Globe trot to South Africa

Sawu Bona!  (in Zulu... Hello!)

Made it all the way to the southern tip of Africa... Kind of crazy to imagine where we are on the globe and how far we travelled to get here, but yes, we made it safe and (somewhat) sound.  

From Chilmark to Johannesburg - 42 hours of travel and still counting...

The 2 overnight flights separated by a 12 hour layover in Munich was a bit much though the most painful part was trying to stay awake for the 5 hour drive from Johannesburg south to Pietermaritzburg.  Driving (and shifting) on the opposite side of the road seemed to actually help us keep alert as well as stopping on the hour to keep the caffeine levels topped up.    We knew it would be tough travel when we booked the tickets and that getting here early was going to be key in being rested and ready for the first world cup.

Getting back on track has been a bit of a struggle as we try to get our internal clocks in sync with South Africa time zones, and fight off the sickness that is just so easy to pick up on those long international flights.  

Shaking out the airplane legs above PMB

The weather has been mild but surprisingly rainy, that in combination with the clay like mud around these parts has made for some interesting rides.  The tune up race we did last Saturday on the world cup course was hysterically slippery  and pretty much the most demanding type of mud we have had the chance to ride for a long time.   

UCI cat 2 - Elite Women getting ready to get muddy.

Unfortunately we did not capture pictures of the mud infested state we were both in after the race... But we can honestly say, there was not one piece of our bodies or bikes that wasn't covered.  In retrospect, I had it good, at least I could ride most of the course before it deteriorated.  It got so sloppy out there the men had to RUN almost everything... 

Clean up and recovery from that epic day of racing in the mud has had us working the whole week, especially a complete bike overhauling starting with a complete disassembly and internal frame washing, drying, new or repacking all bearings and cables - some serious rehab!   but all is well as we take it one step at a time each day to arrive on saturday with all the necessary logistics in order!

We have been able to get in some nice training rides on quiet dirt roads outside PMB and deep into the countryside.  Cool animals sightings are starting to add up, so far a huge warthog,  zebras, and dancing whooping cranes,  also lots of monkeys that the locals consider pests but still seem pretty exotic to us.  

Big open landscapes, long shadows as we head into Fall here

We are looking forward to 3 more weeks in this country while we make our way to the coast and west to Port Elizabeth for another national race.   We hope to find good weather and good trails for training,  see a bit of the country as well as experience a little culture along the way.

Wishing you all the best,

Salagahle!

Mary and Mike

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