Heading Inland from East London
Today, March 19th, I left East London and headed inland rather than continuing along the coast. The motivation to go inland has to do with conversations I’ve had with people about what’s going on further down towards Durban, where travelers have been sidetracked off the road and robbed. Since that’s already happened to me once, I decided to try to bypass those risks and take a safer route.
Arriving in Khowa (Elliott)
My destination for today was Khowa (K-H-O-W-A), also known as Elliott, which is getting closer to the Lesotho border. There wasn’t much in the way of accommodation in town, so I ended up staying at a lodge outside of town that was part of a farm. I noticed at least four donkeys on the property. The owner runs the restaurant, the lodge, and also has a tire shop in town—never a dull moment!
Stunning Mountain Scenery
The mountains in this area are absolutely mind-blowing. They appear to be grass-covered and are truly fascinating to see. The scenery here made the inland detour well worth it.
Meeting a Fellow Motorcyclist
A motorcyclist came in and ended up camping at the same lodge. He turned out to be from Port Elizabeth, a major industrial city. He works for a company that manufactures axles for cars—they even export them internationally. With 21 years of experience, he has extensive knowledge about the industry.
Conversations on Industry and Education
We had a great conversation about how his company hires mostly people from South Africa but often finds that workers aren’t necessarily as qualified for the jobs. He explained how at some point, the standards for certain school tests were lowered to make it easier for people to pass. He acknowledged that this approach ultimately backfires when it comes to workplace readiness.
Shared Plans for Sani Pass
He was riding a BMW 1250 and was on a multi-day ride, planning to visit several towns on my route as well. He had plans to climb Sani Pass on Saturday, which is also on my schedule. We had a wonderful time discussing our plans and I truly enjoyed the company. Thank you for coming along, and see you tomorrow!
