South Africa - Day 1

March 28, 2015

Our night in Johannesburg was very short – largely due to the extra complication with Dražen’s luggage. We did manage to get a few hours of sleep before returning to the airport, though, and our flight to Cape Town went smoothly. We also managed to pick up the rental car – slight complication in that we have a sedan rather than a hatchback – and headed toward the bike rental. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and it is impressive to see the hills ahead while driving here. It is, on the other hand, terrifying to see how many people use the highway as a pedestrian path, location to hawk their wares, or as an inconvenient crosswalk. Driving alongside the slums was also eye-opening, although we weren’t close enough to see the details of daily life.

We struggled a bit to find the bike rental place, but were rewarded for our efforts with lovely views of the bay. Eventually, we found out that we needed to driving into a gated residential community in order to meet Ryno and get the bikes. He was very friendly, and we found a way to fit everything in the car (hint: remove at least one set of pedals). After that, we ventured to a terrifyingly large and busy mall with the goal of finding a tent and some cycling clothes for Dražen. We took a few wrong turns, but finally found the right store. Or so we thought – the world’s least helpful salesperson was unable to find any of the things we needed. Frustrated and about to leave, we stopped at the tent display and an infinitely more helpful clerk managed to set us up with all we needed.

After a bit of lunch, we finally got to go play with our bikes! We drove to Roman Point and the rode from there just past Rooi Els on a winding coastal rode with a few decent hills. I was riding a 29’er – feeling like a giant – and Dražen had the smaller wheels with a larger frame. It was a hot ride, and we were really glad to be able to fill our bottles at a camping area on the way back, but even the relatively short ride was extremely rewarding.

The drive to the B&B, with a short grocery stop, was uneventful, and we are very happy with the place so far – clean, friendly, great shower… and comfortable beds which are calling our names.