2 Girls and 2 Jack Russel puppies left St Lucia on the 23rd of October 2004, en-route to Cape Town. No backup vehicle, support team or anyone who could make life a little easier or who could sort out any problems which may arise. I suppose the challenge lay in making something work that originated from a last minute decision with no time to prepare and with no previous training or experience. Not knowing was part of the excitement!
We didn’t do much research on the route we took, bought a map and committed ourselves to the road nearest to the beaches or riding on the beaches itself. If we knew any better at the time, we could’ve saved ourselves a lot of blood, sweat and tears, but then, ignorance is bliss, right?
The first 2 months had been hell, but once we reached optimum fitness or rather stamina, traveling became easier. Once we reached Cape Town, and with the help of the media, we continued our trip to Upington, along the coastline in aide of Animal welfare and child abuse. From there we went as far as Potchefstroom, a total of 5 700kms.
Was it dangerous? Yes, definitely, especially through areas like the Wild Coast, where there were days when we had to survive without water or food. No road, wilderness, up mountains, along rock faces, basically undesirable heights, and all the while, the knowledge that if anything happens, we’d be vulnerable without any cell phone signal or an idea where to find people for the next 100kms.
To break away from the monotony of cycling, we dared to go on the Orange river with a canoe, once again uninformed of the dangers, without guide or communication devices, we happily went along. It was absolutely stunning, but we eventually got sucked in by a rapid which was certainly not meant to cross. We were left on the Namibian side of the border without canoe or anything, not even shoes, for a couple of days.
There are so many stories to tell, of amazing people, magical sights, and of the road less traveled. If anything, this trip brought to us the knowledge that absolutely anything is possible! South Africa maintains a wealth of things most of us have already forgotten and it has become our mission to share as accurately as possible this diversity with especially those who might never dare to explore.
It is so important to see things completely and to understand that each and every one of us has a share in the way things look and are today. It’s time to make a noise and be heard! Know what is going on around you!
How are we going to do it ?
