DAY 14 - A surreal moment

A magnificent moment of utter beauty as the heavens open up and the rain sails down into the blackness of a Pretoria night. A street lamp catches a glimpse of the splendor as rain navigates its way through the dead of night towards the ground. A percussion of water over leaves, puddles and tin roofs fills the world with a drone so beautiful that it keeps my eyes open and sends streams of thoughts through my mind.

A single drop of water so pure and gentle as it gives life but so powerful and ferocious as it joins the force of other droplets to cause a chaos that destroys homes as it rips its way through townships in flash floods.

We try so hard to control so much of what happens around us but some things are not in our power. The harder you try to fight it, the harder you are going to fall.

It is in grace that some of the most beautiful moments in our lives happen when we let go and let God.

* * *

I had a great conversation with Barend yesterday and experienced that phantasmagorical sensation as we spoke to each other from two totally different worlds but with the same passion for life.

The Eleven are safely in Mozambique after challenging the savage climbs around Swaziland. Anyone who has taken those roads will tell you that those aren't hills- they are walls. Some pushed, some rode, all felt the burn and all conquered.

They took some time out in Maputo to source some old maps that would serve as ancient/modern versions of a GPS to navigate their way North. The plan seems to be to take bike to beach and ride as close to sea-level as possible while paying close attention to tides and the lesser-spotted-killer-beach-sharks (they're really rare. You don't see them until it's almost too late).

Barend tells me they have been really blessed with the journey so far and have eaten and rested very well. God has been protecting and guiding them very intimately and we pray that He takes them to the ends of the earth and back.

Have a truly spectacular weekend and be blessed.

Gorillas in the mist... into the mild! (Sappi Forest S.A.)

Epic downhill.. Happiness! (Bulembu Swaziland)

"Get off the road.." (LOTR1) aahhh, but no Black Riders- just us- soooo much better! (Bulembu to Piggs Peak Swaziland)

Best detour/ shortcut ever... or so far! (Sihoye Swaziland)

"Beautiful people" - Jason Upton (Badplaas S.A.)

Some Photos from the start

Some photos of Pierre and Morne departing:

Mozambique number plate :)

'little wooden man'

Getting on...

and setting off.

Day 10 - The NINE become Eleven

Monday 13th December 2010

What started off as a cold and rainy Monday morning has turned out to be an absolutely spectacular afternoon. I can only hope that this magnificence is being felt over in Mozambique where the NINE have just become ELEVEN with the arrival of Rudolph in Maputo.

News from Barend is that the group is doing really well. They are taking the pace and distance easy while everyone gets on the same level of fitness before they start cranking it up.

Have a rocking day.

Day 6 - Breaking radio silence

Thursday 9th December 2010

It is a flawless day outside. Those of us who glance through the window will notice the brilliance is broken only by corporate buildings on the skyline. A cloudless masterpiece of perfect blue sky.

Rudolph called this morning with news.

This is where you slide to the edges of your seats with that excited panic across your face that clearly reads "YES! news!"

The NINE are doing well. There have been a couple of cold days that have enabled them to clock back some really decent distances as they ride almost seamlessly towards the Swazi boarder. They smashed back 40km this morning and are aiming for another 40km this afternoon. Rumour has is that they should be in Swaziland for the last day of the Swazi 1000 tomorrow and in Maputo by Monday. They are feeling fit and strong and are having a rocking time.

To those on their saddles and those who aren't, have a beautiful and blessed day.

Day 4 - No news is good news

Tuesday 7th December 2010.

There has been no news from the NINE as we had prepared ourselves for.

That quiet sense of confidence in hoping that no news is good news.

What may start to happen in this instance is that the days will roll on with nothing to report back until there is a flurry of information that will require these days to be revised. As unpredictable as their journey is, so will that be reflected in the nature of this story.

As the NINE prepare for the next stretch of today's ride after taking the hottest part of the day to relax and rehydrate, there are nine of us here at work that prepare for a similar mental and physical challenge known as the 300. It is the workout from the movie 300 that consists of three hundred grueling consecutive reps over 5 strenuous exercises. This is not for the faint hearted.

After our first challenge, one young man had to go to the trauma center to get cortisone injections in his arms and the rest of us were close to regurgitating the contents of our stomachs.

I look around me at the people that are so content on spending weekends in malls and feel this overwhelming pity for them. There is so much life out there to enjoy and share and to push ourselves to the limit is where we realise our potential.

In a few hours my limits will be pushed and my potential will be shifted.

Be blessed.

Day 3 - The rattling of silence

Monday 6th December 2010.

That relentless drone at the back of my mind wondering how the ride is going for the NINE. There has been no contact made since they left on Sunday late afternoon.

The drive out of Witbank on Sunday was pretty surreal. I drove behind them on back roads until there was that inevitable realization that we had to part ways. The best I could do in terms of "team spirit" was blasting the musical bliss of John Butler Trio out of my car in an attempt to settle their (or probably just my own) nerves. It was interesting to see them settle into their cadence as they rode off.

The drive back was incredibly quiet for me but there was peace.

Day 2 - A cold morning.

Sunday 5th December 2010.

Talks of setting off at first light are smothered by sleep and an overcast morning. The smell of pipe and soft conversation waft around with random comments of the musical genius of Jack Johnson. Subdued mumbles become less frequent as they are replaced by laughter and guitar strumming.

Muller walks in sporting a cycle bib for the first time. Stretchy pants are an interesting sensation the first time you slap the straps over your shoulders. Laughter erupts as he looks down and says "everything...is here".

Few things are being taken for granted all around us- but that will only seem relevant to them later. Little white switches that turn lights and kettles on. Hot showers, flushing toilets with a seemingly unlimited supply of toilet paper... and Pride and Prejudice flickering on a TV.

We helped the next door neighbour move some shelves from his bathroom to the garage. That was only entertaining because the gran sat in the garden with what seemed to be a towel wrapped around her chest. My eyes made contact with Barend's and we erupted into laughter right there in front of the man of the house. Such moments can never be forgotten.

It's really quiet around here. Peaceful. Subdued. Lunch has come and gone and eyes are closed. But this too shall end. The Nine take on the world in just a moment and I will drive back to civilization.

May the next few thousand kilometers be absolutely incredible for each one of you. Whether that is metaphorical, physical or spiritual.

Day 1. A new chapter begins.

Saturday 4th December 2010.

Crack of dawn finds Morné and Pierre set off into the mist from Pretoria and 130km later they arrived in Witbank with bleeding knees and sore shoulders. In many ways, I think it was comforting to know that first blood was nothing too serious. We caught up with them at Angelica's dad's house to find Morné asleep on the driveway long after the sun had laid to rest.

Saturday night scrapes its way into the early hours of Sunday morning. The Nine that set off in a few hours settle down into a rhythm of personal distraction while they prepare themselves for the next few months. Nervous excitement steadily streaming adrenalin into their veins that prevents them from falling asleep. There is a spirit of Machtub tonight- that promise of adventure and revelation that has called each one of them to something amazing. A calling that has ignited a passion to fulfill a formidable destiny and discover themselves in God in the purest form that is influenced only by their responses to the elements that surround them.

There is no comfort zone to hang onto. I think that is what makes this journey so insane. The need to remove yourself completely from everything you have ever known and submerge yourself in your faith and your ability to spend hours on end with yourself and your thoughts. There is no noise out there, there is nothing to distract you and you find yourself becoming introspective. The need to clear out your mind and find true inner peace. To find yourself in a place where you appreciate the phenomenon of your body's ability to endure a challenge and yet allow yourself to make mistakes and be patient with the inevitable frustration of fatigue, hunger and African disorder.

Maktub Uhuru - "Freedom"

Where blogs often isolate themselves in a flurry of irrelevant information that detach themselves from the people that read it, we offer this story to you as a gift. A gift of fellowship, life-changing experiences and faith.

For without an undying faith, this epic journey will have lost a great deal of its meaning and relevance.

It is written that we walk by faith and not by sight. It is written that we are born for incredible things, but that comes with the responsibility to seek our potential in the rawest possible form and with that we find our true identities. This may seem very convoluted, but in essence there are very few moments in our lives where we are able to detach ourselves from worldly expectations and venture into the beautiful chaos of darkest Africa armed with a bicycle and incredible friends.

But it is with God and each other that we are able to take that daunting step into the unknown with confidence, strength and honour.

This is an introduction to their journey, but it is written that this is only the beginning...