Mungo Park 2
Puppy
Greetings to the Wild Dogs. I wanted to make a good impression and tried my damnest to get the pics slightly larger, but following the resizing and ImageShack instructions I'm afraid "amateur" still applies. But here goes.
This is a year of firsts for me - first registration on your website, first posting and most importantly - first ride further than 300 km...including some dust! I've been less brazen this far when it comes to off-road trips. Being slightly vertically challenged with only toes touching the ground when on the bike, I felt a little bit insecure about risking the unknown. But sometimes one has to tackle the fear. . .
It started out as a mere thought when I bought my BMW 650 GS a few months ago, for the first time in 7 years changing from a cruiser to dual purpose. No regrets, I must say.
And then came the end of 2007 - challenged with the thought of what my present will be to myself when it came to birthday time. The answer was clear - the freedom of choice, road, fresh air and time...lots of it. And travelling as light as possible. A top box, tank bag and small back pack were all packing space that I needed for the next 14 days.
So on a good Friday I headed out for the Riebeeks. Where else to start a journey from but the Valley of good vino and views.
And very few views can compete with the one from Kloovenburg's spot that makes you feel as if you're on top of the world? And of course the 'bike must be part of the picture every now and then as well...
A compulsory stop for me, whenever I'm near the Riebeeks, is the charming Royal Hotel in Riebeek Kasteel.
Not to forget some vino while you're there! Here's to the start of a great trip.javascript:replaceText('
', document.forms.postmodify.message);
Smiley
Saturday was the big day - not only starting on the actual trip to Pretoria and surrounds, but also my first experience on gravel. Needless to say that when I got to this sign, I had some feelings about going left, back to civilization as I know it. But the bike went right.
I met up with Mungo Park in Kasteel for an encouraging coffee before we set off. Next stop to fill up Ceres. Little did I realise that this was also the last time we'd have some lovely shady protection against the scorching heat to follow.
The route we took, is pretty awesome. I soon learned a serious lesson - be very alert when following a curved road, especially a narrow one such as the Gyda Pass. I found myself running out of road whilst appreciating the scenery. And proudly rating myself as a solid and safe rider, this was one big surprise. Fortunately no damage was done or ego's dented in the process.
Even though this is a slight detour, it is absolutely worth every millimeter of the way. This takes you past the entrance to Kagga-Kamma and finally joins up with the 'ruler-road' from Ceres to Calvinia.
Here goes - the first bit of serious gravel, with roughly another 200km's to go.
With Mungo Park leading the way, I bravely follow at a slower pace. The surface was great with some loose pebbles that every now and then made me realise one has to be truly in the present to stay upright and on the road. Marvelous, no time for all the birds nests that have taken up head space the past year.
The change in weather came as a bit of a surprise, but it was welcome especially since it helped cool off the air a bit. Rain gear came out, just in time.
However, it still didn't prevent some speeding idiot in a bakkie to cover us in dust. Unpleasant surprise when you have your visor up, eh Mungo? I was busy photographing the scenery and just got out of the way in time. Golden rule - develop eyes in the back of your head.
As we got closer to Calvinia, the weather again turned moody. The scenery - absolutely spectacular.
And this is how to photograph your bike in five easy steps: get there, get off, get the camera, get dirty. Mungo Park in action from a different angle.
I must admit that I was thoroughly impressed with the handling of the 650 GS, even though the road was most likely a piece of cake in comparison to what others do. What a lovely feeling to stand on the top of the hill and look back at the nowhereness you've come from.
I must also admit, the grasshopper as i fondly call it, has been a fantastic companion to the 650 GS. Thanks for a lovely trip, Mungo Park!
The Calvinia Hotel was a very welcome sight. I doubled the occupancy for the evening in the hotel and Mungo represented 100% of the camping cadre right next to the hotel. The people are friendly, the beers are cheap, the food's good and you can stay in the hotel for about R150 a night. Just beware - the mozzies are out to kill you. I can only think that the main reason for not suffering a little bit of a headache the following day can be that there must have been a zillion of mozzies that attacked me and had a serious hangover each on my behalf. These little buggers are rezilient and didn't give up until every inch of my body was targeted.
Sunday - while Mungo Park had to return home, I continue on my journey to P-city. The road to Williston is long, flat, long, flat and long and ...yes, flat. No traffic to speak of and I did consider having a coffee-break on the white line for some excitement. But alas, the pic would do.
I must admit - I ended up talking to the sheep next to the road. Was it just my imagination or did they enjoy the odd joke or two? And of course, from there of onwards I continued to pass the bleating greetings on to the rest of the wooly folks as I continued on my journey to somewhere.
Carnarvon is an interesting mixture of architecture and quiet spaces. On filling up at the local petrol station, a BMW (with four wheels) loaded with a little family dangerously crossed the road and pulled over next to me. The father was almost as excited as the little boy next to him.
"Please, could my son sit on your bike? He loves bikes and what kind of bike is this and where are you going and and and." Obviously I obliged cautiously but the touching part was that, whilst visiting the 'facilities' on the property the family has sped off to get their camera in order to return for a photograph of the bike the son sat on.
The Korbeel-huis is quite remarkable and this one, next to the municipal offices, was originally on the farm Biesiesput, but relocated and rebuilt by the Rapportryers in 1987.
All roads lead to Victoria West. However, more a case of Victoria WET. Despite the growth in popularity and lovely architectural revival, this town is one of those quiet places where the stillness can still hurt your ears.
I started feeling like the rain fairy with little hope of sun for the rest of the day. I was right.
Shortly after this photo was taken, the rain came down so hard that it left my knees feeling bruised. That will teach me to ride with cargo's and ordinary rain pants!
My first impression of Hopetown was Hopelesstown. Even more - No Hope Town. It boasts a one-way, a traffic circle and a traditional old-style hotel. Here I met up with MTB who rode with his KTM from P-town to Hopetown to meet up with me. Not sure if it was the rain or Eskom's delightful power shedding, but there we were stuck in semi-darkness - having a lovely meal (it tasted really good!), more cheap beer and boeremusiek in the bar with a generator thumping softly in the background, keeping the radio, the christmas lights and the fridge going. Priorities...and Oom Karel's dry sense of humour added to an interesting experience.
Only when MTB and I reached Kimberley did the sun dare to show its face. And believe me, after two days of travelling in the rain, this was truly a welcome sight. Yes, Steers also helped filling up. Any possibility of getting them to sponsor KTM? Or is the orange glow just a mirage?
The only excitement for the rest of the trip until we got to Klerksdorp, were the two 'stop-go' moments shortly before Bloemhof (if I remember correctly). I was advised by a local to simply overtake the cars and travel on the new road simply because nobody cares. Somehow it didn't feel right. What a boring law-abiding citizen I must sound like. Honestly, it was a great spot to stretch the legs a bit.
MTB and I split up at Klerksdorp and I headed off to the family in Ventersdorp (and NO, we are not all like that!) Apart from some infamous residents, it's not a bad place. I mean to say, you can buy a lekker cold beer at the local pub for only R7,50! And to me that's a bargain since I pay R9,50 to R11,50 in C-town. Great value...
It was also on route of the re-enactment of the Great Trek. So somebody else knows about the existence of my village. Am I allowed to tell about the oxwagon behind lock and key on somebody's stoep?
After a few days I headed off for P-town. Unbelievable how restless one gets when not riding! It was sad leaving the family behind but I was very excited about being on the road again. But guess what? Yip, promises of rain.
The cosmos framing the road brought back great memories of the time I spent in the North West.
Being able to ride on the dam wall at Hartebeespoort was something I've always wanted to do, especially remembering as a child the fabulous site of bikers roaring through the little tunnel and being framed by the arch. And it was great. I did it twice...just for the hell of it.
More about the return journey later....
This is a year of firsts for me - first registration on your website, first posting and most importantly - first ride further than 300 km...including some dust! I've been less brazen this far when it comes to off-road trips. Being slightly vertically challenged with only toes touching the ground when on the bike, I felt a little bit insecure about risking the unknown. But sometimes one has to tackle the fear. . .
It started out as a mere thought when I bought my BMW 650 GS a few months ago, for the first time in 7 years changing from a cruiser to dual purpose. No regrets, I must say.
And then came the end of 2007 - challenged with the thought of what my present will be to myself when it came to birthday time. The answer was clear - the freedom of choice, road, fresh air and time...lots of it. And travelling as light as possible. A top box, tank bag and small back pack were all packing space that I needed for the next 14 days.
So on a good Friday I headed out for the Riebeeks. Where else to start a journey from but the Valley of good vino and views.
And very few views can compete with the one from Kloovenburg's spot that makes you feel as if you're on top of the world? And of course the 'bike must be part of the picture every now and then as well...
A compulsory stop for me, whenever I'm near the Riebeeks, is the charming Royal Hotel in Riebeek Kasteel.
Not to forget some vino while you're there! Here's to the start of a great trip.javascript:replaceText('
', document.forms.postmodify.message);Smiley
Saturday was the big day - not only starting on the actual trip to Pretoria and surrounds, but also my first experience on gravel. Needless to say that when I got to this sign, I had some feelings about going left, back to civilization as I know it. But the bike went right.
I met up with Mungo Park in Kasteel for an encouraging coffee before we set off. Next stop to fill up Ceres. Little did I realise that this was also the last time we'd have some lovely shady protection against the scorching heat to follow.
The route we took, is pretty awesome. I soon learned a serious lesson - be very alert when following a curved road, especially a narrow one such as the Gyda Pass. I found myself running out of road whilst appreciating the scenery. And proudly rating myself as a solid and safe rider, this was one big surprise. Fortunately no damage was done or ego's dented in the process.
Even though this is a slight detour, it is absolutely worth every millimeter of the way. This takes you past the entrance to Kagga-Kamma and finally joins up with the 'ruler-road' from Ceres to Calvinia.
Here goes - the first bit of serious gravel, with roughly another 200km's to go.
With Mungo Park leading the way, I bravely follow at a slower pace. The surface was great with some loose pebbles that every now and then made me realise one has to be truly in the present to stay upright and on the road. Marvelous, no time for all the birds nests that have taken up head space the past year.
The change in weather came as a bit of a surprise, but it was welcome especially since it helped cool off the air a bit. Rain gear came out, just in time.
However, it still didn't prevent some speeding idiot in a bakkie to cover us in dust. Unpleasant surprise when you have your visor up, eh Mungo? I was busy photographing the scenery and just got out of the way in time. Golden rule - develop eyes in the back of your head.
As we got closer to Calvinia, the weather again turned moody. The scenery - absolutely spectacular.
And this is how to photograph your bike in five easy steps: get there, get off, get the camera, get dirty. Mungo Park in action from a different angle.
I must admit that I was thoroughly impressed with the handling of the 650 GS, even though the road was most likely a piece of cake in comparison to what others do. What a lovely feeling to stand on the top of the hill and look back at the nowhereness you've come from.
I must also admit, the grasshopper as i fondly call it, has been a fantastic companion to the 650 GS. Thanks for a lovely trip, Mungo Park!
The Calvinia Hotel was a very welcome sight. I doubled the occupancy for the evening in the hotel and Mungo represented 100% of the camping cadre right next to the hotel. The people are friendly, the beers are cheap, the food's good and you can stay in the hotel for about R150 a night. Just beware - the mozzies are out to kill you. I can only think that the main reason for not suffering a little bit of a headache the following day can be that there must have been a zillion of mozzies that attacked me and had a serious hangover each on my behalf. These little buggers are rezilient and didn't give up until every inch of my body was targeted.
Sunday - while Mungo Park had to return home, I continue on my journey to P-city. The road to Williston is long, flat, long, flat and long and ...yes, flat. No traffic to speak of and I did consider having a coffee-break on the white line for some excitement. But alas, the pic would do.
I must admit - I ended up talking to the sheep next to the road. Was it just my imagination or did they enjoy the odd joke or two? And of course, from there of onwards I continued to pass the bleating greetings on to the rest of the wooly folks as I continued on my journey to somewhere.
Carnarvon is an interesting mixture of architecture and quiet spaces. On filling up at the local petrol station, a BMW (with four wheels) loaded with a little family dangerously crossed the road and pulled over next to me. The father was almost as excited as the little boy next to him.
"Please, could my son sit on your bike? He loves bikes and what kind of bike is this and where are you going and and and." Obviously I obliged cautiously but the touching part was that, whilst visiting the 'facilities' on the property the family has sped off to get their camera in order to return for a photograph of the bike the son sat on.
The Korbeel-huis is quite remarkable and this one, next to the municipal offices, was originally on the farm Biesiesput, but relocated and rebuilt by the Rapportryers in 1987.
All roads lead to Victoria West. However, more a case of Victoria WET. Despite the growth in popularity and lovely architectural revival, this town is one of those quiet places where the stillness can still hurt your ears.
I started feeling like the rain fairy with little hope of sun for the rest of the day. I was right.
Shortly after this photo was taken, the rain came down so hard that it left my knees feeling bruised. That will teach me to ride with cargo's and ordinary rain pants!
My first impression of Hopetown was Hopelesstown. Even more - No Hope Town. It boasts a one-way, a traffic circle and a traditional old-style hotel. Here I met up with MTB who rode with his KTM from P-town to Hopetown to meet up with me. Not sure if it was the rain or Eskom's delightful power shedding, but there we were stuck in semi-darkness - having a lovely meal (it tasted really good!), more cheap beer and boeremusiek in the bar with a generator thumping softly in the background, keeping the radio, the christmas lights and the fridge going. Priorities...and Oom Karel's dry sense of humour added to an interesting experience.
Only when MTB and I reached Kimberley did the sun dare to show its face. And believe me, after two days of travelling in the rain, this was truly a welcome sight. Yes, Steers also helped filling up. Any possibility of getting them to sponsor KTM? Or is the orange glow just a mirage?
The only excitement for the rest of the trip until we got to Klerksdorp, were the two 'stop-go' moments shortly before Bloemhof (if I remember correctly). I was advised by a local to simply overtake the cars and travel on the new road simply because nobody cares. Somehow it didn't feel right. What a boring law-abiding citizen I must sound like. Honestly, it was a great spot to stretch the legs a bit.
MTB and I split up at Klerksdorp and I headed off to the family in Ventersdorp (and NO, we are not all like that!) Apart from some infamous residents, it's not a bad place. I mean to say, you can buy a lekker cold beer at the local pub for only R7,50! And to me that's a bargain since I pay R9,50 to R11,50 in C-town. Great value...
It was also on route of the re-enactment of the Great Trek. So somebody else knows about the existence of my village. Am I allowed to tell about the oxwagon behind lock and key on somebody's stoep?
After a few days I headed off for P-town. Unbelievable how restless one gets when not riding! It was sad leaving the family behind but I was very excited about being on the road again. But guess what? Yip, promises of rain.
The cosmos framing the road brought back great memories of the time I spent in the North West.
Being able to ride on the dam wall at Hartebeespoort was something I've always wanted to do, especially remembering as a child the fabulous site of bikers roaring through the little tunnel and being framed by the arch. And it was great. I did it twice...just for the hell of it.
More about the return journey later....
