Klaus Komenda

Off the beaten path, with a machete, hacking my way through the jungle.

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

@SFBART are you kidding me? wet weather? today? It is 80F+ in the East Bay and those tracks are as dry as the sand in Death Valley.

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

@SFBART what is the deal with slow runnung trains on yellow line shifting between accelerating and braking constantly between Orinda and Lafayette? Weather perfectly dry. First time I am close to getting car sick on a train.

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

Absolutely joyous seeing the german version of @semi_rad ‘s “I Hate Running“ at a local book store here in my hometown Vienna, Austria, this morning.

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

@RosieSwalePope Feel better soon, Rosie!

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

@SarahOuten Such a cool photo! Congratulations on the Australia launch!

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

@franksvalli Very cool! Was playing around with D3 and the public covid data published by @nytimes for US States and Counties. Love the 3d capability in your map. I presume that comes standard with mapbox?

[David Calhoun @franksvalli]

When we go hiking out in nature, do we escape and leave behind the "real world", or do we find it? https://t.co/1rGzNfA7pz

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

One last thing I wanted to experience before leaving South Africa was seeing some of the animals unique to this area in their habitat. Initially, I had planned to visit Addo Elephant National Park close to Port… https://t.co/ccHbNYjsr4

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

From the town of Stellenbosch, a university town surrounded by vineyards, I had to find a way of getting back to my accommodation in Cape Town. Riding towards the city on my own, passing through townships, I feared I… https://t.co/3PqLqHcDg7

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

From the top of the pass, I dropped down into the town of Franschhoek (Afrikaans for "French Corner"). Once a sleepy country retreat, the community experienced a boom in the 1990s, with property prices sharply… https://t.co/tviPt5q4g3

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

The first highlight of the final day of my bike packing tour through South Africa’s Western Cape was the 7km climb to the summit of Franschhoek Pass at 723m (2372 feet). Turning away from Theewaterskloof Dam, the… https://t.co/5dmv8wO860

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

Heading out of Riviersonderend on the N2 highway, I turned onto a gravel road fairly soon, riding past dairy farms and fruit orchards. The views of the Langeberg Range were again impressive, and luckily the wind had… https://t.co/P1IL9CZGaW

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

I woke up early at my guesthouse in Swellendam, well-rested and, to my surprise, vastly different weather conditions. While I had suffered through 30C+ (86F) heat the previous day, temperatures had dropped to about… https://t.co/f0vg3KFb9g

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

With my tire issues sorted, I was on my way from Riversdale to Swellendam, the third oldest town in South Africa. Over rolling hills and past farmland, I made it to Heidelberg, where I stopped for a snack at a bakery… https://t.co/AzQQh4Mek7

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

After the unfortunate tire issues from the previous day, Russell, my host in Van Wyksdorp, had kindly offered to give me a ride to Riversdale, where I hoped the guys at the local bike shop could help me out.

“You’re… https://t.co/OG4xaRxNP3

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

Russell, from Johannesburg originally, has been in Van Wyksdorp for three years. He had worked overseas for many years in countries like Egypt, Iraq, and Canada. After his last job, he came straight out here, a… https://t.co/6dzNHu4Fwv

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

The ride from Calitzdorp to the small hamlet of Van Wyksdorp was characterized by a rugged climb up to Rooiberg Pass and a series of technical mishaps that I feel embarrassed to mention.

Riding past vineyards and… https://t.co/W1qmdIwcuB

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

Trudy and Pieter have been running the Red Door Guesthouse for two years. Pieter, who works in construction, had remodeled the over 100-year-old house himself. They are welcoming guests from all over to world to… https://t.co/Mlr8u2FgR1

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

Leaving Oudtshoorn and heading west, I started to feel quite a bit uneasy. By that point, I had heard way too many stories of muggings and robbery, some targeting tourists but also locals. I had to be vigilant at all… https://t.co/9KE4IeAE4l

[Klaus Komenda @twofeetdrive]

The rain and a few other factors forced another day of rest on me in George before continuing my journey north.

Via Montagu Pass, passed the Old Toll House and over the Outeniqua Mountains, I left the moist and… https://t.co/XtKUp27BIk