I take it fairly easy in the morning. The end of my time in Mbona is marked by making Kath and Jordan an incredible omelette. It’s raining and packing the car is a cold experience. The morning is punctuated by: rain, a great omelette, a lovely goodbye and freezing hands while packing. The rain continues but really is a highlight.
Off I go! I pop into the really bougie Superspar in Howick because nutbutter is not a staple in the Eastern Cape.
The drive is beautiful and my mind is in a beautiful place too. I think a lot about my life and my approach to things. I ponder a business idea that Fred has pitched to me in anticipation of discussing it further on the run.
Google brings my onto the R56 which has now become my new favourite road. It winds, meanders, crumbles and becomes one with the beautiful nature that it guides you through. It starts off in KZN yet quickly takes on the flavour of the Eastern Cape with a sprinkling of the Drakensberg in the distance to give you a real combo deal of scenery.
I pop into The Olde Duck for a coffee and carrot cake. I sit outside - much to everyone inside the warm restaurant’s disbelief - to admire the snow covering the Central Drakensberg. I was almost persuaded by another scone, but the carrot cake was definitely the right call. A Dad plays with his two kids, they go inside a small playground and I hear:
Dad, I want to be the dad now
Ok - I can be the child:
”DAD I’M HUNGRY. DAD I’M BORED. DAD WHERE IS THE FOOD”
I have a giggle about how good it probably feel for him to finally get that out.
After that the road quality deteriorates. Roadworks are under progress but the Eastern Cape doesn’t really give too much of a shit as there aren’t many cars around here. So I have to pull off the road every now and then to dodge a grader or construction vehicle. It works fine though - I love looking at tractors.
I draw R80, four times. It’s the most efficient way to get a whole lot of R20 notes. These will be for river crossings and food along the way.
I don’t see many other cars other than farm bakkies. I’m sure that more than one of them was probably a bit surprised to see a surfboard on the roof out here. Arriving at Tortoni a working farm that has a campsite on it. They hadn’t answered my phone calls trying to book a spot - and when I arrived there was nobody really to be seen. I find a campsite and a Great Dane and Golden Retriever come to check me in.
Geese do their best to spoil the sunset by shouting at one another as they settle in for bed. I eat some avo on Salticrax with droewors and have an early night.
My hands are very cold typing this.