Kerneels
Puppy
Pretrip organisation:
So, I know of the Boesmans bike trip that happens every year and I only hear the tales told through generations about how fun and spectacular this trip is. So every year when Mack tells me about the trip and how much more he would choose the trip over a hunting or fishing trip, I can only swallow my jealousy and pride and except that I am not an adventure rider and will probably never go on this trip and I make peace with the fact that my experience with this trip will only be of legends telling the story. Or so I thought, Wednesday 24 August 2016 was a warm summers day just before Spring, 09:07am my phone gets a message.
Pick up the phone and see that Mack sent me a message, it reads “Is jy lus vir n bike toer? Ons annual Boesman trip? 7-11Oktober Lesotho”. At this stage I’m starting to shake and my mind is in overdrive to make a plan to go on the trip.
First things first, I need to go and see Mack. So later that day I grab a couple of brewskies and stop at his shop to have a little chat about this opportunity that’s come up. Everything sounds in order but I have to make arrangements at work as my brother is also going away and if the dates clash, I am going to have a problem. So now it’s time to phone my bro and as I do, he tells me the dates and with a throb in my throat he tells me that his dates fall exactly over mine. My heart sank into my ankles and even before my trip starts, my bubble pops. Sad but not beaten I decide I am not going to give in that easily and with a little motivation from Mack I decide to go and see my father. Even though he is semi retired and with a little sweet talk, the old man agreed to stand in for me where needs be. We all work at his company.
Now that everything on my side is sorted, all I need is a set of wheels. The search beckons. Five days later Mack phones me up and says come, we’re going somewhere. Warmbaths here we come and a few hours later we load the Tenere.
Now the bike is sorted, just for the learners. Last time I studied for anything was a few years ago but that won’t get me down. Off to Rayton licence department, after an hour and a half wait I walk out with my appointment date 21st September 2016 12:00. Now it’s study time, I got all the books, now I have to put in the hours. Struggle, struggle but I get it done. I am not going to let 64 questions get me down. So headache after headache I study till the D-Date arrives. It’s 21 September 2016 10:00, two hours early because I had to make sure where to go so that I am not late. Well the clock strikes 12:00 and I am in the classroom.
Nervous I sat down in front of the computer screen waiting for the go ahead to start the test. I am so nervous that I completely forget how a touch screen works but I nail it, 15mins later and 3 wrong answers but I have that very special document.
With a calm heart I can now go on the trip legally and insured as Mack said.
Through all this studying I also offered to help with the design for a logo. I am corresponding with Andre and come up with the following. And post it on the group. Everyone loves it and Jaco makes us some stickers. Thanks Jaco!
Ok, logo sorted. Or so I thought, Andre sends me another logo to put on the shirts. Easy as that, right? No, nothing works, we can’t get the right format to print. I offered to redraw the logo and after a bit of head scratching I get it sorted. Andre is happy, I’m happy. Off to the printer we go and we get our shirts.
Mack sorts us out with handy crash bar bags. Thanks Mack, they worked like a bomb!
And Andre with caps… Thanks Andre, the caps are legit!
Ok, kit sorted. Now all we need is a route to follow(kind of) and the time to run out for us to leave on our adventure. Our Navigator Flip is on call and works day in and day out to sort out his builder and in between this all whenever he gets time, worked out a killer route. Thanks Flip, the route was amazing.
Time is running out and the excitement gets too much to handle. A Few days before the trip, I go to Mack’s house so that we can work on the bikes to get them prepped and ready for the trip. And as you know, working on the bikes and having a few cold ones, we get hungry and decide to have n braai, but when you want to braai and don’t have a braaier nearby. You tend to make a plan, as we did. Call in the wheel barrow and small konka. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a photo of this.
Monday before the trip and I am packing, get my passport, you know, THAT I can not forget. BOOM, I fall on my arse, quit packing. Passport is expired. Now you’re thinking, only an idiot will leave the passport to check on 99. Well… Hi, I’m idiot.
Next morning, and I am running around early morning trying to get me a passport but to no avail. At this point I realised and accepted the fact that Lesotho won’t be seeing me in 2016. Very sad but that’s ok, there is still a whole part of the trip that I will be doing.
To be continued
