Tanzania - Into Africa for JJ Children's Haven

[NovaT]

Nice one DASKOP  :thumleft:

Small world, we at Food4Africa have been helping Molly Bam out at Jehovah Jireh Haven for the past 9 years. Amazing lady that runs the haven, to have given her life and opened her home to helping the children. I really don't know how she does it.

Is the ride you are currently on also in aid of her or perhaps some other charitable cause? It feels great doing something with no expectation of anything in return, doesn't it.

Looks like you are having fun, enjoy it! Ride safe.

 

[DASKOP]

Nice one DASKOP  :thumleft:

Small world, we at Food4Africa have been helping Molly Bam out at Jehovah Jireh Haven for the past 9 years. Amazing lady that runs the haven, to have given her life and opened her home to helping the children. I really don't know how she does it.

Is the ride you are currently on also in aid of her or perhaps some other charitable cause? It feels great doing something with no expectation of anything in return, doesn't it.

Looks like you are having fun, enjoy it! Ride safe.

I am reporting on my ride which I did in aid of JJ in 2014. I just have not previously had the time to complete the RR, so it is something I am trying to fit in as I can.

Molly is amazing. Very honoured to have made a small contribution.

 

[DASKOP]

Wonderboom Airport.

My brother was airbrushing a plane for a skydiving company.

 

[DASKOP]

Geez, can't believe the bad luck you having with this.

Hope you get it all sorted out. What happened to damage your knee like that?

Sterkte!  8)

You are going to have to read the RR to find out LOL

 

[DASKOP]

Thanks to Chris Jooste, I was able to do a little stint on the radio to promote the trip and secure donations for JJ Children's Haven.

 

[DASKOP]

Stopped off at Offroad Touring and Equipment. Martin and Daleen Dudley. They also gave me wonderful support. Please do the same for them if you are in that area.

 

[NovaT]

Nice one DASKOP  :thumleft:

Small world, we at Food4Africa have been helping Molly Bam out at Jehovah Jireh Haven for the past 9 years. Amazing lady that runs the haven, to have given her life and opened her home to helping the children. I really don't know how she does it.

Is the ride you are currently on also in aid of her or perhaps some other charitable cause? It feels great doing something with no expectation of anything in return, doesn't it.

Looks like you are having fun, enjoy it! Ride safe.

I am reporting on my ride which I did in aid of JJ in 2014. I just have not previously had the time to complete the RR, so it is something I am trying to fit in as I can.

Molly is amazing. Very honoured to have made a small contribution.

Ahhh I see ... my bad. Awesome, will follow the report.

 

[BlueBull2007]

:sip:

 

[DASKOP]

17 July 2014
Left Wilde Sering Lodge heading for Bela Bela (formerly known as Warmbaths). Should be quite straight forward.

 

[DASKOP]

The first section was all tar.

Then I decided to take a detour. There were signs, which meant nothing to me, I have GPS and I am in Limpopo Province South Africa. My homeland, I know where I am.

Saw indication along the way that breeding with game is obviously a big and very lucrative business here in Limpopo.

 

[DASKOP]

Then the roads became a bit like what I had experienced on my previous trip into Africa, potholes with a little bit of tar. Starting to feel like I had already left South Africa.

 

[DASKOP]

The next section in a nutshell.

Headed off the main road. GPS decided it did not know where I was or that it was just not going to assist me. So I merrily pushed on. At least the sun gave me an indication of where I was going.

I was going along at quite a tilt, passing through a small village and saw my .... as I hit a big section of deep sand, much to the absolute delight of the watching villagers, who all burst out laughing. Fortunately, the driver of a bakkie, parked just beyond the stretch of sand come to my rescue and helped me right the bike and get out of the sand. Then he told me that his bakkie got stuck in the same place and they had just got it out. Thank you for warning me.

Unfortunately no photos of this mishap.

When the road became a trail, I stopped and asked a taxi driver (amazing where you find them with their vehicles) for directions to Bela Bela. That way he said. That way ended up at another trail, so I asked some local ladies for directions. That way they said. Completely opposite to the taxi driver (should taxi drivers not be more clued up about which way to go?)

 

[DASKOP]

Eventually I saw the silos and decided that there definitely must be someone able to give me directions.

But, it was lunch time and they made it clear that they will assist me after lunch, so I wandered around until they had finished. I got the info I needed.

Need to get my mindset right regarding Africa time.

 

[DASKOP]

Off to Bela Bela.

Some detours, some gravel and then tar. Got to Bela Bela and booked into a bungalow. Did some walkabout.

Tomorrow it is Botswana.

 

[DASKOP]

18 July 2014

Early morning in Bela Bela. Cannot wait to get across the border into Botswana. My first venture into this part of the world.

 

[DASKOP]

Fuel up with a Wimpy breakfast.

 

[DASKOP]

Most of the road heading to Botswana is boring tar.

I saw a vulture's nest along the way that started the Africa feel going. Then something hanging from the overhead cables which resembled a shrunken head. My imagination is getting the better of me.

It became the South African version of potholes connected with some tar. Eventually there was the sign which indicated the end of the tar and the start of what makes adventure riding worthwhile, gravel.

 

[DASKOP]

Some gravel highway, where I was stopped by a local farmer, to check whether I knew where I was going, and then it was a fuel stop at Derdepoort.

It always amazes me that people find it so easy to approach an adventure biker and start a conversation. This happened at Derdepoort, hence the photo taken of me at the fuel pumps. A quick visit to the shop and it was up to the border.

Saw my name sake was trading in the area.

 

[DASKOP]

With a last glance over South Africa, it was up to the border post. It all went quick and smooth, unlike my and Murphy's border transit into Namibia, where we met the black Heidi, who totally got it right to frazzle the normally unfazed Murphy.

And I was welcomed into Botswana.

 

[DASKOP]

Friday afternoon I got to Gaborone and went to Game City. That is where Dale, of Ulysses Club Botswana would have met me if I got in earlier, but he unfortunately had other commitments. Bought a sim and air time for P40 from Orange and I was on air again.
I then phoned Dale for a recommendation for reasonably priced accommodation. He said that he would come back to me, but I got a phone call from Bennie Pieterse, who Dale had contacted and who gave me directions to his business. There I also met Piet Pieterse. After a while I felt as though I had known these guys all my life. Bennie invited me to stay at his and Julia's home.
We drove there, dropped off the bike and went out to supper at The Deli in Phakalane. Piet, Terry and their son, Alex, joined us. Had a wonderful evening with these hospitable people.
While we were there, the President of Botswana arrived. Very different to other African countries, including RSA, whereas there was not a wailing of sirens, masses of blue lights, half the Defence Force and 400 bodyguards.