Since my last update, posted from the house of Daniel and Debbie in Fraserburg, it’s been a rollercoaster ride emotionally. I did some shopping to top up with essentials and was confronted by some folk from the local township, and it horrified me to see the condition these people are in and the sheer desperation in their eyes. For those who thought it was confined to the big cities… think again!
I left town knowing it was going to be tough and that the road was probably not going to be particularly nice underfoot… and I was right! Loose stones, soft sand, corrugations, horrible camber and everything a walker doesn’t want was thrown at me underfoot. Good news though is that, despite the horrid underfoot conditions, my blisters are on the mend since they’ve all been drained and treated. I only plastered two of them, and it seemed to help those… but all in all things are looking up for a speedy recovery.
Heat, wind and mental things slowed progress out of Fraserburg so I didn’t get quite as far as hoped, and stopped just short of a farm. A comfy spot on the side of the road was home for the night. It’s always weird sleeping right next to the road, as you never know who drives by and what their intentions are. But on these back roads it seems to be pretty safe and no issues so far.
I stopped off at the farm I could see in the distance when setting up camp the previous day and met a young guy [my age] who was looking after the farm while his folks were on holiday. We chatted a bit and filled up my bottles, then he showed me their solar panels… DAMN! They’ll never have Eskom power (Eskom says they’re too remote), and they’ll never have a Telkom line other than the ‘nommer asseblief’. All their power comes from either solar panels or wind turbines. Their setup is impressive!
Struggling to put one foot in front of the other, I was VERY happy when I passed a farmer who chatted a little… and then as he drove passed me on his way to lunch he invited me to join them. About 10min later I arrived at the homestead and found him climbing out of the dam, having had a swim with his daughters. He showed me in and through to the bathroom to freshen up, after which we ate an awesome lunch – leg of lamb with veg. Yummy!
We sat outside in the shade and chatted after lunch, before filling up with ice and he was then back to work… insisting I stay and relax until it was cooler. As I lay in the shade, he appeared again with a 100g slab of chocolate. Yummy again!
I decided to wait an before heading off, as there was no real point leaving the oasis too soon! And just as well I stayed a little longer… he returned, insisting that I use their rondawel out in the bush. Umm… ok, if you insist.
About 8km on I got to the gate, from where I walked 2 km into the bush amongst hills and awesome rock formations. The road was rough (rougher than the gravel and stuff I’d been walking on), but it was well worth it when I arrived. A six sleeper rondawel, along with a seperate [fully functional] bathroom. AMAZING! I got myself settled in, did some much needed laundry and cooked a light dinner.
With no electricity (didn’t want to fiddle with the large bank of batteries and solar panel stuff), I turned on the headlamp and got brainstorming – putting down all the ideas I’ve been having while walking, as well as a little detail where possible. Some cool stuff coming out of my head… so here’s hoping it all works out!
Sadly, at about 3:30 am, I was woken by a rustling sound. Yip, a little mouse had found its way in and was enjoying my breakfast that was on the table ready to be prepared upon waking. I couldn’t catch the damn thing, so just put the remains of breakfast under a pot and went back to bed. I woke this morning and found my milk leaking… grr! Fortunately I had extra so I made extra brekkie with non-tampered milk.
Going today was fine until I broke for an hour on a farm under the trees, after which it was a downhill spiral. Every 30 sec I checked my watch to see distance… kit didn’t feel comfortable… I listened to music to try get right but couldn’t find the right rhythm. My stomach was playing up too, which certainly didn’t help. Fortunately my Sea to Summit OutHouse and iPod are always close at hand.
I got to a point where making town didn’t matter… making 5 km from town (original plan) didn’t matter… I just wanted a soft spot to park myself and sleep.
I found such a spot, but the owner is in Cape Town – grr! But, after a quick phone call I was shown the grounds and where I could pitch my tent… and then the house was opened for me to use the bathroom. So, I enjoyed a shower and got a chance to look at myself in the mirror (which I’ve avoided since Forgotten Highway Manor outside Ceres) not looking as bad as I thought I would.
So tomorrow morning is Loxton, where I will be meeting up with Brent who was co-author of several of Getaway’s travel guides… including the one on the Karoo (thanks to Samantha for putting me in touch).
From Loxton, I’ll head towards Carnarvon – which I look to reach on Friday.
