Verneukpan, the second attempt

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Bernoulli

Race Dog
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
743
Reaction score
14
Location
Cape Town
Bike
BMW R1100GS
I am sitting behind my desk busily typing away at my terribly corporate and urban existence when he suddenly appeared in the doorway: Have you been to Verneukpan?

Huh? What happened to Hi/Hallo/How are you? But these are only my thoughts, and very private thoughts they are. Because, standing in the doorway is he of many trips. Lesotho. Angola. Europe. He is the leader. I do not expect niceties. He does not have to say hallo. All he must do is decide to take me on a trip. And I think he has just done that!

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And no, that is not my office but it is me performing some ancient ritual befitting mere mortals in the presence of sandriding gods like the leader. But more about that later.

There was going to be four of us. And we planned a 3 day trip to Verneukpan and back. None of us had been there. And it was going to be in August. I could hardly contain my excitement. Not only was it going to be my first multi-day trip, it was also going to be the opportunity to do sections of a trip I planned for myself in February and had to cancel when Margaret developed an inexplicable habit to cut out whenever she felt like it. I only got as far as Oppiberg before the reality of taking on the Tankwa karoo, solo, in February, with unreliable wheels dawned on me and I meekly turned around and went home and cut the lawn.

But back to Verneukpan. Planning was done, leave arranged, accommodation sorted (we wanted to travel lightly and sleep comfortably) and then the heavens opened. And it rained. And rained. And then it rained some more. So the Thursday before our planned departure on Friday we called Johan at the Gannaga Lodge.

You may be able to reach me but from here to Middelpos you will duckwalk through mud for 28 km’s. Saw 4 vehicles on the side of the road yesterday when I returned from Sutherland

We agreed to postpone, cancellation was not an option.

When the calendar presented the opportunity to arrange a 4-day week-end in September, we planned some more. The 3-day trip became 4 days, but then the 4 riders became 3. Let me not confuse you, here they are:

The leader, he of many trips, on a 1200GSA (Chum on WD)

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The photographer, always smiling, on a 1200GS (Wboutdoors on WD)

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And the writer, on Margaret (she is my Iron Lady)

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Let the games begin!
 
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