Day 112 Thursday May 2 Strandfontein to Dwarskersbos

by Henry

144 km, 765 m total ascent, 25°C maximum. For most of the day, we had a crosswind or cross-head wind.

Definitely chillier by the seashore in the mornings. Everyone had coats and long pants on for breakfast.

 

Lighthouse on the rugged western coast of South Africa.

 

Our last gravel section of the Tour started at 10 km and went on until 58 km. it was rough and corrugated. Very jarring and uncomfortable to ride.

 

Some of the rocks were packed in so tightly that the road almost looked partially paved, but even these sections rattled our bikes and bones mercilessly. 

Having conquered the unruly gravel, we rewarded ourselves with a cappuccino or a milkshake at a Coke stop 5 km after we landed back on tarmac.

Surprise! Alas, Colleen had neglected to tell us at the rider meeting last night that that at 74 km, there would be a SECOND 15 km segment of rough gravel road!

This 15 km section was even more corrugated and bumpier than the first 48 km. It was an ungraded service road for the railway, with the railroad tracks paralleling the road on the left. White beach dunes are to the right. 

After lunch at 89 km, we finally did have the promised tarmac for the rest of the day’s ride.

We have seen several long trains hauling iron ore in the last 2 days, longer than we see in the USA. They have standard diesel engines at the front and rear of the train, but in the middle, several electric locomotive engines are used to ease the workload for the diesel engines.

Our Coke stop in the afternoon at 120 km. The store was stuffed with homemade treats (jams/jellies, baked goods, sauces, pickled fruits and vegetables, sausages, everything one would find in an Amish or Hutterite store), none of which we could take with us. 😢

 

Eva and Linda discussing important matters at the end of the day.

Our campsite at Dwarskersbos was not right on the beach, which was 400 m away. Even so, we could hear the ocean roiling in the near distance as we laid in our tents.

We cleared another hurdle today. No more unpaved or gravel roads!

2 days left . . .