Brandon Bosch Memorial Ride - Africa 2021

[DASKOP]

No pictures can ever do justice to the Spreetshoogte Pass views and vistas. Breathtaking is insufficient, by far.

Namibia at its absolute best.

 

[Vis Arend]

Remhoogte Pass, section 1 of a few, I wanted to make the most of this amazing realisation of a 7 year dream. So, please bear with me as I indulge myself.

You can never eva have enough pics if Rems-and Spreetshoogte.  :thumleft:    Carry on as you were.  :biggrin:

 

[DASKOP]

Remhoogte Pass, section 1 of a few, I wanted to make the most of this amazing realisation of a 7 year dream. So, please bear with me as I indulge myself.

You can never eva have enough pics if Rems-and Spreetshoogte.  :thumleft:    Carry on as you were.  :biggrin:

Unfortunately, it is past my bed time, so you will have to wait for the best yet. I will leave you with a photo I forgot to post earlier of my early morning coffee vista at Camp Gecko.  :ricky:

 

[petri oosthuizen]

Nice Man........very very nice :thumleft: :thumleft:

 

[DASKOP]

I found a spot to spend some time and enjoy this amazing privilege that I was experiencing, one of the most amazing parts of Namibia.

Got the message and had another local visitor.

 

[DASKOP]

Remhoogte Pass, section 1 of a few, I wanted to make the most of this amazing realisation of a 7 year dream. So, please bear with me as I indulge myself.

You can never eva have enough pics if Rems-and Spreetshoogte.  :thumleft:    Carry on as you were.  :biggrin:

Unfortunately, it is past my bed time, so you will have to wait for the best yet. I will leave you with a photo I forgot to post earlier of my early morning coffee vista at Camp Gecko.  :ricky:

OK, I was not really going to bed, just hoped I would get some response. Please understand that this was a very lonely and emotional journey, in so many ways, and every response I get to my posts, means a heck of a lot to me. I then do not feel so alone.

 

[DASKOP]

The view from where I was sitting.

I will leave the best for last, now I have no choice, Escom load shedding, time for bed.

 

[Elmer Fudd]

A massively heartbreaking share, yet inspiring as well in the manner that you are now honoring your son.
My sincerest condolences to you, your family and friends. An unimaginable loss uncomprehendable to most everyone including myself.
I trust you were able to at least make peace with some of the questions and found answers to others, some perhaps not thought of before your trip.

 

[Mev Vis Arend]

Die Spreetshoogte fotos lyk of dit geteken is.  Dis een van die plekke wat my altyd laat besef hoe klein en nietig ek eintlik is.  Daai plek maak 'n gevoel in 'n mens se hart wat nie beskryf kan word nie. 

 

[Slim Jim]

Thank you for taking us with you on this trip, a loss of some one close gets better but never forgotten.
Thoughts and payers with you Buddy

 

[DASKOP]

As I sat there, I was filled with such emotional turmoil which was a complete contrast to the tranquility of the scenic splendour before me.

 

[DASKOP]

I stopped at the Spreetshoogte Campsite where Tony, Duppie, Pierre and myself stayed in 2013. We were supposed to camp, but as we had arrived late, we negotiated a good rate with the owner and stayed in one of the stone chalets.The view from there is really amazing.

Time to head back to Camp Gecko.

 

[DASKOP]

Back at Camp Gecko, I had a beer with Anna and the reason for my trip came up. Once again, like with so many people I have met so far on this trip, she told me of the history of depression in her family.

Anna said that it was predicted that the wind was going to come up, with gusts of up to 60 km/h expected, and as my campsite is so exposed, I should consider moving into the restaurant, which was only a short distance from my campsite, so I duly took her up on the offer, packed up and set up sleeping quarters on the sand floor in the restaurant and watched the sun set.

The donkey was going for a hot shower, made some cowboy chow and it was time for bed.

Although the expected high wind gusts did not actually happen, the wind was still howling, but I was in a nice and cosy place to spend the night and I am grateful that I am not out there in the tent.

 

[DASKOP]

22 May 2021

Destination Windhoek.

Up early, I again have a plunger and some real coffee at my disposal, and I make the most of it, five cups of coffee, and once again, sit outside, enjoying the view.

But something is wrong. I did not feel right, and I had the shakes. I was feeling nervous and fearful, not something that I have ever experienced on any of my trips ever before. I was dreading facing the gravel roads. This is not the real me. During my 200 000 odd km of Adventure riding, I have tackled some of the worst big bike roads imaginable, and I took them head on, but, suddenly, I was scared.

Hence the photos of the windmill painting and the sign. I had to find something to inspire me to be one of THOSE WHO DO.

I packed Matilda and went down to the farmhouse to settle my bill. I met Bjorn, Anna’s husband, who had been away in Windhoek. I am again blessed by the generosity of my hosts, I only pay for one night’s accommodation and a reduced amount for the rest, paying only NAD490, which should have been around NAD800.

Time to leave, but I am extremely nervous about facing this gravel road, this is not me, but there is no turning back now. Time to face my fear.

 

[DASKOP]

I stopped at the bottom of Spreetshoogte Pass and placed Brandon’s 10th sticker.

How I wished, at that stage, that it was not just Spreetshoogte Pass that was paved, but the whole road all the way to the Rehoboth T-junction.

I am struggling on the road, there is a lot of loose gravel and sandy sections, but these types of road conditions are nothing new to me. This is not an environment which I had not traveled before, and I keep on reminding myself of this continuously, but I cannot regain my confidence in my ability, and I realise that it was not the road, it was me.

I have no idea how many times I stopped, got off the bike and sat next to the road, just to compose myself and pray. I prayed for protection; I was not going to be able to complete this section of gravel road without some divine intervention from God.

I was rattled and the passing 4x4 vehicles did not make it any easier. They were all traveling at high speeds, and the hanging dust clouds they left in their wake, made it impossible for me to see the road ahead, causing me to stop every time I encountered one of them on the road.

This has never happened to me before, I did not enjoy any of the 100+ km of gravel road I had to endure, until I eventually got to the Rehoboth T-junction and saw tar. I was so relieved and grateful that I had made it without any incident.

I am elated, it is tar all the way to Windhoek.

 

[DASKOP]

I find Urban Campsite in Windhoek. Not what I had expected. It is a very nice place.

Nash is the first staff lady I met there, an absolute star, I paid the very reasonable NAD 340 for two nights camping accommodation and got my gate pass. The gate and boom gate code was 2410, my birth date, 24 Oct. Coincidence?

I set up camp and then met Pierre, a friend of a friend in PE, for the first time to have a beer in the garden area. I also met Bernhard, the owner of Urban Campsite.

After Pierre left, I did some updating on the group, showered, and changed. Beef Schnitzel for supper and off to bed.

It was a very, very cold dark night.

 

[Vis Arend]

I stopped at the bottom of Spreetshoogte Pass and placed Brandon’s 10th sticker.

How I wished, at that stage, that it was not just Spreetshoogte Pass that was paved, but the whole road all the way to the Rehoboth T-junction.

I am struggling on the road, there is a lot of loose gravel and sandy sections, but these types of road conditions are nothing new to me. This is not an environment which I had not traveled before, and I keep on reminding myself of this continuously, but I cannot regain my confidence in my ability, and I realise that it was not the road, it was me.

I have no idea how many times I stopped, got off the bike and sat next to the road, just to compose myself and pray. I prayed for protection; I was not going to be able to complete this section of gravel road without some divine intervention from God.

I was rattled and the passing 4x4 vehicles did not make it any easier. They were all traveling at high speeds, and the hanging dust clouds they left in their wake, made it impossible for me to see the road ahead, causing me to stop every time I encountered one of them on the road.

This has never happened to me before, I did not enjoy any of the 100+ km of gravel road I had to endure, until I eventually got to the Rehoboth T-junction and saw tar. I was so relieved and grateful that I had made it without any incident.

I am elated, it is tar all the way to Windhoek.

We know the feeling.  Happened to us as well.  We did that same road twice before on our S10, two up and fully laden with camping gear, no problem. 
With our last trip to Nam, Feb 2020, we did it again, this time my wife on her Honda 250L and myself on my old XR650L.  The 1st 80odd km from Solitaire to Nauchas via Remshoogte was a breeze, the next 100km to that T-junction before Rehoboth was a nightmare, we just could not get rhythm, we struggled to read the road and the sand was unpredictable.  It was a miracle in itself that we did not come sort that day  In hind sight, I did ride with an injured left knee (torn ligaments), but still, that was one of my worst 100km gravel roads I ever ridden. 
The next day we rode similar and worse gravel/sand roads down south in the Kalahari, and that was no problem for us, go figure.  atch:   

 

[DASKOP]

I stopped at the bottom of Spreetshoogte Pass and placed Brandon’s 10th sticker.

How I wished, at that stage, that it was not just Spreetshoogte Pass that was paved, but the whole road all the way to the Rehoboth T-junction.

I am struggling on the road, there is a lot of loose gravel and sandy sections, but these types of road conditions are nothing new to me. This is not an environment which I had not traveled before, and I keep on reminding myself of this continuously, but I cannot regain my confidence in my ability, and I realise that it was not the road, it was me.

I have no idea how many times I stopped, got off the bike and sat next to the road, just to compose myself and pray. I prayed for protection; I was not going to be able to complete this section of gravel road without some divine intervention from God.

I was rattled and the passing 4x4 vehicles did not make it any easier. They were all traveling at high speeds, and the hanging dust clouds they left in their wake, made it impossible for me to see the road ahead, causing me to stop every time I encountered one of them on the road.

This has never happened to me before, I did not enjoy any of the 100+ km of gravel road I had to endure, until I eventually got to the Rehoboth T-junction and saw tar. I was so relieved and grateful that I had made it without any incident.

I am elated, it is tar all the way to Windhoek.

We know the feeling.  Happened to us as well.  We did that same road twice before on our S10, two up and fully laden with camping gear, no problem. 
With our last trip to Nam, Feb 2020, we did it again, this time my wife on her Honda 250L and myself on my old XR650L.  The 1st 80odd km from Solitaire to Nauchas via Remshoogte was a breeze, the next 100km to that T-junction before Rehoboth was a nightmare, we just could not get rhythm, we struggled to read the road and the sand was unpredictable.  It was a miracle in itself that we did not come sort that day  In hind sight, I did ride with an injured left knee (torn ligaments), but still, that was one of my worst 100km gravel roads I ever ridden. 
The next day we rode similar and worse gravel/sand roads down south in the Kalahari, and that was no problem for us, go figure.  atch: 

Thank you for that, I never experienced that feeling again on the rest of my trip. But that section really challenged me on that specific day.

 

[DASKOP]

23 May 2021

It had been a seriously cold night and I eventually forced myself out of bed, made coffee, and found a spot in the sun to thaw out.

Nash arrived and informed me that I had a visitor, JC Kruger, who I had been corresponding with on-line, and who is also a Wild Dog. They have strict rules here and no one is allowed into the campsite without the resident’s permission. Once confirmed, she escorted him to my campsite. JC came bearing gifts, home-made rusks, biltong, and salami, what a treat and invited me to breakfast.

I asked Nash if she could arrange some blankets and she said that she would see what she could do.

JC and I went to have breakfast. We had a long chat about our biking trips and experiences and JC gave me a lot of advice, based on his travels through Namibia. He even phoned his wife to get the details of a place he recommended near Rundu.

 

[DASKOP]

During breakfast, Nash informed me that Bernhard, the owner of Urban Camp was not going to give me blankets, but that he had instructed Nash to upgrade me to one of their kitted tent chalets at no extra charge. What a blessing! Once again, I experienced the generosity and kindness of Namibians.

JC and I still chatted for a while, but he had to leave as his children were visiting for the long weekend. The coming Tuesday was Africa Day, and the Monday was added into the mix.

Time to do some laundry, pack up and move to my new accommodation. I was so grateful; I did not have to endure another freezing night in my tent.

Pierre then phoned to tell me that I had been invited to a braai at the South African Embassy House. He arrived a little while later, just as I had completed my move, with my hostess from the SA Embassy House, to show her Matilda. At this stage, for security reasons, I was not allowed to name her or photograph her.