Coffee shop to coffee shop

Wednesday the 9th. Coffee shop to coffee shop. As we did not get permission to cross the border, it means we have to go back to Siteki, then cross the Swazi border again to Ngwavuma where we plan to spend the night. Jono is taking the Landy back with Essich to Siteki. Maryke and Gareth leaves early to go the Usuthu Game reserve just across the river, but a five hour drive! Steve, Danny and I decides to cycle back up the way we came to just the other side of Tikhuba where there is a pass down the mountain to Big Bend where we plan to meet up with Jono, Janet and Essich. Just as we start to cycle Steve has a flat and we return to fix it. Danny's front tyre now starts leaking at the valve and we are unable to fix it being a tubeless and no spare tube! Sadly Danny had to load his bike and accompany the others to Siteki. It is a long slow uphill to civilization at Mambane and then on the district road towards Tikhula, every downhill exhilaration means hard work uphill but finally we arrive at the turnoff that takes us on the pass down the mountain. At the juncture we stop at a small roadside shop, the shop attendant wants my bike for her son who walks 7km every day to school. It is a "hold on for dear life" downhill for 10km to the valley into kms of sugar cane fields with water canals for irrigation. A sign next to the big dam that supplies the water says "Beware of crocodiles and hippos". Our rendezvous in Big Bend is this time a real coffee shop next to the Spa, timing is perfect with the backup vehicles arriving as we enter town, a 70km four hour ride. It is another 3 hour drive through the border post on to Jozini and then up the Lubombo again to Ngwavuma to stay at friends of the Reids, Daniel and Maryna Heese. Daniel has worked as a doctor at Mosvold hospital for the last 25 years while Maryna, an artist, runs community projects that involes local women in craftwork that are really works of arts. The last ten odd kilometres up the mountain is a zig-zag ride trying to miss the biggest potholes. The Heese’s built their own house just outside the hospital premises. We arrive as dark settles in overwhelmed by the their hospitality.

Dangerous country!