Into Africa - DASKOP's 12000km drive

[Bergie]

Not just an awesome pass for the views, but some of the most fun twisties I have ever ridden  :thumleft:

 

[DASKOP]

Not just an awesome pass for the views, but some of the most fun twisties I have ever ridden  :thumleft:

That is for sure. Road is in good condition. Came across some road repairs being done as well.


From there just a few villages. But its getting late and I am not near where I would like to be at this stage.

 

[DASKOP]

Amazing Baobab trees.......................

 

[DASKOP]

I get to Monkey Bay. For some unknown reason my GPS  will not give directions to Fat Monkeys.

Eventually I find someone at the local "supermarket" to point me in the right direction. I apparently missed the gravel turn-off quite a few kilometers back and so I head in that direction. It is getting dark.

 

[DASKOP]

As I said before, overloading is not a problem in Africa. The manufacturers of the vehicles just under estimated the vehicle's capacity.

 

[charlw]

Some more photos taken on the road to Walvis.

That photo of the 3 quiver trees with the mountain in the background is becoming an icon!

I had it blown up to a poster size and is in my kitchen (all my landscape photos have been given new locations - I was recently married. Told my new wife she could move whatever she wanted, except the TV!)

Great report - really enjoying it.

 

[DASKOP]

Some more photos taken on the road to Walvis.

That photo of the 3 quiver trees with the mountain in the background is becoming an icon!

I had it blown up to a poster size and is in my kitchen (all my landscape photos have been given new locations - I was recently married. Told my new wife she could move whatever she wanted, except the TV!)

Great report - really enjoying it.

Hi Charl.

Thanks.

I hope it is in the kitchen because your wife likes it................. ot:

Is it the one below?

 

[DASKOP]

Back to the RR.

At this stage I have no idea where Murphy is.

I take the Cape Maclear turnoff and hit the dirt road just as the sun sets. Tricky road made even more so by the dark.

I take it easy and encounter dogs, pedestrians, cyclists and motorbikes without lights. The twisty part is tarred, but it does not become any less hazardous.

Eventually I get to a fork in the road and there is the Fat Monkeys sign. I turn right and the next moment I am in the middle of a village. This I did not expect. I stop at a mast with a little office and ask if I am in the right place. I get confirmation that I am and that I just have to continue straight.

All of a sudden a whole lot of people appear out of the dark and offer to guide me to Fat Monkeys.

I decline the offer and follow the road through the village. This is so different. Seriously, very different. I could at first not process this.

Suddenly, I am out of the village and at a gate that says Fat Monkeys. The gate swings open and there is Murphy. What a welcome.

He shows me to our campsite and tells me that he could hear the 1200 coming for a long time. A very long time. So he told his fellow patrons that his mate is coming and he came to the gate and waited for me.

Absolutely awesome.  :biggrin:

Here follows some pics that Murphy took before I got there.

 

[Kees9]

Lyk nogals asof dit n lekker trippie was! Dit is net n rapsie te ver, sal mos lam wees na elke dag se ry! :ricky:

 

[Mzee]

Some of the blurred pictures with no interesting point can be deleted or not posted.  The rest are great. :thumleft:

 

[Man from Nam]

Thanks Daskop I really enjoy the RR, definitely on my bucket list :thumleft:

 

[DASKOP]

Thanks Man from Nam. You live in an absolutely amazing country. I cannot wait to visit it again. Maybe you can join us on our trip the next time we come through there. I hope to do the eastern part of Nam and part of Botswana in December.


Back to MY RIDE REPORT.


I just have to be careful to keep the blurred and uninteresting pictures to a minimum.              ot:  

How's this..........................   :biggrin:

 

[DASKOP]

Friday 12th July 2013.

It is an absolute privilege to wake up next to Lake Malawi and experience the spectacular views. 


It takes a while to absorb all of this and convince yourself that you are really here. How many times have I not heard people speak about Lake Malawi and I wished, maybe, just maybe.............one day.

Well, that day has finally arrived. I am on the shores of Lake Malawi.          :drif:

 

[DASKOP]

Some more photos taken on the road to Walvis.

That photo of the 3 quiver trees with the mountain in the background is becoming an icon!

I had it blown up to a poster size and is in my kitchen (all my landscape photos have been given new locations - I was recently married. Told my new wife she could move whatever she wanted, except the TV!)

Great report - really enjoying it.

In retrospect, I am so ecstatic that the photo you refer to is not blurred and uninteresting..................Thanks Charl.

An icon, NOGAL................    :

 

[DASKOP]

The famous Fat Monkeys.

 

[DASKOP]

Lyk nogals asof dit n lekker trippie was! Dit is net n rapsie te ver, sal mos lam wees na elke dag se ry! :ricky:

Kees9.

Ek weet nie of jy al lang pad op 'n GSA gedoen het nie, maar daardie sitplek is gemaak vir die lang pad. Ek sou maklik (en het al in RSA) 800km per dag gedoen en nie aan lam gat gely nie.   :ricky:

Voorspoed.

 

[Man from Nam]

Dankie Daskop
Ja ons is baie bevoorreg om in Nam te bly. Sal graag wil ontmoet as jy weer hier kom. Laat weet as julle in Des kom, ons vertrek rondom die 13de Des vir 'n trip SA toe, ontmoet vriende in Pretoria en gaan dan deur die oos Vrystaat en gedeeltelik oos kaap af karoo toe, dan met Route 62 tot in die kaap. Terug deur die Sederberge en noord Kaap waar ons dan sal opsplit by Upington. Hule terug Pretoria toe en ons die lang pad terug Windhoek toe.
Julle het self mooi wereld en daar is plekkies wat ons nog nie gesien het nie en nou wil besoek. Ons weet ons gaan moer warm kry daardie tyd van die jaar, maar dit is die enigste tyd wat ons kan gaan.
Ons het so twee maande gelede 'n gedeelte van Botswana gery op pad terug van Vic Falls af. Kasane en Chobe was absoluut fantasties. 

 

[DASKOP]

Some of Murphy's sunset photos at Fat Monkeys.


Plus.....................the perfect sundowner.

 

[DASKOP]

We walked through the village that sort of surrounds the tourist accommodation areas. It is initially quite strange, but the people are so friendly and the atmosphere so "chillaxed" that you soon become oblivious to this.

It was quite an experience as we later drove out through the village. We were on our way to Illovo Cottage.

That is another story......................Murphy and his absolute trust in the GPS.                :ricky:

We took a long ride to cover a short distance.



PS. Some of these photos are blurred, but at least they are interesting...................... ot:   Bit tricky riding in sand with one hand on the steering and the other operating the camera.

 

[DASKOP]

Day 17, the 12th of July 2013.

We pack up, ride back through the village, get to the tar road and turn left, back towards Monkey Bay. (Should have turned right)

We drove all the way there, could not find anyone who could tell us where Illovo Cottage is. Headed back out, turned left onto the Airfield road, turned off at a backpackers sign. Drove through a village and hit the GSA's worst enemy, when loaded, SAND.

Fortunately, I was at the back. I saw trouble coming and stopped on a hard section and put out my side stand. Murphy rumbled on and the bike's rear wheel dug itself into a hole.

I got off and started towards Murphy to help him out. It is extremely hot. Seriously, sweatingly HOT.

Murphy decides he is not waiting for me and he "goois mielies". Could not see him for the spray of sand. He spun forward went left between the huts..........there were adults and children scattering in all directions. Next moment he emerges from between the huts and just gasses himself right out of there.

The only visuals that I have of this episode is Gopro, so you will have to wait until its release to share in the above.  :thumleft:

In the mean time, some mothers think it extremely funny to try and scare their small children by dragging them, all screaming and kicking, towards these seemingly alien beings, with contraptionalised (Gopro, intercoms, etc) helmets and full bike kit, on these roaring monster bikes. I would have thought that the villagers were used to visitors by now. Obviously not many bikers on this dusty road.

Any way, we eventually, after driving to the harbour, then encountering the local Defence Force, and a few other deviations, end up driving back the way we came. At the Fat Monkeys sign, that I encountered upon my arrival, (and where we should have turned right), we go straight and 2 km later we are at Illovo Cottage.

I am not complaining about the "LONG WAY ROUND" version, we got to ride the section that I came in at night. Any bike ride is a good time.  :ricky:

Illovo Cottage...............how we ended up being invited here is also quite a story.               :