating. He spoke with a feint acknowledgement of who I was, but I had honestly no idea who the hell I was talking too. I wished him gone to be honest. Stranger danger, in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere, remember?! So he bid me farewell and carried on walking to wherever he was going. I slowly released the blade from the leatherman I had been clutching in my hands for the last few seconds. Then I finished my meal.

I decided to also just replace my back tube that night instead of doing it the next morning as it had gone flat again. Better just get it over with seeing as the other patch wasn’t working to well either. So under the cover of night, like a ninja, I changed my tube. Then I fell asleep, with the grimy hands of satisfaction.

Distance 55kms

Day 34: Road camp to Bray

Same routine once again with much of the same scenery as the last few days. Coming closer to Bray, the landscape changed a little. There were now more open fields where cows and game were being raised. Plus there were again some tediously soft red sand sections again.

Where I slept the night before. Well hidden ey?

Hakuna matata.

Rest beside rust bucket.

I really enjoy close up shots of bugs and stuff. This chap totally posed for the camera.

Soft red sand. Must be getting close.

Slight change in landscape nearing Bray.

Finally I reached the outskirts of Bray and got my first flat tyre of the trip. Was a bit bummed but quite surprised I had actually gone 34days before this actually happening. That’s some good luck right there I thought. When I saw the culprit I knew why. It was one of those big thorns from all the trees in the area. Can’t really have any protection against those buggers plus the hole it made was way too big for the sealant inside the tubes to do its job. I didn’t go through the mission of patching it up as I was right outside Bray so I just pumped my wheel up so that it would last till I found a place to stay. Plus I put the thorn back in place to close up the hole again somewhat.

Hooray Bray! Boo, Flat tyre.

My first stop was the garage station as I seriously needed an energy drink and something sweet. Bray was much bigger than Vostershoop and was the biggest town I had been to since leaving Upington. As I was leaving for the police station, I saw 3 woman talking outside their cars just behind the garage. I immediately approached them. I lucked out with one who offered to let me camp her garden just down the road. She told me to ride up the road for about 2kms and her house was on the left. So I did just that and saw pretty much the whole of bray. Rode past a school, the police station at the border post etc. I arrived at the house and was shown inside where I met her daughter and son. I was also given a place to sleep inside. Thank you kindness of strangers!!! I also recall downing a whole lot of fruit juice which was offered to me. I then met the husband who came back from work in Botswana. He did something with the land that side. I was happy to be here amongst such friendly people once again. After supper I was told I must bath before 9pm as that was when the water was cut off, but that I could take the biggest bath I want. It was sooo good. Turns out they have free municipal water for some reason which is piped in from somewhere else, but the water is only available from 6am till 9pm so they stock up with water if need be for any use outside that time. I also patched my tube up before relaxing and having a lekker chat with the family then headed off to bed.

Distance 65kms

Day 33: Vorstershoop to road camp

I decided to watch some satellite while eating my breakfast and soon realized that I was wasting so much time doing this. If I was out camping I would have been on the road already not wasting time with all this crap on television. So I got ready to go. Before heading out I popped into the store to resupply and to say cheers to Tian. Then I went back to collect my bike. After packing all the supplies away, I realized my rice and lentils in a bag was missing. Now my first thought was that someone had stolen it as I had left it on the window sill outside. I was right. Someone had stolen it and that someone was Tampon. The little bugger had pulled a fast one and nipped it while I was away. I saw the horrific remains of my lunch bag torn open with its bland tasting rice and lentil entrails spewed all over the floor. Oh the horror! It was just too much to bare. So I collected the torn plastic bag and threw it away. I guess its bread for me today. I said goodbye to Tampon vowing my revenge and with the lesson learnt never to leave ones lunch unattended. Haha. Touché Tampon. Touché.

Next part I can sum up rather quickly. I rode past Molopo Nature Reserve. Still gravel. Saw plenty sheep, maybe goats and cows too and various game along with whatever birds there were. Road now ran along the border of Botswana being the Molopo River bed. Botswana was now clear on my left. Got some water at Makopong Border post before pushing on about 15-20kms before calling it a day next to the road again.

Molopo reach around.

Looking into Botswana.

Standing between the camera and Botswana.

Why aren't you sheep a herd of energy drinks.

Birdlfe.

Distance 85kms

Day 32: Road camp to Vorstershoop

I was now determined to get to Vorstershoop once I got going. If anything, just to try and get a shower somewhere. Based on my map book, I soon passed into the North West province. Thought I would see a signboard to take a picture but no such luck. It was a sign of things to come. See that I did there?

I came to a fork in the road where I paused to work out which way to go. I consulted my mapbook. Man, I wished they had more signs in this place. I took the left. It was the right choice. Going right would have been the wrong (ok stop now, we get it) choice and would have taken me to Severn.

Little bit of action happening in the sand there.

About an hour later I saw that the road now ran through a gate. This appeared strange. Was this the end of the road being that it just took me to a farm plot or something. Luckily it was just a gate and I was told by some farm workers that I was on the right track to Vorstershoop. Yay, I thought.

I was also met by a passing boer in his bakkie called Alec who told me to ask for a guy called Tian when I get to Vorstershoop. Alec said he knows him and that Tian must give me a place to stay. Awesome. I had a place to stay. I said cheers for the info as he drove off.

I then came to an intersection where there was a community church building, which was recently built, compared to all the other worn down houses, in an area called Radnor. The name wasn’t in my map book and I couldn’t help but think with a name like Radnor, this place belongs somewhere in Middle Earth. But I was lucky enough to see a sign that said Vorstershoop turning left so I pushed on for the last 40kms to Vorstershoop. Along the way I also saw Alec again.

Radnor. Most happening place in middle earth.

Just look how that pipe is happening.

Like cow like calf.

I arrived at Vorstershoop pretty tired and was surprised to see that this town was even smaller than Van Zyslrus. Way, way smaller. It was basically comprised of a cell tower, a police station, a bottle store, a general dealer store, a petrol pump and a few houses. That’s it. If there is something else, I missed it. Plus I was met by a couple donkeys on the outskirts of the town.

Who needs a gun when you got mind bullets ey?

At last!!!

I was now on a mission to found Tian. I went to the store and asked for him and was directed to his home which was just behind the shop. Now at first I thought this was just going to be a little store seeing as this was quite a small place, but I was surprised to find that it was quite decently stocked. So I collected my jaw off the floor and went to Tian’s house. I was met by super thin dog that looked like a mini greyhound but it turns out it is a windhond. He was super friendly, so I went inside after knowing that fact and knocked on the door. Tian opened up and I told him my story. Especially the part where Alec the boer told me to tell Tian to give me a place to stay. Funny thing is Tian didn’t know who Alec was. Eish I thought. This was falling apart quickly. My next plan of attack was to ask for a tiny patch of grass in his garden. He was skeptical at first, for valid reasons. I was a complete stranger. But he said it was fine and I got to unloading my things. Now when listening to Tian I really had to concentrate, as he was speaking in what can only be described as a very sloshy Afrikaans style with a bit of pace. I gathered that he had a bit to drink before hand. No matter, I made out what he said well enough to converse with him. It was almost like a different dialect of Afrikaans and it was actually quite awesome when I think about it. Thank god I paid enough attention to it while growing up or I would have been lost. The other awesome thing was that he also told me his dog’s name. It was Tampon. Boom! And just like that I had met, in the middle of nowhere, in a little town called Vorstershoop, the dog with what was the coolest most unforgettable name I had ever heard. Tampon would retain the crown for the rest of the trip. I couldn’t help but wonder if I should call my next dog, Condom for some reason.

Pleasure to meet you Tampon. Flippen awesome dog he is.

So while I was slowly unloading my bike and entertaining Tampon, Tian came back and said he actually had a guest room I could stay in. Boom! He admitted he wasn’t thinking clearly a few moments earlier so he changed his mind. I thanked him and took my stuff in. It was a flippen awesome room. The whole house was to be honest, which he was still busy adding some finishing touches.

Boom! Make yourself at home.

Enjoying the afternoon fire.

After showering the last 3 days of sweat and dust off my body, I went outside to chat with Tian a bit. He had also invited one of his friends or workers over which he jokingly admitted to being for security reasons in case I turned out to be a killer. Haha. Well played Tian. Well played. They were a friendly bunch I gotta say. Tian said this was how the people were like here in the Kalahari, friendly. Was good to hear. Then he went to bed early after telling his friend to just show me around the kitchen for when I wanted to make supper a little bit later. After that his friend said cheers too. It was good to be in Vorstershoop.

One more of Tampon.

Distance 70kms