Angola, Angola - a tale of “tręs cavaleiros”

[2 Stroke Dan]

Ja Bob, dis dieselfde een, met n ander tenk en sonder sidepanels. En behang met kak

[the_BOBNOB]

Ja Bob, dis dieselfde een, met n ander tenk en sonder sidepanels. En behang met kak

Hy het nog net 'n skaapvel gekort dan het hy nou eers die "part" gelyk 

[2 Stroke Dan]

N skaapvel en 2 sulke AG200 modderflappe by die wiele.

[chopperpilot]

Trip van 'n leeftyd!

Great RR!

[SGB]

I think you left your passport on purpose.  You just wanted some more Angola riding..... Always better on someone else's bike......   

[Blou Zebu]

Dankie Tau, en almal wat lees. Dave het n mooi skryftrant. Belangrik om jou toervennote reg te kies en ek sal enige tyd weer saam met Dave en Peter gaan. Ek sal saam met enige Wilddog gaan. Nooi my net.

Kom bietjie saam my kerk toe! 

Baie lekker om van julle trip te lees! Ek dink dit moet great wees! Die ervaring, die kameraderie, die herinneringe!
Dankie dat julle ouens dit met ons deel!

Voetnota en nie n hi-jack nie!
Ek hoop om eendag, nie te ver van hier nie, n trip op die westlike kant van Mkar te doen.
Maevatanana
Maintirano
Morondava
Manja
Toliara
en dan dalk sommer tot in Fort Dauphin

[Beserker]

..... Always better on someone else's bike......   

A bit like an Avis car..can go faster/harder/ with less oil/over pavements and they just don't break (immdiatly)

I then realised that if I pass him, because of the dust he will have to back off.....

Pre-meditated    And there I was thinking "Shame...he must be tired and gatvol...in a hurry to get off..." Must say I was impressed at the speed the XT could muster 

[Oros]

EPIC, farking EPIC I tell you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Beserker]

Angola, Angola

A tale of “tręs cavaleiros”

Day 15, 16 and 17 Opuwu to Stellenbosch via Windhoek

Still suffering from a stomach bug, the previous night’s feast did little to keep me out of the throne room. At least at Aussicht it is a throne room al Fresco, and the night view of the stars was spectacular, as was seeing the rising sun, and by the time Danie and Pete woke, I was feeling a lot better.



Just as well, Danie was feeling like a dog, and could hardly help with the packing of the bakkie and trailer.

Altough Pete was suffering from the onset of the bug, he was able to help and pretty soon we were on our way to Opuwu, to fill up and get provisions for the long road back.



Danie promptly fell asleep on the back seat, Pete made it to Opuwu where he decided to doctor himself…his strategy obviously involved giving the bug alcohol poisening as he got back in with 6 quarts.

In this manner we set out for Windhoek via Kamanjab, which fortunately came up just as Pete was running out of medicine..and a quick refill was in order.

Feeling distinctly jolly, with the bug in hiding, he took over driving as the time in the throne room was beginning to tell and I was feeling drowzy.

Outjo came and went, and we made Windhoek just after dark, where I once again took over. About 40 km from Windhoek, funny noises from the drivetrain, and I decided to pull over…fortunately, as I was about to stop, the rear diff of the Isuzu locked up completely and we were forced to a halt.

As disasters tend to come and go, we could not be more fortunate…breaking down close to the one place where we could manage mechanical failure…some sms’s stateside, and within half an hour Adele from Valley recovery services phoned us, and a pick up was arranged.

Flip and his broher in law arrived within 50 minutes, the bakkie uploaded and we were on our way back to Windhoek.

Should any of you ever have the misfortune of requiring mechanical assistance in Namibia, give them a ring. Not only did they recover us, they took us into their home and provided us with a place to sleep. The next day, after a hearty breakfast prepared by Adele, Flip went out of his way to obtain qoutes, strip the rear axle from the bakkie, took it in for reconditioning and made sure Pete got to the bank to arrange the financial matters.

The offending rear diff, notice the crack:



Matters were sorted by four o’clock, and by 5 we were mobile, once again ready to hit the road, thanks to Flip, Adele and family.



From here the journey went without a hitch, we crossed into South Africa at Noord Oewer.

The next morning, sunrise just outside Springbok en route to Van Rhynsdorp, Danie and Pete still feeling the affects of the bug…useless buggers.
 


For a second I thought of waking them, after all “It’s all in the mind..” or so I was told at Nkurenkuru,  but then decided against it, as they say, let sleeping dogs lie.

With Led Zeppelin booming through the speakers, I had a quiet moment to reflect on the past 2 ˝ weeks, and a journey of which the memory will last for a very long time…

The country.. we were traveling in the south, so I can not comment on the north, and can be quite different.

Not once were we solicited for a bribe, we were or never felt threatened, and although ample opportunity existed, not a single thing was stolen from us, and not a single instance of begging.

Wherever we went, we were treated with respect, an aspect that I noticed extended not only to us as “white man”, but even amongst each other. Danie and me spoke about it one night…every village seemed to have a “village idiot” and even they were treated with respect by the rest of the villagers.
At every village we passed through, we reported either to the administration or the police. Altough we were questioned at length, it was mostly out of curiosity rather than suspicion, and it gave us the ideal opportunity to interact with the locals.

We were in villages where there some of the kids has never seen a white man, nor a motorbike for that matter…it was natural for us to raise attention. In Menogue the crowd got so big that the police chased them apart as they were blocking the road, but even then it was at a respectfull distance.

Travelling in Africa, one’s biggest concern is other people, and in that respect, there is no issue in Angola.

The Ride... Diverse, remote, brilliant…the only problem is that it is far away, but then that can be good as well. We rode on hope, there are hardly any GPS Tracks,  information is scarce (from the outside) and definitely no BP Petrol waypoints…but not once did we run out of petrol (sometimes riding on fumes, but never pushed.) Having said this, make sure you are prepped, mechanical failure will result in a very long walk, and you will leave your bike there, the chances of recovery in some areas are small to non existent.

You need to be virtually self sufficient, at least for three days if everything goes well…plan your kit and provisions….and use it sparingly (lean is mean is good)
   
My pardners..I could not have wished for better, an ecclectic mix with Danie on the one hand that does not care as long as he rides, and an offbeat crazy Pete on the other, always game for anything, the common denominator amongst us being riding our bikes off the beaten track. Not once did anybody complain about the route, and interesting campsite discussions went well into the night…guys, anytime again!

Highlight…the trip as a whole.

Negative.. to little time, it would have been nice to have a few days spare, even if it were to rise later, swim in more rivers, siesta….you catch my drift. As it were, we rode every day till exhaustion set in…but then that glowing feeling of achievement from that…naa, forget about it, no negative, I longed for my wife and kids to much to have needed more time.


like they say…. “That’s all folks !”


ps: will follow up with the informercial, and try and cover everything, from invites, visas, prepping (mechanical, medical, kit), sources of information, routes, and what have you.

[Vaalseun]

Excellent report, magnificent riding, truly amazing. Cudo's to you three

[Sprocketbek]

Thanks guys. This report kept me rivetted. Very well written. Amazing trip!

[mountainboy]

10/10 guys

well done

[Doc Holiday]

Well done! You have opened up the Longa- Calais passage and shown that this can be done! The crucial point is timing in the year and availability of petrol in Nankova. I was part of the gang which attempted the route from Calais (with Jan du Toit, Stefan Boshoff /Bakkes). Very early we had the Yamaha problem and had to turn back. I did a lot of planning for this stretch and got good info from MGM (Menschen gegen Minen) a German demining company which sweeped the major roads west of the Cuito river.

I have done the "Doodsakker" coast stretch on three previous Angolatrips as well and think that if you are on bikes alone to not stress to much. On a bike it is very easy to ride up the dune in case of the tide coming in. I found the sand on most parts the face of the dune is also harder than the sand you would find on the dunes in Namibia, due to the constant southwesterly winds. So guys, if you are driving unsupported next time, reading this text, please attempt the doodsakker at high tide, show us that it can be done! If you run into problems, ride up the dune and relax...

The Ruacana- Foz de Cunene stretch will always be a favourite. Seemingly endless twospoor, technical at times, good fun. Also good to know that this stretch will probably never receive any tar in our lifetime. The west of Angola is very fast being gobbled up by chinese tar, becoming less and less of a challenge. If you want some fun and excitement, stick to the east.. On a previous trip I entered Angola (Moxico province) in the very northwest of Zambia (source of Zambezi), travelled along the DRC/Angola border, south to Cazombo, only to be expelled back to Zambia via the shortest route.

Once again my respect to you guys...unsupported..just smell of petrol, dust , sweat, vasbyt en bietjie afkak, maar dis n lekker afkak... (Afrikaans is a wonderfull language)

[DUSTRIDERS]

Beserker I liked your writing. A lot!
Great trip with likeminded friends.
Im asking myself. What could be next for the "drie musketiere"?

[the_BOBNOB]

nice one guys 

really enjoyed it 

[buzzlightyear]

Thanks Beserker and co for the riveting read 

[JMOL]

 Baie dankie.

Dis voorwaar manne met staal.

Ek kon nie wag dat die volgende paar dae se updates gedoen moes word nie, en ek het elke sin / woord / foto ingeneem en gememoriseer.

Baie smart gedoen.

A job "well done".

[Beserker]

MGM (Menschen gegen Minen) a German demining company which sweeped the major roads west of the Cuito river.

Thanks....will keep in mind, as I said information was scarce, it is always good to learn of a source.

ride up the dune and relax...

+1

On a previous trip I entered Angola (Moxico province) in the very northwest of Zambia (source of Zambezi), travelled along the DRC/Angola border, south to Cazombo,

And I can feel an itching...grts, grts!

.
lekker afkak... (Afrikaans is a wonderfull language)

Was temted to do it in Afrikaans, being a capie...I could have spiced it 

[Beserker]

To all the thanks...CrisL, BobNob, Buzz, JMol and the others...it was a pleasure.

I know how I devour RR's, and the inspiration I get from them, it was a small favour in return.

 

[SGB]

Well done! You have opened up the Longa- Calais passage and shown that this can be done!
Once again my respect to you guys...unsupported..just smell of petrol, dust , sweat, vasbyt en bietjie afkak, maar dis n lekker afkak... (Afrikaans is a wonderfull language)

Welkom aan die onsimpatieke dokter!  Goed om jou hier te sien....