30 December 2023, Pilgrim’s Rest, 56.41km
Royal Hotel R700

Despite four punctures within the first 9km of this overlong day, we had a wondrous ride.
Our first three punctures occurred within 2.5km of our accommodation ie before we passed through Lydenburg's CBD; the fourth at a padstal opened just four months ago. Naomi, the owner, was a restaurant manager, but lost her job during Covid. She is still branding herself; her "appetizer boards" and banners are due to go up shortly. We were at the stall longer than anticipated given our puncture - long enough for Naomi's mini meatrolls to finish baking. She gifted us several which we enjoyed later just beyond the fast-flowing Spekboom River.
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Around half our ride was along the R36; then we turned east on the R533 toward Pilgrim's Rest, 55km from Lydenburg. Both roads were in relatively good condition despite signs warning of potholes, the R36 marginally busier than the latter, which was very quiet indeed.
Potholes undoubtedly exact an economic toll. Late-lunching at the Laramie Spur in Lydenburg yesterday, we fell into conversation with Wikus, who began babysitting kids at the Spur when he was 10. At 33, he has essentially been involved with the restaurant for 23 years. We are not sure if he now owns or manages the place. Anyway, he told us that the increase in potholes has seen a distinct reduction in the number of tour buses passing through town.
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The scenery through which we cycled on this summery day, was incredibly pretty. Green and lush and hilly, both natural bush and farmland.
Son besies (cicadas) screeched at us from the sidelines, the misnamed "singing" of the males apparently attractive to the females of the species.
Glossy centipedes made haste across the hot tar, legs undulating in perfect unison.
At around 1300, in the early stages of conquering Robbers Pass on foot and saddle (we gained over 800m in elevation today), a breeze blew in, bringing with it the double relief of cloud cover and cooling airflow.
On the pass, an Audi parked on the shoulder ahead of us and Prince from Bushbuckridge emerged to say he had seen us a few days ago near Witbank and to offer us R50 (!). He has a recycling business in Witbank.
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The people of Mpumalanga have not lost their sense of humour. We passed a poultry farm called "Chick Magnet", and statues of the big five and more outside a lodge, and a random road sign declaring "100's Bru - Established Slang", and a sign warning of buck on the road with the word "Baboons" beneath it. We could hear baboons barking in the intense green of a ravine below the road, but saw no buck.
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I think we climbed for around 12km to the top of Robbers Pass, then plummeted 10km down the other side to Pilgrim's. On the downslope, we paid a quick visit to a commemorative plaque to Jock of the Bushveld. And Charl photographed a plaque on the spot of the last coach cash-in-transit heist. In 1912, the mail coach between Lydenburg and Pilgrim's Rest was robbed of £129 of silver coins. The highwayman, defined as a "brigand", was sentenced to five years. Part of our cultural heritage?
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We arrived physically exhausted after over nine hours on the road, but nonetheless pleased with ourselves and our day.