Namibia is hot!

UNNAM, the University of Namibia, invited me to lecture for two weeks to the students of their newly created Security and Strategic Studies Centre.  The deal that I made with UNNAM was that I wanted to “drive” to Namibia and they needed to pay me the air ticket in cash.  Instead, back at the ranch, I was planning the biking thing.

These were the knowns. From the outset, I was sure that, firstly, I will have to cover a lot of distance in a short time and, secondly, I also wanted to do some gravel riding in Nam.  Thirdly, it is February and it will be hot.  Fourthly, I have done the typical western tourists route, i.e. Ais-Ais, Sesriem, Walvis etc, in the past and that I wanted to see the eastern part.

I consulted the expert on Namibia, ChrisL, on some of the roads in the south-east.  He provided some good solid advice.  
Going to Windhoek, I had three days – Friday to Sunday.  Coming back, I only had two days to do the Windhoek Saldanha thing.  Because of the distance on tar that I had to cover, I opted for dual-purpose tyres.

I also had to take my labtop, some study material and none-riding clothing along.  Thus, I left my tent etc and opted for guest houses to keep the weight down.



I left Friday morning just after the twins had their breakfast.  This is an indication of the speed & pace on the West Coast.



First turnoff!



First biological stop – on the Elandsbaai Bridge.  



Toe raak dit mos besig in Leipoldtville se hoofstraat.



The more refined name for a naaister.  I believe this is a dying occupation & trade.



How many children has been baptised in this church?  And I can see them standing with their long serious faces singing Prijs de Heer met blijde galme . . .



Lunch in Garies.  Die dorpskatte is spekvet.



Did I mention that it was freaking hot.  Wanted to stop for a beer in Kamieskroon.  But the Hotel closes over lunchtime – seriously!



Since I knew that it will be hot in Noordoewer, where I wanted to sleep over, I decided to stick around in Springbok for a couple of beers.  Can’t remember the name of the restaurant in the middle of town, but the burger was good, the beer even better and the accents absolutely unbelievably beautiful.

Had a lot of sh@t on the border. UNNAM should have arranged a working visa, which they haven’t done.  Had to make a couple of phone calls.  Eventually, they said to me they will allow me entry for five days to sort it out in Windhoek.  I didn’t care – five days will take me to Windhoek and then they can sort it out.  Not my problem.  It will become my problem if UNNAM cannot pay me because of the lack of a working visa.  Until that time, I’ll continue my journey in peace.  The sun setting in Noordoewer.




To be continued . . .



     

Sub  :thumleft:

:sip:

:sip:  :thumleft:

Sub :sip: :thumleft:

Sub. 

Dankie vir die aankom.  Aarde, daai 1200 is so bleddie nuut ek kan glads op die fotos ruik hoe stik hy nog van die nuutgeit.

Oja, deur watter standard het jy die SWAPOS loop sit? eepwall:

:thumleft:,keep it comming

Lekker as man so kan ry vir werk ......................  :thumleft: :thumleft:

:sip:

LMG jy moet op jou kniee staan as jy foto's neem jou foto's lyk almal soos lugfoto's  eepwall:

Net die Kerk foto kon jy darem nie van bo-af geneem het nie  :imaposer:

Lyk intersant laat kom die res  :thumleft:

:sip:

Riebeeker said:

LMG jy moet op jou kniee staan as jy foto's neem jou foto's lyk almal soos lugfoto's   eepwall:

Net die Kerk foto kon jy darem nie van bo-af geneem het nie  :imaposer:

Lyk intersant laat kom die res  :thumleft:

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:spitcoffee: :spitcoffee: :spitcoffee: :imaposer: :imaposer: :imaposer:
Dankie vir daai lag Riebeeker!!!!!
Laat kom maar die res LMG. :thumleft:

Keep it coming we will be there in June / July , cant wait . Send all the info you possibly can .

I left Noordoewer quite early on Saturday morning in an effort to escape the heat of the place.  Chris advised me to take one of the first turnoffs to the right to Karasburg.  My first impression, to be substantiated later in the day and week, was that, even by Namibian standards, it is very dry.



As always, the gravel roads were in an outstanding condition.  You need to check your own speed time and again.





Eventually, I arrived at Koës. I mentioned that it was extremely hot.



Stopped at the hotel.  Haven’t even taken my helmet of before a guy by the name of Danie wanted to know whether it will be a Blacklabel or a Windhoek.  

Danie drove from Keetmans the previous afternoon and ended up with a flat tyre (and without a car jack) on the road to Koës.  Slept on the back of the Cruiser until it became too cold and he had to fold his body into the Cruiser.  He got a jack from a nearby farm, but arriving in Koës, his speed was broken and he stopped for a couple of cold ones and eventually decided to stick around, return to Keetmans and repeat the exercise the next weekend.

I also met the owner of the hotel (Bonzai) and his wife.  She offered me a good bord boerekos that was absolutely outstanding.
People come and go at the Koës Hotel.  One of the ladies arriving at the hotel wanted to know whether I know her husband – a guy by the name of Rikus!  When Rikus arrived I just knew it would not be a quick stop.  He promptly informed me that I am going to sleep over.



It eventually became a lekka afternoon with Danie and Rikus who had to show me the area of the world famous and renowned Koës Rally.  This is Cruiser valley and we had to do a couple of dunes.  I mentioned that it was f@rking hot.



Please take notice of Danie’s foot protection against the burning sand.









And then back to the hotel to look for something cool.



Danie had to try on my riding boots.  This was what it looks like.



And it wasn’t just his feet that were burning.  The heat was making his handstands extremely difficult!



Inside the pub with the honourable barmoeder - Bonzai’s wife.



It is a pub that means business.

The best one of the afternoon?  It must have been Danie’s comment about his shooting ability when we spoke about hunting in the region:  “My skiet en ‘n blinde man se omkyk is presies dieselfde”.



I eventually left at around four.  I had to leave since I have committed myself to sleeping over at a good friend of mine in Gochas - Gustaf the predikant in Gochas.   I mentioned that it was hot.



The road towards Wegdraai was one of the best that I have ever ridden on in my life – and it had nothing to do with the amounts of beer that I have consumed.  You are just going over the one dune after the other – one side up, the other side down, dune after dune.



From Wegdraai, you are riding in the Aoub river all the way to Gochas.  Beautiful scenery all the way.  



I also had my first pants washing incident of the trip on this road to Gochas.  Three vlakvarke were lying under a tree next to the road.  I, of course, did not see them and they came charging across the road when they saw me.  I was probably doing around 80-90k’s.  I don’t know how I missed the one in front.  I passed between the first and second vark.  It was quite hair-raising.  I had to stop to tell myself that I was still OK.

Look at the surface of this road.



It was around seven, I think, when I arrived in Gochas.  Gustaf’s wife was away, preparing for his daughter’s wedding the next Saturday. And he had a fire going.  The T-bones were good; and so was the beer.

To be continued . . .

Hinksding said:

Dankie vir die aankom.  

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Nee Hingsding - sarkasme is mos nie iets wat pas in die Boesmanland nie!

Hinksding said:

Aarde, daai 1200 is so bleddie nuut ek kan glads op die fotos ruik hoe stik hy nog van die nuutgeit.

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Jip, was haar maiden voyage!  Maar sy het haar goed gedra.  (Beteken nie dat ek nie my ou fiets mis nie!)

Aai, this is going to be good !

8)

Ha, ek sien jy't vir Rickus ontmoet. Jy kan bly wees jy's toegelaat om daar weg te kom...

Danie kan nou vir jou 'n bakkie race. Jy moet hom check op die Koes Rally. Ek dink hy besit 'n radiator repair plak op Keetmans (oa).

:sip:

Jacko said:

Ha, ek sien jy't vir Rickus ontmoet. Jy kan bly wees jy's toegelaat om daar weg te kom...

Danie kan nou vir jou 'n bakkie race. Jy moet hom check op die Koes Rally. Ek dink hy besit 'n radiator repair plak op Keetmans (oa).

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Jacko

Ek en Rickus het darm al by 'n paar vorige geleenthede ook iets saam gevat.  En ek kan my indink dat Danie weet hoe om 'm stuurwiel vas te hou. 

Weet jy wanneer is die volgende Koës Rally?  Dit klink na iets wat die moeite werd kan wees om gesig by te wys.

LMG said:

Weet jy wanneer is die volgende Koës Rally?  Dit klink na iets wat die moeite werd kan wees om gesig by te wys.

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Dis altyd die eerste naweek in Julie as ek reg onthou.

Bel vir Bonsai-hulle by die hotel. Hulle sal vir jou kan se.

Jy't 'n keuse van twee kampplekke:

1. Op die gras voor die hotel. Bietjie stiller en die kroeg is oorkant die pad; of
2. By die pan self. 24-uur paartjie. Net vir die ysters. Ek is al te oud daarvoor.