Walker Bay

I haven’t had much to write about over the last few days but came across this article on a southern right whale which breached off the coast of Cape Town on Wednesday. I sincerely hope the whale was not hurt!



As regular readers know I have just returned from Stanford, South Africa, off Walker Bay which is the nursing grounds for the Southern Write Whale. For six months of the year these whales stay in Walker Bay feeding their young and are seen on a daily basis as close as 10mts from the shore. Its one of the great nature spectacles of the world and I am privileged to say I have witnessed it.

We, my friends and I, regularly fish in these same waters, often hearing and seeing these magnificent beasts. We are in a small fishing boat, nowhere near the size of the yacht. If one of these animals should take it into his head to visit us in anger there would be nothing left of Mark’s and Anthony’s highly prized floating fun palace.

Why do we endangering ourselves sailing into the deep blue younder while there are dangerous animals weighing 40 tons plus waiting to snuff out our lives with a single swing of their tale? The truth is these animals are gentle creatures, that I honestly believe would not deliberately hurt any animal that was not threatening them – or their young. They are curious but gentle creatures and usually we are delighted to see them swim up to and around the boat.

The first time I came across an inquisitive whale was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean . We were sailing form the Cape Verde Islands to Brazil via Fernando de Noronha (the most beautiful place in the world - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jiNfvitbWA - it even beats Stanford).

I was on a 40ft yacht with two aquatints in 30ft in a swell on a beautiful sunny day when a fin was seen in the wave behind us. I looked up and saw what I latter discovered to be an adolescent Sperm Whale looking down at me through the clear mid Atlantic waters. A magnificent sight!

I began to get a ‘little’ worried when 30mins later he was still hanging around. I became ‘positively’ worried when he surfaced 10yds away from the yacht and soaked me with the spray from his blow hole. Can you imagine being soaked by the spray from a whale’s blow hole – its not very pleasant, the smell of fish staid in my hair for weeks? When we realised we were in its control, if he wanted to smash the boat he could, we could do nothing about it. Once that is established, we realise that he didn’t want to and I began to enjoy having him around.

Of course accidents happen, which is what happened with our Southern Right. Mark was in Walker Bay fishing on Wednesday and reported that whales were breaching all around him. Maybe there was something in the water on Wednesday?

In my opinion there is something in the water everyday in Walker Bay!

Sunday's Dash

Sunday 6am found your adventurer climbing out of bed staggering to the shower in search of hot water to bring myself out of a deep sleep after sharing a bottle of red with my sister on Saturday evening.

I had received a phone call at 7pm asking me to compete in the annual London to Southend bike ride, a 100km dash to the coast, and promises of fish and chips and a couple of beers by the seaside. What a way to spend a Sunday so yes, yes, yes was my reply. Which is why I was staggering to the shower at that ridiculous hour on a Sunday.

The London to Southend is a smaller version of the annual London to Brighton bike ride which has as many as 35,000 riders, of course with that amount of riders there is also a great deal of congestion. So not for the serious bike riders. However with only 5,000 participants ambling through the Essex country side one can certainly get some velocity into the riding.

The ride has a staggered start from 7am to ?? well we left at 9.30am though the east end of London and off to the Essex country side. A little cloud cover and a fresh breeze kept the temperature down so almost perfect riding condition and for the first hour my two friend and I slid along passing all, looking good and hoping for a time of around 3hrs. Then my chain came off, so I had to pull over, this is what happens when you borrow a bike which has not been used for a while. It took me a couple of minuets to put the chain back on and get going, but that was enough I never saw my two friends again until the finishing line.

My friends completed the ride in 3 hrs and 31/4hrs which are very respectful times, I completed in 4hrs having to stop twice more to put my chain back on and on a further three occasions to purchase food and drink.

My reason for telling you this is because I'm surprisingly proud of my achievement. It is the first bike run/race I have ever completed. No more can my friend Renato rib me for not completing a race, because now I have, and without falling off my bike once! I even have a medal to prove it.

So it was off to the pub for cockles (wonderful) fish and chips and the odd bottle of cyder what a wonderful way to spend a Sunday.

.

The Adventurer who Died?

Well Saturday’s here and what are we about, off for a swim in training for the City triathlon, bike race in Essex with Nick …..errrr …. No. Off to see the doctor to have my arm stringed after my fall in my last bicycle race.

As my dear friend Renato will tell you I have failed to complete any mountain bike race I have ever entered. True however I have only entered two.

The first race was the Cape Epic an 800km race which is billed as the toughest mountain bike race in the world. During the 8 days you will have climbed the equivalent of Mount Everest TWICE. If you follow the link you can hear and see what Transport World Sport has to say on the race.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt-Zos4GXm0&feature=PlayList&p=35AE346B1AE2877F&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=49

The photo was on the morning of the start of the Cape Epic. Unfortunately Simon and my race tactics of keeping at the back and out of the way backfired, and after 9.5hrs and 117km we missed the cut by 10mins.

It was our own fault, we were very nervous and decided to keep out of the way during the first day. We signed autographs shook hand with spectators and generally had a very nice time. Simon and I both fell off our bikes three times, I broke a finger in the first 10km after somersaulting over the handlebars.

The last fall I had was when I was in a 25km fun race in Stanford still in South Africa, I was 21km into the race coming second when another rider caught and past me. Not one to go down without a fight, I tucked nicely in behind him thinking he must be spent and if he wasn’t yet he sure as would be in that he had to carry me for the next 3km until we hit tarmac.

So in I sat 2 inches (that’s 50mm for those of you with that persuasion) behind his back wheel allowing him to carry me. We were speeding along (35km/hr) a flat dirt road called Wortelgut (translated means carrot hole – where do they get these names?) which is where I was living in Stanford and had just passed my house when our wheels touched. I remember apologising, thinking maybe I was a little too close and the next thing, I was sitting in the Art Café with Mr Miles having a beer, by which time it was noon.

So piecing the story together it would appear that the other rider and I collided and we both fell off our bikes. He fell and as far as I know he was not hurt. I on the other hand, landed on my head, I know this, as my helmet had been smashed, thus knocking me out. I also landed on my right hand side, I know this, as this is where the scares which I will carry for life, are. However on top of the damage the dirt road did to my skin, (should mountain bike racers be forced to wear leathers?) I also landed on my shoulder breaking my collar bone and on my elbow, which is where the swelling is and why instead of a 75 mile race around Essex, I have to go off to the doctors to have my elbow syringed.

Further and this is the interesting bit, as the other rider could not find a pulse or a heartbeat, he began CPR (that’s mouth to mouth resuscitation). This incident has given me a whole new outlook on what’s important in life and what’s not. It also gives a different perspective on the term “I’m going to win if it kills me”

Did I die on the 22nd May, when the medics arrived I was breathing again, did the other rider save my life? I don’t know the answers to these questions however it has allowed me to start life a fresh without the hindrance of past guilt over the things I have done and the things I didn’t do, and we all have a few scarecrows in the closet. And I have more than most!

I think its one for the grandchildren – if I live to see them!

The Adventurer

Hi, My name is Paul Chew and I'm an adventurer, or it is how I was described and introduced in South Africa where I now live. Follow the link to see previous adventures


http://mongolderby09.theadventurists.com/index.php?mode=teamwebsites&name=geogreandcharliesdad


It is my intention over the next few weeks to correlate my adventures new and old, together with my thoughts and training during my stay in London.


I met with a friend (Nick) on Thursday evening and during numerous beers, rums and an introduction to jagermister bombers (jagermister in red bull, apparently there is a parachute - jagermister, tequila, and red bull - which did not appeal to me, but then again thank god for the last train or who knows what could have happened) he told me he had entered a triathlon in September. We met in London City on Moorgate in a very nice pub which used to a local of Nick's to watch his girl friend take part in the Standard Chartered Bank 5km city run.
Now Nick is quite a big lad, only guessing 6' 4"and 18st, and in his younger day represented Lancashire at rugby league U18 level, his fitness levels have fluctuated greatly. So it was impressive to hear him say he and his girl friend were in training for an Olympic triathlon.
For the uninitiated a Olympic triathlon consist of a 1,500m swim a 40km cycle and a 10km run.
He took up cycling around a year ago and on Saturday will be taking part in a 75 mile race in Essex, so we can assume that 40km will be easy for him, with cycling comes certain level of fitness and while I am unable to run (3 screws in my left knee - old rugby injury) he will be able to lug his 18st around the 10km course. His problem being he has not swam apart from beach holidays since school. Still he thought its only a mile "how hard can it be?"
Nick's first effort (and I should say here that it has been his only effort to date) was not too successful. His memories of swimming as a youth and 40 length warm ups prior to training session 20yrs ago let him believe he would dive straight in and with a bit of muscle and a bit of determination he would get back to powering up the pool although a bit slower in his first session. Not the way with swimming.
While you are able to run without training this is because running is only fast walking and we all continue to walk on a daily basis. Not so with swimming, if you don't swim you don't use those muscles and they go to waste. Speaking from experience (2008 I got back in the water for the first time in 35yrs expecting much the same as Nick, upon completion of the first 100mts I had to get out of the water as I was nearly physically ill - not very nice in the swimming pool) I know how difficult it is to start from scratch again.
So where is this going I hear you ask? Well as it happens, on the tube on my way to meet Nick I picked up a magazine left upon the a seat on the train, do you believe in fate? In the pages of this magazine I found an advert for the London Triathlon "The City vs Canary Wharf" which is a relay event (one swims, one cycles, and one runs). I took this with me thinking I could talk Nick into competing with me, I do the swim, he does the cycle and we find another mug, sorry friend who would be willing to run. This is a sprint event so its a 750mt swim, 20km cycle and a 5km run.
I always find that people are much more inclined to say yes after a few beers (come on boys and girls I don't have to explain that one).
Now what conspired was Nick would do the swim as a warm up to his single effort in the triathlon I would do the cycling and Nick's girl friend would complete the run. Great a 20km bike ride is just a warm up for the Adventurer, yes that is true. However under the influence of warm company and maybe theodd jagermister I have promised to train and keep Nick company in the cold waters of Tooting Beck Lilo. Its a 100yd out door swimming pool and yes it is v v cold.
As I said previously people are much more inclined to say yes after a few beers, however maybe at my age I should of learnt by now!