South Africa - The Lions on the Road: Cycling London to Cape Town - page 286

I stayed on the N1 and continued until I arrived at a farm just before the next toll-
booth. I got permission from an 89-year-old farmer, Mr. H.J. Hanasnegen, to spend the
night. After taking a shower, his grandson who lived across the yard brought dinner for the
both of us. We said grace together and as we ate he shared some of his life experiences. I
was impressed when he mentioned that he owned several farms, 2000 head of cattle, two
dams and a river. He had a really sharp mind and was quite astute when discussing a spec-
trum of topics. Afterwards, his grandson returned to collect the plates and Mr. Hanasnegen
retired to his room. After staying up to write in my journal, I went to my room and quickly
fell asleep.
In the morning, I ate breakfast with him and then took my first photo with my new
camera (above). With his blessing and a big thank-you from me, I left his home. I didn't
realizehowcolditwasuntilIsteppedoutside.Ihadtoaddseverallayersofclothingbefore
I pushed off.
Back on the N1, I went through the tollbooth without any questions. It seemed that
the further I was from Johannesburg the less of a concern it was for me to be on the high-
way. During the morning cycle, two things really stood out. First, it was the utter silence.
I was alone on the highway and there were no sounds from any birds or other creatures.
Second, what I found unique was the smell in the air. It was amazingly sweet and invited
me to take deeper breaths.
By 11:00 a.m., I reached the halfway point to Kroonstad and stopped at a rest area
to say the Rosary. I continued cycling until 2:30 and when I arrived in the town, I went to
the police station to get assistance in finding two addresses. The first address was Lucy's
friend Ceryl Shaw. Since I only had a name, I asked permission to telephone Lucy so I
could get his address and phone number. She apologized that she didn't get a chance to let
him know about my arrival. I wrote down the address anyway and took my chances to see
if he was home. The second address was the Catholic Church.
The police were great. They let me leave my bike at the station and drove me to
Ceryl Shaw's place but sadly he wasn't home. I was then taken to the Catholic Church
where I met Father Joe who gave me permission to pitch my tent. The police drove me