Tour on two wheels detours through Lowveld
He travelled a total of 38 233 kilometres through 26 countries, and although the Lowveld was not initially part of his plan, flight restrictions brought this cyclist to our shores.
When he started his journey in the Netherlands in March 2020, he was 24.
Fast-forward to January 18 this year, the cyclist is now 26 and accomplished his Cape-to-Cape mission.
Niels Jansen’s first destination after leaving home was North Cape in Norway. That is where the idea of Cape to Cape originated.
As he embarked on this journey, the Lowveld was not necessarily part of his plan, but when many flights out of the country had been cancelled, he was not planning on just sitting around.
“I decided to make an extra tour through South Africa, following the Cross Cape and the Garden Route; then through Lesotho and eSwatini all the way to the Lowveld.”
With him having been all over the world, it makes one wonder what characteristics of the Lowveld jumped out at him.
“What stood out for me in the Lowveld was the beautiful green hilly landscape. Although I obviously did not cycle in the Kruger Park, the denser forest and rivers made me feel like I was cycling closer to the wilder part of South Africa.
“Also, on two occasions I had local people joining me for around 25 kilometres. As I usually cycle alone, this was a very nice experience.”
A few years ago, Jansen met a couple of cyclists in Peru who were cycling the Americas – he was inspired.
“The opportunity to explore the world on my own, with total freedom and with very minimal impact on the environment, made me decide I wanted to travel the world by bicycle.”
For people who cannot make the journey themselves, Jansen has been kind enough to document this incredible adventure on his website, cyclingaroundtheplanet.com.
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Here, he shares loads of interesting statistics and experiences. As of January 17, he had had three accidents, 10 days without a shower, 91 warm showers, and 272 days of wild camping, just to name a few. The furthest distance he has covered in one day was 202.5 kilometres.
Jansen left the Lowveld on Tuesday, taking the bus to Cape Town where he will fly to Portugal and cycle back home from there.
Naturally, a two-year-long cycle journey is bound to be filled with highlights and challenges.
“The nice thing about bicycle touring is that you have highlights every day. Sure, there are absolute highlights like the fjords in Norway and the Pyramids in Egypt, but the real joy is in the small daily highlights. The great view after cycling up a long mountain pass, a stranger who invites you over for a coffee, the wildlife that you see.
“Challenges are an inevitable part of the experience. I got my passport stolen in Sudan and some people tried to rob me in Ethiopia. I almost got blown from a mountain while I was camping. Vicious stormy winds broke my tent.
In Zambia, I was terrorised by tsetse flies, which have a terrible sting and will drive anyone crazy.”
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Judging by his documented experiences, though, the breathtaking moments far outweigh the negatives.
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