Too cold for tents.

Golden Gate national park

Around the edges of Lesotho, lie some stunning landscapes.  When making my way back into South Africa I'd stumbled into a particularly good example: the Golden Gate Park, so named because of the  sandstone buttresses that dominate the grassy plains.  I wound my way through the park, admiring the sweeping vistas and enjoying the grandstand views as I descended onto the main plains of the Zulu-Natal province.

One night was enough for me in a "centrally located" backpackers that will remain nameless.  I was there for the internet, frankly, but a bit disappointed that the nearest hiking was an hour away!  I had read all the guidebook notes, and still ended up somewhere that didn't suit my plans.  Their 'nickle & dime' manner of handling a captive audience compares badly with the more generous approach of all the other hostels I've been staying in.

I made a quick tour of the Drakensburg area.  There are popular destinations in this region, with titles such as The Giant's Cup, Champagne Castle, Cathedral Peak and The Amphitheatre.  And indeed, there is fantastic hiking and climbing to be had amongst the mountain and foothills.  I was determined to get in amongst it, and chose the Champagne Castle for one night, but camping in -2 degrees tests one's resolve.

I did enjoy a gentle hike as part of my 'exercise' regime.  The regime has softened as my body starts to show signs of wear and tear from fifteen months of biking.  What I really need is a long period of physiotherapy and some regular, orchestrated fitness work.  Meantime, I do the best I can and hope I hold up for a while.

After my dabble with nature it was time to suck up my courage (along with some pollution) and delve into Johannesberg, a few hours up the highway.  This is my last opportunity to carry out any maintenance or preparation on my bike until Nairobi, Kenya.  In between times it will be very difficult to fix major problems, so I had an appointment with the overlanding experts at Cycle Technology t/a Cytech & Tours For Africa.

Here's the most recent mini-map... from Port Saint John to Johannesburg.  Google won't take the obvious route, so you have to ignore the blue lines around the western edges of Lesotho.  My route took me across the eastern side - from about 4 'o clock to 12 'o clock, if you see what I mean.  I doubled back to 3 'o clock to see the Drakensberg.



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