Chasing Baboons

I'm back home and in the thick of work. There were lots of changes at the hospital I work at while I was gone, and I'm lucky to still have a job.

I'm missing all the endless free time I had in South Africa to catch up on sleep and ride my bike whenever I wanted. It's a fantastic feeling to just ride and have no real training objective. Being off the trainer was also a bonus.

On every previous trip I'd seen baboons, but by the end of the second week all I'd seen was this headline about them. I'd also passed a couple of signs while on a road ride instructing me not to feed the baboons, but still no luck.



When I least expected it, there they were. I was on a mountain bike ride in Jonkershoek and I kept riding up and up to this saddle in the mountain. I'd ridden this route previously and remembered the stunning view from the top.

The view was as spectacular as I remembered. As a bonus the baboons were hanging out near the top.

They ran off the trail a short bit, but then turned around. I stood there watching them as they watched me.




The view looking down towards the saddle.





My favorite road ride was from Stellenbosch to Rooiels. Coming from the mountains in winter it was a real treat to ride in the heat on the ocean. Such a treat! I'd tell Conrad that I'd be gone from 2-6 hours depending on how I felt. It was nice to ride by feel and not have to turn around when I'm having fun. Sometimes I just want to see what is around the next bend in the road. This has gotten me into trouble a couple of times.

Another rough day in South Africa.



The hardest thing about riding was remembering to stay on the left side of the road. Approaching each intersection or round about I'd look both directions what felt like 10 times and still not really know if it was safe to cross.