Cyclops
Pack Dog
As the days leading up to our intended departure on Friday 6 June for our month long trip into Southern Africa grew closer, I could not help thinking just how pleasantly mild the Johannesburg winter days were. Then on Tuesday 3 June the weather service predicted a massive cold front sweeping across the whole region, destined to hit Gauteng in the early hours of Friday morning with minimum temperatures of -2 and a maximum of only 8 for Johannesburg, and not much more for Polokwane to the north. You’ve got to be frikken kidding I thought. Here we were embarking for warmer climes, and although expecting a cold early 6 o’clock start on Friday, were not prepared now to have to take extra warm clothes.
Our Heritage and Great Lakes Tour had been in the planning since November last year and we were now finally ready to leave. I was born in Lusaka but moved to the then Salisbury when I was 3 and grew up in Salisbury until independence in 1980. My wife, Lyn, was born in Salisbury and also grew up there until 1981. We had met in Salisbury, but got married in Johannesburg in 1982 after we both left Zimbabwe in 1981.
Neither of us had been back since we left and we both wanted to go back to our towns of birth, to see our family homes where we grew up and to revisit our schools. We also wanted to go back to places that had meant so much to us during our youth, places like Lake Kariba, Victoria Falls and the Eastern Highlands. We both also wanted to see Lake Malawi.….hence the Heritage and Great Lakes Tour was born.
Day 1 Friday 6 June Johannesburg to Martins Drift
So here we are, 6 o’clock on Friday morning, the temperatures had plummeted as predicted, but we were stoked for the adventure ahead. An extra jersey was put on, the heated grips turned on to max and we were ready to go.
A friend of mine, Grant was joining us for the first 10 days and we planned to meet at the Total Petroport just north of Zambezi drive in Pretoria, around 7:15. Unfortunately his girlfriend was denied leave by the company that she had recently just started with, so she could not make it, which was such a pity.
The ride in the early morning rush hour traffic in Johannesburg was manic, and freezing cold, but without incident and we arrived frozen to meet up with Grant at the agreed time. Time to get inside and order a very large cup of coffee and a breakfast.
After warming up and swopping our ride experiences in the traffic, it was time now to get going. The city is behind us and a month of open roads ahead of us. It was still freezing as we headed out onto the N1, destination Martins Drift border post. Next stop was the Kranskop one stop for a pee break and then through to Botswana. We were on a mission to get to the border earlier rather than later as it was a Friday and I was concerned that there would be high volumes of migrant workers going home for the weekend.
This did not stop us from stopping at the Big Fig Inn two kms before the border for a couple of beers and a toasted sarmie.
The border crossing went smoothly and we were soon crossing the Limpopo on our way to Kwa Nokeng Lodge, our stop for the night. Kwa Nokeng offer to purchase your road taxes and third party insurance which you then settle up at the filling station as you cross the border. This is a free service and is really convenient as you don’t have to join the often long and slow queue at customs in order to buy this.
A stop at the garage to pay said taxes, stock up on beer and wine for the evening and we’re off to the lodge.
Our Heritage and Great Lakes Tour had been in the planning since November last year and we were now finally ready to leave. I was born in Lusaka but moved to the then Salisbury when I was 3 and grew up in Salisbury until independence in 1980. My wife, Lyn, was born in Salisbury and also grew up there until 1981. We had met in Salisbury, but got married in Johannesburg in 1982 after we both left Zimbabwe in 1981.
Neither of us had been back since we left and we both wanted to go back to our towns of birth, to see our family homes where we grew up and to revisit our schools. We also wanted to go back to places that had meant so much to us during our youth, places like Lake Kariba, Victoria Falls and the Eastern Highlands. We both also wanted to see Lake Malawi.….hence the Heritage and Great Lakes Tour was born.
Day 1 Friday 6 June Johannesburg to Martins Drift
So here we are, 6 o’clock on Friday morning, the temperatures had plummeted as predicted, but we were stoked for the adventure ahead. An extra jersey was put on, the heated grips turned on to max and we were ready to go.
A friend of mine, Grant was joining us for the first 10 days and we planned to meet at the Total Petroport just north of Zambezi drive in Pretoria, around 7:15. Unfortunately his girlfriend was denied leave by the company that she had recently just started with, so she could not make it, which was such a pity.
The ride in the early morning rush hour traffic in Johannesburg was manic, and freezing cold, but without incident and we arrived frozen to meet up with Grant at the agreed time. Time to get inside and order a very large cup of coffee and a breakfast.
After warming up and swopping our ride experiences in the traffic, it was time now to get going. The city is behind us and a month of open roads ahead of us. It was still freezing as we headed out onto the N1, destination Martins Drift border post. Next stop was the Kranskop one stop for a pee break and then through to Botswana. We were on a mission to get to the border earlier rather than later as it was a Friday and I was concerned that there would be high volumes of migrant workers going home for the weekend.
This did not stop us from stopping at the Big Fig Inn two kms before the border for a couple of beers and a toasted sarmie.
The border crossing went smoothly and we were soon crossing the Limpopo on our way to Kwa Nokeng Lodge, our stop for the night. Kwa Nokeng offer to purchase your road taxes and third party insurance which you then settle up at the filling station as you cross the border. This is a free service and is really convenient as you don’t have to join the often long and slow queue at customs in order to buy this.
A stop at the garage to pay said taxes, stock up on beer and wine for the evening and we’re off to the lodge.