7 Latte & 1 Platte in Kaokoland! - Videos added

What better way to end off the first month of the new year, than posting a long overdue ride report... ;-)

The Team & Weapons of choice:

Lat 1 - Gideon (GJ)- Team chief - KTM690R
Lat 2 - Attie (Baas Attie) - The tire machine - KTM690R
Lat 3 - Derrick - The flying ninja mechanic - KTM690R
Lat 4 - André - Buzz Lightyear - KTM 950 SE
Lat 5 - Zoöl (Taai-Groen-Kerrie) - Cook, Bottle washer, Braaaai master, General know is all & Petrol drinker - BMW G450X
Lat 6 - Thys - Support vehicle pilot and our food savior -  Isuzu 280D Double cab 4x4
Lat 7 - Johan - General all-rounder, Relief rider & Co-pilot
Platte 1 - Cecile (Kriek1) - Poncho Queen - KTM 640 Adventure

The Plan in theory:

On the 9?th of September 2011, the support vehicle with 4 members of the team will transport all the bikes and gear to Windhoek, staying over in Keetmanshoop. In Windhoek, the rest of the team will be picked up at the air port, from where the trip will officially start with Okohandja as the first overnight stop.

So from Windhoek the 9 day round trip route is as follows:

Day 1 - Windhoek (Hosea Kutako Airport) to Okahandja - 120 Km.
Day 2 - Okahandja to Kunene River Lodge - 760 Km.
Day 3 - Kunene River Lodge to Epupa Falls - 120 Km.
Day 4 - Rest & Relaxation around Epupa Falls - 25 Km.
Day 5 - Epupa Falls to Van Zyl's Pass - 250 Km.
Day 6 - Van Zyl's Pass to Puros - 180 Km.
Day 7 - Puros to Palmwag - 300 Km.
Day 8 - Palmwag to Umaruru - 380 Km.
Day 9 - Umaruru to Windhoek - 210 Km.

Total Distance (Windhoek to Windhoek): 2345 Km, give or take a couple of millimeters.

So here is what happened in practice...

Departure day - Stellenbosch to Windhoek via Keetmanshoop.

As planned, 4 of us left around 07:00 on the 9?th of September 2011, to spend the first night in Keetmanshoop, hoping to be there at around 20:00, now that part of the plan soon changed when our ETA calculation from the GPS posted an arrival time of just after midnight. Our adventurous loading methods might have had something to do with it, but it sure seemed like a good idea the night before... At least it looked cool!



We crossed the border (Vioolsdrift) at around 18:30, without any issues. Dinner was a Steak & Chips at the Orange River Lodge, were Johan van der Hooven and his team are always ready accommodate travelers. By then we knew that we were going to reach Keetmanshoop very late, so we thought it would be a good idea to contact the guest house (where we intended on staying), to let them know that we will be late, but get this; we did not have a fixed booking, and we weren't worried about it either, because accommodation in Keetmanshoop should never be a problem... BUT, the 1 week in the whole year where you can’t bank on finding accommodation in Keetmanshoop without a prior booking, was this one. It turns out, that the annual fair was on, and EVERYONE shows up for this one. We had to see it for ourselves and headed over there. It might have been late, but remember it was fair-time in Keetmanshoop, so a party was a definite! Once we rolled into the fairgrounds, it was obvious where the party was at, and we decided to take a breather for an hour or so, before we hit the road to Windhoek again. After much deliberation and negotiation, the locals gave us their "toasted" blessing to head up to Windhoek.

Day 1 - Windhoek (Hosea Kutako Airport) to Okahandja - 120 Km.

We made up some good time and rolled in to Windhoek at 06:00 the morning, but by then we were all rather tired, and we needed a place to rest as most of us has been up for 24 hours straight. A friend's mom was an absolute ANGEL, she took us in, fed us and gave us a place to sleep. After a few hours of rest, we off loaded all the bikes, re-packed the bakkie, then headed to town for lunch at the famous Joe's Beer House.



Then it was off to the Hosea Kutako Airport to collect 3 more members of the team, and leave André's bike at the airport, as he was only flying in on the Sunday morning, from where he would ride straight through to Epupa Falls to meet up with us. When Cecile, Gideon and Attie came out of the Airport, it was go time, and we departed for our first night's stay in Okahandja. However as soon as we rolled out of the airport's parking lot, it was obvious, that something was wrong with Attie's bike, which he bought blindly a couple of days before the trip. It spitted, backfired and bucked along and eventually died a couple of kilos down the road. We headed back to Windhoek to try and resolve the issue. Luckily we had Derrick the flying ninja mechanic in the team, who checked and rechecked all the basics numerous times, but everything seemed in order. So, we had to start stripping, by this time, Attie was thinking that his trip was coming to an end, but we kept at it. We downloaded a workshop manual, which included the wiring diagram and fault code list, and we had the luxury of having 2 other KTM690Rs handy, should we want to swop some parts. As we stripped the bike down, it was evident that the bike has seen lots of deep water in its life, and we came across lots of corroded wiring and bad connections that we fixed as we went along, constantly checking to see if our system of illumination has cured the problem, with little joy and may failed test rides. We decided to drain & clean the fuel tank, and injector, after that, the bike started easily and revved up smoothly, so it was time for another test ride in the early hours of the morning. We all joined Attie as he took his bike down to the bottom of road across a little "grey water" stream and around a couple of blocks. The bike started backfiring and spitting again, so we headed back, but when we reached the little "grey water" stream, Attie lost the back end on the snot like algae that grows so lavishly on the concrete surface which the "grey water" runs over. He was right in front of me, and the off was quite spectacular, as he spun around a couple of times with his orange headlight looking like a set of lights on a police car... ;-) That was it, the last straw, Attie was finished with this trip, and he made his point quite clear, he also had a "strong" opinion about his 690. He was so disgusted, that he decided to push his bike up a moer of a hill for two blocks to get back home. We let him sweat out his disappointment a little, then we towed him back. Attie was set on the fact that he was on his way back on the first flight in the morning, and that we should "LOS DIE DAMN DING NOU BOYS, HY IS IN SY MOER!"



At around 03:00, with the bike barely idling, I played around with the TPS and Derrick was sitting with his back against the wall, hands on his head, when he jumped up like a man possessed, wrestled my head down to look at the side of the engine... And there it was, every now and then, there will be a little spark that escapes to the side of the engine! Believe me, we checked it many times, but none the less we were ecstatic to find it, and at last we could try and get in a few winks before we set off to Kunene River Lodge...
 
Day 2 - Windhoek to Kunene River Lodge - 880 Km.

We hit the road at around 06:15, and all we managed to do in Okahandja, was to settle for an early breakfast.



From there it was a case of keeping our heads down and getting up to Kunene River Lodge as early as possible. Even though it was a heavy day in the saddle, we had no issues, yes the 450 Beemer made it ;-)… And the scenery made the day's riding very memorable. We reached Ruacana just before sunset, by then we were all ready for a drink and a good nights rest.



The last couple of kilometers to Kunene River Lodge were great fun, and it really lifted our spirits, on the way we passed groups of young men returning from their days work on donkeys, and we started seeing the Himba people everywhere. The last bit of road to the lodge gave us a good idea of what was to ahead, and it is purely indescribable, you have to see it for yourselves...



Once at the lodge, we had a good couple of drinks on the deck then headed of to bed. I can’t even remember if we had any food? Me and Attie did contemplate a river crossing during the night, but we must have found something better to do... ;-)



Day 3 - Kunene River Lodge to Epupa Falls - 120 Km.

We were back on schedule and the the total distance that we had to cover for the day allowed for us to sleep in a little. After breakfast, that turned out to be the chops and wors that the rest had the night before, we checked the bikes, then loaded up the bakkie and started with the days riding, and what a day it turned out to be!



Our route mainly hugged the Kunen River, and it was duel sport heaven. Gideon knows this area really well and showed us some stunning sites. We took regular breaks, waiting for the bakkie, so in general the riding was relaxed; we even took our first dip in the Kunen River. Cecile and Johan shared her KTM 640 Adventure, with Johan doing most of the riding on the day, but we were sure that it had something to do with a bottle of Ponchos and the air-conditioning in the bakkie. Myself and Derick each had a share of some snake bites on our front tires, which was dealt with by Attie (our resident tire machine) in no time, you should see him handle a tractor tire... ;-)



We rolled into the Epupa Falls campsite by late afternoon, then quickly set up camp, and supported the local bar whilst taking in the scenic Epupa Falls. Andrê arrived safely in his Buzz suit, after a long day of very hard and fast riding, and it was clear that our resident tire machine was going to be needed the following morning to replace the big mans tires. We were all starving for a bite, and beer & crisps was not cutting it, so I made a potjie... On one of my routine pot visitations, I spotted a can of sprite under the tree, and my thirst took hold of me, so I downed it... Bad idea boet, it turned out to me about 1/2 a can of petrol! At least I was fueled up now.



Some milk took care of the bad taste, I actually took another swig of fuel the following day too, but that was a setup by Cecile, minx! After a hearty dinner some headed for their tent, but Knowing that we had a day of rest and relaxation ahead, the rest of us stayed up, kuiering with uncle Gin and auntie Tonic, need I say more?

Day 4 - Rest & Relaxation around Epupa Falls - 25 Km.

By now, none of us knew what day or date it was, and we didn't care... So, bring on the bacon and eggs, tamaties, uiwe, and just what you want... A breakfast fit for 7 kings and a queen was on the menu. Then it was time to open the tire shop again, we changed André's slicks for some rubber with knoppe.



After a leisurely stroll to the look-out point at the falls, we were all in the mood for a BRAAAAAI next to the river.



We got the important bits (chops & wors & rooster), then headed up river for about 12kms, to a very nice spot where a smaller branch of the Kunene River rejoins the main river. We scouted the banks to see if we could spot any crocodiles, or as Gideon calls them: "Plat Honde", but none were seen, so it seemed safe to swim there, which we did and enjoyed thoroughly. André fancied himself as a diamond prospector, digging through the riverbed in search of some bling. A river guide brought some tourists down to do some river rafting, but that looked like wayyy to much work, and as always, our hunger struck, and as always, I was quick to reply with: "don't worry, ons gaan nou BRAAAAAI, hoe lyk dit met nog 'n dop?".



On our way back, it was evident that one should stay away from André's rear tire, that thing can gooi half a brick size rocks at you like no one I know, and it just keeps gooi-ing them, so stay away! As we rolled back in the Epupa, we visited the local spaza shop / shebeen to stock up on some "food", and I think we bought an aluminum "Hart" pot, who knows what for, but we got it! At one of the shebeens we saw a decent pool table, but nobody fancied a game till much later that night...;-)  We then had a look at some of the other campsites and lodges; over there you can find everything from luxury to budget accommodation strung out along the river, all with good facilities and very helpful staff. Everywhere we went, all the locals were very friendly and inviting, especially in Epupa.



This time around, it was Johan's turn to take care of dinner, just to prove how good of an all-rounder he is, he made one hell-of-a pot, so let it be known, not only can that young man ride a bike really good, he cooks just as well. Again the lodge's bar was well supported by us.



The bar lady asked if she could lock up early, as there was a bit of a pool (8 ball) party happening at the local shebeen where we spotted the pool table earlier... It had to be done, we had to make our presence known by taking on the locals in a couple of games of pool. Me, Cecile, André, and Attie, with Flora the bar lady on the back of his bike, made it over to the shebeen.



What a jol it was, we could not understand a word of what most of them were saying, but believe me, whenever the black ball dropped in our favor, everyone would chant these words whilst tapping on top of the table: "PUT ANODDAR DOLLAR!". Mr-Pink-Pants, was the local hot shot, and he did not like it one bit when Cecile came very close to beating him...



The shebeen closed at 23:00 sharp, this is a set-in-stone rule of the community, and it is well respected by all. We headed back to our camp, crawled into our tens and before we knew it, it was time to hit the road again.

Day 5 - Epupa Falls to Van Zyl's Pass - 250 Km.

We made good time and rolled into Okangwati around mid morning, where we supported the local women who makes and sells jewelry and refueled. All the fuel was siphoned from a 220L drum into a 5L container, the only weird thing was the fact that a 20L tank took six of these 5L containers to be refueled, that tank must have been leaking.... ;-) Gideon showed us where he was stationed as a soldier, many many moons ago. Just as we left the village, I had another puncture up front, but this time around our tire machine had a stroke of bad luck and we ended up replacing 2 tubes. Right, alles is vas, kom ons BRAAAAAI, I mean - laat waai!



Derrick got on his bike and some how managed to upset that sweet 69 lady, as soon as he pulled away and gave the lady a hand full, she bucked like a bronco and right there our modest mechanic turned into a flying ninja mechanic! When the dust settled, the lady was still purring like a kitten, waiting for him to try her again, this time is went a lot better.



We had great fun on the sandy winding roads that gradually became more and more rocky, eventually leading up to the spectacular Van Zyl's Pass. We set up camp at the top of Van Zyl's Pass, and what a sight it was of the Marienfluss.



As always we met the local Himbas and tried to help with what we could, tending a child's infected eyes and to an injured dog.



We sat around the fire well into the night, before we eventually made peace with the fact that the beauty will still be there in the morning.......