Ok so here goes.
Southern Africa Super Trip 2016 Part 1
Sorry if I mess something up, I haven't done this before.
On the 14th of June Lucky and I set out for Namibia. Lucky is my 2011 XTZ, so named because whenever something goes wrong, it's always Lucky who suffers (and this trip was no different!!). I live in Somerset West and it was pretty much plain sailing all the way up. I go to Nam every year for my birthday, so the road is familiar.
Also along for the ride was Jeff, my old battered ukulele. I love playing guitar (but am yet to find one I can fit on the bike), so Jeff is a nice addition to any trip. He's often joined me on trips, and carries multiple scars, even being partially re-built from fibreglass after a nasty crash in Namibia a few years
The first mission? To meet up with friends at the Canyon Roadhouse and walk the 95km of the Fish River Canyon. My bike was loaded like a truck with the giant hiking backpack (and hiking gear) on the back. The trip up was a very top heavy affair...
Here's the bike loaded for the long road.
I had scored a place on this hike through friends of friends, so didn't know anyone very well. Luckily they all turned out to be awesome people, and we spent every night of the 5 day hike drinking whisky and making dirty jokes.
This is a biking forum, not a hiking forum, so I won't dwell on the details of the hike. But, as anyone who's done it will tell you, it's great!
Here's the group at the famous vespa. (if you dont know about the fish river vespa expedition, search it now!)
Jeff also joined for the hike.
After the hike, I spent another 2 days at Ais-Ais. I had a week to kill before I'd meet Pieter and his XT600 "Trompie" near McCarthy's Rest. At Ais Ais I spent time with some guys from the Put Foot Rally, The Republicans. They were doing this epic social rally in an old taxi, pimped out with decals. I was quite lonely after the social occasion that was the fishriver hike, so enjoyed drinking beer and smoking hubly bubbly with this eccentric gang.
I also spent a night talking to Daniel, a mad German who is cycling solo from Cape Town to Kenya over the next 12 months. As two wheel travelers, we quickly became friends and spent a night swapping stories and making fires.
I then headed back to SA towards the Kalahari. I went over Aroab, making sure to buy one of the famous venison pies. I don't need to tell anyone here about how lekker the Namibian dirt roads are. I wanted to go through Rietfontein border post to see Hakskeen Pan, where Bloodhound will break the land speed record at some point.
From here I headed to Molopo Lodge, near the Kgalagadi Park's gate. This is an old family favourite, and reminds me of happy times on family road trips. I camped on their nice green lawns. But the nights were COLD! The Kalahari is a frigid lady after dark! I didnt dare venture out of my tent before dawn.
I was here for 2 days and enjoyed chatting to Oomies in the nice bar. We shared Jagermeisters and swapped stories. I could tell these guys would gladly swap places with the "laaitie" on the bike.
I spent some time at Kalahari Trails in Askham, where I chilled with some tame meerkats. A retired professor runs a sanctuary for these animals here. They joined for a walk through the veldt.
The next day I decided to do something different and follow the road along the Botswana border. I choice I would soon regret, as the road got gradually more and more sandy. But my GPS pointed forward, so forward I went (after this trip I will avoid Garmin products), ignoring my better instincts.
A nasty piece of sand brought Lucky down on my leg. I wasn't hurt, but I was pinned, my left leg at an awkward angle. Twisting my foot to attempt an escape, I felt a snap in my knee.
Bye bye, Mr ligament! (confirmed by a physio after my return home 3 weeks later). Somehow I managed to get lucky up. But I knew I'd have to turn back and find a farm road, I was now aiming for Van Zylsrus and this road was out of my ability without both knees working. But Lucky's reserve indicator was flashing... I should have filled up in Askham!
Luckily the xt660 can run on the smell of an oil rag when ridden slowly and calmly, sometimes approaching 40km on a liter. I made it to VZylsrus at 5pm, and put 23,4 liters into my 24l tank.
But I was in agony, my leg would not work! I decided to be a wuss for the night so I could rest the leg and get a room at the VZylsrus hotel. Here the friendly tannies fed me voltarins like smarties, and the leg felt slightly better. Luckily I only had 5000km to go
The next day I aimed for Vorstershoop. I would spend the night at Pieter's cousin's farm and meet him there. But it was not to be!
Near McCarthy's Rest I got a flat front wheel. I have a massive phobia of front wheel problems, as this was the cause of my big accident in Nam which claimed Jeff the Ukulele's top half. My old man also broke his knee like this, and suffered for months as a result.
The front rim had taken damage and the tyre would not refit even with a new tube. Where to now? I packed my valuables and left the stranded bike next to the road to look for help.
A few km down the road I walked into Kalahari Rangers, an extremely upmarket hunting farm for rich foreigners. Here I met Marie from Stellenbosch, who now runs the show at the lodge. She is a lovely person and sent their resident mechanic to help me fix the wheel. Success! But my relief was brief. As the workers helped me fit the wheel I suddenly saw brake fluid everywhere. The nipple on one of the brakes had leaked (I think someone may have loosened it when I wasnt paying attention).
Now I had no front brakes. With my front wheel phobia and busted knee I wasnt taking chances, these rough Kalahari dirt roads were scary with a functioning bike and leg!
I as stranded... I asked Marie if I could set up tent in acorner, as this lodge was waaaaaay out of my price range. She made me a deal, i would work on the game farm for the next two days and, in return, I would be allowed to sleep in the PH quarters, paying only for my food. So for the next few days I fed bokkies, drove the staff around in the cruiser, fixed a trailer and made lasagna.
Not a terrible place to be stuck honestly.
Ok that's it for part 1. Part 2 takes off with Pieter's arrival (and includes everything in the video).
Part 2 has everything a good adventure story needs, aeroplanes, lions, boats, new friends, parties and many strange unforeseen events.
And what tale is complete without a love interest? Stay tuned...
Topic: Botswana Adventure 2016 (Read 8071 times)
