More headwinds ... so we take it easy

January 4, 2021

Wolseley to Worcester

The wind howled throughout the night but seemed to calm down a bit as morning approached. We had decided last night that we would only ride as far as Worcester today because we were unsure about the wind and the first twenty kilometers of the ride validated that decision because it was hard work.

One of the Wolseley blockhouses. During the second Anglo-Boer War the British built a series of blockhouses to protect the railway line that supplied their troops. Ultimately they were not successful because the Boers changed tactics to guerilla warfare and the blockhouses were too expensive and time consuming to build.

Even though the day started off with the mountains hidden partially in low clouds and the wind made life unpleasant, the great views were still obvious.

About twenty kilometers from Worcester the wind started to calm down a bit and the clouds cleared and we could start enjoying the ride. At this point we thought we could have pushed on to Robertson but in the end we were glad to end the ride in Worcester.

Looking towards Bainskloof Pass (see https://www.cycleblaze.com/journals/secondstep/bains-kloof-pass-to-durbanville-a-classic-mountain-pass-ticked-off-to-end-the-trip/).

We're spending the night in a cottage behind a small art gallery pretty much in the center of the large, well organized town. Tomorrow's ride will once again be into a headwind. Unfortunately the prevailing wind on the coast between Port Elizabeth to Cape Town is from the south-east during the summer month so we will have to endure them until we get back to PE.

Today's ride: 43 km (27 miles)
Total: 1,518 km (943 miles)

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