Post 9 Build it Journey

BLOG POST 9

I awoke early to guinea fowl and sparrow calls (and my favourite the coo coo-ing of doves) and on opening my rondavel door felt the cool morning air on my face, it had got quite chilly overnight. I walked around the camp in the early morning light and inhaled the crisp, clean country air. I had just received my Build It cycling kit and keen to further raise Build It’s profile, resplendent (the kit, not me) I elected to cycle to the Dundee store from the game reserve which was just over 50km.

I set off early giving Greg instructions to catch up after he had done some admin and I was once again struck by the dry and sparse veld in the background surroundings. I cycled over several bridges, which spanned dry riverbeds with not a sign of a drop of water. I tried to pace myself evenly and went over my delivery of the presentation that I would make at the Dundee store several times in my head. Feeling elated from the endorphins flying through my blood stream I came around a corner after 35km to be struck by the sight of what can only be called ‘Heart-break Hill’, a 5km climb up a large mountainous pass outside the town of Dundee. I hit the hill with gusto and kept pumping the pedals. Beads of sweat poured off my face and I gulped down mouthfuls of water from my clip on bottle. My legs started to feel like jelly, my heart was pounding and my lungs felt like bursting as I finally crested the summit and limped quietly into town.

I met with the very cheerful and friendly Kegan and we had a great chat about our respective overseas days and what we are doing now. If you are reading this Kegan congratulations on the birth of your second son and again I could not believe how clear-eyed and alert you were with a two-week-old baby at home. I hope one day to meet your young family and with such a super mother and father-in-law you must have lots of fun at family gatherings. Well done on all your success and thanks for the lovely tea J

With another successful meeting behind me I urged Greg to turn the horses towards Vryheid and we set off on the long trip through KZN’S battlefields which had hosted many bloody and brutal battles between colonial British troops, Boer farmers and Zulu tribes. The familiar sights of the vast open veld conjured up memories of a mischievous boarding school History Tour several decades before but these thoughts faded as I started to picture what it must have been like for the hundred or so British troops stationed at Rorke’s Drift over a hundred years ago to be looking down the barrels of their rifles at the several thousand strong Zulu Impi charging at them intent on inflicting as much harm as they could muster. We pulled into the attractive town of Vryheid and proceeded to the local Build It store where I met with the very kind Piet Celliers who patiently went through his listing with me. Thanks Piet for a great visit.

After this stop I thought it would be economically efficient to stop off at Nqutu to round off our day and we wound our way through several local villages with animal life of many varieties on the road side. We reached Nqutu and eventually after stopping for guidance we found the neat Build It store in a very busy part of town teeming with roadside vendors and market sellers. I met with Andre Herbst who could not have been more hospitable. Seeing me in my cycle kit he immediately ordered piping hot tea and a 1 ½ litre bottle of lovely ice-cold water. We had a great chat and I could not have been more impressed with Andre. I was thinking of asking Andre to go in with me and buy a Build It together but then thought I still have to meet the owner Alex and don’t want to have any hard feelings on my trip. Andre I have no doubt that one day you are going to own a string of Build It’s.

With the afternoon sun setting we headed back to the reserve where we were staying and looking once again at the abundant game either side of the road I jumped on my bike for a last ride into the camp and then hit the showers and decided to have a proper braai before retiring.

With a stomach full of Northern Natal Boerewors and lamb chops topped off with sitting around the fire with a hot cup of tea I definitely could not believe how lucky I am to be meeting so many successful and nice people every single day. With the starts twinkling in the night sky I bid good night to the two Greg’s and crept under my warm duvet to my favourite thing in the whole world – my book.