Photograph: John Oubaas pedals around with First Born behind

The cyclist of sorts’ name was John and he told me he had been handicapped in a wheelchair since the age of three, as a result of polio.

However, his new wheel chair that an Australian visitor to Jay Bay had arranged for him, had a bicycle chain and pedals, which he pushed with his hands.

“My world used to be only metres around me,” he said. 

“Now it’s kilometres.”

That was not only the case for John but also for First Born, his fox terrier that followed him everywhere.

He lived on a state disability pension and spent his days relaxing under a tree in a parking lot where he seemed to be well known. Many people greeted him.

“I’ve always done things other people can do,” he said proudly.

“I played soccer and rugby at school using my hands. It’s important to always have a good attitude towards life. People like you for that.

“They also love dogs.”

COMMENT: What do you feel about John Oubaas’s attitude towards life?

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I took public transport for the next stage start of the inaugural Tour of South Africa route, at Bloukrans, on the border of the Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces. 

First, in a taxi cab from Jeffrey’s Bay to Humansdorp. 

Mellow Yellow fitted easily into the back of the driver’s hatch-back sedan once I had removed the front wheel.

Neil, the driver said he had once worked in factories in Uitenhage but had chosen to return to his hometown for the sake of his children growing up with a better quality of life.

However, he was concerned about the scarcity of water.

“How do you feel about all the tourists that are about to flock in to the area?” I asked. “Won’t they be consuming lots of water?”

“Of course they do, but we need them,” Neil replied. “Jay Bay has very little without them. It’s like being caught between a rock and a hard place.”

He did the Jeffrey’s Bay-Humansdorp run several times a day amid increasing competition from other operators.

As we reached the Humansdorp taxi rank a bus bound for Knysna via Plettenberg Bay and Kareedouw stood waiting to leave. It could take me to Bloukrans.

With Neil’s help I threw Mellow Yellow into the luggage hold in the bowels of the bus. Minutes later the huge vehicle was bouncing along the road, taking us through the wonderland scenery of mountain passes, fields and forests.

COMMENT: What ideas do you have for dry areas to save water?