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ALEX CYCLES AFRICA
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Home » Countries » Namibia » Day 113: Tourists hardly ever get to see the full picture of local realities
NamibiaOne lesson a day

Day 113: Tourists hardly ever get to see the full picture of local realities

May 5, 2017 Leave a Comment 2844 Views

It’s not all just touristy glamour in Namibia, as this photo of vineyards in Aussenkehr might suggest.

Vineyards in Aussenkehr

This is where the workers live that support the local economy, right next to a top-notch Western style supermarket for tourists—shanty town nicely decorated with straw/wood to fit into the landscape and please our eyes?

Shanty town in Aussenkehr, right next to a top-notch supermarket for tourists

NB: I haven’t done my research properly, but I think the above picture speaks more than a thousand words.

Stage 80: Canyon Roadhouse – Felix Unite Camp (Namibia), 170km

Road & traffic condition:

Relatively good dirt road in the morning, though a bit of climbing.

Bernd overtaking me in the morning (and as usual not to be seen again until I’d reach camp)

Rougher dirt after lunch.

Ride after lunch on tougher dirt road through the Aussenkehr National Park

Finally tar after more than 100km, but heavy headwind reduced my speed to less than 15km which made the final push into camp quite a challenge.

Tough push to camp against heavy headwind on an otherwise perfect tar road
Weather:

Same same. Good wind while on the dirt, limiting the amount of dust blown into our faces by passing 4×4.

Most common vehicle on the road—tourist 4×4
Culinary highlights:

À la carte at Felix Unite—grilled BBQ chicken being their specialty.

Group highlights:

Seeing the first South Africa street sign . . .

First street sign for South Africa—yahoo!

. . . and South Africa in real, just across the Orange River which forms the border.

View of South Africa on the other side of the Orange River (from the Felix Unite Camp)
Personal highlights:

Enjoying my morning ride, despite the climbing on dirt roads, . . .

View after our morning climb

. . . as well as the long downhill thereafter, of course.

Long downhill on decent sand road through the desert
Previous Article Day 112: Speak up and take action to implement your ideas
Next Article Day 114: Our last rest day—preparing for a tough home-run

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