Angola Doodsakker Ekspedisie Jun 2010

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SGB

Race Dog
Joined
Feb 4, 2006
Messages
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Location
Bloemfontein, SA
Bike
BMW R1200GS
Jan du Toit instigates trips on motorcycles every so often, and the “common denominator” of all these expeditions is that places where adventure bikes have not been seen before, are visited along the way.  This time, Angola was the selected playground and Cuito Cuanavale, a town made famous by the final stages of the former SADF and FAPLA’s military scraps in the late 1980’s, was one of the places on the itinerary.  And just for good measure and to make the trip worth while, returning along the coast through the “Doodsakker” was also part of the idea.  All of these were only ideas, because we all know that in Africa it is common practice to not know the condition of the roads, where there is fuel, where one could sleep over, how the locals would receive you – to name only a few.  The team selection was a very complicated process which I do not understand at all, but it came together in the end, or should I say the beginning?  I am not sure if it was by chance or by strategy, those who know Jan will have an idea….
The process kicked off at the end of February when this letter from Jan arrived on my e-mail:
“Welkom op die Angolese uitdaging
Die antwoord op die meeste van jou vrae se antwoorde is dieselfde : “EK WEET NIE!” En as ek geweet het was dit nie ‘n uitdaging nie maar ‘n toer.
Ons gaan min of meer aan die oostekant van Angola op en kom min of meer aan die westekant af. Ons weet nie hoe ver ons gaan ry nie, ons weet nie waar oral brandstof gaan wees nie, ons weet nie waar kos of water beskikbaar is nie en ons weet nie waar ons saans gaan slaap nie.
Hierdie heeltemaal niksweet oefening is ongelukkig nie verniet nie en ‘n Rxxxx deposito word verlang. Dit is eintlik net om jouself te verbind sodat die reëlings wat eintlik nie gemaak kan word nie, gemaak word.
Daar is net 8 fietse wat mag saamgaan. Dit beteken jy is een van die min uitverkorenes op wie die dice geval het.
Elkeen moet selfversorgend wees en dit wat nie op jou fiets pas nie, gaan nie saam nie. Daar gaan ‘n bakkie saam (Bakkes en Kalie) maar dis net om in geval van ‘n flenters fiets die ding uit te ry.
Dit beloof om ‘n moerse avontuur te wees – moet dit nie misloop nie.
Die vertrekdatum is 16 Junie 2010 vanaf ongeveer Popavalle in die Caprivi en die terugkeerdatum is ongeveer einde Junie by Ruacana.
Meer detail (waarvan daar min is) sal later gegee word. Die datums is belangrik en die Rxxxx is belangrik – dis al.”


I was very fortunate to be able to make the necessary arrangements with my family and my brother who is also my partner and my trip was on.  The paperwork is a bit of a mission: Visas, police clearances, Yellow fever jabs, money and all that stuff had to be arranged through a process that unfolded at Africa’s rate.  My perception that detailed arrangements were going to follow the original letter died a slow death.  When June arrived and I knew little more than in February, I had to agree with Jan.  “If we knew all those things, it would be a tour.  This is an expedition….  It confused me slightly at the time, but now I know….  The backup strategy also confused me.  The “us and them” confused me.  I was out of my comfort zone, I had to pass control on to people I did not know.  OK, I said, so this is the trip – let’s see….

So, I had all my paperwork.  I had all the medication I needed.  I had all the spares and tools I thought might be needed.  I had my bike ready.  All my luggage fitted into two Kaoko soft bags.  Tent, sleeping bag, mattress, pillow, eating utensils in the one bag and clothes, etc in the other.  And an ammo crate for tools and spares.  A 10l Addis fuel can which I could strap on the back of the bike and my Camelbak for my own back completed my list. I was ready to attach all the above except the tools crate to my bike.  I was ready.

What follows is a daily count of the trip as it unfolded in my eyes, brain and heart.  It is not intended as a group report and some might have different views, which I accept.  Some contribution from them here will only enrich the report – please do.  Blame me for the misrepresentations, but this is how I lived the expedition.
 
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