Jocassee
Puppy
False advertising, sorry. I only speak enough Afrikaans to be dangerous.
I am an American, currently living in South Carolina where I have lived for most of my life. By far the most interesting part of my life was when I lived in South Africa from 2000 to 2004. I was a teenager then, and my parents were evangelical missionaries working in a small church near Kraaifontein.
I lived in a mostly Afrikaans neighborhood, and of course picked up some Afrikaans. My accent is nearly perfect, however my vocabulary is limited and my grammar occasionally struggles.
All that to say, I had wanted to come back and visit for a long time but it took me 8 years to come back and visit your fabulous country as an adult. The story is below. (I originally wrote this up on ADVRider for an American audience, hence the over or under-explanation in some places). If you have any questions about this trip or any suggestions for my upcoming trip, which will take a similar route, please post or IM!
February 23, 2013.
I had decided to return to South Africa.
Like most great adventures*, this one began on a mundane day with a ridiculous statement to my riding buddy, Travis.
"Travis, you should come with me to South Africa." Africa is in my blood, and it has been since I took my first breath of clear winter air at Cape Town International in July 2000 when I was thirteen. That was a long friggin' time ago, but it stuck with me, and I've never forgot the things I saw and learned there after I left in 2004. During that time most things American were gradually forgotten and I ate, slept, and breathed South Africa. I wasn't fully assimilated but by the time I landed back in Atlanta as a 17 year old I felt more South African than American. I knew for years I had to go back, but I kept putting it off, until I couldn't. Then I asked Travis to go with me.
Travis took a good idea and made it a great one. "I'll go, but only if we ride motorcycles." The brilliance of this plan blinded me with its shinyness. SOLD.
We spent a whirlwind few months getting ready to go. Hiring bikes from Karoo Bikes in Cape Town, saving our shekels, getting arrested**, wooing women***.
The big day arrived. We flew to Amsterdam, where a very nice Dutchman patted me down to make sure I had left my gun collection at home, then told me my fly was unzipped. Very polite people, the Dutch.
It was 9 years from leaving to returning.
The author with his younger brother as a wee lad. I was a goober then and I'm a goober now.
After many long hours, we landed, at long last, in the Mother City.
Cape Town is, in my not-very-well traveled opinion, the most beautiful city in the world. The only one that may surpass it is Rio, and I haven't been to Rio. So they're stuck sucking hind tit as far as I'm concerned.
The first couple days were filled with non-motorcycle related activities, which will take up the rest of this post, so feel free to skip to the good stuff in the next post.
We visited, in no particular order: Somerset West
Boulders Beach
"Cute and cuddly boys. Cute. And. Cuddly."
The Cape of Good Hope at Cape Point Nature Reserve
Good Hope Beach
https://www.youtube.com/embed/AZAAHt18y_8
https://www.youtube.com/embed/1rWodeIhysk
Hout Bay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTyYM1oT_rU
And Table Mountain, which I don't have a good picture off the top of, so you get this one of me sitting on my ass. And you'll like it.
All this followed by food at the Cape Fish Market at the V&A Waterfront. Touristy, but delicious.
V&A Waterfront
https://www.youtube.com/embed/yodlkrsVC-I
*All video contained herein is shaky, and all pictures are subpar. Expect mediocrity.
** I got arrested for having a deer rifle. I was out on bond and almost didn't get to leave the country. The charges were dropped.
***I started dating my wife.
I am an American, currently living in South Carolina where I have lived for most of my life. By far the most interesting part of my life was when I lived in South Africa from 2000 to 2004. I was a teenager then, and my parents were evangelical missionaries working in a small church near Kraaifontein.
I lived in a mostly Afrikaans neighborhood, and of course picked up some Afrikaans. My accent is nearly perfect, however my vocabulary is limited and my grammar occasionally struggles.
All that to say, I had wanted to come back and visit for a long time but it took me 8 years to come back and visit your fabulous country as an adult. The story is below. (I originally wrote this up on ADVRider for an American audience, hence the over or under-explanation in some places). If you have any questions about this trip or any suggestions for my upcoming trip, which will take a similar route, please post or IM!
February 23, 2013.
I had decided to return to South Africa.
Like most great adventures*, this one began on a mundane day with a ridiculous statement to my riding buddy, Travis.
"Travis, you should come with me to South Africa." Africa is in my blood, and it has been since I took my first breath of clear winter air at Cape Town International in July 2000 when I was thirteen. That was a long friggin' time ago, but it stuck with me, and I've never forgot the things I saw and learned there after I left in 2004. During that time most things American were gradually forgotten and I ate, slept, and breathed South Africa. I wasn't fully assimilated but by the time I landed back in Atlanta as a 17 year old I felt more South African than American. I knew for years I had to go back, but I kept putting it off, until I couldn't. Then I asked Travis to go with me.
Travis took a good idea and made it a great one. "I'll go, but only if we ride motorcycles." The brilliance of this plan blinded me with its shinyness. SOLD.
We spent a whirlwind few months getting ready to go. Hiring bikes from Karoo Bikes in Cape Town, saving our shekels, getting arrested**, wooing women***.
The big day arrived. We flew to Amsterdam, where a very nice Dutchman patted me down to make sure I had left my gun collection at home, then told me my fly was unzipped. Very polite people, the Dutch.
It was 9 years from leaving to returning.
The author with his younger brother as a wee lad. I was a goober then and I'm a goober now.
After many long hours, we landed, at long last, in the Mother City.
Cape Town is, in my not-very-well traveled opinion, the most beautiful city in the world. The only one that may surpass it is Rio, and I haven't been to Rio. So they're stuck sucking hind tit as far as I'm concerned.
The first couple days were filled with non-motorcycle related activities, which will take up the rest of this post, so feel free to skip to the good stuff in the next post.
We visited, in no particular order: Somerset West
Boulders Beach
"Cute and cuddly boys. Cute. And. Cuddly."
The Cape of Good Hope at Cape Point Nature Reserve
Good Hope Beach
https://www.youtube.com/embed/AZAAHt18y_8
https://www.youtube.com/embed/1rWodeIhysk
Hout Bay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTyYM1oT_rU
And Table Mountain, which I don't have a good picture off the top of, so you get this one of me sitting on my ass. And you'll like it.
All this followed by food at the Cape Fish Market at the V&A Waterfront. Touristy, but delicious.
V&A Waterfront
https://www.youtube.com/embed/yodlkrsVC-I
*All video contained herein is shaky, and all pictures are subpar. Expect mediocrity.
** I got arrested for having a deer rifle. I was out on bond and almost didn't get to leave the country. The charges were dropped.
***I started dating my wife.
