Day 19: Springbok to Aggeneys

For some reason I didn’t sleep as well as I’d have wanted. After the day turning out so well, I guess some balance was needed. Cue, sleepless night. We got ready and went to have a cuppa coffee with our hosts before saying cheers. Once on the main road, I said good bye to Wataru and wished him well on his journey. I had told him about the way I had come up the West coast and suggested he take a similar route but I think he just took the N7 for a large portion. Plus I also organized him a place to stay at my moms place. Glad to say, he made it. He enjoyed Cape Town, completed his Europe section and last I heard was in Canada somewhere.

Thumbs up! Thak for the hospitality George. Much much appreciated.

Minus George.

Minus Wataru. Safe travels dude. And grow a beard while you at it. Hahaha.

I was now on the N14. It was a bit of an uphill leaving Springbok but the road eventually flattened out along with the road works which I was just allowed to ride through anyways. I for some reason decided to cycle the first 30kms before stopping to eat and that is what I did. The N14 gave way to a vast open space such as I’d never seen on this trip before with hills far in the distance on both sides of me. And the road seemed to go on forever. I had always thought this area was going to be boring to ride through with nothing to see, or rather not much and that part is true in a sense. But the open space of this whole area had it owns unique beauty which I learnt to appreciate. Listening to my music also helped somewhat to get through those long stretches.

Plenty of this the whole entire day. Unfortunately no proper camera pics for this section. Place was filled with open space beauty. Take a drive here one day. Stay in second gear tops and you will know what I mean.

Never really figured this one out.

Gradually fatigue set in and after about 103kms or so I decided to call it a day. I was outside a mining town called Aggeneys which George had told me about the day before. I decided instead of camping alongside the road, I will chance my luck at the local police station. What sucked a little was that the road leading to Aggeneys from the N14 was 8kms. Now as for me, after riding 100kms, 8kms seems like quite a lot but that’s what had to be done. And instead of a direct route, it winds around somewhat hence it being 8kms. As I was making my way down this road I noticed there was a mini gold course and there were palm trees along parts of the road. Cleary there was a bit of money here. (maybe cause it’s a mining town Jones?) I clearly had the wrong idea of what this place was like cause once I was in the residential area, I saw people doing their afternoon run, a guy cycling etc. Pretty much like any other place. Yup. My close mindedness had envisioned something much less plus I was told it was just small mining town with nothing to see. Happy to be proven wrong.  

I immediately went to the one supermarket in the main part of the town to buy some stuff before heading off to the police station. As I was pushing my bike along, some guy asked where I was headed to. I told him my story and he said nah, just come crash at my place. Sweet. His name was Pieter. He worked on the mines as a metallurgist. He told me all sorts of facts about the place which I cannot remember now but I think the mine has a working lifespan of about 20years. He offered me a place to sleep on his sleeper couch plus he cooked up a sweet dinner of crumbed fish cakes, steamed veggies and whole beetroot, which I wolfed down. I was really happy to be here rather than at the police station. Pieter told me that it was obvious I was on a mission when he saw me with my bike and all its gear.

After dinner we went out for a drink at the local club. It‘s pretty much the main social hangout for everyone who works on the mine or in this town. Outside area to sit, bar inside, large dining room for the higher ups etc. Then we walked back and I went to bed.

Distance 111kms