I rode past Tankwa Padstal looking for Bike X Cape, a new camping and biker venue that opened up in the Tankwa Karoo, assuming it was on the R355. I was wrong. Apparently it’s on the road that connects R355 to the R356, which turns off alongside Tankwa Padstal.
Defeated, I headed into Tankwa Padstal for some liquid refreshment and ran into a bunch of KTM (and some BMW) hooligans in the form of Cocky, his better half Laura and the fruit of his loins, Boere and the lovely Christa, Norman of WC Mini-Bash fame, Thomas, and a few others. They were braaiing and kuiering up a storm.
I finally met Billy the Bitch, Boere's brother-in-law, and realised I'd met him at Oasis before.
In the bar, I bought a caffeinated energy drink to make up for the 5 cups of coffee I would’ve consumed by this time. The dude next to me asked whether I was one of those surly bikers who didn’t greet anyone, or one of those friendly bikers who waved back. I laughed and said I was a friendly biker, I waved at everyone. I do, too.
Outside, I quickly swallowed my energy drink and took to the road again. Katbakkies and Skittery passes awaited and I was bright-eyed with anticipation. The waver dudes from the bar had already left in their bakkie but when they saw me behind them, they slowed to let me overtake. I waved as I passed, smiling broadly inside my helmet.
I crawled over Skittery and Katbakkies pass in my usual cautious manner. On Katbakkies pass, two bikers passed me and stopped at the lookout point. I stopped a bit further down for photo’s. Cocky’s handler, Laura, and her Ozzie friend and Cocky’s son passed in their bakkie, the son leaning out the window, shouting to check that I was OK. I threw a thumb’s up and they carried on down the pass and disappeared rapidly. I carried on as well, enjoying the fresh breeze and the brilliant views.
Near the end of the road, a bakkie with a foreign number plate passed me slowly in the opposite direction, arm waving out of the window to flag me down. Due to my reticence and the loose, slightly marbly nature of the road, it took some distance to crawl to a stop, and I sat waiting on my bike for the driver to walk back to me.
He was looking for “Bushmen”, and asked me whether he was on the right road. “The people with the donkey carts.
Die klein mense”, he clarified for me, a 5’ 3” giant. I had no idea where the Khoisan hung out, but based on the yearly Community Day at Tankwa Padstal, I nodded that yes, he was on the right road. He should continue and where the road joined the R355, he should turn left. I was sure the Tankwa Padstal people could point him towards some “klein mense”.
Topic: Cederberg Oasis Spit Braai 6-7 April 2019 (Eventually) (Read 1032 times)