Day 29: Eensaamkasteel to Van zylsrus

Got ready quickly in the morning and said goodbye to the one family who was there including the guy I was supposed to meet yesterday. The road was pretty much the same as yesterday though about 10kms longer. Gravel, dust, and more sandy sections etc. Dont forget hot.

The family who saw me off.

The farm house which was unoccupied.

This is what an extra 10kms looks like.

I think my expression says it all.

Alone yes, but not feeling lonely. Which is a very good thing in these parts.

Shade. Where its only very slightly less hot.

I reached Van Zylsrus and I immediately thought, ‘wow this place appears smaller than Askham.’ I didn’t care, I just needed a place to stay. I went in and after a bit of rejection or two I met the owner of the Van Zylsrus hotel. I had asked him if it was possible that I could just pitch my tent on a piece of grass I saw outside in the back. That was a no. We talked a bit about my trip and the upcoming roads for a while before he just let me stay for free in one of his lodges just outside town. Sweet. So he gave me the key and I had to back track a bit before turning in through a gate and pushing my bike a bit through some red sand before I arrived at the lodge . It was awesome!

Time to relax indeed.

On the way to sweet lodgy relaxing.

It overlooked the entire area I had just ridden through which was nice to see from an elevated view. It was beautiful! Vast open spaces of red ground peppered with thorn trees. I couldn’t believe I had lucked out like this at the end of the day. The lodge was a wooden one with all the basic creature comforts and a bunk bed. I cooked myself a fat chow of rice and canned pilchards again before enjoying the setting sun. Did I say it was beautiful. It was! I had told the owner that I would maybe go back for a drink after I had settled in but it appears I settled in quite a bit so didn’t bother going out.

This 1. Tent 0.

To the left.

To the right.

Island style.

The whole shebang. View was serene.

I was pleased though a little confused to see that a cat had made itself known to me on the outside porch. Quite a fluffy one too. I wandered who it belonged to and where it stayed as there was no one else in the area in the other few lodges. Then I saw there was a bag of cat food and a bowl outside on the porch also. Must come with the lodge. Feed cat please. So I did and it ate itself full. Cats are interesting animals cause they mainly all about themselves. I wanted to pet it but it just hissed at me. Fine, screw you too animal. Plus for some reason it wouldn’t come inside. It would just sit right outside the door looking in. It was then time to sleep and I closed the door with the cat still outside, as it was now becoming quite a chilly night. Dunno how that cat manages to survive the cold but it did.

Asshole. Still, he was awesome.

Fine, stay out in the cold. Im sure the cold suits your cold heart.

Distance 80kms