November 30, 2025
To Warrenton
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After I went to bed last night, I was woken by a knock at my door. It was Beverley, the owner's daughter, with a concerned look on her face. "Sir... where is your bicycle?", she asked cautiously. When I smiled and told her it was in the room with me, she breathed a sigh of relief. She had thought someone had stolen it since she hadn't seen it for a while. "I am so relieved, i didn't want any trouble!", she said before wishing me a good night. This made me think again about how crime here is real, and precautions must always be taken.
The rest of the guests who were staying at the guest house returned at 1am from the wedding party they had been attending, and a musical bonanza commenced from car stereo systems. I increased the speed on my fan to dissipate the party sounds, and eventually fell asleep. This morning, I felt a tad tired.
Yet again, I was glad to have planned a short day today. 64km to Warrenton, albeit with a 50km gradual climb and moderate head wind. The ride was spectacular. The N18 took me right through some amazing commercial farms which I found very interesting. Vast fields of orange trees, olive trees, pecan nut trees and wheat, with state of the art irrigation systems and farm machinery all in place for passers-by to see. I was impressed. The wheat and olive silos were enormous. This was commercial farming on a scale that I had not seen in Africa. I assumed most of the produce was for an export market. Watching all the farms and associated greenery made the ride most enjoyable, and to top it off, the N18 became wider!
Just before entering Warrenton, I crossed the Vaal River, which was in full flow, even breaking its banks in some parts. It was great to actually see a river in full flow. So far on this tour, all the rivers I crossed were either dry river beds, or isolated ponds along the river's path. The Vaal River was the first one flowing merrily along. The Vaal is the largest tributary of the Orange River, and its source is 240km from the Indian Ocean, so I had just crossed a river that flows across more than two thirds of this vast country!
Warrenton is a sleepy town in the Northern Cape Province. Today, being Sunday, everything was due to close at 1pm, including the Spar Supermarket. After checking in to Immanuel Guest House, I went shopping for lunch, dinner and breakfast before closing time. I spent a very restful afternoon in the garden watching more birds come and go from the water fountain that trickled away in the background. Tomorrow, I hope to reach Kimberley, the birthplace of the De Beers diamond empire.
Today's ride: 64 km (40 miles)
Total: 1,569 km (974 miles)
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