Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe & Botswana - 6000km

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chrisL said:
It seems someone have been selling a lot of paint since I've been last in
Luderitz.
I like :thumleft:

Luderitz is expanding at an alarming rate. Buy property there now, before it becomes like Swakop, prohibitively expensive. The harbour is expanding, new railroads are being built, roads are new and bigger. Constant flow of heavy trucks. I am sure in a year from now it will have morphed again.
 
MINZI said:
Sub, this i going to be a good trip.  :ricky: :thumleft:

It was worth it. Reminiscent of that, now forbidden, advert: after action, satisfaction. Thanks.
 
Nice RR en phodies, thanks for sharing.

I stayed and worked in Luderitz for a year, 1985 - 1986.  One of the best year in my life. 
 
I enjoy your RR, always had a soft spot for old BM's ;)
Thanks for sharing, lovely photo's
 
Eberhard that pic of the Goageb garage looks more like Asab to me and the sign also says
so.

The Goageb garage when still open had no cement slab. It was just dirt.
 
chrisL said:
Eberhard that pic of the Goageb garage looks more like Asab to me and the sign also says
so.

The Goageb garage when still open had no cement slab. It was just dirt.

The captions are put underneath the photos. Check again. You are right in that the filling station is marked "Asab". The Goageb photo is just above it. The "town" of Goabeb and its derelict rail station would be behind me when I took the photo of the house and wind pump.
 
After fixing the gear pin in Kalkrand, we headed on to Rehoboth. As we entered the town, we noticed a sign for a B&B that looked inviting. We had left Luderitz at around 07h00 and it was now about 17h00. 10 Hours on the road and 700 km further. We were in need of unsaddling. The road to this B&B was gravel and after riding on it for a kilometre or so, we realised it is non existent and we turned back. At a fuelling station I stopped and old man and first asked if he is local. Yes, he replied, born and bread in Rehoboth. Next question: any place to stay in Rehoboth? When he then gave me the blank stare, I realised I was on my own. I drove on and found this place.

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Young boys admiring the bikes.


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Parking the bikes for the night.


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Eating and drinking well. The owner arrived and treated us personally. Food was specifically prepared to our wishes and they even pulled ideas together to provide dessert. Again we had a splendid time and great conversation.

The next day we left for Walvisbaai.
 
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Swakopmund. Stopping for some good food and drinking. This is one of my favourite spots in Swakop, overlooking the promenade, under the shade of palm trees imported by the German administration a 100 years ago from East Africa.


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Stopping at the Walvis Bay Yacht Club. Always excellent brötchens and coffee to be enjoyed here.


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Then my our friend, Ion's place. All those magazines in the background are bike magazines. Local and international. What is seen in the photo is only a fraction of what is available. I can spend weeks in his house simply reading magazines. Not a second of boredom. He also has an amazing collection of miniature motorcycles.


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Also not so miniature bikes. This is the room we slept in. I slept well.


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A must for me in Walvis - Café Willi Probst. I adore their confectionary. As I ordered at the counter, the girl behind the counter wanted to know how many plates must she pack it in. One, I replied. It is all for me. She then fetched a serving plate.
 
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Having a wonderful time with another Wild Dog - Road Hog. Just to clear up, he is the one on the right. We had arranged to meet at Café Probst at 10h00 on a Saterday and we broke the party up at around 15h00. The shop was already closed by that time. They were basically begging us to leave. Other bikers joined us, we dragged tables together and had a time that couldn't be beaten. Was a pleasure meeting Johan (Road Hog). Great guy. And again the wind. During most of our stay in Walvis the wind was blowing south, south west and south east, bringing with it trillions of small, very shiny, like gold flecks in the sun, cursed bits of the desert. Sand. While sitting at the tables, small sand dunes would build up against any object on the tables. That is Walvis!


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We did some washing. Then vacuum cleaning to get the sand off.


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The R75/5 with another beauty in the back drop. This is life.


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A Frenchman on a Ural came to pay Ion a visit. He has been travelling the world sporadically now for about 9 years.


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On our way to Omaruru, about 80km from Swakop. Between Karabib and Usakos we had cross winds, within the space of about 40 metres the wind would change direction three times. This happened to us again between Otjiwarongo and Otavi. You have no idea as to from where the wind will come. You are more confused than 10 blind lesbians in a fish pond. Just stick to the white line brace yourself.
 
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Always stopping at this 1905 German colonial residence, now a beautiful restaurant, in Omaruru for something to eat and coffee.


Our destination for the day was Tsumeb. Arriving at Tsumeb we discovered that finding accommodation is problematic. All beds occupied. While standing next to a street, contemplating our next move, a women pulled off next to us, asking if we are looking for accommodation, cause we won't find any. The population of Tsumeb is expanding faster than they are building, but we can stay with them. Wow!


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To show my gratitude, I took them for dinner to the Minen hotel in Tsumeb. The Minen is being totally overhauled and enlarged. The first alterations to the hotel in about 60 years. This is my gratitude to myself.


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Was hot. Going from one pub to another in Tsumeb. Small town. We walked. Left the bikes with our hosts. So we could drink as much as we desired.



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Even the local pub cat thought it was hot.


 
I absolutely love your ride report, excellent pictures and just the right amount of comments.
The bikes are just WOW!
 
Slakkie said:
I absolutely love your ride report, excellent pictures and just the right amount of comments.
The bikes are just WOW!

Thanks Slakkie!
 
Going back a day. After leaving Omaruru, at Kalkfontein, we stopped for a smoke break and I noticed  my right carburettor is urinating petrol. I removed the float bowl, fiddled with the float, turned on the fuel tap, let some fuel run through. Hopefully is just a blockage. Perfect. Problem was solved. Many kilometres further I notice a big road sign advertising a walking trail. This stupefied me. This area is the same for hundreds of kilometres. Flat, with kameeldoring bome and tall grass. What is there to walk? Maybe the bloke has a hidden canyon.

Back to Tsumeb.

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WTF? I understand that change for the sake of change is imperative. But this!?



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The Tsumeb Club. The club for half a decade. Was the centre point of Tsumeb. The who's who of Tsumeb gathered here. So much for independence.


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Ditto



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This was also once a well attended place of worship. Was well kept. Back then.
 
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