Looking back on the January trip with the KLR

 

Day 1: Short lunch break in Swartruggens. The old station is coverted into a restaurant. Worth visiting. It was raining.

 

Groot Marico: The town of Herman Charles Bosman, and mampoer. Yes, it was still raining.

 

Herman Charles Bosman

 

On the long way to Kang, Botswana. We had to stop often to put on our rain suits.

 

In pouring rain we arrived in Kang and spent the night in a small wooden chalet on the wet camping site.

 

The muddy face of the KLR

 

In Gobabis we preferred a dry night and selected a BnB. Diana, the owner, originates from Russia and speaks an excellent Afrikaans.

 

On the way south to Keetmanshoop. Sunshine and rain, rain suits and wet riding clothes became the pattern of the day's riding.

 

The long road south.

 

I pitched my tent outside the backpackers room at the Schuetzenverein in Keetmanshoop. The earrings on the handle bar of the KLR are my wet socks.

 

Our only hot, hot day: Keetmanshoop to Upington.

 

Prieska: At this coffee shop you get the best omelette in South Africa. Ok, I know, it is a bit exaggerated. It is a wonderful, delicious omelette.

 

On that wonderful gravel road with mud and stones and flat gravel, a dream for the KLR.

 

Orania = innovative. The beginning of a straw house. On completion one would not imagine that the walls of the house straw filled is.It isolates very well for the extreme seasons there.

 

Using sunshine to cook. Sunshine is for free (if it is not raining :-)

 

Go and visit the museum. It is part of our history.

 

On a hill overlooking the town.

 

Children walking, cycling and playing. As it should be.

 

On the stoep with coffee and koeksisters.

 

To encourage shopping in-town an own currency was created, called the Ora. If one pays with Ora one pays about 5% less than the Rand price. On the left the "Kleine Reus" (small giant) of Orania.

 

The koeksister monument.

 

Crossing the Orange River into the Free State.
 

There could be only one town with a coffee pot and cup and saucer at the entrance of the town: Koffiefontein.

 

Flooding forced us to change route after roads and bridges were flooded.

Reen en oorstromings

Na die groot reens kom die oorstromings. Die Noord-Vrystaat is vol water!

Oranjerivier

Die KLR in Orania

When I get ready to talk to people, I spend two thirds of the time thinking what they want to hear and one third thinking about what I want to say.  Abraham Lincoln

Orania is so omstrede soos 'n broer in die tronk. Dit was die rede hoekom ek hiernatoe wou kom om my te oortuig dat wat ek in die pers lees, reg is/was.

Ek sit nou en skryf en weet nie wat om te skryf nie. Ek het deur my foto's gekyk en die bestes uitgehaal om nie op die blog te sit nie. As 'n mens nie hier was nie, sal jy die foto's nie na waarde kan skat nie.

In een museum was my enigste inskrywing: 'n Venster het twee kante. 'n Mens kyk deur dieselfde venster en, afhangende aan watter kant jy staan, sien twee wêrelde.

Doen jouself die guns: Kom Orania toe en kom kyk wat aangaan. Vorm jou eie opinie.

Die grootste rassiste wat ek nog ontmoet het, woon nie in Orania nie, maar in my en jou wêreld.

 

Die begraafplaas het verskeie interessante hoekies met mense wat diep spore getrap het.

Die Klein Reus (werk werk werk!)

 

Ek wonder wanneer ons munisipalitete daarmee gaan begin.

Donderdag gaan ons reis verder tot in Welkom waar ons by vriende gaan oornag. Dis blykbaar baie nat in die Vrystaat. Ons is gereed vir die water.

The trip continues

Good evening!

In Africa one never complains about rain, not even when on a motorcycle tour.

My goodness, and did we have rain. For the first three to four days we were never without our rain suits. At one water hole (my error) even the hooter of my KLR stopped working and being washed with brown mudday water.

The KLRs were again superb. What a comfortable ride I have had until now. My bike is packed like for Russia, so it is heavy. On a few days we had a terrible headwind and as a result the fuel consumption dropped to 16 km / l. On other days it went up to 20 km / l.

We had only one hot, dry day, and that was on Sunday from Keetmanshoop to Upington. We felt dried out when we got to Upington.

Today, Monday, was the highlight. We left early from Upington en route to Orania. Shortly after we left Prieska we turned onto a muddy gravel road. A loooong road with mud, gravel and stones awaited us. What a pleasure! As comfortable as the KLRs were on the tarred road they offered a comfortable ride also on the gravel. I couldn't help asking myself how that would feel in Siberia when one is on such a road and the destination is days further. I need to work more on my mental preparation.

While on the gravel road a huge storm was building up to our left. The heaven turned dark with rain and thunder. The KLRs were flying but the storm suddenly reached us and soaked us while we put on our rain suits again.

And now we are in Orania. it is my first visit here. Tomorrow we are going on a town tour. I look forward to that. I will keep you posted.

Here are some photographs of the last two days.

 Ariamsvlei, Namibia. The three boys watched us interested filling the bikes the last time in Namibia.

 

It was hot camping in Upington.

On the desolated Karoo plains.

That is what the KLR loves: Wide open spaces of nothing

In the rain

Goeie naand!

Dag 3 se ry is verby. Elke dag het die vorige dag wat reen en nat-wees, oortref. Die laaste 110 km vandag was in stortreen wat alles rondom ons met 'n grys kombers bedek het.

Ek geniet die ry. Die slegte weer is goeie voorbereiding vir wat in Rusland op ons wag.

Ons was gisteraand in Kang, Botswana, vannaand in Gobabis, Namibie (deelteken).

Day 3 was the wettest day of our trip so far. We had hours of rain every single day. The last 110 km today was in a heavy downpour with very poor visibility.

I enjoy every second of the ride. What better way could we ask for to prepare ourselves for Russia?

We were in Kang, Botswana, last night. Tonight we are in Gobabis, Namibia.

The people next to the road

On any tour many unexpected things happen.

The riding conditions today were wet but pleasant. We took our time and stopped quite often. In Swartruggens we met a couple at the old station, living their dreams and planting new plants.

We got to Groot Marico, the area made famous by Herman Charles Bosman (and mampoer - Schnapps for the German readers). We decided to ride through the small town looking for a camping site. Keat saw an information sign board and we stopped. The information office is an old farm house, manned by Santa van Bart. She told us many interesting stories about the history of the house and the area.

Another lady joined us. Wendy Gainsford lived for seven years in New Zealand and returned to South Africa recently. Life in New Zealand felt like waiting to die, according to Wendy.

Then Santa went inside and returned with a bottle Marico water (mampoer). All guests normally get only two drops of mapoer mixed with honey. The two drops are huge drops. Massive drops. Small glasses actually.

Sandra organized for us to stay the night on a farm 12 km from Groot Marico, with Johan and Sarie from Marunthwane Guest Farm.

Johan is a character, one of those people that could entertain people for a whole evening. As we got there he and his wife welcomed us like old friends. He described himself as the mampoer master of Groot Marico. We had to brush teeth immediately with his high quality mampoer. And then another set of teeth, and a third set.

Wonderful people. What a privilege to have met these wonderful couple.

Tomorrow is going to be a long riding day. We are (hopefully) going to cross the border close to Lobatse. Then follows a long ride of nearly 370 km of nothing except the barren Kalahari. There is only one fuel stop at Kang where we plan to camp on Thursday night. We will have to stretch the legs of the KLRs as there is no fuel until we reach Kang. I look forward to the ride tomorrow.

Listerning to the stories of Santa (Keat and Wendy)

Hmmmm....

Keat and Johan preparing two "spatsels" per glass

En dit reen steeds - Swartruggens

Swak lig, vinnige foto per selfoon, en die kwaliteit van die foto is gevolglik swak. Maar ons vorder.

Reen

Ek wag vir Keat, en dit reen die eerste keer die jaar op Naboom ...

Byna ry-klaar

Ek het vanoggend die KLR by CyTech in Johannesburg gaan haal. Ray Muller en sy seun Donovan is werklik besonderse mense. Hulle kennis oor en voorbereiding van motorfietse is eenmalig.

Die ry terug Naboom toe deur ons pragtige bosveld was soos altyd besonders.

Vanmiddag begin ek die fiets te pak. Dit sal die eerste keer sedert Naboom2Germany wees dat die fiets so swaar dra. Moreoggend 9uur vertrek ek en Keat uit Naboom. Ons gaan by Lobatse oor die grens probeer kom. Stuur hulle ons terug a.g.v. sy paspoort pas ons ons roete en toer eenvoudig net aan. Dis belangrik dat ons nou dae saam op die fietse deurbring. Dis waardevolle oefening vir die maande wat gaan voorle (kappie).

Sedert middel Desember het ek 'n rusteloosheid in my gehad wat erg was. My vriende het dit almal gemerk. Gister kry ek 'n boodskap van 'n diep mens: "Die uitdaging van 'n beroep is nie om te cope tydens werkstye nie, maar tydens die vakansietye."

Uitklophou. Baie dankie.

Ek dink as ek more weer die langpad aanpak Botswana en Namibie toe, sal dit sommer baie beter gaan.

Groete

Let us try again

The map is still not 100% accurate but let is give it a go.

 

We are leaving on Wednesday 20 January. Reasons for the late departure: I will fetch the KLR from Johannesburg only today, and Keat realised that is passport was valid for only six weeks and not six months ...

Let us test the map

On Tuesday Keat and I leave on our two KLRs on our trip to Botswana / Namibia.

I am going to test the map.

My first request: PLEASE DO NOT SEND ANY MESSAGES FROM THE WEBSITE. There is a facility to do so but I will be charged 70 American cents per message.

If you want to send a message send FROM YOUR CELL PHONE an sms to +44 7924 237 101.

To see where we are click the link http://www.0044.ekit.com/ekit/tj/TJM/Naboom2Germany/fr/aaf02a14

A screen will open with different options. Go the the link View journal.

Click on Map.

Above the map on the right you will have to make a choice:  Select map for (click on arrow and select Botswana / Namibia)

Our overnight destination will be indicated on the map.

I will add photographs and blog postings whenever I have internet available.

Have a good Sunday!

Januarie

Oor vier maande is ek terug hier in Europa en ry ek vir 'n maand die pragtigste paaie voor die KLR se neus oos, rigting Rusland toe, draai.

Ek is besig om 'n dik reisgids oor Rusland. Rusland / Siberie (deelteken) te lees. Dis interessant. Dit strek oor 11 tydsones. Dit beteken die een of ander tyd gaan my opstaantyd jul slaaptyd wees, en omgekeerd. My laaste beker koffie gaan met jul opstaankoffie saamval. Lekker.

Ek toets nou die simkaart waarmee ek hopenlik julle ten minste van my posisie op hoogte kan hou. Waar is ek nou? Kliek hier om te sien. Julle kan inzoem en baie vergroot. Dit gaan makliker wees om op die manier my posisie aan te dui as 'n Siberiese dorpie se naam te probeer spel wat ek nie eers kan uitmaak nie.

Volgende week gaan die KLR gou vir 'n lekker op-check, die week daarop is dit die langpad, Botswana en Namibie toe. Ek wil die fiets presies net so pak soos wat ek met die toer gaan pak, vanaf klere tot tandeborsel tot spanners.

Groete uit die verre koue Europa!

2010

'n Baie voorspoedige Nuwe Jaar aan al my vriende en die mense met wie ek kontak het maar nog nooit ontmoet het nie! Mag ons almal se nuwejaarsvoorneme die volgende bevat: Sukses, Tevredenheid, Gesondheid, Opregtheid, Medemenslikheid, en as ons gelowig is, laat ons dit sal uitleef.

Oor vier maande en twee dae klim ek in Duitsland op die KLR!