Mon 5 Nov 2018, Day 337
Staying with Gerda, George and Grant Freeme at Comfrey Cottage Guest House, Lady Grey
Distance 13777
Total from Amsterdam 19177
What a good night’s rest we had last night even having slept on the floor on the cottage.
We hitched a lift to Aliwal North with Grant and got a few essentials … wafer biscuits, jam, peanut butter, bread and Sparkle sweets. We checked out the road driving to Aliwal North and there’s no shoulder, very bumpy with all the holes that have been filled sooo have decided to go gravel tomorrow which will also shorten the route by about 45 km. So will lower the tire pressure and take it real slow all the way to Jamestown, 73 km from Lady Grey. Bells were ringing at the till when Peter was about to pay for our groceries. He wanted to know if he’d won a car or maybe free groceries but we were given a chocolate coated ice cream that was shared between the three of us.
Last stop in Aliwal North was to collect the trailer that Grant will use to transport the five bikes and boxes of panniers and other goodies relating to tour cycling. We will have to leave really early as the app ‘Windy’ predicts a head wind. Peter helped Grant and George box the bikes and load onto the trailer while I got busy in the kitchen making macaroni cheese. Packed up the panniers and will have supper with the Freeme’s and have an early night. Tomorrow will get away early to get as far as possible before the wind picks up. My mac cheese was a good one, Peter had three helpings…People must think I don’t feed him.
Learnt that Alpacas only have bottom teeth that keep growing and have to be filed down from time to time. Grant has 5 females and one male, the cream coloured one. Their wool us used for making knitted and woven garments. Departure time for tomorrow is now around 8 am and by that time the wind is already on its mission to ruin my day but we’re only doing 73 km so there’s no point in leaving at the crack of dawn. Peter’s watching tv while I finish off my diary and do a FB post. We’ve been so well looked after by the Freeme’s, especially Gerda. She made Peter and I two sandwiches each with corned beef, cheese and lettuce. Grant also leaves tomorrow and will sleep over in Beaufort West, arriving in Cape Town on Wednesday. The Bike Fest is a three day affair at the Constantia sports ground on Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday. That’s about it for the day folks, lala salama everyone!
– Alpacas
– Packing bikes and other bike stuff for the Bike Fest in CT
– Gerda Freeme, a lovely lady with a great sense of humor
– View of the mountain from Comfrey Cottage
