Back in the Eastern Cape

January 22, 2021

Near Plettenberg Bay to near Storms River

Another day that started off with a big climb but after that it flattened out. Even so, we still did about seven hundred and fifty meters of climbing. However, the weather was pretty kind with no wind to complain about and it only got a bit warm after we had stopped for lunch.

The N2 is not the most inspiring road to cycle. But the options are limited and it is a relatively stress free road with a good shoulder for much of the time. Unfortunately, we have driven this road so often in the past that there is nothing interesting enough to coax us off the road and explore. We are now a bit like a horse with the bit between its teeth and the smell of the stables in its nostrils. With only one hundred and fifty kilometers to go until Port Elizabeth we will be there by the end of the weekend.

Todays route ran south of the Tsitsikamma mountains, the highlights being a series of bridges over gorges running from the mountains to the sea.

Strangely enough, not a baboon to be seen today. We had been careful to make our second breakfast stop at the toll gate. If we had it somewhere along the road, baboons may have appeared.

Bloukrantz River Gorge. On the underside of the bridge is the world's highest bridge bungee jump.

The smallest, oldest and most easterly of the bridges across the gorges, this one across the Storms River. The photo was taken from the viewing deck at the Petroport where we had a lunch of junk food.

One of the pretty little rivers running down from the Tsitsikamma mountains. Tsitsikamma means ''shining water" in the Khoikhoi languages.

We have a little chalet for the night about eleven kilometers east of Storms River. From here it is ninety kilometers to Jeffreys Bay where we will spend tomorrow night before the final push on to Port Elizabeth.

Today's ride: 72 km (45 miles)
Total: 2,158 km (1,340 miles)

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