South Africa, Here I Come!

By Billie Teneau

Billie and her heavy rented mountain bike.

It seemed a whole world away, but a friend had gone to South Africa last year by herself. I could do that! Last January I looked up South African Bicycle Rides on the internet. I found the same bicycle tour she had taken.

On October 26th, 2007, I left for South Africa, flying from Lambert Field to Dulles to Johannesburg to Cape Town. Arriving about 29 hours after departure, I took a minibus to the Ashanti Hostel. The next day I joined the other six riders on this twelve-day bicycle event and the “Cycling the Cape and Winelands” tour began.

This was different from any cycling tour I had ever taken. Sometimes we rode for miles in the van before we biked. This way we could cover more area and see more sights…and there was a lot to see. Also the van made it possible to have full vehicle support for persons and bicycles. I sagged the first two days. My ego suffered but I discovered there was just too much for me to cope with: riding on the left side of the road, getting used to a rented, heavy mountain bike, and no clip-on pedals. But I did better after I bought single sided clip-on pedals and put a cushion on the bike seat. I could now concentrate on riding on the left side of the road.

Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.

I was with an interesting group. Five were from England, one from Ireland, and the tour guide and driver were South Afrikaners. I was the only one from the USA. I learned from them. I was told it is not a purse…it’s a handbag. And it’s not a fanny pack…it’s a bum pack. And be careful how you use the word “ride.” It doesn’t always mean a bike ride. They indulged me and smiled when I asked for my eggs cooked over easy. The tour guide and driver both spoke English, but I had difficulty understanding the accent of the tour guide. Often, I asked someone to interpret for me. 

The overnight accommodations were good, ranging from plush to the interesting, quaint, or picturesque. Some of the B & B’s were in towns and some were out in the middle of nowhere. I wondered how anyone ever found them … but they had business. Sometimes I had a private room. Usually I shared with the woman from Ireland. The food was very good: big breakfasts and evening meals sometimes prepared by the tour guide and sometimes eaten out at restaurants. The water was excellent throughout the tour.

The weather often seemed like four seasons in one day: cold in the morning, pleasant by noon, hot early afternoon, ending with a cool evening. But the real surprise was the wind. Once, the strong wind blew our lunch sandwiches out of our hands as we watched the paper plates roll all over the parking lot. On that day, we had to pedal going down hill! Wind also caused the cancellation of the ferry ride, and the tour of Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years in prison. I’m sorry I missed that tour.

African Penguins

Most of the hills on our route were really mountains. And these mountains provided overwhelming beauty. Every picture I took included mountains. Our first sightseeing trip was to the top of Table Mountain in Rotair cable cars, with their revolving floors. Standing on the revolving part was quite an experience and not recommended for anyone afraid of heights. There were also seats near the center that did not revolve. These cable cars could carry up to 65 people at one time. When at the top, we followed nature paths as we explored the many species of flora and fauna. From the top we viewed Cape Town below (population 2.9 million) and the surrounding mountains. The highest point on Table Mountain is 3,560 feet above sea level.

The mountains provided beauty and opportunities for breath-taking down-hills. I reached the point where I could bike up most of the hills. I even got to the top of Tradouw Pass! And I was beginning to get the hang of this biking on the left side of the road. Some steep down-hills though were so long and steep they were scary.

Hills are very good for growing grapes. And wineries are important to the economy of South Africa. Most wineries provide wine tasting and a professional in “the art of tasting wines.” One winery even offers opportunities for “wine tasting on horseback.” I don’t drink wine, so I became popular with our group — when served a sample, I’d pour mine into someone else’s glass.

Stay to the left side of the road.

Some of our best bike riding was on roads along the coast. Much of the soft rock had become beautiful white sand beaches. I swam in the Indian Ocean till the waves pushed me back. We followed the ocean shore to Cape Agulhas and the southern most point in South Africa where the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean meet. Later we moved on to the Cape Point and to the Cape of Good Hope. In addition to sand, the coastal areas are filled with rugged rocks. Many ships wrecked here. In the last 500 years, at least 450 ships have been lost. There is a Shipwreck Museum in Bredasdorp.

Our driver pulled the van over to the side of the road when he saw a creature coming out of the woods. It was a Chakma baboon. Soon the baboon’s family and friends joined him as they all ran down the middle of the road. No, we were not biking at the time. From the van, I did get a great picture of a mother baboon with a baby baboon on her back. In South Africa, you see signs saying, “Don’t feed the baboons.” To do so is a death warrant. If baboons get used to receiving food from people, they become a problem and have to be destroyed. 

We rode in the van to Bontebok National Park and saw bonteboks (a type of antelope), zebras and cranes. At another park we saw the Jackass Penguin, named for their donkey-like braying call. They are also known as African Penguins. Their distinctive coloring is camouflage — white for underwater predators looking upward and black for predators looking down onto the water. They are monogamous. Partners take turns incubating their eggs and feeding their young.

When the tour was over, I stayed a couple of days to take a two-day Safari in the Inverdoorn Game Reserve. Eight of us in a Land Rover started out at 5:00 p.m. and then again the next day at 6:00 a.m. (It was cold both times. The driver provided blankets.) First, we came upon four cheethas relaxing under the trees. Next we took pictures of three lions. Then a herd of water buffalo and many white flamingos came into view. A giraffe and two rhinoceroses ignored each other. Then the two rhinos walked across the road in front of our stopped Land Rover. Bontebok and springbok traveled in herds. Water buffalo waded in the water. Yes, this was different from seeing the animals in a zoo.

My trip was nearing the end. After the safari I returned to the Ashanti Hostel. There were three bunk beds per room. The only vacant bed in my room was an upper bunk. None of my new roommates were there at the moment, so I decided to see if I could get into my upper bunk. I made it! But I was going to have to be careful not to roll over since there were no railings on the side of the bunk. Then I got down to find something in my suitcase and a fellow entered the room. He looked at me and said, “I'll move to the upper bunk.” I said, “Fine. Thanks.” Chivalry is not dead. I got a good night’s sleep in my lower bunk and headed for the Cape Town airport and home.