For plenty of totally different causes, I enthusiastic about lastly making it to Woman Gray.
To start with, Woman Gray was what I used to be calling the half-way level of my bicycle tour in South Africa. As soon as I reached Woman Gray I used to be half-way (or greater than half-way) between Cape City and Swaziland/Johannesburg.
Secondly, I had organized to stick with Grant, one in all my BicycleTouringPro.com readers, in Woman Gray… and he owned a B&B within the metropolis. Although it had solely been two days since I had final had a bathe, the chilly, moist climate of the final couple days had actually taken a toll on my physique, clothes and spirits. I couldn’t wait to take a heat bathe and sleep indoors.
Greater than something although, I used to be trying ahead to assembly Grant and eventually having somebody to speak to.
You see, for the primary month or so since leaving Cape City, I had had virtually nobody to speak to. I had transient conversations with cashiers and lodge reception desk staff, however any conversations I had had have been transient and shallow.
I’m penning this now that my bicycle tour in South Africa has come to an finish and I can let you know that that is the factor I missed most whereas I used to be within the nation – deep, clever dialog with one other particular person.
After a brief, however chilly day on the bike, I made it to Woman Gray, discovered the Comfrey Cottage B&B and was rapidly launched to Grant and his mother and father, each of whom stay with him on the Comfrey Cottage property.
Grant’s property is gorgeous! What was as soon as three or extra totally different properties has been mixed into one massive property with a number of buildings, alpacas wandering round munching on the grass, a restaurant/lounge space, and an entire lot extra. I had been anticipating a small one constructing B&B in a sleepy South African metropolis, however the Comfrey Cottage B&B was a lot greater than that.
Throughout my first evening in Woman Gray, I showered and bought a short tour of the property. However it was raining, so Grant and I frolicked inside more often than not and did lots of speaking (which I used to be joyful about).
Grant is an skilled bicycle traveler himself, and I cherished listening to all his tales about bicycle touring in Europe, South Africa and North America. He loves cycle touring a lot, he additionally runs a small on-line store the place folks in South Africa can order bike touring merchandise. His web site is: www.cycletouring.co.za
Grant additionally has plenty of totally different bicycles. A few of that are actually, actually totally different. I bought a kick out of seeing (and driving for myself) his tricycle and his two-person tandem bicycle (which is what his mother and father are likely to trip).
When Grant advised me that he rode unicycles as nicely, I made him bust them out so I might exhibit my expertise. In actuality although, I didn’t do any displaying off. Grant is a much better unicyclist than I’m. Whereas Grant appeared completely in management on his unicycle, I used to be flailing about, simply attempting to remain upright. It was enjoyable although. A lot of enjoyable!
Throughout my second day in Woman Gray I took a protracted stroll across the metropolis. I jumped a barbed wire fence and climbed to the highest of the mountain overlooking the town and bought soaking moist on the way in which again down.
Fortunately, by the subsequent morning the rain clouds had disappeared and I used to be blessed with good climate for the brief two-day bike trip to the border of South Africa and Lesotho.
Grant rode with me for the primary 45-minutes or so out of city. Then we stopped for a couple of minutes to take some pictures earlier than he circled and headed again to the B&B whereas I continued on alone towards the Lesotho border.
