Riding,Eating,Sleeping - Di

Di's sms's - Wed 6th




N01 -
Safe and sound,clean and comfy in McGregor,though I did need to tow Rick the last 20km.He just has not been able to fully recover,what with the relentless pace we need to maintain to get in each day.If I cycle alongside him we are doing 7km per hour,if I tow, about 12 - 15,so it's a no brainer.Thank God I'm feeling strong!If all goes according to plan we should be home by Friday - hope the bikes hold out.They are also rather worse for wear.

No2-(20mins later)
Chomp,munch,crunch,chew,snarf,gulp,chow,gobble,suck,slurp,gulp,swallow - MAN the human mouth was not designed for this kind of abuse! Now I know why Gran said don't eat between meals - the organs of mastication need to rest and recover after working hard toprocess food, but this Freedom Challenge is hard on everything,including the lips,tongue,teeth,gums and jaws. We just eat NON STOP and are all suffering some form of oral discomfort from ulcers to sand-papered tongues to aching jaws and teeth. I think I am going to adopt a diet of vege soup and fruit puree when I get back (sounds like the kind of fare you'd get in an old aged home. I may well be checking in sooner than planned,judging by the haggard face that stares back at me from the mirror)

No3- (1hr50mins later !!! )
Oh my am I really on the Freedom Challenge? Already I can feel the hardship slipping away. I have just had the most delicious meal of the last 3 weeks - good red wine, fresh garden salad, home made tomato soup with fresh basil,crispy herb chicken,home made chips, beetroot, butternut + broccoli cooked lightly as veggies should be and all topped off with moist chocolate cake and ice cream.i am so content I could just expire and I am going to do just that.
GOOD NIGHT:)

Spluttering through the Eastern Cape

Thurs 23rd June
There was a cold wind blowing and we got going early as our eye was on Moordenaarspoort 118km away - by 12 we were over Kapokkraal and down into the Bamboeshoek and Slaapkranz the support station.Here we briefly missed the turning to first portage and from then on the clock started running away from us.These portages are just never simple - the directions have you following fence lines, crossing watersheds, hopping over fences, 'bundubashing' etc. Just before cresting the second watershed the light faded and we were in the dark which made it really difficult finding the track running off the mountain. Sean W. apparently also slept rough on the Bonthoek some days ago and we were next in line.As we bumbled down into the valley we came upon a disused shed and sheltered here for the night.This was the same shed that Bruce used in 09 the shelter from similar weather.I use the term 'sheltered' quite loosely here as it was freezing as all hell and not very comfortable at all.Fumbling in the dark i hit the SOS button - sorry. Fortunately we woke to find ourselves on the right track and headed through Rossouw just down the road before swinging off to Moordenaarspoort where we got a hot drink and some food. The weather stayed bad - cold ,rain, wind and we only made it as far as Kranzkop and stayed put for the night.
(images archival,07,08-real ones to follow)