GEORGE NEWS - A Swedish cyclist, Joerg Heierli, who is circumnavigating Africa on his bicycle as a tourist, was hosted for a night by Georgians Hazel and Alastaire Cochrane.
Heierli said in contrast to South Africa being the most unsafe country on his trip so far, South Africans have been very hospitable.
"They keep inviting me to stay over wherever I go. I'm experiencing the true African hospitality and friendliness here, as throughout my journey. For sure I've never had to worry about a safe place to spend the night. That's why I really like Africa. I am always seen as a friend."
Heierli got to know the Cochranes through mutual friends and ended up taking a rest day together with them.
Heierli has covered 26 000km on his bicycle over the past one and a half years. He started out from Switzerland in September 2018, first travelling to Spain and then Morocco, from where he cycled through the coastal countries up to Benin.
To avoid Nigeria, he took a flight to Cameroon from where he went through Gabon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and in Angola took a plane to Soyo as the DRC didn't want to issue him a visa at the time.
Joerg Heierli in Agulhas.
He then travelled through northern Namibia and Botswana, and crossed through Namibia again to South Africa where he came down from Cape Town along the west coast.
He is now on his way back up to the Sudan where he will cross the Red Sea to Saudi Arabia and return to Switzerland via Jordan, Israel, Cyprus and Turkey.
Follow his trip on his website.
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