Wet and cold conditions — and load-shedding — all in a day’s work

The stay at Northgate Lodge outside Louis Trichardt was marred by load-shedding.

A generator gave us lights in our chalets, but for the night most of them had no power in the socket outlets.

However, hot water for coffee was available at Esme’s kitchen chalet, where we consumed more cereal for breakfast.

I was forbidden from riding today as I have elevated blood pressure.

That was a blessing not in disguise because our cyclists, having driven down the N1, turned onto the R36 towards Tzaneen, and set out in wet and cold conditions that also became mistier.

I had a lift with Sue and Sharon.

The first of our duties was to search for Gerald’s credit card both in his bed and at Caltex, both of which denied having stolen it.

We also had an appeal from cyclists on the road to buy washing-up gloves to keep the frostbite off their hands.

We reached the cyclists 20km into their ride and handed over the gloves.

The road got mistier and we were able to warn the supporting buses of the conditions ahead of them.

Sue, Sharon and I arrived in Tzaneen quite early, took Brian’s clothes to a laundromat and picked up new medication for me before heading to the Tarentilos resort.

We occupied their six-room guest house, two bungalows and two rooms in nearby B&Bs.

At dinner time Colin addressed the team and said: “Today we had a good ride.”

As a non-rider for the day, I was surprised by that remark.

Esme and Carlene provided great soup and rolls, followed by chicken and rice, then fruit salad. We are certainly being fed well.

Then to bed!

The contributions are coming in to the Eyabantwana For the Children Trust (an independent nonprofit trust established to support the work of the Eastern Cape Paediatric Surgical Services based at the East London hospitals).

If you would like to make a donation of any amount to Eyabantwana, you can do an EFT to Eyabantwana, Nedbank Branch 198765 (Beacon Bay) Account No 1138181366 or use the QR Code.

DispatchLIVE