February 24, 2017
Villiersdorp to Onrus: Heat, hills and wind
We were late in leaving this morning because there was heavy dew last night and we wanted to dry the tent out as much as possible. Consequently, we only hit the road at about eight o'clock and then spent some time on the side of the road adjusting Leigh's bike's front mudguard which was rubbing against the tyre.
The original plan was to get up early and head for the town of Onrus which is on the coast just a few kilometers west of the wll known whale watching town of Hermanus. With the late start we decided a stopover at Bot River might be prudent since the weather forecast suggested high temperatures (once again - yesterday was in the high thirties) and strong winds in the afternoon.
The road out of Theeswater Sports Club and Villiersdorp was a set of rolling hills until we hit a big climb through the hills separating Villiersdorp from the N2. Even though it was barely past nine o'clock, it was already as hot as hell. We stopped for a rest each time we could find some shade, once even in the shade of a broken down truck delivering grapes to one of the wineries in the Hemel and Aarde Valley (we think it was to Bouchard Finlayson). We had a lovely chat with the drivers who gave us a bunch of the grapes to taste - Chardonay, so they were tightly packed little bunches of thin-skinned, large pipped grapes but very sweet and full of sugar. We suspect the winery might reject the grapes because the pH would have risen too much after spending too much time in the heat of the day before they could be delivered.
The road down to the N2 had some nice descents but also threw in a few short but stiff climbs. Once on the N2 the run into Bot River was easy and pleasant, despite being on a major national road with the broad shoulder providing a good buffer between us and the speeding traffic. We got to Bot River late in the morning only to find the limited accomodation booked out due to a wedding and a trail running event. The only option was to push on to Onrus. So we sat down at the hotel, had a cold beer and crappy lunch (with even crappier service) and had a rest before tackling the next thirty kilometers.
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The Bot River Hotel is a classic old building from the nineteenth century that, with a bit of love and attention, could be beautiful. Bot River itself seems unsure as to whether it should remain a rural farming town or become a retirement destination or tourist hotspot. The break in Bot River meant that by the time we were back on our bikes, the wind had picked up and we spent the next two hours battling our way over the undulations to Onrus straight into the wind.
Once at the campsite, we quickly set up the tent, had a hot shower and headed over to a pizzeria close by for supper and a glass of wine. It's been quite a long day and we're exhausted. Consencus was that even though we only did seventy odd kays today, it felt closer to a hundred.
Today's ride: 77 km (48 miles)
Total: 209 km (130 miles)
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