Geoff Jones

Day 25079 Zelda Game& Guest Farm to Tsootsha

Sat 26 Mar 2016

For the first time ever, I had to be woken up for my breakfast! So I finally didn’t get away until 8.45. I arrived at the East Gate rest camp/shops on the border in 1 hour. Crossing the borders was straightforward apart from unnecessary complications with money changing etc. For future reference the simplest procedure is:
1. Change all your Namibian cash at East Gate into Botswana Pula. (No cash machines on other side for 150 miles or so)
2. Turn right just after the garage in Botswana then first left. At the dress shop get a SIM card for 10 Pula (The money changer is next door if she is around 🙁 )
3. Return to garage and top up your SIM – they accept credit cards.

Then your are in a fenceless world were cows, donkeys & horses wander on the road (apparently elephants etc etc as well 🙂 plus butterflies and all kinds of insects abound.

The road was quiet apart from trucks taking more fencing materials into Namibia Interestingly I saw my first speed camera being used, with great effect, in Africa. You then drop down onto the Botswana plain which amazingly is at 1100 metres above sea level – they don’t have to worry about rising sea levels here 🙂

Eventually Tsootsha came into view. Just as I was giving up hope I saw the gates for Jungle Light Rest Camp. The gates looked locked and banging on them didn’t seem to raise anyones attention, slight panic began to set in. I walked around the perimeter and eventually discovered the owner who was delighted I wanted the glamping option with dinner etc. She insisted that her son’s shop had a cash machine which I could use in the morning.

So a good ending. Strava says I did 77 miles the photos are here

Day 37/25078 West Nest Lodge to Zelda Guest Farm

I was grateful for my glamping tent last night as the heavens opened up at 4am 🙁 Later the sky was red before the rising sun promising more rain which duly happened 🙁

After breakfast I got my lift back to the West Nest roadside campsite where I had left the bike filled the bottles with 3 litres of well water and of I went. The road wasn’t busy like yesterday so much better – I only at to take evasive action once – when a car was overtaking a lorry coming towards me.

I found the long slow drags quite hard and only one real downhill all day. I kept running into heavy showers and my jacket proved totally useless with the arms filling with water 🙁 good job the showers were quite short ones. My triple protection bags worked well with water only penetrating the first layer 🙂

I had a good coffee break and enjoyed the WiFi to call Sally at The Spar shop in Gobabis (Spar should publish a map with all their stores marked) Gobabis began to feel like Africa with all the ladies dressed up in their lavish dresses.

Eventually I arrived at the Zelda Guest Farm, I declined the invite to feed the animals an instead filled my own belly 🙂 I’m sure the grandkids would love these places bit like staying in a zoo/playpark.

Tomorrow it’s Botswana were apparently there are no fences alongside the roads 🙂

Another 83 miles on the clock making it 1,564 miles (2,500km) so far pedalled in Africa. Plus 71,096 feet (21,700 m) of climbing (about 10 Teide climbs)!

Day 25,077 Windhoek to West Nest Lodge

Thursday 24 March 2016

No Strava there isn't a road — No Strava there isn’t a road

Anthea at Anjo Villa gave me a mega omelette plus a fruit salad for my early breakfast, I was on the road by 7.30 as I knew it was going to be a long haul. Anthea had spoken to the guys from West Nest Lodge and booked me in for a nights glamping. I started confidently following my Strava Route. Alas, as you can see it led me on a wild goose chase to parts where no road exists 🙁 very frustrating wasting nearly an hour in unnecessary hills.

The road is quite narrow with only a gravel verge. It’s obviously the main route in for fuel with huge tankers flying by plus equally huge double tipper trucks coupled with the minibuses and their trailers of baggages and of cause the 4X4s pounding by like F1 drivers. I had to escape to the gravel a couple of times to avoid an accident and if you get a double blast from a truck behind you then get out of the way quickly! tuck your right arm in and head for the grass 🙂 All with a rail track running parallel to the road!

To top it off I got my first rear wheel puncture in 3000 miles 🙁 the tyre is looking a bit thin but I replaced the tube with my super duper liquid filled one after pulling out another load of thorns.

Fortunately it was quite cloudy today so didn’t reach super hot levels although I still drank close on 5 litres of assorted liquids but was certainly glad of a few pints of beer when I arrived..

Tonight I’m in a tent at West Nest Lodge with real beds and electric, undoubtedly with a few mossies as well 🙁 The dinner was excellent, lets see what brekkie is like.

Strava says I did 106.7mi in 8:55:57 Moving Time and 1,735ft of ascent at a respectable 12mph helped a bit by the 800ft net descent during the day.

Pictures are here

Day 25,076 Windhoek Namibia

Posted on March 23, 2016
3 Comments on Day 25,076 Windhoek Namibia

Wed 23 Mar 2016

The observant may ask how did I get here so quick 🙂 the answer is by riding on the overnight TransNamib train from Keetmanshoop on Monday night. Doing the 340 miles in 12 hours for about £8 . Eurostar it isn’t and in my experience the worst ride yet. The coach was made in 1975 and shows it! The ride was freezing due to the coach interconnection been split.

To make matters worse the front tyre went flat and I discovered it had numerous thorns in it 🙂 I debated fixing it on the train but left it to do on Windhoek station were I discovered the new inner tubes were useless as the valve diameter was greater than the hole diameter in the wheel. So more patches.

First job was to find a bike shop ending up at Mannies Bike Mecca, great place where he sold me two inner tubes which he put some sealing fluid in before reinserting the valve 🙂 I also managed to mount two water bottle holders onto the handlebars so I can now carry 4.5 litres on the bike plus another 3 litres on top of the bags.

I’m staying at Anjo Villa a real gem of a place run by Anthea who gave me a cooked breakfast at 11am when I arrived 🙂 today she even lent me a car to go and find the world’s largest crystal in Swakopmund . However, after fighting the early morning taxi rush getting lost in the process with my iPhone dieing from electron exhaustion I gave up when reaching Okahandja and returned to Windhoek to find a pharmacy to get some Coartem tablets (£20 for 20tablets) Doom deet & insect repellent ready for the swamps that beckon.

Tonight Anthea managed to fix me up at West Nest Lodge well over 100 miles away, lets hope there isn’t a headwind!

The spreadsheet shows I’ve actually biked 1374 miles (5000km) and 68,975 feet of climbing.

Strava says I have another 1,000 miles to Victoria Falls but only 18 days left, 56 miles every day 🙁 so a few more short cuts may be required 🙁