We sometimes feel like this, especially lately

South African Homes Have These Great Features

Wood-burning barbeque area made from brick (called a "braai")

A metal cage thingy that holds everything you are braai-ing so you can easily flip it over

Sinks shaped like bowls sitting on the counter

Kitchen sinks with built-in dish drain - no leakage onto the counter!

Electric kettles. Very nice.

Catches to hold doors open.

The Half-Door

Flat wall heaters

Electric towel heaters

Windows that swing completely open, with nice latches

Down comforters and washable duvet covers, simple and nice

Great wooden beds and tables and chairs

Thatch roofs and stone walls

No visible clocks

Rusks everpresent (a rusk is kind of like a biscotti; you dip it in a hot drink)

No window screens


We also like:

Coffee always comes with hot milk

Tipping in restaurants is easy. You write the tip on the bill and they bring back the proper change.

You have to ask for the bill at a restaurant

Sales tax is already included in all prices - no sneaky surprise totals

The dried fruit is great

The eggs are delicious!

Biltong. It's their version of jerky but so much more tasty.

Gasoline prices are fixed all over the country -- no need to shop around

To the Bottom of the Continent

Next we headed east along the south coast of the continent. It's a very sparsely-populated stretch of the world. To a Californian, it's so wonderful to see miles and miles of coast with not a condo nor a military base in sight.



Most spectacular was that we could see whales from the shore! These are the winter mating grounds of the Southern Right Whales, and some were still hanging around here before making a break for Antarctica for the summer.



Do you San Diegans out there recognize this plant? This is the iceplant we all grew up with, holding back freeway embankments and suburban hillsides. Well, it is native to South Africa so here it is in its native environment. There are all sorts of incredible plants around here. They're thick and hearty and called FYNBOS, and they resist the heavy winds with their stockiness. The Cape has a semi-Mediterranean climate, like Southern California, so what we call iceplant is a convenient groundcover there.



And here are four images from Cape Agulhas, the southernmost extremity of Africa. I'll always remember the rocks on this southern coast. It's as if the entire continent is tumbling into the sea, like the ruins of an ancient temple being toppled by the forces of time.





Some people say that Cape Point is the divider between the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and others say it's Agulhas. In actuality, its all one great southern sea around here and it's not as if there is a border drawn to divide the two. But in case you wanted to believe there is in fact a big dotted line, here's some evidence for you:



And here is Africa's southernmost portable toilet:



We liked Agulhas so much. It's a beautiful place. And since we'd been driving all day we decided to stay. We drove around and found a little bed and breakfast right on the shore. It's called Ou Pos, which means "old post office"...





...and the mayor's basset hound took drink orders directly from our bedroom window. We slept with the window wide open and drank in the sound and salt of the sea, which seeded our dreams with sailing adventures and desert islands.

Here's the Cape L'Agulhas light, just switching on for an evening of preventing disasters:

Cape Town and thereabouts

Ah. I can spare a few moments away from this summery existence to finally add some commentary on these previously anonymous photos.

As soon as we recovered from jetlag, Wendy and I headed to Cape Town for four days. My friend Sybrandus kindly lent us the keys to his (and Terry's) house and we made ourselves at home away from home away from homeless.

Cape Town is set in an amazingly picturesque bowl, nestled between the sea and a giant flat-topped mountain named Table Mountain. The scenery is constantly changing, as clouds come and go across its heights. (This is called the "Tablecloth".)

The first day we walked over the entire town, and on day two we climbed the mountain. Then we took a drive around the Cape.

Mobile bedroom, complete with napper:




Meet Charity, one of the many excellent cats we have had the pleasure of visiting this year. She lives with Sybrandus and Terry.





Heading up Table Mountain. Notice that my bag looks conspicuously like my old rear left pannier...


I love these plants:


Here is a view, from the top of Table Mountain, of part of the city and of Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held for 18 years:


Here's what they call the "City Bowl". I love this city.


To the southwest, you see the peaks of the Twelve Apostles, part of the mountains that stretch on down to Cape Point, where baboons roam.




This is Devil's peak, next to Table Mountain and just behind Sybrandus's house.


Hout Bay, where Stefan grew up!


More scenes along the Cape. These thatch roofs are popular here. Stefan has one.




In the old days, at the time of year when ships could not anchor snugly at Cape Town, they went around the peninsula to Simon's Town, about 20 miles away on horseback. The South African Navy has a base here.


Also, Simon's Town is host to a colony of penguins! These are called jackass penguins:




And this one is molting.


more to follow very soon...

Today's backyard hike

Back up behind Stefan's house is the amazing Helderberg, and you can hike through the nature reserve on its slopes.


Typical Cape Dutch architecture


This is what they call a "dam".


Proteas are part of the collection of plants called fynbos, which are stout and hardy to resist the heavy Cape winds. You kind of have to see them to believe them.


Blesbok?

Onward to the Southern Hemisphere

Here is proof that we made it safely to Stefan's in South Africa and we aren't actually still lurking around the USA. After a day of extreme napping we woke up this morning to a walk around the neighborhood and this here breakfast. That's the Helderberg in the back.

what we hauled

Okay, I'm disappointed in the formatting of this blog but here it is anyway.... imagine nice, orderly, engineerlike indented lists.

We really wanted to take a picture of the bikes fully loaded, and then another with every single item out. But it always seemed like such a daunting task and by the time we got to Denver we hungrily unpacked for good, without ever looking back. So here is my list of what we carried, entirely from memory (except I had to go back to one photo to get the license plate number):

Simon's typical riding outfit:
        bike shorts - thanks, Pete!
        short socks, Smartwool - thanks, Wendy!
        shorts - thanks Mom!
        short sleeve button-up lightweight shirt - old standby favorite

travel shirt ever

        Merrell nubuck slip-on shoes - thanks, Mom! These were perfect

all-purpose shoes

        sunglasses, polarized (Thanks, Wendy!)

1983 Fuji Touring Series III, lugged steel, silver
        27" wheels, 36-spoke
                27 x 1.25 Schwalbe Marathon tires
                Shimano 14/28 6-speed freewheel
        24/38/50 front chainrings
        MKS pedals with toe cages
        SunTour rear derailleur (Thanks, Matt!)
        SunTour front derailleur
        Suntour downtube shifters
        Ritchie biomax handlebars
                grip tape with Fizik gel underneath
                1980s Shimano DuraAce brake levers (thanks, random guy in

South Carolina!)

        saddle is ?? (Thanks, Atlanta SoPo Bike Co-op!)
        Dia Compe center-pull cantilever brakes with Koolstop black pads
        4 water bottle cages, 2 attached with hose clamps
                small Sigg with Twilight Ale and Green Lakes Organic Ale

stickers (under the downtube)

                big Sigg with Obsidian Stout and Black Butte Porter sticker,

secured to top tube with small bungee

                tall plastic bottle - Novara? (above the downtube)
                short plastic bottle - Glacier Cyclery, bought at the thrift store

across the street from Glacier Cyclery for 25c (on the seat tube)

        front and rear fenders, silver
        underseat bag
                padlock - Thanks, Colleen!
                lock cable
                heart highwheel pin Wendy made me in Vancouver
        handlebar rack, handbuilt and dipped by Bundy, attached with

zipties

                spare small bungees and twist-ties
                handlebar bag with Boy Scout sailing merit badge, held down

with small bungee (Thanks, Bundy!)

                        Olympus waterproof and shockproof pocket camera
                        sunglasses case
                        sunscreen
                        headlamp
                        digital watch (pretty neat idea)
                        Leatherman (Wendy found it in a field)
                        folding bike tool with allen wrenches and 2 screw drivers
                        tiny folding scissors (thanks, Mom, these were essential!)
                        bug repellent (midsummer only)
                        butt cream (early in trip only)
                        book (??, then Rama, then The Mauritius Command, then

Nostromo)

                        notebook (Take Take Take, thanks Anne)
                        hardcover journal (handmade by Rhiannon!)
                        pens, one wrapped in duct tape
                        wallet - homemade with velcro change purse and total zip

closure

                        phone
                        epinephrin (for my Achilles heel)
                        candy and snacks as needed (Mega Smarties when

available)

                        maps of the day
                        sailboat bead pendant - thanks, Julie!
                        lip balm
                        toothbrush and toothpaste
                        handkerchief - lost and replaced with spare bedsheet rag
        front Blackburn lowrider rack, aluminum. Attached braze-ons and

P-clamps, stiffened with hose clamps

                front left Novara pannier with Chinese sailboat patch
                        wild turkey feather (lost in transit. it flew)
                        clothing bag
                                2 pairs underwear - Thanks, Wendy!
                                1 pair short socks -
                                1 pair long socks
                                cargo pants, REI
                                swim trucks (Wendy found these on the curb in

Berkeley)

                                T-shirt, the Nepalese embroidered one I bought at a

thrift store in Kauai

                                short sleeve button-up lightweight shirt - Thanks,

Wendy!

                                long-sleeve button-up lightweight shirt - thanks,

John, way back in high school. This
was my #1 sailing shirt and is
still a bug-evasion shirt

                                sarong from Thailand (used as towel, tablecloth, sarong, weapon, Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal evasion, etc)
                        thin brown sweater, embroidered with bighorn petroglyph

(which Wendy also found on the curb in Berkeley)

                        fleece hooded pullover - Thanks, Wendy!
                        beanie (found at Lake Isabel in Colorado)
                        fleece gloves - bought in Italy
                        rain jacket, Pertex, Mountain Hardware
                        rain pants, Gore-Tex, Mountain Hardware
                        sun hat with chin strap - bought for $3 in Namibia
                        toiletry bag
                                deodorant
                                nail clippers - thanks, Wendy!
                                Dr. Bronner's soap, peppermint?
                                razor
                front right Novara pannier with masthead mat knot boutonnière from Laura and Mike's wedding
                        bald eagle feather (lost in transit. it flew)
                        Thermarest - a cushy one
                        sleeping bag, down, summer, REI
                        4 rain covers        (2 handmade by Mom!)
                        Fussy rusk box (thanks, Lanelle!)
                                2003 iPod with RockBox (used for music over the

hard passes and to store photos
- see music chosen on other list)

                                iPod cable and charger
                                external AA battery pack for iPod
                                2-3 sets of earbud headphones
                                headphone splitter cable
                        another plastic box
                                extra sunglasses, in case, in case
                                eyeglasses with cleaning cloth
                                earplugs
                                bamboo spork (thank, Todd!)                        
                        bag of patches (sewing projects never completed)
                                Japanese handkerchief (thank, Onn)
                                raccon with grocery bicycle from the Beehive

collective

                                various Kuna patches from Panama
        rear Tubus rack, stainless. bombproof. Thanks, Jay!
                Washington license plate #B19327A, attached with zip ties,

folded as a cradle.

                rear left pannier, homemade from my leather bag, secured

with leather belt

                        the library (in a ziploc bag)
                                maps
                                bureaucratic paperwork
                                passport
                                letters (for nostalgia)
                                letters (for delivery)
                                other papery stuff
                        sewing kit (in ziploc bag)
                                little camera bag, handmade by Mom
                                        small plastic box
                                                several safety pins
                                                several straight pins
                                                one huge sewing needle
                                                a few regular needles
                                        pre-threaded needles in a box
                                        1 roll thread
                                        thimble
                                buttons
                                roll of Velcro loops
                                roll of Velcro hooks
                                various rolls and colors of thread
                        electrical bag
                                Cateye LED headlight (with 2 AA)
                                2 red blinky lights (with 2 AAA)
                                superbright halogen headlight (for 4 AA)
                                phone charger
                                camera battery charger
                                USB LED light
                        quick-grab toolkit, at the ready
                                tire levers
                                small pump
                                self-adhesive tire patches        
                                0-2 spare tubes        
                                rag (some soft shreds of Andrea's Shady-stained

bedsheets)

                                fast orange hand cleaner in a little plastic tub                
                        serious projects toolkit (in a mesh bag)
                                chain lube ("Rock'N'Roll", picked up at Twin Bridges

bike camp in exchange for butt cream)

                                Teflon lube
                                wrenches
                                chain break
                                spare chain links
                                4-6 spare spokes
                                vulcanizing rubber cement and pieces of old tube
                                sandpaper
                                zip ties
                                electrical tape
                                miscellaneous nuts, bolts, washers, and

doohickies

                                Thermarest hotset repair kit (found to be way expired

when Wendy's pad inhaled 23 cactus needles)

                                [for future would add hypercracker

and big pliers and brake cable cutters]

                        bag of bags
                                mesh and canvas bags
                        harmonica (my mom's Hohner from her high school days)
                        kite (thanks Ana, it was wonderful! Que cola!)
                        bag of line
                                30' of cord for hanging food from bears
                                miscellaneous bits of cord        
                                webbing
                        1.0L Nalgene water bottle
                        toilet paper, at the ready
                        lobster-on-bicycle flag (from Beehive Collective patch)

mounted on hunting arrow

                rear right pannier, homemade from army bag found in SF.

"The Kitchen", secured with blue webbing

                        cutting board - doubled as the stiff back of the pannier
                        sponge
                        stove kit in a bag:
                                MSR Dragonfly backpacking stove
                                wind/heat shields
                                cleaning kit (never used)
                                extra nozzle for diesel and kerosene
                                Sigg bottle cap
                        Sigg bottle with attached pump and Coleman fuel or

gasoline (filled at Sandpoint, SLC, Needles, Moab)

                        lighter
                        MSR gold coffee filter
                        bottle of Sriracha hot sauce
                        bottle of olive oil
                        bottle of sesame oil
                        bag of spices
                                sesame seeds, black
                                sesame seeds, white
                                sea salt
                                black pepper
                                chipotle powder
                                cumin
                                anise seed
                                oregano
                                orange peel
                                ???
                        Jetboil 1.5L insulated cooking pot
                        small (1.0L?) cooking pot
                        2 mugs
                        spare 27" tire (my Schwalbes presumed to be from a bad

batch)

                        flip flops with integrated bottle openers! Thanks, Karen!
                small duffel. "the food bag", secured atop license plate cradle

with with old tube

                        titanium spork (thank, Richard!)
                        Emergen-C drink packets
                        solar panel and AAA/AA charger with homemade

phone/USB cable (velcro'd to top)

                        trash pocket
                        a few pieces of lightweight tupperware (thanks, Denise

and John!)

                        "bag of bags"
                                plastic bags
                        a fine load of food
                        occasional spare 1.5L water bottles for long desert

stretches

With all of the above mounted on the bike (except for me in my riding clothing clothes) and a dwindling food load, the Fuji weighed 85# without water and 95# with full capacity liquids. Yes, it felt very heavy. I would definitely tighten up the ship for future tours!. But you should feel my thighs! (If you are clean and attractive)

Speaking of clean and attractive, now we address Wendy's gear. She'll have to speak for herself on the details of her personal stuff, but here is what I can account for:

Wendy's typical riding outfit:
        bike shorts
        short socks
        short sleeve shirt
        Gore-Tex hiking/trailrunning shoes - her classic red pair with holes in them
        sunglasses

1999 Cannondale aluminum touring frame, forest green
        700C 32-spoke wheelset, with Mavic rims and MTB hubs (?)
                Schwalbe Marathon 700x32 tires (began with used pair, replaced with new in West Yellowstone, MT)
        pedals with toe cages
        Avocet women's touring saddle
        samurai sticker
        fenders, yellow, Planet Bike
        3 water bottle cages
                silver Klean Kanteen on top of downtube
                green Klean Kanteen on seat tube
                small plastic Glacier Cyclery bottle underneath downtube
        center-pull cantilever brakes with Koolstop orange pads        
        straight, wideish bars
                Ergon shapely bar-ends with parallels
                Alivio brifters , installed by a friendly guy in Kyushu, Japan
        handlebar bag mount
                handlebar bag
                        passport
                        wallet
                        pen
                        journal
                        book
                        lip balm
                        folding knife
                        sunglasses case?
        front above-wheel Jandd rack
                front left pannier, adapted by Simon from army bag, with heart-pocket added by Wendy
                        fragile food
                        snacks
                        water purification drops
                        first aid kit
                                -
                                -        
                                -
                front right pannier, vintage blue denim, built in SLC
                        secret things like charms and hexes that girls hide from boys, which I'll never know about
        rear burly Jandd rack
                REI Halfdome 2+ tent, with ground cover, stakes, and rain fly, secured with bungee
                Thermarest, nice and cushy, secured with bungee
                rear left pannier, Kootenay, made in Canada
                        clothing?
                        pack towel, orange
                        ???
                rear right pannier, matching the left
                        flying, calling monkey
                        sleeping bag, REI, down                
                        ???

In Mancos, CO, with dwindling food supply, the Cannondale weighed in at 73# dry and 82# with an overfull supply of H20.