saltiness in the air . My hands were stiff from holding onto the bike and my body ached a little . I was thirsty for an ice-cold beer . All in all , the most overwhelming emotion I felt as I stood there with Mike that day , was one of satisfaction .
Interestingly , I had just read a story of how about 60 Nile crocodiles had escaped from a breeding ranch and found their way into the Breede River about midway along its course . How cool it would have been if we spotted one !
The Breede River mouth at Cape Infanta , is most famously feared for a creature a bit different to the crocodiles though . Bull sharks feed in the muddy waters and are quite aggressive creatures . The tidal pull was so strong on the day I stood at the mouth , that I could not imagine any creature being strong enough to figure out the current . The water rushes at high speed , either in and up between the thick , muddy embankments , or out to sea , forcing its way through the surf . The lay must have been very different in years gone by because history tells of ships that once used this river mouth as a harbour . They would plough into the river and berth far upstream . Cargos of corned meats , medical supplies , tools , and clothing would be landed , exotic indigenous timber would be loaded . With the giant logs piled high and wedged in place , the top-heavy vessels would make the tight turn between the riverbanks and steer back through the rough surf to reach the ocean . Many ships ran aground , many were wrecked . It was undoubtably a tough time to live . Sailors fought the weather , sickness , extorsion from the shipping companies and lived a rough life with little reward for their efforts .
As I lingered at the river mouth , all these thoughts were flooding rapidly through my mind . Just like the water flooding rapidly out to sea . The Breede River had grown from those little spouts of spring water gurgling down the mountainside . Over its length of over 350km , it had become a vicious , dirty body of fast-moving water . Nothing could stand in its way . So much power . Such determination . I like rivers . I find them beautiful for a medley of reasons . The calm pools of water flowing gently under a canopy of foliage . The long straight stretches that pass farmlands and steer by old buildings . The thundering current that forces its way out to sea . But mostly , the stories it carries . The history and lives the water has touched . The Breede is one of the most amazing rivers and I have now seen it in all its beauty , its cruelty , and its awe . I respect it and admire it . Perhaps more than any other river I have encountered .
Mounting the big KTM late that afternoon and starting the journey that would lead us back up a section of the river , to our overnight stop ,
TRAVERSE 50