“Wilderness appealed to those bored or disgusted with man and his works.”
Roderick Nash
So I´ve had my easy week and I´m feeling strong. My body and mind have been toughened by the last 2 months on the road, I know my bike and gear better than ever and my routine is as good as it’ s going to get. The coming weeks I´ll be heading for Namibia and rather than take the predictable tar road via Upington I´ll once again take the road less travelled.
The R31 is a fairly desolate road after Kuruman and runs parallel with the Botswana border which can also be classed as the southern Kalahari. From Kuruman its about 400km to the Kgalagadi National park where I hope to get a lift through the park (for obvious reasons they dont allow cycling) or it will be another 400km to the next big town (in Namibia). I´m unreliably informed by Google maps that there are a dozen farms and a couple of villages on the route where I may be able to get some water. So for the coming weeks I’ll be very dependant on these farms or passing tourists for my water.
With possible temperatures around 45 degrees. I will need to continue my recent`tropical routine` of cycling 5am-9am and later a few hours before dark, and maybe even nightshifts . Appart from the early start I’m enjoying this new routine, from 9am I get to catch up on my admin and reading, something I’ve been taking too little time for. The only real show stoppers are water and if the road turns out to be mainly loose sand, then I’ll have to just turn back or hope for a lift.
Many people may call it foolhardy or stupid to cycling through part of the Kalahari in summer and part of me agrees, but my soul yearns for more adventure and to challenge myself to the limits of this human body before I get into central Africa which offers challenges of a different and less pleasant kind.
It’s amazing that in this modern world that it is still possible to live a real adventure, where Google doesn’t have all the answers and where 99.9% of people still think the world is flat in one way or another. The irony and unfortunate downfall of my honest and open blog is that I’m sharing this rather than just doing it and telling the story afterwards, so just maybe there’s a huge slice of humble pie coming my way…….
I’ll leave my ego and pride in Kuruman so that they cant stop me from taking a lift if it all proves too much, afterall I have nothing to prove. Everyone already knows I’m a nutter so I’m just doing this for the fun of it!
I’ve approached a few friends and used them as mentors for this leg, just to check my ego isn’t getting carried away with itself and lining myself up for disaster. I chose the right people becasue as I expected and hoped they didn’t judge, but instead gave me good advise and tips. Thanks guys.
Tomorrow will be a rest day in Kuruman the last large town for the next 2-3 weeks.
So, armed with 20L of water, 7-10 days of food, duct tape and tie wraps, its time to go get my butt kicked by the Kalahari…..
I guess history has shown us that the only difference between adventurers and fools is that the fools didn’t get to tell their own stories…….
Go for it.
Wow, sounds like a real adventure. I think your preps are fine and if there is enough traffic, you wouldn’t face too much problems. Just stop every car and ask for water 😉 The nice thing about desserts is that everybody understands the urgency if you are asking for help.
What will happen to your ego if left behind? Did you send it to the next big town? I thought it was only helpful to get rid of your ego in Asia, but there is no nirvana in Namimia, isn’t it?
enjoy ploughing through the sand 😉
I suspect my ego is big and clever enough to find his own way to Namibia, if not its his problem:)
If I read the two statements in your story, I must conclude that there is something in between an adventurer and a fool … :-))
….. of my honest and open blog is that I’m sharing this rather than just doing it and telling the story afterwards, so just maybe there’s a huge slice of humble pie coming my way…….
… I guess history has shown us that the only difference between adventurers and fools is that the fools didn’t get to tell their own stories…….
Sharp, well spotted:)
Crazy fool, I am pleased to know you realise being too proud could hurt.
Crossing the Kalahari in the summer sounds like a true adventure! Right up your alley. Sounds like you have thought through this next segment of your trip pretty well. I’m glad you are planning your travels around the somewhat known “watering holes” and that you are willing to humbly ask for water from whomever. Looking forward to reading more in your blog and am praying for safe travels for you!
The attempt takes a lot of guts! Enough Food water and keeping a clear head, w ill decide the outcome of you’re expedition. good luck man!
Thanks,
I’ll be carrying about as much food and water as I think my knees can take (poor Mr Hyde) it will be a game of discipline and patience more than anything, discipline to get my lazy arse out of bed early in the morning and patience to wait around all day till it cools off again.
when we met u in cape town, u struck me as fiercely independent and self-sufficient. Fearless.
i’d be surprised if you don’t cycle the entire kalahari.
u’ll have plenty time to consider whether you’re a fool, egotist or adventurer.
enjoy your philosophical kalahari traverse.
Thanks Glen for an interesting insight into the impression I gave you:)
Shane you are as they say in Afrikaans “’n Yster” (man of steel), that, that you’ve already achieved cycling though the Kalahari also known as Kgalagadi is not for the faint hearted. Keep going Yster !!!!!
Hi Shane,
I am good friends with Leonie Moolman and live in Luderitz, Namibia. If you pass this way, there is a bed and a warm meal waiting for you!
Good Luck! Hope to see you!
Thanks for the offer Wendy but Luderitz is a little off my route
Ja, ou Yster! Good news is that steel is tempered by heat.
@ Leonie: Moet nie nou vir die Ingelsman nou idees gee nie 😉
Gidday Mate!
Glad to see you’ve popped into range. Had been wondering where you were. Assumed it had to do with new-country-new-network stuff.
Yup couldn’t get a sim card or internet access until Keetmanshoop. Loving the Namibian dirt roads, though my guts aren’t too keen on the water.
OK, I don’t know how to do this politely and discreetly, but I’ll try…
In Namibia they drink Windhoek Lager or Tafel Lager. The water is for livestock. Got it?
You will find a lot of the “potable” water is quite seriously brack which can upset your stomach, but won’t kill you. Well, not in the short term 😉
Enjoy those roads. Paradise revisited.
Funny guy for a South African, I’ll bear it in mind, I suspect it was the rather warm “cold” tap water that did it, which then spent another 12 hours @35 degrees. or maybe I should start drinking beer again….
Don’t you just love Keetmanshoop? It’s “hoop” as in “hope”, not “heap” as in dump, by the way.
A translation (or more a misinterpretation) of Keetmanshoop could be: The hope for people that make trouble 😉
(“keten (verb)” is modern dutch for making trouble)
@Sjirk: So maybe our friend should settle down there?
I owe it to the missionaries. Keetmanshoop is named after Johann Keetman, Rheinish Missionary 1866. Maybe even more reason for our man to settle down there 😉