Living the Dream Solo Around the World Trip
- Thread starter schalk vd merwe
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schalk vd merwe
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The weather in Nordkapp in the middle of summer
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schalk vd merwe
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Tom van Brits said:
Gaan so maak my maat.
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Yes Clockwork and it will keep on going till I am around the world.Clockwork Orange said:
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Sweden
I stayed with Connie and Alexander Riess for the weekend. Their friends Dirk and Monika from Germany were also there visiting. The Saturday we went to visit friends of them that stayed on the West side of Gothenburg. In order to get there we had to go across some sea with a ferry. From there we drove up to their friend’s house. We had coffee and then walked a long way to the harbour from where we took their boat to an Island. They had quite a powerful boat. On the island we had a long walk en later lunch at a restaurant. After lunch it was back to the mainland.
The Sunday I serviced the bike. New oil and air filter and new oil. In the afternoon we had a braai on Alexander’s ingenious braai. It hangs from a tripod on a chain block and the height can be adjusted at will. I must say it is not only us South Africans that can braai. They are also excellent braaiers.
The Monday morning I hit the road again and I had to promise that I will sleep over on my way back again in about 2-3 weeks’ time. The plan was to travel on the E 45 North right through Sweden which is a long country. Then you cross through a bit of Finland and then Norway and onto Nord Kapp the most Northern point in order to see the Midnight Sun. From there I would come back all along the sea on the Norway side and going into all the fiords. Up and down is about 6 000 km with a faulty thermostat. From what I heard both countries are beautiful. Sweden with all its lakes and forest and Norway with all its Fiords and tunnels and mountain passes.
I traveled north on the E 45 which is not the main road north. The reason was to avoid all the trucks going north. The main road North is all along the Gulf of Botnia but also very scenic.
It got late afternoon and I was looking to wild camp. I saw a lake on the right hand side and after a bridge I turned right on a little forest track road. I carried on until I came back at a dead end against the lake. This was the ideal wild camping spot which all over Sweden is quite legal. There were an old dilapidated bench and table and a green grass and I can bath in the lake the next morning. I pitched my tent and got some spaghetti going on my small gas stove.
While cooking I pulled out my two beers which I bought on the way at a filling station. While drinking my beer and looking at my bike there next to the tent I thought maybe I must turn the bike around so it face towards the track. Then the next morning I can just load and pull out strait as it has got a small uphill. So I got on the bike turned it around and revers it back next to the tent and then it happened. If you don’t hold the side stand in position then it retracts. And there the bike falls and guess what. The clutch lever broke right off. ( see Photo)
Now when I traveled to the Equator in Africa in 2010 with my son on two bikes we broke a clutch cable at one of the remotest places next to Lake Tanganyika at a place called Carima. It was 100 km from the nearest town. Now when something like that happens then I go and sleep. Sometimes a plan comes through a dream. So here I did the same. I had my food and two beers and went to bed. Tomorrow I will have a plan. I am way of the tar road in the forest in a very thinly populated country and a long way from the nearest town.
Now it has become very quiet on this tread lately. So before I tell you what plan I made I want to hear from you guys what you would have done if you were in my situation.
I stayed with Connie and Alexander Riess for the weekend. Their friends Dirk and Monika from Germany were also there visiting. The Saturday we went to visit friends of them that stayed on the West side of Gothenburg. In order to get there we had to go across some sea with a ferry. From there we drove up to their friend’s house. We had coffee and then walked a long way to the harbour from where we took their boat to an Island. They had quite a powerful boat. On the island we had a long walk en later lunch at a restaurant. After lunch it was back to the mainland.
The Sunday I serviced the bike. New oil and air filter and new oil. In the afternoon we had a braai on Alexander’s ingenious braai. It hangs from a tripod on a chain block and the height can be adjusted at will. I must say it is not only us South Africans that can braai. They are also excellent braaiers.
The Monday morning I hit the road again and I had to promise that I will sleep over on my way back again in about 2-3 weeks’ time. The plan was to travel on the E 45 North right through Sweden which is a long country. Then you cross through a bit of Finland and then Norway and onto Nord Kapp the most Northern point in order to see the Midnight Sun. From there I would come back all along the sea on the Norway side and going into all the fiords. Up and down is about 6 000 km with a faulty thermostat. From what I heard both countries are beautiful. Sweden with all its lakes and forest and Norway with all its Fiords and tunnels and mountain passes.
I traveled north on the E 45 which is not the main road north. The reason was to avoid all the trucks going north. The main road North is all along the Gulf of Botnia but also very scenic.
It got late afternoon and I was looking to wild camp. I saw a lake on the right hand side and after a bridge I turned right on a little forest track road. I carried on until I came back at a dead end against the lake. This was the ideal wild camping spot which all over Sweden is quite legal. There were an old dilapidated bench and table and a green grass and I can bath in the lake the next morning. I pitched my tent and got some spaghetti going on my small gas stove.
While cooking I pulled out my two beers which I bought on the way at a filling station. While drinking my beer and looking at my bike there next to the tent I thought maybe I must turn the bike around so it face towards the track. Then the next morning I can just load and pull out strait as it has got a small uphill. So I got on the bike turned it around and revers it back next to the tent and then it happened. If you don’t hold the side stand in position then it retracts. And there the bike falls and guess what. The clutch lever broke right off. ( see Photo)
Now when I traveled to the Equator in Africa in 2010 with my son on two bikes we broke a clutch cable at one of the remotest places next to Lake Tanganyika at a place called Carima. It was 100 km from the nearest town. Now when something like that happens then I go and sleep. Sometimes a plan comes through a dream. So here I did the same. I had my food and two beers and went to bed. Tomorrow I will have a plan. I am way of the tar road in the forest in a very thinly populated country and a long way from the nearest town.
Now it has become very quiet on this tread lately. So before I tell you what plan I made I want to hear from you guys what you would have done if you were in my situation.
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
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