Ode to a bicycle

Africa » South Africa » Eastern Cape » Port Elizabeth
July 6th 2007

Published: October 16th 2007

So strong was the smell of the green rolling hills that it literally attacked me with childhood memories. I wasn’t cycling through the verdant valleys of the Western Cape, I was cycling down memory lane. Through an outdoor childhood spent at my grandfathers farm, running through the high late-summers grass, pulling pranks with my grandmother as she carried firewood down to the house and eating ... Read Full Entry

Photos are below

Photos: 33, Displayed: 21

But the following day we would always be back on the road again

Overberg backroads, between Malghas and Slangrivier.

Meeting close

Babbons crossing the road at Bredasdorp.

And not so close relatives

Swellendam inhabitant, gently browsing at the roadside.

By chanse we met the Silversurfer

At the Upperclass-waterfront, Knysna.

And he showed us his collection of wetsuits

Jeffrey's Bay, the surfer mecka of Africa, a week before the annual Billabong Pro contest. Already a wek before the big event, it was getting hard to find accomodation.

Sometimes the roads weren't ready

Aili struggling to leave the Christian sect village of Elim.

Be an organ donor.

The whole village of Elim is a journey in time to visit. It's built by a German/Czech Christian sect in the 19:th century and stil today, everything pivoted around the church. All the houses in the village had Thatched roofs and roofthatching was the most common occupation among the men of the village. Today it's only coloured people living in the village. The Organplayer took us inside the church for a look and played some dramatic songs in German, Italian and Afrikaans on the huge organ, as a storm passed by outside the thick-walled church. The Chruch clock was a hunderd yers (or more) older than the church and had to be pulled up by hand, twice a week, by the village clock-master, and teh whole procedure was more complicated than I've got room to write here. Elim is a very special place, well worth visiting for an eerie time-voyage feel.

Cape Aghulas

Where Oceans and emotions meet.

Late evening contemplating

Wilderness beach. Me trying to soak up the atmosphere, among the huge mansions and architectural catastrophies that overlook the beach at Wilderness.

Our last Protea

Somewhere at Gaansbaai. The symbol of the Western Cape, the beautiful Protea flower. It doesn't get more Fynbos than that!

Agulhas merge

Aili looking out towards the South Pole. The dissapointment was total, since we didn't see any icebergs.

Counting sheep

Days as well as nights.

17th October 2007

Marcoelitaliano
Marco Daprile

Short but Good.
As good as it gets. As usual. And, Yes, cycling is the real way of travelling.

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Ode to a bicycle

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