BB2BB Day 29

As today's scheduled distance was more than 130 km, I decided to get going at 05:30. I also decided to amend my route to go over Nieu-Bethesda as my hosts felt that I may pick up problems with the level of the rivers  through Erasmuskloof. We worked out an alternative route via Nieu-Bethseda and Cadies kop, which was only 3 km longer.

The first 4 km out of Kareelaagte towards Nieu-Bethesda was all uphill. Not too steep, but enough to ensure that the mussles and body is warm by the time I reached the top, which took me 38 minutes. It took me a further hour and 15 minutes to reach Nieu-Bethesda. While cycling down the main street, a vehicle stopped next to me. It was Martin and Jeanie Dreyer. They were in the area, scouting for a cycle tour they are planning. We spent some time chatting and then went our separate ways. 

I cycled along the main street in the direction of my planned route, I thought! Got to a "road closed" sign and went around it to investigate. The bridge was gone and the river was following quite strongly. Not to deep, but too deep and ruff to cycle through, so I turned around. I thaught that this was my planned route and as I picked up a problem this early, I decided that it probably would be better to just take the normal road to Graaf-Reinet. I cycled around a detour, which took me onto this road. After a while I passes the "road closed" sign, but this time from the other side. I checked Komoot to see where my planned route was and notice that I should have started in the opposite ditection to the one in which I did! At this stage I have wasted so much time and as today was going to be a long day, I decided to stay on the road I was on. This was a tar road and ment that I would have to travel the last 28 km on the N9. 

Initially it was a short, puchy climb and then a gradual drag up the escarpment. Once on top I was awarded with a goreous downhill linking me with the N9. The 28 km to town had two nice downhills and the rest was mostly falt into Graaff-Reinet, where I arrived just after 11:00. I found the restarant where Sue and myself had some coffee during our last visit to Graaff-Reinet and ordered a soup and coffee. The ride through town from beginning to end, including my stop, took 55 minutes.

Now I had another 50 km to Allemanskraal, where my cousin Elsa and her husband, Garth Featherstone, lives and where I will spend the night. The first 28 km to Kendrew is very corrigated and fairly straight and monoteous. It just carries on and on and on. It seems as though it will never end! Once I got to Kendrew, after a total distance covered of 113 km, I turned right towards Aberdeen and the condition of the road immediately improved. At 115 km I crossed a low water bridge and it was nice to see a river full of water flowing rapidly in the Karoo! A little further down the road I encountered a very large tourtoise! 

With 7 km to go I passed Marais Syding, which used to be a station where cattle was loaded, but now there us very little left and the weeds is all that is flurishing! 

After 09:48 and 130.5 km, my second longest day in distance, I pulled into Allemanskraal, where I was treated to a welcome bowl of soup, toast and coffee. Another good day in the saddle.