Day 114 Yzerfontein to Cape Tow! Last Ride

by Henry

Final riding day!

88 km, 425 m total ascent, 18°C maximum. Tailwind most of the day!

 

Colleen’s final whiteboard at the May 3 dinner meeting. Rain was predicted, and the drops softly landing on my tent woke me up at 5 AM. It was discouraging to realize that I would have to pack up a wet tent one final time.

 

Our last campsite was very spacious. The Tyvek I used for a ground covering under my tent was completely shot, and I was happy to throw it away this morning.

 

Less than a kilometer from our campsite, the aroma of freshly baked bread drew us into a local bakery. Although impractical to purchase and carry a whole loaf of bread, we were happy to sample some croissants.

It was a damp, cool day. We alternated between riding in the mist, punctuated with occasional light rain. There was a healthy shoulder, but the traffic got busier and busier as we approached Cape Town.

We rode by Koeberg nuclear power plant, the only one on the African continent, 27 km north of Cape Town.

Our final lunch stop was on the beach. It was simple and hurried, as the police did not want us lingering in the beach parking lot. 

We were riding into Cape Town in three separate groups, partly for traffic safety, and partly because we would be traversing a “dodgy“ part of the city. We were asked not to keep our phones or GPS computers on our handlebars to minimize risk of theft. Two bike convoys had already departed before I arrived because of pressure from the police to keep moving.

We huddled with our convoy team leader for some final words of encouragement before we headed into Cape Town.

Part of our convoy riding a bike path into the city. We were asked to stick together, and not stop to take pictures.

About 1.5 km before reaching our hotel, Pam got a flat tire. She wanted us to go ahead while she repaired her flat, but in a great show of team unity, we refused to leave her behind. Having lots of experience, she was able to swap out her tube in about 5 minutes. We learned later that the earlier two convoys had also suffered multiple flats from thorns.

 

The Radisson Red Hotel on the waterfront in Cape Town. The champagne corks had already been popped, and the earlier arrivals cheered for us as we crossed the finish line. The clouds were dissipating, allowing the sun to warm us as we mingled. 

 

The crew from Spokane. 

 

The obligatory group photo. 30 riders made the entire trek from Cairo to Cape Town. There are additional riders in the photo who joined us in Nairobi and other stops along the way.

Boxes were available in a meeting room, and packing away the bikes began immediately for most. All afternoon and into the evening, there were lots of congratulatory high-fives, and goodbye hugs. It’s difficult to put into words the admixture of elation and melancholy that permeated everyone’s emotions.

We attended a slideshow at 6:30 PM, followed by our final group dinner at 7 PM.

 

After dinner, some congregated on the rooftop bar.

Front and back of my souvenir from Africa.

Jeff, Linda, and I are staying 2-1/2 additional days exploring the Cape Town area to cap off our African adventure.

More to follow . . .