When I crossed the border into South Africa, I couldn’t quite celebrate yet. A long uphill mountain pass and a 700km ride to the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town still awaited me. It was made allot easier by the kind people that hosted me along the way. The first night was in Springbok, where I stayed with Wilem and Cathrin.

  I met some of my dad’s friends from the Fish Hoek Athletics club by along the way

My mom, one of her friends and my brother drove up at the early hours of the morning so that my brother could cycle with me and share some of my experiences. It was great to catch up and share some tales along the way. Unbelievably we had to fix two punctures on my brothers bicycle. I have only had one puncture in all of Africa. I’ve been really stoked with my bicycle.

 Gravel roads that head towards the coast  

 I finally reached the sea after last seeing it in Egypt 

  A bit of wine tasting at Fryers Cove  – Doringbaai 

After a conversation with some craft beer lovers, I was guided to travel via Darling Brew. After doing a bit of investigations online I found out that Phillipa and Kevin who own Darling Brew had travelled extensively through Africa themselves before starting to brew beer. I emailed them and explained that I was keen to visit their tasting room and that it would be great to meet them too. Needless to say that I got welcomed into their home got to taste some amazing beer and had a great night sharing stories and experiences of Africa. Two really inspirational people who started their business from their garage and are currently building a fantastic new brewing facility to take their business even further.

I couldn’t wait to see her my grandmother after missing her 100th birthday, her sky diving and shark cage diving antics . What a blessing to have an inspirational grandmother like that and to be able to share my adventure with her. I stayed with her for the last night before my arrival in Fish Hoek.

 

My mom had arranged an amazing welcoming committee at Noordhoek Farm Village. There were banners, balloons, lots of friends, family and even the press. I was a bit shell shocked and overwhelmed by all the people, but enjoyed the moment. A sense of achievement and an end to an amazing trip. 

I can truly say that this was a journey of a lifetime. There are so many high points, amazing experiences and I have met some of the most amazing, generous and interesting people along the way. I wouldn’t know how to thank all the people that made this the most unforgettable experience of my life. The support that I had along the way and from the people back home has been unbelievable too. I want to encourage everyone to follow their dreams and to make every day an adventure.

I would also like to thank all the people that have contributed to Save the Rhino. If want to contribute towards this worthy cause please follow this link: Donate to Save the Rhino – virginmoneygiving or click on the donate page on the blog.