Still Riding
Pack Dog
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2009
- Messages
- 57
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Melville, Johannesburg
- Bike
- Husqvarna (all models)
My son James and I decided to go to Bilene (about 200kms north of Maputo) for a few days. This was our first camping trip on bikes so we trailered to Barberton where we spent night 1 at the Diggers Hotel where we saw the biggest gemsbok horns I have ever seen. The hotel is old so the horns could date back to 1880
I decided to take a campchair along to the amusement of James who said "I know at what speed we'll be travelling"
Anyway I got everything tied down somehow and off we went heading for Malalane, Komatipoort, Maputo, and then Bilene.
It was really hot and we stopped a lot to drink water
Eventually we arrive at Bilene campsite at 22h00 (we were very casual about leaving Barberton at 10h00 not realising there was a 20km traffic jam waiting for us at Maputo)
The campsite looks like something out of a Seychelles travel brochure
Everyone takes their quad on holiday
To get around the beach
This was my best shot of the beach
This young man arrived to make a fire next to our tent
And after catching some prawns he cooked them for us
And presented them on a borrowed plate
We often ate at this cafe, which was excellent quality
While we were sitting there enjoying prego rolls with fried eggs there was a constant stream of ice going past
I think the cafe proprietor knows his market and makes money in every direction
Good for him!
Everyone sells cashew nuts. There are three main commodities sold on the roadside, roasted cashew nuts, charcoal with straw for a fire, and sticks to make a house. The cashew nuts were really good, cooked without oil.
This shop amused us - big Vodacom sign and liquor inside
Then it was time to go and this is the road from Bilene to EN1. (EN1 is the same size)
Now we decided to be adventurous and take the dirt road back to SA bypassing Maputo and Komatipoort and exiting via Namaacha. We had been advised to stick to the tar, but really couldn't face sitting out another traffic jam and dodging cars and trucks. This was the very best choice we made the whole trip. The dirt road from Xinavane to Namaacha is 200kms of the very best type of DS road. At Xinavane there is a huge Hulett sugar estate (one of the few developments we saw - in Moz the government owns the land, a throwback to their Russian communist ideas with the local chief calling the shots - you fall out with the chief and he stops you from living in your house)
At Magude we crossed the combined rail/road bridge over the Sabie without falling into the rail grooves and got some petrol
We then set off to Moambe. This is the main road to Moambe.
Incidentally all over the country in the middle of the bush one sees abandoned Portuguese houses. There must have been a lot of industrious people here at one time.
And the sign to Moambe. Yes when you see this sign you are on the right road
This was the part James loved the most - endless kms of the finest dirt road with virtually no-one on the road. Very occasionally we saw a few head of cattle
And once we saw two oxen around a chopped down tree stopped for a break
The sky was overcast and the day was cool. Rains showers occurred all around us but the road didn't get slippery and we didn't get soaked. It was the best riding we have ever done.
We get to Moambe where there is petrol in containers only, and come across a really bad smell. We stop to look at this little house all by itself in a vacant city lot and twig why it is all by itself
Lunchtime at Moambe is green bananas the most unhealthy bananas I have ever seen but the most tasty I have ever eaten, far better than our yellow bananas
As you can see my chair, which was very useful at the campsite, is still on the back of my bike. James' X-Challenge has just lost it's second mirror (the bolt breaks off when it falls over or goes over too many potholes)(but my 1989 Super Tenere's mirrors are still working fine!)
So on we press, crossing the EN4 and going over the border at Namaacha, which is the best place in Mozambique from a climate point of view we have been to. Pity we can't buy some land there. Now we are on our way to Bulemba border post in Swaziland and we stop to drink some water and James has a Challenge. His X-Challenge sidestand has sunk into the sand and he is stuck. He can't get back on and he can't get off without the bike falling on top of him. The same think happened at Bilene campsite, but he thought he could jump off faster than the bike could fall, as he does on his KDX200, but the bike was too quick for him. Anyway we are headed for the Piggs Peak in those mountains covered in rain the background. The riding so far is out of this world. While we are on the side of the road the King of Swaziland drives past in a convoy of about 20 cars. I would have like to take some photos but thought it prudent to keep my camera out of sight.
So we set off for the mountains, it being a clear route on T4A. As we get higher the houses get sparser and sparser and eventually there are no houses and the road gets very steep. We both are standing and going as slow as we can as it has just rained and our tyres are sinking into the mud. Eventually we both fall off into the mud as the back wheels lose traction and the front wheels slip off the road. James' bike in this photo is facing downhill although he was riding uphill at walking speed.
So we decide to take off our luggage and James, having the lighter bike, will go to the top of the hill to see how much further we have to go to Piggs Peak. He sets off and falls off another 3 times. He says another mountain lies beyond this one. He is so tired from pushing his bike and lifting it up he takes my campchair and says "I have got this chair".
So I take out my tent as the road dries out quite quickly and it is 18h30 and we have been riding since 05h00 and I am tired, and we can press on in the morning. James doesn't like the idea of camping on the side of the road, but I think no-one can use this road we'll be all by ourselves til morning when the road will be dry enough for us to ride on. However a truck comes down the mountain and the driver tells us there are a lot of tsotsis around these parts and we should go back to the tar road and go to Piggs Peak Casino for the night where we will be safe.
This is music to James' ears, and so we arrive at the Casino at 20h00, where we find this in the bathroom and are able to smell like civilised humans once more:
Next morning we have breakfast and find the receptionist just as sweet as the night before when we walked over the rich pile carpet leaving lumps of mud at every pace
James decides to navigate scientifically, and sets up our notebook to update his gps. Due to the exigencies of the trip I have lost the ability to work my gps and have relapsed to using a pencil and piece of cardboard.
Setting off from the Casino:
We head for the Bulemba border post along what can only be termed an excellent mountain bike road, but not really a road for normal cars at all. In fact the hotel manager at Barberton told us we'd never get across the mountains on this road. However we are riding Challenges, are up to Challenges and besides which I am seated on a Dakar winning-bike, nothing can stop us. The start of the road:
Halfway we come across this:
I have to take another shot I have never seen such a rickety structure I suppose the road is so steep this concrete structure has had to be built
But to my disappointment the road continues behind this structure and on we go.
We arrive at Bulembu where we see the first painted smart buildings since leaving Malalane
Anyone walking around Bulembu is bound to be very fit
And so without event we arrive back at Diggers Retreat much happier, sunburnt, much fitter and very, very grateful we never had a puncture, never got soaked, never broke down, rode the best roads ever, saw a wonderful country and have 5 kgs of cashews in our luggage to chew on!
I decided to take a campchair along to the amusement of James who said "I know at what speed we'll be travelling"
Anyway I got everything tied down somehow and off we went heading for Malalane, Komatipoort, Maputo, and then Bilene.
It was really hot and we stopped a lot to drink water
Eventually we arrive at Bilene campsite at 22h00 (we were very casual about leaving Barberton at 10h00 not realising there was a 20km traffic jam waiting for us at Maputo)
The campsite looks like something out of a Seychelles travel brochure
Everyone takes their quad on holiday
To get around the beach
This was my best shot of the beach
This young man arrived to make a fire next to our tent
And after catching some prawns he cooked them for us
And presented them on a borrowed plate
We often ate at this cafe, which was excellent quality
While we were sitting there enjoying prego rolls with fried eggs there was a constant stream of ice going past
I think the cafe proprietor knows his market and makes money in every direction
Good for him!
Everyone sells cashew nuts. There are three main commodities sold on the roadside, roasted cashew nuts, charcoal with straw for a fire, and sticks to make a house. The cashew nuts were really good, cooked without oil.
This shop amused us - big Vodacom sign and liquor inside
Then it was time to go and this is the road from Bilene to EN1. (EN1 is the same size)
Now we decided to be adventurous and take the dirt road back to SA bypassing Maputo and Komatipoort and exiting via Namaacha. We had been advised to stick to the tar, but really couldn't face sitting out another traffic jam and dodging cars and trucks. This was the very best choice we made the whole trip. The dirt road from Xinavane to Namaacha is 200kms of the very best type of DS road. At Xinavane there is a huge Hulett sugar estate (one of the few developments we saw - in Moz the government owns the land, a throwback to their Russian communist ideas with the local chief calling the shots - you fall out with the chief and he stops you from living in your house)
At Magude we crossed the combined rail/road bridge over the Sabie without falling into the rail grooves and got some petrol
We then set off to Moambe. This is the main road to Moambe.
Incidentally all over the country in the middle of the bush one sees abandoned Portuguese houses. There must have been a lot of industrious people here at one time.
And the sign to Moambe. Yes when you see this sign you are on the right road
This was the part James loved the most - endless kms of the finest dirt road with virtually no-one on the road. Very occasionally we saw a few head of cattle
And once we saw two oxen around a chopped down tree stopped for a break
The sky was overcast and the day was cool. Rains showers occurred all around us but the road didn't get slippery and we didn't get soaked. It was the best riding we have ever done.
We get to Moambe where there is petrol in containers only, and come across a really bad smell. We stop to look at this little house all by itself in a vacant city lot and twig why it is all by itself
Lunchtime at Moambe is green bananas the most unhealthy bananas I have ever seen but the most tasty I have ever eaten, far better than our yellow bananas
As you can see my chair, which was very useful at the campsite, is still on the back of my bike. James' X-Challenge has just lost it's second mirror (the bolt breaks off when it falls over or goes over too many potholes)(but my 1989 Super Tenere's mirrors are still working fine!)
So on we press, crossing the EN4 and going over the border at Namaacha, which is the best place in Mozambique from a climate point of view we have been to. Pity we can't buy some land there. Now we are on our way to Bulemba border post in Swaziland and we stop to drink some water and James has a Challenge. His X-Challenge sidestand has sunk into the sand and he is stuck. He can't get back on and he can't get off without the bike falling on top of him. The same think happened at Bilene campsite, but he thought he could jump off faster than the bike could fall, as he does on his KDX200, but the bike was too quick for him. Anyway we are headed for the Piggs Peak in those mountains covered in rain the background. The riding so far is out of this world. While we are on the side of the road the King of Swaziland drives past in a convoy of about 20 cars. I would have like to take some photos but thought it prudent to keep my camera out of sight.
So we set off for the mountains, it being a clear route on T4A. As we get higher the houses get sparser and sparser and eventually there are no houses and the road gets very steep. We both are standing and going as slow as we can as it has just rained and our tyres are sinking into the mud. Eventually we both fall off into the mud as the back wheels lose traction and the front wheels slip off the road. James' bike in this photo is facing downhill although he was riding uphill at walking speed.
So we decide to take off our luggage and James, having the lighter bike, will go to the top of the hill to see how much further we have to go to Piggs Peak. He sets off and falls off another 3 times. He says another mountain lies beyond this one. He is so tired from pushing his bike and lifting it up he takes my campchair and says "I have got this chair".
So I take out my tent as the road dries out quite quickly and it is 18h30 and we have been riding since 05h00 and I am tired, and we can press on in the morning. James doesn't like the idea of camping on the side of the road, but I think no-one can use this road we'll be all by ourselves til morning when the road will be dry enough for us to ride on. However a truck comes down the mountain and the driver tells us there are a lot of tsotsis around these parts and we should go back to the tar road and go to Piggs Peak Casino for the night where we will be safe.
This is music to James' ears, and so we arrive at the Casino at 20h00, where we find this in the bathroom and are able to smell like civilised humans once more:
Next morning we have breakfast and find the receptionist just as sweet as the night before when we walked over the rich pile carpet leaving lumps of mud at every pace
James decides to navigate scientifically, and sets up our notebook to update his gps. Due to the exigencies of the trip I have lost the ability to work my gps and have relapsed to using a pencil and piece of cardboard.
Setting off from the Casino:
We head for the Bulemba border post along what can only be termed an excellent mountain bike road, but not really a road for normal cars at all. In fact the hotel manager at Barberton told us we'd never get across the mountains on this road. However we are riding Challenges, are up to Challenges and besides which I am seated on a Dakar winning-bike, nothing can stop us. The start of the road:
Halfway we come across this:
I have to take another shot I have never seen such a rickety structure I suppose the road is so steep this concrete structure has had to be built
But to my disappointment the road continues behind this structure and on we go.
We arrive at Bulembu where we see the first painted smart buildings since leaving Malalane
Anyone walking around Bulembu is bound to be very fit
And so without event we arrive back at Diggers Retreat much happier, sunburnt, much fitter and very, very grateful we never had a puncture, never got soaked, never broke down, rode the best roads ever, saw a wonderful country and have 5 kgs of cashews in our luggage to chew on!
