Free State - South Africa

Another state in South Africa, we enter the Free State and it's still flat and hot and dry!

We are invited to sleep at a family's place. In the morning one of the boys has made this lovely drawing for us!

Thank you Jamie!

Steynsrus: an old guesthouse with a lovely family hosts us in the small town.

Cemetery in Steynsrus: it is the belief that the dead need water for their afterlife.

Solomon, a former teacher, now retired. It's an eye opener to talk to him and to learn that by far not all the things in apartheid were bad.
We question ourselves again (as many times before) on how much of what we think we know is actually true!!!! Traveling is an eye opener!

Mountains! After weeks of flat terrain we encounter mountains again! Yeapee for the downhills, sh... for the uphills!

Green again!

Trailer tyre: the first one lasted for 15'000 km. We changed it in Gaborone. Now the spare tyre bought in Kenya bursts after only 600 km! Lesson learned: don't buy cheap Made-In-China products! 

If you can't drive on with a burst tyre / tube replace the tube with grass! And drive slowly!

Moolmanshoek: while we are waiting for the bike shop in Betlehem to open after the week-end, we take  a little walk in the hills, beautiful! Then one of the owner of the lovely Moolmanshoek Lodge drives us there and back. The tyre is replaced and we have to leave this awesome place. Thanks again for your help to all the people of Moolmanshoek. 

Very nice if there is only one...

....by the hundreds they are a little bit less nice!

Lovely capuccino after a mere 16'000 km! Almost like in Italy!!!

Größere Kartenansicht

North West Province - South Africa

Shortly after leaving our wonderful hosts in Botswana we cross the border into South Africa. A tiny dirt road leads us to the penultimate country on our trip.

Afrikaans: not so much different from Swissgerman, the names are sometimes a little strange...

Lovely skies during our lunch break.

Acacia: it does not only puncture bicycles tyres, it can also mess up your hair.

Welcome to South Africa: people are very welcoming and warm! It takes some time to convince them that we have travelled 16'000 km and are from Switzerland.

The Northwest is flat, hot and dry. We are blessed with a strong tailwind during 100s of km!

Armed Response! We don't dare go into it for the night, we rather ask at a gate that is open and are very much welcomed by the Afrikaaners! As far as hospitality is concerned, South Africans are competing very closely with Sudan and Turkey.

A puffader, apparently quite dangerous!

Be patient (Geduld), the end is coming.

Another lovely welcome by Afrikaaners near Hartbeesfontein. We learn so much about their culture and it is fascinating! We have a hard time leaving again! Dear family L., you are most welcome in Switzerland!

Big and Small crossing on the road.

Township / location near a bigger town. It's where the majority of the blacks live. Apartheid left its traces.