“To raise exposure, funds and books for Shine, I will endeavour to cycle from Cairo to Cape Town arriving in time for the 40th Cape Town Cycle Tour on the 12 March 2017. One week later I will be on the start line for the toughest mountain bike stage in the world, The ABSA Cape Epic which will kick off 8 days of grueling riding on the 19 March 2017. One week after completing the Cape Epic, I will line up for the IRONMAN SA Championships in Port Elizabeth on the 2 April 2017.”

Day 8:

A day for rest and exploring. I’ve always loved reading…and books, you can never have too many books!! I eventually want to have one of those library rooms with books stacked ceiling high and a little ladder on wheels to move along the shelves ?Reading for me is the privilege to have the greatest adventures I could ever imagine, to learn more about this crazy world and how other people view things and interact within it. People who read are without doubt more interesting to me. So I love the work that Shine Literacy and Book Dash do…giving more kids in SA the opportunity to experience books and have their own adventures. When I was putting this trip together and asked if I could attach it to Shine Literacy, I had the loose plan of trying to connect with literacy organisations or schools as I went. Book Dash, another charity kindly gave me some illustrated children’s books to give away and today I had my first opportunity! I was telling Mohamed the hotel owner’s son all this and he invited me to visit the school that he went to in the neighboring village. So this morning I jumped on the back of his motorbike and off we went! He was super proud of his school and its teachers and the kids were little legends! Rad experience! After visiting Mohameds school this morning he gave me his bike and I spent the rest of the day cruising around and exploring the Valley of The Kings area

I wont lie, it was pretty awesome to have 2 wheels with an engine and an accelerator. OK not the BEST engine, but it went. Trying to look cool on a motorbike with my bicycle helmet, tough!!! 

If you ever go to the Valley of the Kings, I recommend a visit to the house that Howard Carter stayed in. It’s now an awesome museum and exactly how it was back in 1922 when he discovered Tutenkhamen’s Royal Tomb. There is also a perfect replica of Tutenkhamen’s tomb and burial chamber on site. I’m fascinated by Carter’s story and how he discovered the tomb, so geeked out here, very awesome ?