Nothing else to do but get out the tools and get to work, afterall we are experts now after 3 punctures the previous day and luckily we fixed those tubes in Prince Albert. Wheel out, tyre off, tube out, new tube in tyre on and plug the desert fox compressertjie in and ..nothing, compressor is dead. Now have you ever seen 2 grown men nearly burst out in tears, this means we will have to use the little bicycle pump to pump this tyre until it seats on the rim. Well Grant, being the single one starts working that pump with gusto and then I take over, then Grant again but alas that tyre, she is not having any of this.
Dis alweer hel warm innie Karoo and we are eventually down to being shirtless trying to get this tyre to seat, we even put the tyre on the bike and Grant went for a little ride to see if maybe it would seat, but nada, nothing.
View attachment 775142
So time for the bombs to come out and maybe that will help. 4 bombs later the tyre is inflated but just requires that last bit to seat properly on the rim. as we about to fit the tyre, POP, it eventually is back in place all snug around the rim. So now we inspect the tube to find the cause as there was nothing in the tyre, only to find that it had perished near the valve from being folded for so long. in my defence your honour, that was the 1st time in about 6 years of taking the tube everywhere with me that I or someone needed to use it. i am very lucky that I have never had a puncture in 12 years of adventure biking and that one time I offer it to someone ,poof, it is fubar from not being used.
So regardless, a decision is made to rather go back to Prince ALbert and slab it on tar via Klaarstroom towards Willowmore. Through Prince Albert on to Klaarstroom, through Meirings Poort again to De Rust (thanks Heimer) where we stop to try find some sort of liquid refreshment. We manage to find some arty, farty type of art gallery/cafe that only have instant coffee at R30 per cup, ah well it is something so we sit down to enjoy our "cheap" instant coffee before tackling the 112km to Willowmore.
it is getting late now so I phone the hotel in Willowmore to find out if they have a place for us for the night and Cameron says yes they have a room with 2 single beds and the kitchen closes at 19h00 becuase of loadshedding. I order 2 burgers and tell Cameorn we will be there by 19h00 on condition the bar is open. Ek is dors en mens het nie krag nodig op Rum en coke te gooi nie. Cameron says he will be waiting for us so we head off via the R341 destination Royal Hotel in Willowmore.
The ride there, besides being a little boring still manages to offer us a great sunset and we ride with a full moon above us which affords us the opportunity to scout for some new roads to ride in the future.
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We duly arrive in Willowmore at 19h04 and as we turn into the main road, all the streetlights go off. i thought it is because the people knew there were 2 very thirsty men riding into town but no it was thanks to Eskom, load shedding had started.
Needless to say we parked in front of the hotel and headed straight for the bar, treating ourselves to a few rum and cokes. After the worst thirst was quenched we moved our bikes around back, dropped our kit off in the room and headed straight back into the bar, thinking that our burgers would be waiting for us but nothing. Oh well, in that case pour us another rum and coke barman, so I can do my duty and drink what the people that pay me want me too.
Red Heart rum runners in action
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After copious amounts of liquid refreshments our burgers arrive and hats off to the chef who, in spite of load shedding served us the best hand cut, skin on chips with our burgers. We sat around chatting to the locals and I gave an pronto lesson on the various types of whisky and whiskey as well as the process of making tequila and the different types of tequila. That barman is now lank clever when it comes to liquor.
Finally we retired to our rooms for a good night's rest as tomorrow we need to ride all the way to Hogsback. Grant, I still want to know what the reason was for you rolling around on the floor in the room laughing yourself silly, I thought you going to have a heart attack man
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