Living the Dream Solo Around the World Trip
- Thread starter schalk vd merwe
- Start date
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
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
TVB
Grumpy Mutt
- Joined
- May 27, 2009
- Messages
- 21,763
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- Location
- Brits - North West
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- Honda XL650V Transalp
Pragtig mooi oom Schalk, hou die thread aan die gang asb!!
Clockwork Orange
Race Dog
- Joined
- May 22, 2006
- Messages
- 2,775
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- 106
- Location
- United Kingdom
- Bike
- KTM 990 Adventure
Bliksem Schalk!. The RR that just keeps on giving. Thanks for keeping us updated.
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
Denmark
The Monday Morning I left and rode the whole day towards Denmark. Later on it started to rain. I looked for camping on the GPS and eventually found a camp site. I pitched my tent in the rain. The next morning I was off and back on the road. I love riding and it never gets boring riding to new destinations. The Dali Lama said one should see a new place at least once a year but I disagree. One should see a new place at least once a month but preferably a new place every day.
I eventually reached Denmark with the Storebaelt 18 km long bridge which links Western and Eastern part of Denmark together. I thought paying the equivalent of R 250-00 toll fees was a lot. Going north would still give me another shock on another bridge. It was quite something to cross such a long bridge. I also went through the 18 km long St Goddhard tunnel in Switzerland previously with the 25 km long Learsdal tunnel still lying ahead in Norway.
I eventually reached my camp site right in Copenhagen close to the sea. I saw the wind was quite strong and put my tent close to a hedge to protect me. That decision proved to be the right one as other campers suffered in the wind. The toilets were so far away that I had to use the bike to go to the showers.
The Following day which was Wednesday, I went to BMW Motorrad on the other side of the city to check if my parts are still on schedule to arrive on the Friday. Arriving there the friendly lady phoned Motorrad in Austria where I paid for the parts and the courier to check. They told her I should know that the parts would be there by the Friday. Words that they would still have to eat. I also then ordered parts from her to service the bike. These parts would also be there by the Friday she said and I should come about 11 O’clock. I then hit the road back to my camp.
On the way back the bike was nearly empty. I checked on the GPS for a filling station and found one nearby. Coming there I asked the lady if I can pay at the till. No she said, must pay at the pump. If you put your card into the self-help pump then it holds a reserve amount of about the equivalent of R 2300-00 and only release that money weeks later because it is a foreign card. Where if you pay at the till it only takes the amount that you pump. So you can run out of cash flow very quickly if you do it wrong. I found it out very early in Belgium already.
The next day I went to their International Airport to get free Wi Fi. Parked the bike where the other bikes park and went to have a coffee and do all my internet on Wi Fi. After finishing that and I tried to go back to my bike. There were a lot off construction going on at the Airport and I just could not find my bike. Eventually I went back to the coffee shop and then tried to remember the way I walked. After about an hour I found my bike and rode back to the camp site.
The Friday I broke up camp and rode in the rain to Motorrad in Copenhagen. Arriving there sharp at 11 O ‘clock, the parts for servicing the bike that he lady ordered were there but not the Thermostat from Austria. I was not a happy chappie. Where I was still going to Nordkapp it is still close to freezing although it is mid-summer there. The lady again phoned Motorrad in Vienna Austria. Nobody knew where the parts are.
I had no alternative but to tackle the road north. Up and down through Sweden and Norway would mean traveling 6000 km with a bike that is running too cold. Remember I started to try and source the parts in Italy and they could not understand me when they said “no English no English” I think it was at this point that I decided that I will never buy another BMW product. I have been riding Yamahas since 1978 and they always treated me speedily. Even when I traveled through Africa my wife could courier me Yamaha parts and I received them within 3 days in places like Ethiopia and Nairobi. So it seems that Africa is more organized than Europe. All you BMW rider don’t curse me it is just that I am so very pissed off and the parts were not cheap as well as the courier service.
As I said I then traveled north as I wanted to go and visit my friends in Gothenburg in Sweden. I met them in Ethiopia at House Holland when I crossed Africa. Before leaving Copenhagen I crossed another bridge not as long as the previous bridge but boy this one cost me the equivalent of R 750-00 for toll money. Welcome to Scandinavia you poor South African ***** I thought. This really dented my daily budget. As it is I am living on one Bratwurst and one coffee a day. When I traveled through Africa up and down I lost 13 kg and already now on this trip I had to make one extra hole in my belt and I am not exactly a fat oke. I just want to say everything is not negative and I always enjoy the scenery and the riding.
I eventually entered Sweden and I WhatsApp my friends to get there location. They stay on a farm about 30 km East of Gothenburg but they were going to be at a restaurant next to a lake to celebrate the mid-summer party. It is a big thing in Sweden and everybody have a big party that day throughout Sweden. It is also the time that in Nordkapp the sun shines all day. (Midnight Sun) Down in Gothenburg it stays light a little bit more than when it is full moon at night. It was raining again and I made it to my friends just as they were leaving the restaurant. They are German but have been staying in Sweden for 20 years. They also had friends from Germany visiting them. I then followed them home to catch up on everything since seeing them last in Africa.
The Monday Morning I left and rode the whole day towards Denmark. Later on it started to rain. I looked for camping on the GPS and eventually found a camp site. I pitched my tent in the rain. The next morning I was off and back on the road. I love riding and it never gets boring riding to new destinations. The Dali Lama said one should see a new place at least once a year but I disagree. One should see a new place at least once a month but preferably a new place every day.
I eventually reached Denmark with the Storebaelt 18 km long bridge which links Western and Eastern part of Denmark together. I thought paying the equivalent of R 250-00 toll fees was a lot. Going north would still give me another shock on another bridge. It was quite something to cross such a long bridge. I also went through the 18 km long St Goddhard tunnel in Switzerland previously with the 25 km long Learsdal tunnel still lying ahead in Norway.
I eventually reached my camp site right in Copenhagen close to the sea. I saw the wind was quite strong and put my tent close to a hedge to protect me. That decision proved to be the right one as other campers suffered in the wind. The toilets were so far away that I had to use the bike to go to the showers.
The Following day which was Wednesday, I went to BMW Motorrad on the other side of the city to check if my parts are still on schedule to arrive on the Friday. Arriving there the friendly lady phoned Motorrad in Austria where I paid for the parts and the courier to check. They told her I should know that the parts would be there by the Friday. Words that they would still have to eat. I also then ordered parts from her to service the bike. These parts would also be there by the Friday she said and I should come about 11 O’clock. I then hit the road back to my camp.
On the way back the bike was nearly empty. I checked on the GPS for a filling station and found one nearby. Coming there I asked the lady if I can pay at the till. No she said, must pay at the pump. If you put your card into the self-help pump then it holds a reserve amount of about the equivalent of R 2300-00 and only release that money weeks later because it is a foreign card. Where if you pay at the till it only takes the amount that you pump. So you can run out of cash flow very quickly if you do it wrong. I found it out very early in Belgium already.
The next day I went to their International Airport to get free Wi Fi. Parked the bike where the other bikes park and went to have a coffee and do all my internet on Wi Fi. After finishing that and I tried to go back to my bike. There were a lot off construction going on at the Airport and I just could not find my bike. Eventually I went back to the coffee shop and then tried to remember the way I walked. After about an hour I found my bike and rode back to the camp site.
The Friday I broke up camp and rode in the rain to Motorrad in Copenhagen. Arriving there sharp at 11 O ‘clock, the parts for servicing the bike that he lady ordered were there but not the Thermostat from Austria. I was not a happy chappie. Where I was still going to Nordkapp it is still close to freezing although it is mid-summer there. The lady again phoned Motorrad in Vienna Austria. Nobody knew where the parts are.
I had no alternative but to tackle the road north. Up and down through Sweden and Norway would mean traveling 6000 km with a bike that is running too cold. Remember I started to try and source the parts in Italy and they could not understand me when they said “no English no English” I think it was at this point that I decided that I will never buy another BMW product. I have been riding Yamahas since 1978 and they always treated me speedily. Even when I traveled through Africa my wife could courier me Yamaha parts and I received them within 3 days in places like Ethiopia and Nairobi. So it seems that Africa is more organized than Europe. All you BMW rider don’t curse me it is just that I am so very pissed off and the parts were not cheap as well as the courier service.
As I said I then traveled north as I wanted to go and visit my friends in Gothenburg in Sweden. I met them in Ethiopia at House Holland when I crossed Africa. Before leaving Copenhagen I crossed another bridge not as long as the previous bridge but boy this one cost me the equivalent of R 750-00 for toll money. Welcome to Scandinavia you poor South African ***** I thought. This really dented my daily budget. As it is I am living on one Bratwurst and one coffee a day. When I traveled through Africa up and down I lost 13 kg and already now on this trip I had to make one extra hole in my belt and I am not exactly a fat oke. I just want to say everything is not negative and I always enjoy the scenery and the riding.
I eventually entered Sweden and I WhatsApp my friends to get there location. They stay on a farm about 30 km East of Gothenburg but they were going to be at a restaurant next to a lake to celebrate the mid-summer party. It is a big thing in Sweden and everybody have a big party that day throughout Sweden. It is also the time that in Nordkapp the sun shines all day. (Midnight Sun) Down in Gothenburg it stays light a little bit more than when it is full moon at night. It was raining again and I made it to my friends just as they were leaving the restaurant. They are German but have been staying in Sweden for 20 years. They also had friends from Germany visiting them. I then followed them home to catch up on everything since seeing them last in Africa.
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
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