Day 13: The long road of attrition home
Now as most of the Dogs here would attest...every trip has a certain point where something goes wrong. Normally at this point your mates help you, encourage you or the credit card mends it like some digital super glue and you carry on with your adventure like all is OK.
And then there is the other type of trip where this point...which in hindsight seems like a critical point...some sort of Karma U-Turn takes place. The first wrong gets mended but emotions gets heated or panic sets in. What normally follows is what seems like a general unravelling at the seems. The next thing goes wrong and then the next and then the next and before you know it your little adventure ride has gone from Jolly Patrollie into full blown Epic.
As I was alone I must have become more in tune with either Karma, the universe or maybe my female side...Dunno. All I knew is that I have reached this critical point. Pay attention Van Rooyen...Hou dinge bymekaar. I had this uneasy feeling that I I didn't bring my A game that today may turn into an Epic.
So with this in the back of my mind I wake up at 4h30am.
Not because of an alarm clock (phone is stukkend onthou)...no, because of the roosters in Karibib. Ek sweer die donnerse goed is gerook!! The first one goes with his cookle doodle doo and I thought great, I will snooze a bit. 45 mins later and about 12 different roosters later each trying to outdo the prevous' attempt at Pavarotti I strip my moer and get up.
I get the bike packed. As my lights were not functional I had to wait for dawn to break. I sat there impatiently smoking...contemplating on the 1000km that lies ahead to the border...which I was planning to do in some sort of an Iron Butt attempt.
I say Iron Butt...more like a Metric Butt or Iron Butt light. Iron Butt is 1000 Miles Van Rooyen...not a measly 1000km...jou pissie.
What concerned me was my tyres. The Dunlop 606 has been great on the deseert and riverbed terrain and was still very good wear wise...but these have a tendency to chuck knobs when flogged for any extended period over 120km/h. Especially when loaded.
And as we all know from endless family gatherings, christmass work functions and weddings...its all fun and games till some knob ruins the party.
I set off as the dawn breaks...well so I thought. The morning star still had a few other starry neighbours so I reckon I was about 30mins early.
Well an ice cold half blind first 30mins was ridden with extreme caution. Jou stupid doos...stop tempting fate. Just get home in one piece you idiot.
As the day blossomed I could start looking around a bit. Landscape was top class. Lots of doves around...weird. Still ice cold....my manhood retreated to about 2 inches above my left kidney. I reckon it scored about 2 Deg Celcius...not much more.
Okahandja comes and goes...then Windhoek. Nee fok nou moet ek eers n plan maak. I stop at the first garage in sight. Helmet off tank bag off.
Assistant: "Meneer met kaart betaal?"
Me: "Ja dankie"
Assistant: "Nee meneer cash only"
Me: "Wat de donner?"
I am in Windhoek FFS...surely I can pay by card?! I head to the office to enquire but got assured the assistant was correct. Cash only as they are having issues with their ccard machines. So not only in SA it though.
Bogger die...I need to save my cash for the campsite tonight.
I head to the same garage I filled at before on the way up. Fill up bike and the Desert Fox for just in case.
My thoughts on this seemingly overpriced papsak I bought from Flying Brick (Ek dink die eienaar be-oog om vroeg af te tree
ot
R680 buys you a papsak (literally) covered in some very boutique like khaki cordura fabrick for that authentic overland look. With a capacity of only 5 liters I cringed as I swiped the credit card...al die geld om 5 liter te dra. Jy is fokken gek Van Rooyen. Well once again how wrong I was. The bleddie thing is authentic. I normally filled 6.6 liters (reckon 7 will fit no issues), it didnt leak or smell or tear or anything. It just did its job again and again. Never mind the heat or terrain. In hindsight R680 was cheap. Highly recommended :thumleft:
After the bike and papsak fill I made a bee-line for the convenience store for coffee. What followed was a complicated process:
Me standing in front of coffee machine:"Ekskuus waar is die koppies"
Assistant: "Nee meneer moet eers voor gaan betaal"
Me: "Kan ek dan n koppie kry?"
Assistant with that air of addressing an idiot: "Ja meneer"
Wat n rondfokkery...10mins in a queue for an N$8 cup of Joe and I have another 800km to go man!!! FFS!!
As my manhood was still safely hiding above my left kidney I stood in that queue...nee fok dis te koud om sonder koffie aan te gaan!
Coffee and a smoke later and we are off!
Even sitting at 100-110km/h (saving tires) in the piss cold I thought to myself that this is really not so bad. The sun is out and its not too windy...bike running great, headlight strap job holding up and amazing landscape :thumleft:. Hou net aan beweeg poephol en ons sal dit maak :thumleft:
Marienthal. Fuel Steri Stumpie and a smoke. Warm enough now to take off the winter gloves. Thermals, down waistcoat, fleece top and jacket liner stays though...gaan nie kanse vat nie tjom.
Keetmanshoop. Fuel a Coke and a smoke and unfortunately the town has not blossomed into a pleasant little hamlet since my last visit 2 weeks ago...
B1 to Grunau...now this part was actually quite pleasant as I did not cover this on the way up.
Landscape was very beautifull with rock outcrops rising from flat sandy surrounds...almost like sections of the Northern Cape right on the border. I wish to return and explore here.
Then Grootplaas...it is getting late and the sun casts a very long shadow of me on my bike to my left. Shit this is going to be close.
Then on my right I spot what i thought was a large watermass in the distance. Huh? A lake in the middle of this desert country?
Post trip Google dissection later...it was Blinkpan. Definately had water on it.
I arrive at the Engen/Wimpy with about 30mins of daylight to go. I fill up again.
As I was having a smoke outside after I ordered my Wimpy burger and milkshake...some 4 x 4's pull in.
Nog n pap snoek asseblief.
Its the group from Purros that gave me all that petrol :thumleft:. For a second I thought to repay the kindness by paying for their petrol...luckily sanity prevailed. 3 vehicles at +- 80l each...erm...thats above my paygrade.
I thank them once again and enquire as to how their trip down the Purros Canyon went. They got about 10 Ellies later the same morning in the area I had the ellie roadblock. I wish them farewell and go dig in on that burger. Burger was ok but the milkshake was awesome...basically Ice Cream in a glass. The straw was useless...I had to eat it with a spoon :thumleft:
As I sat there all mucho in my ATGAT, spooning my Vanilla Milkshake like us hardened men of Adv Riding do I spotted one of the 4x4 group ws popping in by the Engen convenience store. I go say thank you again for the fuel. We start chatting and Neil enquires as to what I do.
Me: "Marine Electronics"
Neil: "Waar?"
Me: "Paarden Eiland"
Neil: "Werk jy saam met n Bernie"
Me: "Ja, Bernie Belcher. Ek het meeste wat ek weet by hom geleer"
Neil: "Wel Bernie is my vrou se oom"
Fok my...what a small world!!
After the last farewells I head into the dusk to the Amanzi Trials River Camp. It was 10km or so but I had to take it slow due to my headlight situation. The last bits of sun played on the cliffs and painted them a reddish hue. Was I on mars again? Last few kilometer to the river was very cool as a gloomy fog started forming over the river and close surrounds. A bit eerie but very cool.
I arrived at Amanzi and they were very very full. 4x4 everywhere and I got the sensation that many a kak storie would be had over camp fires that night comparing the merits of suspension upgrades, winch wattage, diesel vs petrol and generally who has got the biggest cock. Ag shame man...I did not see any of you lot on Van Zyls...go back to Sandton...your spray on mud needs a touch-up!
I get my old Capsite #12. Tent goes up as it is already chilly.
A coffee and a few smokes later I go for a hot shower making sure to not ingest any river water...nie lus vir n gekotsery op my laaste nag nie!
An oom saunters over...wragtag, I met him at the Kunene Lodge campsite. He tells me that they were thinking of me and were a bit worried about my solo route and that they were glad to see I am safe. We exchange some tales and I bid him a good night and safe travels back.
Another smoke and I am off to bed.
I lie there in my tent listening to some music and make some notes in my little note book I took along for this trip. I re-read some of it. I reflect...
Jou lucky bliksem!! I thought as I drifted off to sleep for what turned out to be the effing coldest night I have spent in a tent in a very very long time!
