Day 42: Derdepoort to Rooibokkraal

The springbok from hell induced headache was still with me when I woke up. Aaaargh! Nothing to do but get going and let it work itself out. It eventually did but man it was miserable. I had wanted to say thanks and cheers to the officer who had poured me that drink but he was away somewhere else. It was a lekker short downhill before I saw the sign saying I was officially in Limpopo. Yay, another province. Boom! And with that some more gravel road riding. Headache or not, I had decided to get to Rooibokkraal by day’s end and somehow I made it.

Death!!

Goodbye resting place.

Another day, another country, another province. Lets go go Limpopo!

Nothing out of the ordinary to report for this stretch of road. The usual assortment of game farms and such. Saw a tower which stood out like a sore thumb. Couldn’t help but think, wtf was this thing? Was a Telkom tower I believe. Case closed. Finally after a long day I came to what was Rooibokkraal. I was now realizing that I could never expect a place be something other than it is once I experienced it.  Also could any place be smaller than Vostershoop from a couple days ago? Rookibokkraal just about stole that title. I went to the only café store in the area and while consuming my energy drink I enquired about a place to camp for the night with the guy who worked there. He said he couldn’t help me as it wasn’t his place and that he was leaving the next day quite early. Snap. But he said to just try the one game lodge up the road. They might help me, and they did.

Cant remember what this river was called. Woulda made for a nice swim but this was becoming crocodile territory.

Plenty of open space and red sand ahead.

Bit of an eclosed section. Minor change but welcomed the harder surface.

Thanks for holding still pal.

Long days riding makes me wander what the hell is this thing doing here.

Where there is water there is life. Look at that life on either side.

I cycled into LimCroma Safaris and it was pretty decent. Lekker house with a sweet garden. Did I mention I really liked these kinda houses before. I met with Anelde and a whole bunch of jack russels and another pair of dogs. She said it was okay for me to stay but that it was her husband’s decision too. Hannes arrived shortly after a phone call to him as he was also in the area returning home. He said it was okay too, plus they said I could just stay in the rooms they rent out to the hunters as there were some spare. Bed and shower. Stoked!!!

Shelter after a moerse long day with a moerse bad heachache.

After cleaning the filth off my body and realizing I had recovered from last night’s near deadly liquid concoction, I was called to have some dinner with the Els couple. Proper food. The gods of change were smiling on me for a while. I ate my fill as always and got to know a little more about the business that was run here as I hadn’t actually spoken with anyone on the trip so far about running a hunting business. Hannes caters to only international clients I recall, so he spends about 2months of the year in the states getting the word out to prospective hunters at conventions etc. Hunting isn’t done throughout the entire year so during the off season they raise cattle and other farming things that need doing. I thanked them for the supper then headed off to bed.

And moerse big thorns. Never seen em this huge before.

Distance: 96kms