Camping at Halfway House
Distance 105 + 9237 = 9342
Average 15.8
Time 6 h 39 m
Total from Amsterdam  14742
Location  S18.730712, E27.37086

Its ‘World Cat Day’ today. I miss our two girls, Soph and Coco but they’re two pampered cats… so we’re thinking of all the unwanted and strays out there. Please don’t buy a pedigree kitten, adopt a stray instead. We’ve met three cats on this cycle adventure that were strays and abandoned and I would, without second thoughts, adopt them all if we could!

It was icy cold this morning and I have to drag myself out of the tent to get going, though the need to do morning ablutions does the trick. We finally got going after stopping to put buffs over our heads to keep ears warm and take out a tissue to wipe watering eyes and runny noses, it was that cold. The day started well then progressively turned into a crap day for me. I can’t think of a more polite word. I have toothache, my nether region is very tender, I have a cycle pimple that won’t clear up and my thumb is still sore from a fall on gravel on 4 June. Peter was way ahead of me for most of today’s ride and I’m not strong enough to catch up??

What really got me worked up was seeing a kid (aged +- 13) with grandparents in a donkey drawn cart, hitting four donkeys repeatedly, totally unnecessary. I lost my temper, rode over the road and gave the brat a mouthful … asking him if he’d like to be beaten as he’d been doing to the donkeys. Grandparents tried to be friendly but I rode off before letting rip again.

The day turned for the better when a bakkie pulled off the road and we stopped to chat to Bill and Meryl Taylor. They heard about our ride from Belinda, the lady who looked after Gordon and Thelma Norman and were on their way home to Deka which is on the Zambezi River. They gave us some fruit and home made biscuits and wanted us to spend a day or two with them at Deka but it’s 45 km from the highway, too far … next time.

Mopani flies were drawn to our smelly and sweaty bodies and drove us crazy while talking to them. For my toothache Bill, a retired dentist, suggested I rinse my mouth with diluted peroxide 35% which is classified as ‘food grade’. Meryl gave me some and I’ve rinsed my mouth twice and used a nasal spray this evening … on a previous occasion of having toothache my dentist back home took an x-ray and said my sinuses were blocked. Another 40 km to Halfway House and by now I had exhausted every part of my bottom on the bike seat. The local owner at Halfway House agreed to us camping here for $5 and what was meant to be cold showers turned into lovely hot water … so tomorrow I won’t have flies hitching a ride or sitting on my calves … or mopani flies going crazy around our faces, even flying into and getting caught in our hair. Had boring supper of rice tomatoes and an onion and we fed the five young cats here our left over rock buns bought this morning when we stopped for bread and a plate of slap chips. It’s now 20h50 we’re in our tent. Night all xx

– Roadside sales … wood, pumpkins and watermelon

– This super friendly cutie is pregnant, barefoot and living on the streets and has gorgeous greenish eyes

– Bill and Meryl Taylor who stopped for a chat

– It’s ‘World Cat Day’ today. These live at Halfway House