Home » Zimbabwe » I've made it to South Africa! (1st September 2002)

“Africa’s large problems are largely large Africans” </br> PJ O’Rourke

I've made it to South Africa! (1st September 2002)

Roundtheworldbybike
2005-11-18 11:35:03

Displayed times (last time: )

There can be few pleasures greater than driving at sunset across the surreal emptiness of a Botswanan saltpan. As far as the eye can see in every direction is nothing, nothing but blushing sand to the curving horizon. Even more fun, however, is belting golf balls from the roof of the Land Rover, blasting them recklessly high and wide into the great oblivion.

It was a welcome break from the road. Beneath shooting stars’ silent endeavours we slept close to the steady warmth and eerie flickering of our campfire, comforted by the light yet aware that it made the vast darkness all around even more impenetrable. At first light I sneak quietly away from the glowing embers, careful not to wake Ziggy and Arno so that I can greedily hoard the sunrise all to myself. I sit hunched on the cool grey sand eagerly awaiting the sun which, ever the showman, seems to delay his arrival on stage for as long as possible. A roaring Humphreys sneeze rips through the aura of mystical silence. Time for some breakfast.

Back on the road and alone once again I award Botswana the title of ‘Most Boring Country I Have Ever Cycled Through’. Still, I don’t suppose Botswana wins many awards for anything so she should be grateful for the recognition. Nothing but flat, unchanging bush for hundreds and hundreds of kilometres. The flat terrain had its advantages- my bike no longer has any brakes at all and I am only able to change gear using a toothbrush.

Nothing but a ranting headwind for company. That’s like calling a migraine ‘company’. Day after day the sky sat deep and heavy with rolling fat, grey harbingers of inclemency (clouds!). What should have been a gentle four day triumphal procession into South Africa turned into a ghastly five day long beasting thanks to the wind. There was a nice symmetry to this ordeal (which consoled me not one bit): my arrival in Africa all those miles ago in Egypt was in identically miserable circumstances to ...