Pongo
Pack Dog
I have not posted anything for some time, but then I have not been on a trip worth writing about for some time. This changed in October.
I got the inspiration for my first long(ish) trip from the Wild dogs (Nam 2008). I don’t get to spend much time on the forum, but I have to share this story with the dogs.
Two years ago, after that first Nam trip, I started nagging an old friend in Pretoria, André, to get himself a “stofdonkie” so he can share in the adventure.
When my wife and I got an invitation to a wedding (my sister’s daughter) in Windhoek and wifey could not join me driving there, I saw an opportunity for another Nam trip. Initially my wife would fly in for the occasion, but that plan also got sidetracked. My partner on the previous Nam trip, Raymond, could not go (he had just done the Parys – De Aar). When I talked to Andre again, he promptly traded his Yamaha FJR1300 for a new 1200 Super Tenere.
My first 800 was written off in March after an encounter with a taxi. I love the bike so it wasn’t difficult to choose a replacement – this time I got the “Lava orange” (best of both worlds, I reckoned). Liefie had her 10000 km service and some extras and we were ready.
Itching and planning started. I wanted to do the north-western part of Namibia and Andre has seen all of Nam but the coast. That made for some serious riding in the ten days we had for the trip.
André got his First Edition in time to still have the 1000 km service done before the trip and on 13 October he rode from Pretoria, I did the 900+ km from Cape Town and we met in Upington. All the way up the west coast I had to fight a cold, strong north-westerly wind and even Springbok was a chilling 13º C, not what I expected for mid-October. André’s moonbag with his passport and camera was stolen in Kuruman where he stopped for coffee, but he somehow charmed the people at the local Home Affairs office into issuing him with a temporary passport. Like he said - nothing would bog down this trip! Positive vibes, only positive vibes!
The first night, after dinner in the Dros in Upington, we crashed in a chalet in the Kalahari Monate Lodge, which is part of the Spitskop Nature Reserve just north of the town. A recommendable stay-over.
I got the inspiration for my first long(ish) trip from the Wild dogs (Nam 2008). I don’t get to spend much time on the forum, but I have to share this story with the dogs.
Two years ago, after that first Nam trip, I started nagging an old friend in Pretoria, André, to get himself a “stofdonkie” so he can share in the adventure.
When my wife and I got an invitation to a wedding (my sister’s daughter) in Windhoek and wifey could not join me driving there, I saw an opportunity for another Nam trip. Initially my wife would fly in for the occasion, but that plan also got sidetracked. My partner on the previous Nam trip, Raymond, could not go (he had just done the Parys – De Aar). When I talked to Andre again, he promptly traded his Yamaha FJR1300 for a new 1200 Super Tenere.
My first 800 was written off in March after an encounter with a taxi. I love the bike so it wasn’t difficult to choose a replacement – this time I got the “Lava orange” (best of both worlds, I reckoned). Liefie had her 10000 km service and some extras and we were ready.
Itching and planning started. I wanted to do the north-western part of Namibia and Andre has seen all of Nam but the coast. That made for some serious riding in the ten days we had for the trip.
André got his First Edition in time to still have the 1000 km service done before the trip and on 13 October he rode from Pretoria, I did the 900+ km from Cape Town and we met in Upington. All the way up the west coast I had to fight a cold, strong north-westerly wind and even Springbok was a chilling 13º C, not what I expected for mid-October. André’s moonbag with his passport and camera was stolen in Kuruman where he stopped for coffee, but he somehow charmed the people at the local Home Affairs office into issuing him with a temporary passport. Like he said - nothing would bog down this trip! Positive vibes, only positive vibes!
The first night, after dinner in the Dros in Upington, we crashed in a chalet in the Kalahari Monate Lodge, which is part of the Spitskop Nature Reserve just north of the town. A recommendable stay-over.
