Left Bothaville at 04.45. This time no roosters, but dog barks escorting me out of town. Arriving on the plains I saw the most wonderful sunrise in years. Moving. Within minutes it got cloudy, storm winds dashing over the plains and cooling me off while I did my step-by-step routine for about 8 hours. Once in a while a farmer stopping to ask if i I meed any support. After 50 km I got nailed down by a heavy thunderstorm. When hell broke out all over my head I decided to get rid of all things metal and hunker down. And then it rained cats and dogs. No way I could go on, however, I managed to find shelter from more water and lightning in an abandoned settlement just 39km before Hoopstad. Again it was Gerard Calder to get me out of trouble. I'm sleeping over at his and Wendy's house in Klerksdorp tonight, enjoying the evening with my wife Dania and son Ben who just arrived at Johannesburg to accompany my trek with a camper. South Africans are the most hands on and welcoming people, thanks so much. Weather forecast for tomorrow looks good. Hoping for some more kilometers. Lagging 31 kilometers behind schedule.