In Search of Solitude

[wolweseun]

I hadn’t been out on the bike since the EC Bash and was feeling a little uptight with stress and some of the other joys of modern living that we inflict upon ourselves.
I decided to head out into the Karoo in search of some sanity and solitude

By now I was staring to relax and enjoy the area and had seen less the a handful of people in the last hour

The more time I spend in the Karoo the more I appreciate it and could not previously understand what made people want to live there.

This is more a story of pictures than words as I was not on a specific ride but more of an idle wandering around

I came across this huge pump and had to stop and take a look

You can see where the crank cracked must have taken a hell of a force

And of course the obligatory pic with my baby included  ;D

What can I say but that I really love the Karoo Gravel

Next was Graaff Rienet and nice to see the Dam so full

And the on to the Valley of Desolation, what better place to look for Solitude

The road to the top is fantastic  and I would love to race up and down it on a Motard or nice 250 2 stroke as Marcus Garvey said it is a “Pull wire piece of road”.

https://lh6.ggpht.com/_-aB_aoZGnzk/Spqx91dQNbI/AAAAAAAAHqE/Pki27Gfer3o/s800/IMG_2331.jpg

[img]https://lh4.ggpht.com/_-aB_aoZGnzk/Spqx_qUnuiI/AAAAAAAAHqI/4BScq1GiaTk/s800/IMG_2332.jpg

The Valley of Desolation is truly fantastic and is a must see when passing through the area.

I spent a lot of time wandering around looking and day dreaming and will definitely come back to spend more time here.

I saw I could possibly still get to Nieu Bethesda and started making my way there

More to follow………………

 

[Zeff Cowboy]

Very very nice

 

[Gee eS]

Nice ride and great picks.

 

[Marnus]

Some awesome pictures you've taken.  Thank you for sharing - it's a pity I'm so far from there - but more to look forward to when I get to go there again!

 

[BMWPE]

Great pics  :thumleft:
Thanks

 

[LeonDude]

Fantastic RR. I've been wanting to go back to Graaf Reinette since the first time I'd been there.

Can't wait for the rest!

 

[Tienie]

Great RR. Geniet jou foto's!

 

[Succi]

Thanks for sharing WS,  I will have to go there soon!

 

[wolweseun]

On the way to Nieu Bethesda

And what would a vist to Nieu Bethesda be without a visit to the owl House

Warning lots of Pics

I never realized how much art was in the place until now

If you are smoking the right stuff I suppose these Cacti can also look like Giraffe Heads

I was even privileged enough to see the Sphinx.

Nativity Scene

The Kitchen

The Roof of the Kitchen

Crushed Glass used to decorate the walls and make various pieces of art

I could basically do a report just on the Owl House on its own

I was suitably impressed with the Owl House and the simple use of material in the making of the Art
I am very glad I took the time to look at the art properly and would probably go back once I know more about Miss Helen.

Hunger and Thirst were calling

I settled for a Honey Ale and a Cheese Platter
What a Fantastic Beer and more enjoyable knowing it does not have all the Chemicals and Shit SA Breweries put in the Kak they call beer.

Spring is in the air

I had to bid farewell to Nieu Bethesda as I was running out of daylight hours but will definitely spend more time there in the near future

I filled up in Graaff Rienet  and had to slab it back home to try be out of Kudu Country before Dark
With my Soul feeling fulfilled and some of my sanity restored I made my way home.

A total of 726Km for the day a bit more than I initially planned on doing

 

[BiG DoM]

Sweet breakaway boet!

 

[GreenMamba1974]

nice wolweseun, the owl house is mesmerising to say the least.  apparently she went blind later in life from all the crushed glass that got in her eyes over time.  

 

[TVB]

Awesome! I've been there in the mid 80's, would love to revised on bike, best pics I've seen from the owl house. 

 

[eikeboom]

Thanks, awesome photos of a great tour!
What mountain is that in the background on the first photo?

 

[Kampies]

Lekker man!! :thumleft:

 

[GreenMachine]

Very nice, looks much different from the parts of the Karoo I have seen.

 

[GundaGunda]

Man, I gotta get down there.

Great photos.

I know what you mean about the Karoo. My late father, among the many irons he had in many fires, had a business where he bought the "blad" from the salt pans in the Karoo - thats the hard layer of sodium sulphate left after the salt has been harvested from the pans -  he would send it to a plant in Rustenburg to be refined for sale.

But he never sent anyone else to see the salt farmers, and in school holidays I would always tag along with him - I got to love the wide open spaces, and the love has never left me. 

 

[wolweseun]

What mountain is that in the background on the first photo?

Cockscomb

 

[Catchy]

Nice read, Im sure it had the desired effect! :thumleft:

 

[Ama ride ride]

Lekker

The Karoo is a special place for many. :thumleft:

 

[husky]

Stunning pics - got to get there somehow.

The "pump" is probably a stationery engine - the buried pipe may be the exhaust into a "44 gallon" drum. Plenty old Faribanks Morse engines like that still around, lovingly restored. Paraffin or even fuel oil powered. Start by warming and maybe on petrol. Swinish magneto ignition. These engines had to be cranked with a decompression "button". Woe betide you if it backfired and the crank paul didn't disengage.