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Lekker ry Schalk.
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Living the Dream Solo Around the World Trip
- Thread starter schalk vd merwe
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schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
After Evelines dads boat trip I went the following day to Kinderdyk. This is a world heritage site where the Dutch have been pumping water to lay dry the land for the last 741 years. In the old days these old windmills have been used. A whole family would live inside these old windmills and pump the water. Today it is done by electric pumps. The ground level in these areas are lower than sea level. The Dutch are masters in water management.
Then the next day it was the day that the actual bike trip was to start. My plan was to first go to the smallest country in Europe namely Luxembourg. Then to visit a French family whom I met at Jungle Junction in Nairobi Kenya. From there I had to go and deliver a book in Bern Switzerland to a book shop. From there the plan was to go and visit an Italian family in the South of Switzerland whom I met at Lake Malawi. Then Italy and around to Croatia and Bosnia. From there the plan was to go North all the way to Nord Cap Norway right across Europe to see the midnight sun.
So as I said the next day it was off to Luxembourg. On the way It started to rain. I stopped under a bridge to put my rain suit on. As I was busy my helmet fell off the bike and broke the clip on the one side which holds the visor to the helmet. It is amazing, on every trip I break my visor. With my Africa trip the wind blew my bike over in the desert which in turn cracked the whole visor. So now here I am again with a broken clip but that is live I suppose.
I hit the rain and had to hold the visor in position with one hand. As I entered Luxembourg city I eventually stopped to look on the GPS for a camp site. As I was sitting on the bike with the traffic zooming past, a guy who pulled out from a big building on his old Vespa scooter came over and asked me I am in need of help. Yes I said I am looking for a camp site. We started to chat and it turned out he is originally from Italy now working in Luxembourg. As I brought 40 books along for this leg of the trip to help finance my trip I sold and signed him one of my books. In Europe I charged 25 Euro’s a book which is equivalent to R 375-00 where in South Africa I only charged R 250-00. He was a very friendly Italian and said I must follow him on his scooter as he was going to show me where the camp site is. Like a real hyper active Italian he zik zacked through the traffic while I with my load is battling to keep up. Eventually he stopped and said I must carry on for another kilometer and I will find the camp site on the right. It was peak hour traffic and I did not know if it is allowed to do lane splitting. As I come from South Africa I took a chance any way as the traffic was grid locked. I arrived at the camp site and after I paid I pitched my tent.
Then I went back to the petrol station to buy supplies. Here they stock everything. Beer spaghetti cheese you name it. Then it was back to the camp to make supper and have a cold one. Spaghetti and cheese was on the menu.
The next morning it was my first camping shower experience in Europe. On the Berndt Tesch camp meeting there were no showers and we had to wash in a stream with ice cold water next to the camp site. When I checked in to this camp site they gave me a coin for every day as that would activate the shower. As I entered the shower another guy stormed out of a shower covered in soap. He rushed to the basin and washed the soap out of his eyes. As I put the coin in my shower I understood why the other guy were rushing to the basin. The shower only stays on for a limited time and then cut off. Fortunately I was going to stay for another day and had my 2 nd coin with me. I inserted that in the machine and at least I could finish my shower in peace. The story is the same throughout Europe. It is just the time that varies from camp to camp. Some stay on for only two minutes while others stay on for a maximum time of four minutes. From then on I always bought an extra coin where ever I camped
Then the next day it was the day that the actual bike trip was to start. My plan was to first go to the smallest country in Europe namely Luxembourg. Then to visit a French family whom I met at Jungle Junction in Nairobi Kenya. From there I had to go and deliver a book in Bern Switzerland to a book shop. From there the plan was to go and visit an Italian family in the South of Switzerland whom I met at Lake Malawi. Then Italy and around to Croatia and Bosnia. From there the plan was to go North all the way to Nord Cap Norway right across Europe to see the midnight sun.
So as I said the next day it was off to Luxembourg. On the way It started to rain. I stopped under a bridge to put my rain suit on. As I was busy my helmet fell off the bike and broke the clip on the one side which holds the visor to the helmet. It is amazing, on every trip I break my visor. With my Africa trip the wind blew my bike over in the desert which in turn cracked the whole visor. So now here I am again with a broken clip but that is live I suppose.
I hit the rain and had to hold the visor in position with one hand. As I entered Luxembourg city I eventually stopped to look on the GPS for a camp site. As I was sitting on the bike with the traffic zooming past, a guy who pulled out from a big building on his old Vespa scooter came over and asked me I am in need of help. Yes I said I am looking for a camp site. We started to chat and it turned out he is originally from Italy now working in Luxembourg. As I brought 40 books along for this leg of the trip to help finance my trip I sold and signed him one of my books. In Europe I charged 25 Euro’s a book which is equivalent to R 375-00 where in South Africa I only charged R 250-00. He was a very friendly Italian and said I must follow him on his scooter as he was going to show me where the camp site is. Like a real hyper active Italian he zik zacked through the traffic while I with my load is battling to keep up. Eventually he stopped and said I must carry on for another kilometer and I will find the camp site on the right. It was peak hour traffic and I did not know if it is allowed to do lane splitting. As I come from South Africa I took a chance any way as the traffic was grid locked. I arrived at the camp site and after I paid I pitched my tent.
Then I went back to the petrol station to buy supplies. Here they stock everything. Beer spaghetti cheese you name it. Then it was back to the camp to make supper and have a cold one. Spaghetti and cheese was on the menu.
The next morning it was my first camping shower experience in Europe. On the Berndt Tesch camp meeting there were no showers and we had to wash in a stream with ice cold water next to the camp site. When I checked in to this camp site they gave me a coin for every day as that would activate the shower. As I entered the shower another guy stormed out of a shower covered in soap. He rushed to the basin and washed the soap out of his eyes. As I put the coin in my shower I understood why the other guy were rushing to the basin. The shower only stays on for a limited time and then cut off. Fortunately I was going to stay for another day and had my 2 nd coin with me. I inserted that in the machine and at least I could finish my shower in peace. The story is the same throughout Europe. It is just the time that varies from camp to camp. Some stay on for only two minutes while others stay on for a maximum time of four minutes. From then on I always bought an extra coin where ever I camped
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
Kinderdijk looks beautiful. Safe travels!
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
Yes it was special. More RR is coming.Ri said:
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
Hi Ian thanks yes. When are you coming to SA again? Are you going to be in Groot Brak in December?Ian in Great Brak River said:
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
More RR is coming this week.Ventana said:
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
Oubones said:
Nog RR kom die week.
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
The next day I went to town to look for a clip for my helmet at a big bike shop. They had the same make of helmet but not the clip for my helmet. I decided to temporary stick it together with isolation tape.
I then went to a big park by the name of Parc Merveiieux to spent the rest of the day. They had all sorts of animals and birds there including a play areas for kids and 3 restaurants.
They also had some foot paths through a forest.
I then went to a big park by the name of Parc Merveiieux to spent the rest of the day. They had all sorts of animals and birds there including a play areas for kids and 3 restaurants.
They also had some foot paths through a forest.
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
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