So I stopped at Van Zylsrus for a brekvis. I bought a frsh baked pie and a Coke, rode out of town and had my last hot meal for 30 hours. The road to Askham follows the dry Kuruman river and the landscape is dotted with farms every few kilometer along the river. After about 150km I reached Askham., and turned on the tar road towards the parks gate about 70km away.
I reached the gate of the park, took the photo and turned around. 1213km. Now I was heading for the desert. The Klein Awaspan. First 8km back to the settlement of Welkom Hartbees, and then 13km through the desert to the lone house on the pan.
I entered the little village and asked where I will get hold of my connection, the shopowner, All the children was running around me on the bike. One of them took a picture. And another shouted “Oom jou tyre is pap!” So wragtig. The rear tyre again. And the gate at the back of the settlement to the dunes were also locked and the key was gone! So I pumped the tyre and left for another 7km back down the road. Hoping it would last. There is another path running through the desert. But I did not get to that road. The tyre was flat again and I stopped at a farm and asked an old woman if I can repair my tyre on her yard. I made myself at home. Sometime later her son came along Nikus Strauss. I took out the old tube but the patch was gone. The slime in the tube would not let the patch last. So plan B. I took out a spare 21 inch tube and place it on the 17 inch rim. It worked and of I went on the tweespoorpaadjie.
