Day 5
Molumong to Hilton, PMB (231km)
Molumong is a small village not too far from Mokhotlong. The Backpackers Lodge used to be a trading post
belonging to some Scottish guy but that was a long time ago. A travel magazine would refer to the accommodation
as rustic, that basically just mean single beds, water from a stream, no electricity and everything that comes with
a lack of such privilege. There is though some atmosphere of calm and timelessness here. The people are friendly
and kind as well. You can buy what amounts to a fully stuffed bankie for only R10!
More maintenance to be done before we head off.
The village as seen from the road to Mokhotlong.
Today we ride down Sani Pass and all the way to Hilton near Pietermaritzburg where we will be staying with my aunt.
Having had a exhausting ride the day before John is the last to get out of bed but in good time the wheels are rolling again.
From Molumong it is just a couple of km’s to Mokhotlong where we should be able to find petrol. After filling up at the
Qacha’s Nek Border Post yesterday we haven’t had another opportunity. With an 400km (easy ride) range on the KLR
we could try to make for Himeville just under the Sani Pass but decide to visit the town anyway.
Although I’ve been in Mokhotlong before I had no luck finding a garage with petrol but as we explore deeper into the
town we do find a legitimate station. It is run by a Chinese guy. Funny how they’ve infiltrated even this, what must be
to them, a desolate and alienating place. They also sell cooking gas. All along little stalls selling food, clothes and other
merchandise hug the road, donkeys strolling past.
The road from Mokhotlong to Sani is a pleasure to ride.
We don’t have a long way to go today and take things easy stopping at what must be a landmark waterfall to take
some pictures. With three shepherds approaching us we use the opportunity to sample some local portraits.
After having climbed to the very top of the mountains passing nearby Thabana–Ntlenyana, the highest point in
Southern Africa, we descend through long open valleys reaching Sani Pass Border Post in no time.
The usual picture taking at the Sani sign precedes our descend. I am surprised by how washed-away the pass
has become in the last 2 years. Warily we negotiate steep downhill on lose rock. The pass separates the Lesotho
border post from the South African one.
We found this guy taking a rest about half way up Sani Pass. Probably to give the poor bike a chance to cool down as well.
As we make fast progress, now within South African territory, one can clearly see the road works in preparation for the
tarring of the pass. I recon though it will take a good few years before they get to the difficult bit.
I’ve always hated riding in someone else’s dust and whilst John and I keep a good riding distance one can’t plan for
other vehicles. As my luck would have it a police van has caught up with us, having already passed John, throwing
up a moerse amount of dust! Not wanting to be enveloped I speed up and end up being chased at over 120km/h for
the last 15km’s of dirt.
Making a stop to regroup at the intersection with our 1st tarmac on SA soil I am met by a very moody John.
Coming down Sani he smashed into another rock, again bending the crash bar right close to the fairing.
Nothing serious I’m thinking but he’s not a happy bunny… Climbing off he neglects to put the bike in gear
and as it rolls forward and off the side stand I grab it just in time… With this I also notice the front wheel is flat…
Now John is REALLY not a happy bunny!
While I warm a canister tire-fix against my body we engage in some motivational talk.
I’ve always had satisfactory results from tire-fix but firmly believe in warming it up first. In fact, they say one
must fix the tube properly once in the nearest town but my old DR500S have been running on such fix on
both tires for years.
Tire-fixed we have an uneventful ride on tar all the way reaching my aunt’s in Hilton by midday. The idea was
to have a sort of a chill out rest day in the middle of the trip. After unloading the bikes and having lunch with
my aunt and her husband (Oom Tony and Tannie Annalé) we set about trying to bend the crash bar back.
I felt that, since the metal isn’t actually touching the fairing plastics having only bent 1cm inwards,
it’s unnecessary to make an issue of it and rather not scratch where it’s not itching. John felt the bike
didn’t look like that and he won’t have it any other way…
With the exception of being invited to a 3hour Christmas dinner the rest of the day until midnight was
spent stripping the bike, bending, fitting, bending, fitting, bending, now it doesn’t fit the bolts, bending,
it still doesn’t fit, more bending and so on…
We have much to thank them, while Oom Tony helped with the bike providing tools and all, Tannie Annale
washed all our dirty clothes. Being a keen photographer she also burned to disc our images and video
captured so far thus allowing us to free up space on the memory cards for the 2nd part of the trip.
Here are the videos corresponding to Day 5