Exploring Africa with motorbike

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Hello Namibia

Two days ago, in Springbok caravan park, I met David & Tisha, a couple from UK who have traveled in Africa for many years with their huge converted orange bedford. Their page is http://bigorangebedford.com/. David and Trisha told me about a quite young couple who is traveling around the world with five children, all under 12 years age. I will try to find their page and post it later.

After a nice drive from Springbok to north I entered Namibia at Violsdrif yesterday. No problems at the border. People are very friendly. It was hot like hell. I drove to Felix Unite, a camping place suggested by Marius, a friend from Nieuwoudtville. All good and "very very nice" like Marius said but pretty quite. In the morning I drove to Ai-Ais, kind of hot springs some two or three hours away on gravel round. Scenery while driving was wild and amazing. Almost no cars met. I arrived to Ai-Ais, hot springs. I checked the springs, I've heard the water has 60 C when coming to the surface. Not a lot of people there but talked to some of them in the restaurant (German guy and two Danish couples). I left Ai-Ais after one beer and drove to Fish River Canyon, some 90 km further north. The roads are gravel but ok to ride. I checked Fish River View Point and it was beautiful, it reminds me on Grand Canyon in USA. It also reminds to "the end of the world" like in the movie Gods Got Crazy.

I am camping now at Canon Roadhouse, an impressive restaurant, guest house, ranch, museum, petrol station and camping site, all in one. It's ran by namibian Germans from Windhoek and it was opened in 2010 as I've been told by employees. Congratulations to owners on car and plates collection and the rest of the restaurant's / museum decoration. Except the bar which is a bit 'kitschy' to me. :) The cars on the parking site and in backyard look really great with the scenery, it's all part of Gondwana Collection. It reminds on wild west a bit.

Camping here was nice, the price is more than double than in South Africa but it worths. The colours of the sky and landscapes in Namibia are simply unbeatable, already here in south. Looking forward to new adventures and to meet new people and new horizons. It's really crazy, Namibia I like you. :)

Big Orange Bedford

David & Tisha

Road from S. Africa to Namibia

Entering Namibia

Everything still far

Felix Unite resort

Sunset from Felix Unite

Off the road

Road to hell?

Colorful rock

Desert

Gate in front

Hardly any vehicle seen

Ai-Ais hot springs

Flowers in the desert

View point

Fish river canyon

@ FRC main view point

End of the world

Tree in the desert

Desert

Middle of nowhere

Canyon Roadhouse

Roadhouse

Canyon Roadhouse

Sunset @ roadhouse

Roadhouse

Sunset at Roadhouse

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Sometimes you need just to wait a little

I am waiting on Shell petrol station in Kamieskroon somewhere on N7, around 70 kms before Springbok. The town is empty like my fuel tank. The temperature is around 35C, the sky is blue. There is a post on the tank station saying 'TOE TOT 15hOO'. I have no idea what does it mean but I suppose it means that somebody will come at 15:00. The time is 15:12 and there is still nobody around. One bakkie just drove by, I stopped it and an old couple told me that somebody might come and open the restaurant next to petrol station at 4pm. So I said to myself perfect time to write a post for my blog. I already took my computer out of the case, when another bakkie arrived, full of local people, two on the back seats were really old. They stopped and the driver with sunglasses said nobody will come to this petrol station today. I said no problem, I will just wait for a little bit more.

While we were still talking (it was 15.34), I noticed a woman approaching from behind the restaurant. She was wearing T-shirt with Shell logo. I said thank god.

While I was puring unleaded gasoline to my motorbike, another bakkie arrived full of girls. They were playing loud music, singing and almost dancing in the car. They were very happy when I took photo of them.

I said to myself sometimes you just need to wait a little and everything comes to the right place. J

Now I am already eating delicious margeritta at Pizza Lounge in Springbok, the most north western town of South Africa. One of two girls sitting at the table next to mine outside, is telling me that she is born in Springbok but was visiting my second home town Ljubljana in Slovenia with her school last year and that she just loved it. How small world we are.

Going north

Nobody there

Post

Local people

Girls

Road works

Former restaurant in Springbok

Japanese guy cycling the world

Springbok caravan park

Springbok in the evening

Town that can be discovered only by airplane

I visited Nieuwoudtville (350 km north of Cape town) for the second time in my life. I flew there in an ultralight aircraft two month ago, now I drove there on my motorbike. I’ve stayed there for three days and now it almost feels like my home town. Thank you Kobus (pilot, engineer), Hester (business woman), Elsa (business woman), Jack (mechanic), Rickes (son), Marius (butcher), Ryan (soldier) and Adelle (ex student). I will never forget you and I’ll be back, like Arnold Schwarzenegger would say. ;)

Kobus Nel, pilot since 1973

Marius, famous butcher

Planing

Reuse

Rugby in Nieuwoudtville

Leaving

Ryan, Adelle & Marius

On the way from Nieuw. to N7

Friday, April 12, 2013

Entering Northern Cape

I took nice gravel kroad from Clanwilliam, direction of Calvinia, called R364. After around 100 km I turned left on R27 to Nieuwoudtville. Some fascinating views of landscapes on the way. Camera cannot tell much but anyway.

Clanwilliam

Western Cape R364

Goodbye Cape Town (2nd attempt)

In last five months I've got some good knowledge of Western Cape. The capital amazed me with it's natural beauty and I met some interesting and inspiring people around there. I would like to thank to all of them but it might turn boring. So thank you all of you out there, you know who you are. :)

I started driving my motorbike out of Cape Town two days ago. Direction north, first stop Clanwilliam. I hit the famous N7 highway but last 50 kms before CW I turned right at Citrusdale to gravel roads as N7 became a bit boring for my dual-purpose motorbike. I stayed the night at Lebanon Citrus Holiday Farm, some 18 kms out of Clanwilliam. Next morning I explored the surroundings, checked the river, which was pretty dry, the cottages, caravan park and orange tree plantation on the farm. I simply loved the place. Later in Clanwilliam I visited Rooibos tea factory as the place is home of famous Rooibos tea and visited coffee shop, nursery and guest house called Yellow Aloe where I checked their free Wifi internet and chilled with Windhoek lager.

Unfortunally already in the morning I've heard about double murder which happened during the night when I stayed on the farm. It happened in the village just next to the farm, practically 200 m away from where I slept. When I was leaving the farm, I was driving next to the village and I saw dead body still lying on the ground, covered with a blanket. Just one policeman was standing there, not really close. Sorry about telling you this story but it pretty shocked me. I feel sorry for those village people who are living in miserable conditions and they have not much in their lives beside alcohol. I've heard the cause of murders could originate from alcohol as one of the victims (older woman) was killed with a shovel and the other one (the killer) was killed later by unknown.

Anyway, stay well, enjoy the photos and keep in touch. ;