7 countries.
7,507km.
60,115m elevation.
356h 55m of cycling.
The Equator to the Cape.
Nailed it.
Our final day in the saddle was glorious, (no signs of the dreaded Capetonian winter). We had clear blue skies and sunshine which meant from the moment we turned out of our sleep spot and onto the main road, we could see Table Mountain looming in the distance. Our epic finish line was in sight and we powered towards it. We ended up powering a little too hard (in no way assisted by the tailwinds and downward sloping of course...) and had to bring our little welcome party forwards.
It was a stunning and goosebump rendering cycle. From about 40km out, we turned a corner to see the city of Cape Town, our final destination, and the beautiful bay sprawling at the foot of Table Mountain. Moments of the journey flooded in and out of our brains as the end drew closer and closer, our eyes now on the prize. We had spent the previous evening swapping our most difficult stories; everything from gravel road torture, nothing left in the tank cries to tough winds and frustrating people. The aim of reminiscing the lows was to remember that although the joy and adrenaline of finishing would take over, that the hard times existed and we shouldn't forget to be proud as well as happy.
Muuuuuuch more difficult than it seems. Given the ease of that final ride and the elation of peddling through the city, the finish line did not include any of the tougher emotions we had experienced. It was simply surreal. It was like the whole four months prior were just a weird dream. Like we had just cycled that one day into Cape Town and the rest of the adventure hadn't happened. It was impossible to grasp the gravitas that we wanted that moment to hold. Despite that very week having some of our most testing riding, and our longest string of consecutive days in the saddle: all that had melted away. It wasn't even as though the rose tinted glasses were on and we were basking in the fun and adventure - even that felt like a story we had heard from someone else. The hugeness of the reality of what we had achieved was too big to cram into those minutes. So we rolled up to the V&A Waterfront, surrounded by hundreds of tourists basking in the unseasonably sunny day but with zero idea as to why there were two dazed cyclists on fully loaded bikes taking up so much room.
There might not have been the overwhelming emotions that we had been expecting, but oh there were BIG smiles. They mostly came from relief of having finished, even if our brains couldn't fully process exactly how big the thing was that we had finished. A lot of the smiles came from the little cheerleading crew at the finish line - Bridget and Patrick (old friends from Naomi's previous time in South Africa) and Isa (a friend of Egmont, and a source of real support and assistance to us).
So we smiled and laughed, slightly nervously and almost confusedly whilst we posed for celebratory photos. And then we toasted with fizz and let our parents know that we were done and they could finally breathe easy. Sitting in the sun with our perfect little crew of celebrators was the best way to spend the rest of the afternoon, no fanfare was required (especially given we couldn't remember what we had even achieved) and we sat full of pure content. We later peddled on over to our apartment, which was smack bang in the middle of the city. When we opened the curtains to our balcony we were stunned by the fact that we had an unbelievable view of the flat topped wonder of the world. Right there from our own balcony. Amazing. The excitement of being in Cape Town was very real, and we had a quick shower and head out for dinner. The feeling of just popping to Cape Town for a long weekend immediately set in as we sat down in a quirky and bustling restaurant for dinner. All thoughts of pasta cooked in a room (using boiled water from a kettle and sweet chilli sauce...mmmm) or dry and chewy tasteless chicken or stodgy pasta and watery tomato sauce or terrible nsima or the mountains of peanut butter sandwiches disappeared. Poof! Gone, and all that remains is the buzz of being in the city. We sipped cocktails and beers before realising that the majority of the tour feelings had dissipated, but that tiredness was tricky to shake and we trotted off to bed.
We set aside the following day for admin, in particular to get the bikes to the freight place for shipping back to the UK. As we cycled the bikes the 8km over to the docks, a nostalgia started to set in: realising that this was the last time on the bikes for a long while. Once again, the tantrums and refusals to continue on the corrugation gravel in Namibia; the stops-you-in-you-tracks winds of South Africa; the overwhelming heat and hills days of Zambia; the mountains of Tanzania - all the painful riding was gone from memory. All that was left was remembering the freedom of peddling and the pleasure of propelling ourselves along on our own adventure. And we didn't want it to end.
Thankfully the bike organising and sending was simple business (Econotrans were brilliant) and we said goodbye to half of our team: Stevie and Herbie were real heroes, they navigated the hits of the incessant bumpy roads; the extra loads of water on long barren stretches; the knock and bangs and kicks (sorry again for that Stevie, I was having a really bad day) without complaint. And other than a couple of disc rotor prangs and the day of the punctures - they took it all like troopers. Surlys really are the perfect touring bikes.
After a lunch of salad (what a luxury!) we were picked up by Bridget for a tour of the coastal path winding east out of Cape Town central. A beautiful stretch of road cut into the cliff with gorgeous beaches and bays. But once again, the nostalgia set in. Seeing cyclists climb through this patch of road made us jealous, because there really is no better way to really experience sights and places than in an open topped (and open-sided) bike. We were then treated to a home cooked dinner with a friend of Bridget's. And what a home it was - set in Kalk Bay with unbelievable views of the bay and the mountains. We sat on the balcony and sipped delicious wine and realised that life off the bike has a lot to offer too!
Our second full day in Cape Town was Charlie's birthday! After organised surprises delivered by the hotel: chocolate cake on a happy birthday plate and a home made card featuring a tiger (Go Tiges) we set off with Bridget to Stellenbosch, the famed wine region just outside of Cape Town. It was a cloudy day in central Cape Town, and the cleverly named table-cloth clouds loomed over the mountain, but as soon as we left the city the clouds cleared and blue skies opened up. The whole area is beautiful, as you would imagine. Green hills and scattered vineyards. Our first stop was at Muratie (one of the oldest vineyards in the region) where we were treated to a real masterclass by an enthusiastic young guy who spoiled us with delicious wines. Feeling like wine tasting pros, we set off to our second spot to grab some lunch in the sunshine. This time there was a different type of show, as the kind waiter brought over complimentary glasses of champagne after over-hearing about the birthday boy, a peacock strutted around and put on a real feathery show. We sipped crisp white wine and devoured delicious food whilst he strutted his stuff around our table. At the end of the day of wineries, we head back to the bay for a seafood dinner right where the waves crashed on the shore.
The 25th of July will always be a special day. Charlie insisted that I have a bit of a pamper morning, so I set off for a hair cut and a mini-spa session while he explored more of the city and Waterfront. We met up again and head off to climb Lion's Head - one of the mountains just on the edge of the city. It was the perfect level of hiking difficulty for our still cycle-tired legs - tough enough to get a little sweat on and be more than just a walk, but only lasting about an hour from very bottom to very top. The panoramic views from the top did not disappoint: Table Mountain standing proud and tall over the sprawling, buzzing city and arcs of beaches and bays glistening in the late afternoon sunshine. Charlie found a spot where we could sit and enjoy the views away from the other climbers, he pulled out a mini bottle of bubbles to toast to our success and then came the single best moment of Naomi's life thus far: Charlie proposed. It was the perfect moment, and the perfect conclusion to our remarkable adventure. As one journey came to and end, another one is just beginning.
It's easy to recall and record in the blog posts, the tough times and niggles. And it is part of wanting to do something where your limits are pushed (and believe us, they were) which leads to recounting the hard moments. But the reflections on the top of that mountain were the simple happy times which made the whole journey the trip of a lifetime. Of course seeing lions and climbing sand dunes and taking to the air in small planes over national parks and swimming in a beautiful lake give the adventure its epic-ness. But it is the smaller, shared moments of pure happiness which made the whole thing priceless, and which we will miss the most and yet which we haven't mentioned. The laughs by the side of the road as we consume loaves and loaves of peanut butter sandwiches. The shared looks of astonishment when we round a corner to see another incredible view. The bike races down the hills. The talking to the animal noises as we peddle past (mainly bleating at goats and mooing at cows. Thankfully there was never a need for a roar). The in-jokes that make absolutely no sense, but were hilarious at the time. The happy silences in the afternoons as we laid up and rested, content in each others' company. The simple pleasure of a shared morning routine. The songs we would sing on the bike, in the rain or on tough days.
We are so proud to have raised £5,610 for The Egmont Trust across the last 4 months and the months preceding our departure. We saw firsthand how amazing the projects that Egmont support are and know this money will be put to good use. Thank you to all that donated and supported us through this journey. It was without doubt a trip of a lifetime and one we will never forget.
And now, the real world is calling.
