Cape Cobra Camping & Bitcoin Ekasi
approaching departure.
I went on my first mini-adventure with my yet-to-be-named motorcycle to the nearby town of Mosselbaai (Mossel Bay). I had a few objectives for this overnight trip. Among them was to test the motorcycle and my camping equipment, buy some things, and visit a bitcoin community working with a township in Mosselbaai. Along the way, I discovered a less-than-ideal surprise at my camping spot near Vleesbaai…
It was a beautiful campsite. I was met by a curious Cape Grysbok right before leaving the bush to find a spot on the beach along the edge of a small peninsular private nature reserve. I soon had a cup of Milo brewing and started exploring the area.
A sign along the edge of the reserve advertised restricted access and a warning specific to two very different animals in the area. The first was Ostrich, which had me chuckling at the thought of one disrupting my camp. The second, however, was less than charming.
It turns out this small reserve is an important breeding area for the Cape Cobra. I did not expect this in the slightest. Who knew there was a species of cobra that breeds near the beach? Not bad for my first night of solo camping in Africa.
Approaching departure
Time seems to be going through fits of compression and expansion as I approach the date of departure. Sometimes I feel like I have all the time in the world, and sometimes the opposite. While the most major steps have been covered over the preceding months, critical preparations are often resolved at the last minute.
As one can imagine, this can be anxiety-inducing. I tend to oscillate between bouts of euphoria and intense caution in the weeks leading up to big adventures. It can be tricky to remain methodical when the adrenaline builds and all you want to do is scream, jump on your bike, and disappear into the unknown. This is where I am right now, metaphorically speaking.
It often feels as if the final two or three days will never end, like I’ll never escape, and that the whole adventure was just a fantasy. It’s not until I’m on the road, physically experiencing everything I’ve been imagining, that I allow myself to believe and embody.
Being on the road has been a tricky experience to explain to people after the fact. The words that come to mind are; freedom, letting go, breakaway, and escape velocity. I experience an intense clarity of thought that comes from what might best be described as distancing myself from the default mode of everyday life.
Thankfully, today I ponder this feeling in anticipation instead of in nostalgia.
Bitcoin Ekasi
Visiting South Africa’s first bitcoin township in Mosselbaai was very affirming. I was eagerly welcomed and treated to a tour of the township in their organization’s exuberant Toyota Land Cruiser. I even bought some chips and juice in the township using only bitcoin.
Over the last year or so, I’ve been working as a copywriter in the bitcoin (not crypto) ecosystem, researching and commenting on what this wildly misunderstood, humanitarian technology has to offer.
I’ll continue to unpack this story in further posts; indeed, it’s a developing story that I intend to follow through Africa. The gist is that I reckon Africa is well-positioned to benefit greatly from bitcoin as money and as a platform for development.
I also reckon that Bitcoin Ekasi could be onto something big. In my next post, I’ll explain why by contrasting my experiences from traveling to El Salvador. In case you don’t already know, El Salvador became the first country in the world to make bitcoin legal tender (an official currency) in 2021.
Follow up
I managed to weld my rear frame back together before making a last-minute trip to Pretoria last week. This has compressed my preparations but I did manage to pick up some great supplies in the city, including Kevlar moto pants, a Desert Fox jerry bag for fuel, an Ogio tank bag, and some Alpine motorcycle ear protection. Still gotta get that carburetor boot installed and I haven’t found a new helmet yet. Goodness gracious.
If all continues as planned, then the journey officially commences on Wednesday, May 31 en route to visit another bitcoin community in Witsand. After Witsand, then I’m off to Africa’s southernmost point, Cape Agulhas, before heading North for Namibia. :D
G