Krees goes Dutch Kiwi!: Cycling and the Dutch

South Africa - November 2011

In November 2011 we traveled to South Africa and brought Charles's parents along for the ride. We spent a week in and around Cape Town, a few days near Hartbeespoort and the Cradle of Humankind, a couple days at Pilanesberg National Park, and two days with my friend Stephanie and her family in Pretoria. It was a FANTASTIC trip! There are (currently) 78 photos in this album and don't include some of the great places we visited or people we saw. I may add more as we finish weeding through the approximately FOUR THOUSAND photos we took. Seriously. It was a great trip.

Every time I think I've seen every possible type of bicycle here in the Netherlands - regular two-wheeler, bakfiets, tandem, side-by-side tandem trike, bar-on-wheels, even a brass band on a bike - I see another new and intriguing type of bike.

But it's also been interesting to see how the Dutch switch to different bikes and other modes of transportation as they get older. First, well after they've turned 70 and their hair has gone silver, they might get an assisted-power bicycle that they can still pedal but with a little extra help. And/or they'll switch to a tricycle like my own Nana used to pedal around in Florida. Then, when pedaling is no longer an option, they'll get a Rascal scooter and drive down the street following the same rules as the cyclists.

But today was the best so far! It's the start of the local Fiets4Daagse (four day cycling event), and there are LOTS of extra people on bikes in Diever. I came home from the grocery store to find an elderly man with a bike at the foot of the driveway. He appeared to be resting or waiting for someone, and as I approached I noticed that he had medical tubing running to his nostrils and oxygen tanks strapped to the pannier racks on the back. Clearly age and health were not going to hold him back from cycling!