After a late night and a bit ‘slow’, I took the slow start option and left quite late in the morning… but am glad I did as I got to spend a little more time with Leon and Cornel. After a few quick pics we said our farewells and I set off in what felt very much like the wrong direction.
Fortunately it was just the long way round, but it did include a nasty climb which hit me pretty hard – and I really noticed the impact of the high humidity on that climb. But I tucked into the fruit Cornel has so kindly packed for me and it helped push me along.
It was soon confirmed that I was heading in the right direction with signs pointing me towards the soccer stadium, which made me a happy chap! And then three cyclists flew by and I was no longer happy, cruising at my 5.5 km/h while they must have been going at least 35. But next thing the one guy was next to me and we stopped to chat a bit, after which he gave me R20 to ‘buy something cold’. Thanks!! I think he saw how wet my shirt was and that there were already salt stains on it!
I continued on and slowly made my way through rolling hills, which are not my favourite but have to be done. With all the road works, choosing the correct road is a little challenging but I managed to get it right and was soon following FIFA flags and dodging buses and taxis. My life was somehow spared and I made it to the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, which is certainly not the prettiest around… but still quite an impressive structure. They wanted to confiscate my camera because I’d been taking photos – so you can just imagine my response to that.
It turns out that some of the top dogs were inside for a ‘private meeting’ and no press were allowed near. Fine, but then why try take my camera? Anyways, I pressed on and headed for Boshoek.
Along the way I stopped outside the English training camp, which does actually look like a dump if you stand at the road. If you look carefully through the gates you can see the accommodation and fields which, on the other hand, do look pretty impressive. But the entrance and surroundings leave much to be desired.
Weird looks are nothing new to me, it’s just the volume that is pretty overwhelming. I’d only had one car stop to chat so far, which I think is a record! And the looks were about to get weirder as I was enterting the mining area surrounding Boshoek.
Being end of month and Friday, it was clearly a time for drunken debauchery – a night for many deaths in the town apparently. Fortunately I made it through and when I saw the sign “Inn” I swung inn to have a cold drink before heading off… or so I thought.
I was soon convinced NOT to continue walking (being Friday and month end) and to rather pitch my tent on the lawn across the road [behind fences]. So that is exactly what I did and proceded to get a little sleep… only a little because it was SUPER noisy and I was so excited to be going to Sun City.
