Cape Town Bound

Saturday May 5th

The day is finally here. The last day. The final push. One more run through of the now well polished routine.

I am occupied with emotions different but similar to those of four months ago, when the start day was upon us. Nerves, intrepidation, anticipation, excitement, relief. The main difference is that those emotions felt heightened, intensified and more critical four months ago. Today, while I feel all of the above, they feel less critical. It is hard to explain, how can one feel the same emotion, but different. I suppose I consider them to be at a different ends of the spectrum. I am entering safety, normality, mundane life and therefore while I may be nervous or excited, I am no longer facing the unknown, so the feelings are not as intense.

I slept well, albeit a little chilly, on the ground, on my canvas sheet, in my sleeping bag and liner. I did awaken at about 12 in need of the bathroom, and ventured the 400m through the campsite to the toilet block. The sky was clear and the stars surrounded the tents like a planetarium. I took my time, and sat under the stars for a bit, appreciating how in touch with nature we have become. When you spend 24/7 outside for four months, you become very in tune with the climate. Without any knowledge of names, I can recognise star patterns and where they are likely to be in the sky. I can tell which direction the wind is coming from based on the temperature. A place is either humid or arid depending on how much your lips are cracking, The shade of grey colouring the clouds, and time of day, indicate how quickly you need to be pedalling in search of shelter for the impending storm, or how tightly you should be securing your tent. All these things are things which can't be taught, it is an awareness that is only developed from repeated exposure, it is an awareness I am certain will become blunted by the domesticity to which we are returning.

Anyhow, we had a later start time this morning. Dictated by the later breakfast time. We had to be at the lunch truck by 12, for our convoy into Cape Town, and we were expected at Lagoon Beach Hotel at about 1.30pm. We had a distance of about 80km to cover. Tallis warned us not to be complacent, while it was a shorter distance than we normally cycled, there have been cyclists who lost their 'EFI' on the last day by stopping too frequently and for too long. Conscious of the shorter distance, and the buffet lunch and dinner later in the day, I think a number of us were rationing our breakfast...couldn't resist the Nutella though. Yes, that chocolate flavoured palm oil will always have an unhealthy power over me.

Steph, Jenna, David, Allain, Mo and I all seemed to set off at the same time. Well, actually, Steph, Jenna and I set off together and stopped at the Danish coffee shop 500m up the road to have a coke stop, but it was closed, so we joined the others as the cycled past us. It was a nice group to be cycling with; I have got to know Allain better over the last week or so, because we have often been cycling in proximity to each other, and we shared a boat on the canoe trip on the Orange River.

The first 40km were harder than I expected - undulating. For some reason, I had expected we would meander along at sea level, not cut through the hills! It's always the way, you feel close to the end, and expect it to be easy, and then find you're working harder than you expected! It was a very enjoyable cycle though, and the scenery as picturesque as ever.

It felt particularly poignant to be cycling through arable farming areas, which were obviously mechanised, and very green and productive. Good quality tar roads. Privately owned vehicles. No pedestrians. No wandering livestock. The odd dog, being walked by an owner, on a lead. How life changes from one country to the next. The contrast through Africa was really driven home this morning, as we cycled through countryside resembling the familiar.

We stopped in a small town for coffee, although being time conscious it was a bit rushed. Harriet was sweep this morning and caught us up in the coffee shop. I then cycled the rest of the way to the lunch truck with Harriet, riding sweep. I haven't actually cycled with Harriet for the whole trip, so it was quite nice to bob along at the back with her. Getting as aero as possible down the hills before powering back up the other side. Discussing what we were planning on wearing the the 'Final Dinner' this evening. I had asked Matt to bring out a dress for me, but forgot to mention shoes, so was planning on wear that with flip-flops! Although, among my requested items was also my hoody and Canterbury tracksuit bottoms. I have missed having a hoody to wear quite a lot!

Along the way, we caught up with Dylan and his dad, so cycled behind them for a bit. When we reached the suburb of Atlantis we left Dylan and his dad and stopped with the new tail end Charlies - Katherine, Erin and Agnes. Just before reaching these guys, Harriet and I had our adrenaline fix for the day. Cycling along, minding our own business...actually Harriet was telling me about a tv advert for insurance I think. The road coming into Atlantis was busy for it's size, and the area felt quite run down, a bit like the South African equivalent of Te Teko...slightly threatening and not very well kept. There were rolls of barbed wire beside the road, and a dead bloated horse on his back on the grass between the road and the houses. In fact, to quote Wikipedia, 'Unemployment, lack of housing and crime are major challenges in the area.' Amused by the fact that the last day was taking us through the most menacing area of the whole trip, I was once again reflecting on the differences between the countries, and the misconception that to live in a city, or an affluent country, correlates with quality of life. We passed three boys of about 12 years of age sitting on the bank by the road, we both noticed them, laughing and waving sticks around. Just as we pulled level with them, one of the jumped up and, laughing and shouting, ran at us with a 6inch knife! Harriet was silenced mid story, and her expression changed from that of laughter to imminent concern. We both powered on our pedals to accelerate out of the woods and away from the pointy thing being brandished at us. Neither of us had been expected in be chased by a knife wielding 12 year old on our victory cycle to the finish line! I think it had just been bored kids, but nevertheless!

Tallis had been driving up and down patrolling the roads and pulled in beside us at the corner shop where Katherine and the team were...with peanuts and Fanta Grape. We told him about the kids, and he went off to talk to them (not convinced I would be doing that!), he warned us of some more kids furhter ahead who kept moving the flagging tape. He had plied them with Energy bars in attempt to convince them to leave the flagging tape where it was needed. Sure enough about 3km down the road there were 10 kids lining the junction where we were to turn, some of them grasping Pineapple PVM bars. A girl, again probably early teens, waved teh PVM bar out for Harriet. Harriet didn't take it, and instead had it thrown at her once we had passed - landing right on target in between her shoulder blades!

Welcome to Cape Town. The land of shanty towns, gated villas, poverty, affluence, inequality, Apratheid museums, crime and tourism.

The rest of the cycle was fairly uneventful. The traffic remained steady, and we passed through numerous shanty towns. The resembled those I had learnt about in geography, in South America. Corrugated metal roofs, population density, dirt floors, no toilets, right beside the road. Unappealing.

We pulled into the lunch stop, the last of the group to arrive. A gourmet feast was on offer! Cold meats, cheeses, grapes (yum!), crisps, juices, crackers....and nutella. It was a very nice spot to stop. A lay by beside the beach. with Table Mountain and the City Bowl in the background. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and we could literally see the finish line. We still had about 15km left to cycle, with the token police escort. I think a few people had been there for an hour and a half. We had a minute sojourn, and a photo stop, before forming our final convoy.

I was paired with David, which was a nice way to ride in, considering we had ridden together so much through the trip. There was a central bus lane on the highway into the city, and this was where we rode. A smooth trip in, with only a few minor hiccoughs - when the lights at intersections changed from green to red while the convoy was half way across - other than that it was probably one of our best convoys....and we have done a fair few now! David and I were reflecting on the trip, and once again, discussing our next challenge. He is keen to organise to do something physical next year, I am a bit limited in terms of only having 4 weeks holiday a year, and being so far from everywhere (NZ is not just a minibreak away from anywhere but Australia!). I think I have decided that my next challenge is to try and live a less driven and less full life - i.e. try and be settled. Before I left on this trip I was training for a half ironman and working full time (including on call), prior to that I was training for a 10km fundraising swim, and previous to that it was quarter ironman. I am very goal oriented, and find it hard not to be working towards something. Sometimes it feels like you are wishing you life away, when you are always working towards something in the future. Living such a focused life doesn't leave much time for other people or interests. If people invited me for dinner, I would decline because I had that time allocated to something else. A weekend on call means that week nights are jam packed with long training sessions to fit it. A family member pops in for coffee, but I would really rather they didn't because I didn't feel I really had time. Colleagues would talk about a tv show, and I would have no idea about it because watching tv isn't part of the schedule. So, while others were planning there next big event, I have been mentally stealing myself to try and live a more settled life.

We approached a large intersection, with traffic lights, flagging tape marked a right turn. We followed the road round to the right and there was the beach. Suddenly the calm and the routine was lost. There were people talking, and wooping. Someone was telling us to get off, someone telling us we could cycle. We manged to fall into single file and before I even realised what was happenening we were cycling along a boardwalk on a sandy beach. A banner visible about 100m away. People were stopping infront of me as they saw their loved ones, others trying to cycle past them. Sand on the boardwalk causing a traffic jam. The calm become chaotic. I saw Matt just behind a few other couples, with his camera in hand.

It was over. It hit me out of no where. I cycled up to Matt, and just started crying as I hugged him. I was overcome with an incredible sense of being lost. I hadn't anticipated it at all. Infact, I had felt that I was well prepared for 'the end', having been aware from the beginning and having even looked forward to it for the last few weeks. However, there I was, standing on the beach, in Cape Town, with Matt, as I had been looking forward to, feeling lost. I had been working towards something for so long, and now I had nothing at all that I was working towards. Previously, as one challenge was ending, I had another in the pipeline. I wasn't sad, or disappointed, or even overly proud; just overwhelmingly lacking direction!

I pulled it together as much as I could. I think I was more surprised than anyone else, with my reaction to crossing the finish line! I also think I was the only one to start crying in that way. It was bizarre after so long of being each other's support and family, to see everyone dissipate among the crowd and the social priorities shift. After greeting friends and family, we then congratulated each other and yet more photographs. We were all staying in the hotel right beside the finish line.

Bikes parked up and secured, the crowd gradually meandered from the beach in to the bar lounge for the 'awards ceremony'. All participants received a TdA medal, and those who cycled the whole thing received an additional EFI medal. It was a pretty brief ceremony, and the EFI medal awards, unfortunately still proved to me a contentious issue for some. It is a shame, as so much of being able to cycle everyday is luck in terms of not getting sick, and perhaps the award is encouraging recklessness in terms of not resting when you should. Either way, I think travelling the length of Africa, staying in a tent and cycling the majority of the time is something that everyone should be proud to have partaken in, whether they cycled everyday or not.

It was really nice to see people with their significant others/children/friends. It provides an insight in to their lives at home, but also puts faces to the names we have heard all the way down.

So, what now? Well first stop is a comfy bed and a warm shower. Matt and I have two weeks in South Africa, and then I have some time at home before returning to work. I am keen to do the Silk Route, but realistically think it will have to be at least 4 years down the line (money and time off and relationship wise). And four years is a long time, who knows what might happen before then.

To anyone considering doing TdA, my advise is to go for it. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I was expecting. I actually feel like people are unjustly impressed when you say that you have cycled from Cairo to Cape Town. It is alot more manageable than it sounds, as long as you want to do it, and have reasonable level of fitness. There wasn't one day when I thought, 'I don't want to be here'. I don't think there are many other 4 month periods in my life that I can say that for.

Carpe diem as you only live once.