Easter 2000 is getting closer and I ask my boss again for a few days exstra leave after Easter.
I wanted to do the Desert Run again.
"Ja gaan tog maar..........bloei jou aambeie nog nie van al die ryery!!!?"
I get a call from Blain Carstens from Bloubergstrand. He wants to ride up with me to Kuruman.
What you ride I ask? BMW 1100 GS. I only ride 110km/h you will get bored. No he rides no
more than that on dirt says he. We will meet in Bitterfontein and ride through the Boesmanland.
Just outside Kliprand. Blain Carstens.
In Pofadder I told Blain he must go. He will go crazy doing my speed. He leaves me and rides to Upington
had a steak in the Spur and were in Kuruman before the sun was down that evening!!!! I later heard from
a friend that he is a bit of a nutter on two wheels on tar. I slept in Upington with friends.
Arriveing at Red Sands lodge outside Kuruman.
This was the start just outside Hotazel on the way to Van Zylsrus.
I was very lucky on this trip. I met my rideingbuddy on the very first day. Louis from Kathu.
Salt of the earth and very good company. He was on a Honda XL 500 R.
We did something wrong the previous year at the lodge closeby so we had to sleep in the veld.
Toilets and showers were quickly build just for the Desert Run. Note the Isuzu bakkie and the red and white
Super Tenere 750. The Sundayevening before the Desert Run Hannes the owner of both phones me from
Stellenbosch wanting to know if I know of someone who will drive the bakkie up and bring it back as he will
be staying with his parents for a week after the Run. He will pay all the fuel. I say I know just the man. My
friend Gert that was diveing with me who looks over the door on pic. He ended up doing another two
Desert Runs with Hannes as backup driver!!!
Hakskeenpan.
Close to Rietfontein. The big guy on the right in pic was on a brandnew Varadero.
Fell later on the C28 to Swakop in a washaway and broke his shoulder.
The birdnests are massive in Namibia.
It was only our second day together but it felt as if Louis and I have known each other for years.
I was haveing a great time.
Namibia had good rains and it was green everywhere.
As the year before all the riders that were rideing all the way camped behind the hotel in Koës.
And yes Kobus Harmse is here again with his blue Tenere fixed. There were 4 engineers in the group.
We could build roads, design bridges and make fuel with their job descriptions.
From Koës we kept on dirt passed Stampriet all the way to Rehoboth. Between the two is Ullenhurst. A farm
with a shop and fuel. The dogs loved the attention.
When we pulled away Matt said we should not wait for him. He will catch up as he needs to go to the toilet(veldtie)
So we ride on and about 60 kilos further Louis and I stop for a smoke. No Matt which is weird cause he rides
his XR 600 hard and fast. We wait 15 min and I turn my bike around. We see some dust in the distance.
Finally he arrives. Everything is scew on the bike. Frontcaliper off and tied up with wire. He is blood all over.
After haveing his veldtie he zipped off the sleaves of his jacket as it was hot. At 140km/h a Springbokram ran
out of the bushes and took his frontwheel out. Matt went down hard. Very hard. Nothing broken but two very
deep cuts in his forearm. He rode to Rehoboth with us where the medics looked at him and we loaded his bike on a trailer
where it stayed for the trip. He had to have in and outside stiches in a Windhoek hospital.
He joined Gert in the bakkie for the rest of the trip.
In Windhoek both Louis and I saw our sprockets and chains will not last the trip. The only bikeshop I new
then were BMW. We stop and Dieter said no problem I will order from Honda and Yamaha and they will
bring it here. Same price. He gave us all the tools we needed and half an hour later we had our parts. Dieter just watched
us while we changed everything and gave advice where needed. Clever man Dieter.
We had the Khomas Hochland road to ourselves as everyone(750 of them!!!!) were infront of us.
The Spookhuis 40km from Windhoek.
As Namibia had good rains there were lots of washaways. On the flat sections towards Swakop they
claimed two broken shoulders and a dead Varadero and 1100 GS.
The granite hills close to the C32 turnoff.
We had out first flat of the trip. Easy job when you have lots of time, four hands and two mouths to talk nonsense
while doing it!!
I will scan some more.
Topic: Some oldies. (Read 13932 times)
