Solving All Your Problems by Creating Real Ones

by Wiggy · Published 20/08/2020 · Updated 25/11/2020

Life in a Small Cabin

Something interesting happens when you exercise all day every day for awhile. You can solve all your problems. Physical, medical and possible mental issues vanish. Combine exercise with a nightly search for food and a place to sleep and any other worries plaguing your mind disappear.

Back from another bike tour, this time through part of South Africa and another lesser known country, Lesotho. Four friends all connected by having fought wildfires went off-road through the mountains. We followed paths and trails or just bush-whacked popping up in unsuspecting villages scattered throughout the country. See the video!

Friends drinking beer and solving problems — *The crew*

Day 2 – Solving Scary Problems

“They’re going to steal your bikes at the next barricade.” Uhoh. After a big day of riding/pushing bikes around the Sterkfontein Dam Reserve, SA we stumble into Phuthaditjhaba in the midst of social unrest. There are ongoing riots due to lack of town water.

riots, social unrest not solving problems — *Riot debris*

“Be inside by dark.” This is the golden rule to abide by no matter where you are bike touring. The sun was already setting, a rookie mistake. The same guy who announces our fate (about the bike stealing) agrees to get us to a guest house. He leads us through back alleys around the barricades and disgruntled locals who are very unhappy by our arrival. They yell as we pass by, the comments probably unflattering. We are somewhat apprehensive about our detour but, hey, you have to trust somebody. We finally arrive.

There is a successful negotiation between our guide and the establishment’s owner. Apparently this wasn’t assured and we were very much unwelcome but eventually a price and strategy is agreed on. We are locked in a brothel for the night. We are also told to leave by 5am so as to be out of town before the locals wake up and start manning the barricades and rioting again.

There are banana flavoured condoms in every room. It seems the clientele here practice safe sex. We have beer purchased from our guy, a place to hide and a plan to get out of town. Success, life is good again!

banana condems solving problems — *Banana!*

Sore Butts

The first bunch of days on the bike are always a little rough. Coming from a northern climate there isn’t much riding to be done after October. Bike tours in January/February are ‘off the couch’ for us Canadians. We all maintain a good level of fitness with other sports but nothing quite prepares you to sit on a bike seat for 6, 8, 10 hours a day, every day.

tough biking solving other problems — *The top of a tough climb*

The areas we saw in South Africa were either black or white. Unfortunately neither lifestyle seems appealing. White people live locked up in gated neighbourhoods (expensive jails) with razor wire draped over their yards. Apparently they get robbed all the time and can’t risk walking anywhere. Black people live in shanty towns all piled on top of each other. They rule the inner cities which seems to come with a whole set of problems. There is a large unemployment rate that has only got worse since apartheid ended (15% vs 29% or 42% if you read the Johannesburg paper). I’m sure there are nicer places where everybody lives in peace and harmony, but we didn’t see those areas.

Lesotho

bike touring, travel — *Crossing the border*

Biking in Lesotho was quite different then in South Africa. The terrain was more challenging (mountainous) and there were very few towns and cities. Small villages made up of dwellings that looked like they were built by smurfs were scattered across the landscape. The few paved roads were excellent though non existent in most places. China had been calling lately and the network of paved roads was expanding under their influence. There were also older Chinese built roads that were ‘good for a year and terrible for 1000,’ as the saying goes. The paths we took generally started out navigable but quickly deteriorated until we were wandering through farmers’ fields. The locals would yell and point the way. How did they know where we were going?

bikepacking, single track — *Single track*

bikepacking, single track sheep, solving real problems — *Getting tricky*

Kids

In Lesotho, the kids are relentless. We are a spectacle. Some laugh, some beg for money or sweets and some chase us down, taunting. A thousand times a day we are yelled at.

After a couple of days of non stop heckling something great happens. Late in the day, after pushing our bikes up a mountain on a rocky quasi trail we top out near a little village. The kids swarm us when we stop. “Ask to talk to the chief.” This was the advice we were given when looking to camp near a village. After we gain permission to camp the kids assemble and begin to treat us like distinguished guests.

bikepacking, scenery, small village — *Little village in the background*

A 15-year old girl who’s name sounds like Mudpie but is probably something different becomes the hostess. “There’s a monkey in the tree so you have to camp close to the village.” I think it’s a trick. They find out we like peaches and suddenly every kid has a peach for us. A pot of papa (corn mush) with kidney beans appears. So good. They sing their songs and we butcher our attempts at their dances.

local food, camping — *Best meal of the trip – papa and beans*

Only one adult eventually comes over. He leaves disappointed that we can’t speak properly. Kind of a different culture where strangers arrive and the children all hang out unsupervised.

camping, bike touring — *Nice camping spot*

On the Trail – Solving Problems

As we bike body aches and discomforts come and go. The trick is to just stay on the bike and keep moving. The pace may feel slow but over time you travel big distances. If you get tired, just ignore it and keep going. If your knee hurts, have a beer, just ignore it and keep going. If you are moody for no reason, you are’ hangry’, have a snack, maybe another beer and keep going. Stay on the bike. Keep going.

friends, bike touring — *Breakfast on the trail*

A step back in time with crops plowed by oxen stretching up the sides of mountains until they won’t grow anymore. Then the herders take over. Always the men, in rubber boots to thwart snake bite and a colourful wool blanket to protect from the elements. Skinny dogs, mini donkeys, sheep and a horse or two if lucky. All roaming high in the mountains.

Lesotho, everyone on the brink of starvation, straining under the existence of a million kids and an adult population decimated by HIV/AIDs. All relying on the fickle rains.

small african village, camping — *Setting up camp in a small village*

african town — *One of the larger towns we passed through*

Our Silly Problems

There were challenges. Fortunately there was always a solution, a way of solving our problems.

Getting out and back into Johannesburg via local transport is exciting. It involves being downtown.

“You in the back, duck down, put your windows up and keep your cell phones out of site!”

Ok. We do as we are told and wait for negotiations between bus drivers to play out. Beyond our comprehension in this foreign place there exists a complicated set of informal rules governing bus travel. Luckily the locals that weren’t attempting to rob us were trying to help us.

Bike Issues – Solving Problems

“Was that a gunshot?” No, it’s a tire blowing up. Great. It happened in Thaba-Tseka which is probably the only spot in Lesotho that has the right spare tire kicking around. What a great place to stop for lunch!

*A replacement tire in the most unlikely spot*

Food

Buying food or water in Lesotho was another challenge. It was difficult for us to decipher how the food network played out in the villages. They obviously produced and relied on their own food for their existence. Except for the herders, almost everyone we saw wore western clothes. But trade and money did factor into the equation some how. A bigger village may have one very poorly stocked little store. In it we would find some crazy flavours of pop, a red sauce with peppers in a can we used for pasta and some very disappointing cracker-type snacks. Our water was derived from rivers, springs or sketchy taps. We treated all of it with a steri-pen. There was one bout of food poisoning. A gross night in the tent and a rough ride the next day was the only outcome.

Nice lunch spot with sketchy water supply

What Else is Going On?

During the bike ride we get sporadic news updates from infrequent wifi connections. It seems Harry and Meghan moved to Canada. Is this news? What’s coronavirus….?

We are in a bubble. Our life and world is very different from everyone around us. We smile and wave to the locals and chat whenever we can. For some reason it seems very important to connect in some way while traveling through their country, to acknowledge them. Humour works well, especially anything at our expense. Someone parks a bike on a bee nest while we go into a store. The quick maneuvers to rescue the bike send the local ladies who are enjoying an afternoon beer into great fits of laughter. Also, I’m not judging the beer drinking. I had one (2) too.

local african lady — *Trying to communicate*

beer also solving problems — *Lesotho beer*

Solving all Your Problems

The things that are hard to think about are any problems that aren’t connected to getting up the next hill, deciding when to stop for a beer, treating water and finding a place to pitch a tent. Those other problems no longer exist.

The act of simplifying life into basic needs joined with a purpose or vision seems to fuel the recovery from a life of made up problems. Also see Small Cabin Living.