Cycling at Nature’s Pace

Posted on Jun 21, 2026 by krfarmer

One of the things I enjoy most about cycling is the pace.

Unlike travelling by car, bicycle touring allows you to experience the world around you. You feel the wind on your face, smell the changing scents of the countryside, and hear the sounds of nature that are often missed when travelling at higher speeds.

This week I filmed part of my ride through the countryside. When I played the video back, I realized it had been recorded in fast motion. Watching it felt more like driving a car than cycling a bicycle! While it doesn’t fully capture the experience of being there, it does provide a quick glimpse of the scenery I enjoyed along the route.

Video: Cycling through the countryside

Later, I stopped to take in the surroundings and record the sounds of nature. As I stood quietly, I heard deer moving through the bush and birds singing from the trees.

I also noticed signs posted by a local landowner asking people to stay off the property. While some may see these signs as restrictive, they also help protect wildlife habitat by reducing disturbance. Sometimes the best thing we can do for nature is simply give it the space to thrive.

Moments like these are one of the reasons I love cycling adventures. Travelling at a slower pace allows you to notice details that would otherwise pass by unnoticed and reminds you that nature is constantly at work around us.

Video: Sounds of the bush and wildlife

Have you ever noticed how much more you see and hear when you slow down and travel by bicycle? Leave a comment below. Love to hear from you.

Run Away to Africa – Book now Live and Available | A Journey of Freedom and Adventure

Posted on Apr 12, 2026 by krfarmer

You can now purchase Run Away to Africa directly through my shop page using the link in this post.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Run+Away+To+Africa+by+Kenneth+Fagan&crid=1ZJH3EI2RHUOT&sprefix=run+away+to+africa+by+kenneth+fagan%2Caps%2C186&ref=nb_sb_noss

Whether you’re interested in:

Travel memoirs.
African adventure stories.
Cycling and exploration journeys.
Books about freedom and lifestyle change.

This book brings those elements together into one powerful story. I’ve shared two videos to mark this milestone:

One showing the book now officially published on Amazon KDP.
Another announcing that Run Away to Africa is now available for sale.

These videos capture the moment this travel memoir became real.

Book Launch Videos:

Announcement book is published.

Announcement book is for sale.

Enjoy the book. Was a long time in editing and feel it is ready. This opens up the way for me to start books on my other adventures. I have an idea that I could venture into the motivational book market.

Run away to Africa – Start

Posted on Sep 29, 2019 by krfarmer

Start

I left home at Settlers Limpopo province South Africa on 3 December 2012. Next stop was at my parents in Johannesburg. My parents and I went shopping for a telescope fishing rod to take with. We found a fishing rod at a fishing shop in Edenval.

That night I had a big shock when they took me to Park station. I had not been down town Johannesburg for about eighteen years. Talk of inner city decay. There were piles of rubbish on the side of the roads and in the road. Urine and other liquids running down the streets. Lots of shady looking characters hanging around on the streets. Taxies, run down vehicles and broken things lying around. We were afraid to park the car as it might not be there when we come back, that is if you come back alive.

Bus was supposed to leave at 20H00. Bicycle and bag weighed in at 36 kg. Not counting my carry on. Had to pay an extra R 150 for the bicycle even though it was on the ticket. There was a man in front of me that needed to pay extra money for his overweight luggage. He had changed all his money into US$ and did not have Rands. Nobody had change for his US$. Eventually he gave me US$100 as security that he would pay me back my R 100.

Bus left at 20H50 on the 3^rd December 2012. On route it stopped at Midrand where it took on more passengers. Much better option if you do not want to lose your life at Park Station Johannesburg. Bus made stops at Pietersburg for passengers then at Mesina to take on petrol.

Stopped at Beightbridge South African side at about 5 am. Disembarked and made long line into Emigration office. In about three quarters of an hour we were in no man’s land.

On the Zimbabwe side, the driver did some trick to get use through. First he stopped in the middle of the road and made as if he had to speak to an official. Then organised an assistant to off load all the luggage in the middle of the road. Where he got a customs official to check the luggage. I had to declare my bicycle as second hand and that it was valued at under R 2000 or there would have been lots of red tape. Then the driver got the same assistant to pack everything back as quick as possible. He then called all passengers together and told us the following. If somebody asks us if we have had our passports stamped then we must say yes. Or they will send us to the back of the line which is about 15 busses long. He will park on the other side of the immigration office and we must stand around the bus and go to the toilets. Then we must break off and go in groups of five to get our passports stamped. If the customs official ask us how did we come, we must say with our own transport. That was not needed as there was such a mass of people they did not even know what was going on in the office. Then we all got in the bus and away we went. Border crossing was about two hours. Not bad for Christmas holidays. Heard later in the day there was a person’s friend that arrived just after us, which spend nine hours there.

Digital Camera

Zimbabwe was very dry. The first rain had not come. The bus stopped near Musivingo for lunch. The man I lend money to could not get change for me. Not that he didn’t try getting the money. Every time we got off the bus he went around trying to get money from people. When we got to the lunch stop. I knew he was getting off at the next stop. So I said he must pay for lunch for me. That covered most of what he owed me so I said that it was ok.

Bus was little small to sleep properly. Little word of advice always travel with a neck pillow. I started to get a little stiff in the bus. I was the only white on the bus. Most passengers were students at university or business people. They were on their blackberry cell phones texting nearly all the way. Few had their laptops or tablets out doing some work or social media.

Here are a few photos that go with this post but not in book.