Stefan and I left Strandfontein just before 8 this morning and headed to Lutzville where we planned to meet up with Lodie once his bike was fit for the road again. We had a comfortable cycle to Lutzville and waited there for Lodie, who was taken first to Lutzville and then to Vredendal by a very kind couple we met at Strandfontein.
Once Lodie was back we planned to cycle 28km to a place on the map called Landplaas and from there on a further 28km to Nuwerus. When we finally got going from Lutzville the sun was baking down, but we made the 28km to Landplaas comfortably. On arrival we realized that Landplaas is only a deserted station and our water supplies were running seriously low. To make matters worse the road from Landplaas to Nuwerus was gravel road again. While we were still busy contemplating what to do next, an old bus turned on to the gravel road and stopped. It was a bus transporting workers employed by Namaqua Sands back to their homes at Nuwerus. We decided to hop on and so we happily missed the gravel road. At Nuwerus we had an ice cold Coke – the best thing in the world at times like these – while we were entertained by the village drunk.
We pushed on to the town of Bitterfontein and made our way to the local hotel. I cannot speak high enough of the hospitality the owners, Ice and Miemie Cornelissen, offered us. We had some great lamb chops on the braai and went to bed contently.
