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Bucharest to Cape Town
We're in Cape Town, after a marathon from the Namibian capital: 84 hours and 1900 kilometers. Finally the first Romanian nomads arrived by bike in South Africa. The yellow moon, the original moon, shone ghostly upon the town and upon two oceans. We're halfway, or maybe just at the beginning, of an incredible adventure that's been going for over nine months, that we've been dreaming about for a lifetime.
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Flash Forward
Stay tuned for the continuation of Into The World
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The End of The Endless Summer
Cape Town 11- 21/03 http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/pano_rsa_sprect01.jpg The last border of the first part of our Africa tour proved to be the easiest. West Africa was now behind us, next there were the South African subcontinent and the presumable easier East Africa. More tarmac and more fences ahead, less freedom, no more random wild camping, but more untapped wilderness and many unknowns. After the sharp looking immigration officer ruined yet another page of Ana's beaten passport, we were in. No taxes, no bull****. The only direction we were given was to use the "white people exit". It was the first bell to ring. Next, we needed to retire some money, fill up the tank and replenish our food supplies. That was going to be a long day: Reiner was already far ahead of us, but his example had inspired us to do the same and ride all the way to Cape Town no matter what. Over 800 kilometers that is, but 100% exceptionally good tarmac. Our pit stop happened to be in Springbok. On a Sunday, the sleepy little town looked like a life-size papier-m�ch� model. All crisp edges, bright colors, wind sweeping brittle grass on empty streets in the milky haze of early morning. At any turn we would expect to see people swarming out of this Trojan horse. But we were alone. We rode about the ghostly assembly of houses and supermarkets Everything looked brand new, like an experimental settlement implanted in the bony mountain. It soon became evident that we were subject to a different kind of illusion, one more subtle than a deus-ex-machina. The illusion of simple, perfect life in a provincial town. Springbok was our second warning. Corporate power and consumerism were about to assume dominance to our everyday world. But for the moment, we couldn't be bothered with that. Out of Springbok we were giving our Tenere a beating on the thrilling roads that wind through Namaqualand. After the adrenaline-pumping race, the road became smoother and shy. Namaqualand is a top destination for flower watching. In full bloom, this daisy paradise must be mesmerizing. As we arrived at summer's end, the flowers had shed their bright petals months ago. The spring glory was gone. The curvy field was blanketed in dry grasses. And the sun shone surgically precise over this charming geometry. The ride started in high pitch, thrusting across a hefty chink of rock, a solitary giant in a surreal, empty landscape. The air was filled with dense colors that blurred our perspective. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/pano_rsa_sprect02.jpg At a red light, we received the first proof of the proverbial Capetonian hospitality. Charl and Carla, a young couple waiting alongside in their car curiously inquired about the language we were speaking. Our story appeared to interest them, and at the next stop we met again. This time we exchanged phone numbers and the promise to hang out or braai together in the upcoming days. Hours later we were feeling exhausted by the long drive, having to make seldom stops for refreshment. We had eaten breakfast in a fast food joint in Springbok and lunch from our supplies in a gas station somewhere. All we had to do is hang on and keep pushing. In Citrusdaal we received a second offer to overnight, from a local family who happened to spot us while filling up with petrol at the Total. We kindly declined, but what a good feeling that gave us! We had arrived in South Africa quite battered and we planned to speed up our pace. Already the journey to there took us 3 months more than the original 6 we had allowed. And our financial resources were ever dwindling. So the idea was to exit South Africa in less than 3 weeks. But the first encounters invited for a more lengthy stay. We arrived at the outskirts of suburban Cape Town by night. But this was a whole different ball game than the other 19 countries we had visited so far. Fancy saloon-shiny cars were speeding by, navigating a well appointed infrastructure. There were persistent, well designed directions everywhere and the highway was flushed with lights. The city was a patch of twinkles, beyond which we guessed in the darkness that filled the horizon the Atlantic ocean. The full moon was up. We had finished the first half of our African adventure. The mud, sweat and tears in the Congo were now yesterday's news. The following morning, at 6.30 a.m., we woke up to start packing, only to find ourselves surrounded by walls. We had machines to cook breakfast and brew tea for us and hot water was again at the press of a button. We were staying for the next week in Hout Bay, with Iulia and her capetonian boyfriend Zak. Iulia is a Romanian girl who has come to live in Cape Town 4 months ago and who discovered our blog and had the generosity and inspiration of inviting us over. In the coming days we would discover that we share many quirky habits and a common passion for food. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9050.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9183.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9180.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9184.jpg Fish and chips at a Capetonian legend http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9054.jpg Hout Bay http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9056.jpg No comment http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9062.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9071.jpg Seals love basking in the sun on these shores http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9088.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9108.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9116.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9114.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9170.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9176.jpg The sheer scale of Cape Town started to gradually down on us as the days passed. We had arrived in the night, and all we could make of it was the fragrant smell of pine trees to Kirstenbosch and the scintillating downtown under the huge full moon. Hout Bay, our home for the week, is one of the pouchiest, most chilled areas of the town: low rise residential developments, but mostly sunny villas tucked along a gentle bay. People walk barefoot even to the shopping mall and their dogs roam the beaches sometimes unaccompanied, accustomed to enjoy the odd pat and cuddle from the tourists or any animal lover really. We were lured by this peace and epicurean, holiday-village life. The drive to town was even more intoxicating. The perfectly smooth tarmac was wrapped in heart-pumping curves: on one side the crisp mountain was splitting clouds, on the other the cold surf pounded white sandy beaches. Loud sun, fresh air, we felt high with enjoyment. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/pano_rsa_hbharbour.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9258.jpg The first thing that jolted us back into the reality of a modern metropolis was the traffic: we were feeling more at risk in this dandiest city of the continent than in the deepest bush of the Congo. The city has a population comparable to Bucharest, but it is scattered on a huge area. Most locals reside in single-family homes in the suburbs, the business district and the industrial port are located north of Lion's Head, in Table Bay. To the south there are several national parks with exhilarating hikes and the iconic Table Mountain, covered in a layer of intricately beautiful fynboss. The s****iest properties and the trendiest al-frescos line the Atlantic Western coast, especially in Camp's Bay and Clifton, but also in Hout Bay and Seapoint. To regulate traffic both in DT and in the residential neighborhoods, Cape Town has employed an original solution: STOP signs instead of red lights, and we must vouch that it's one that works. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9401.jpg |
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http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9428.jpg We had lots of business to cater for: passport pages running out and a bike in need of spare parts. We payed a visit to the Romanina Consulate and the welcome was beyond any expectations. The Consul, Mr. Silviu Rogobete, made substantial efforts to offer us the best solution to be able to continue our tour of Africa, while his wife kindly entertained us with cake and quick bites. We may not have many diplomatic missions in Africa, but the ones we visited are top notch. Thank you, Silviu! http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9045.jpg Thanks to a tip from Charl, a fellow Capetonian advrider, we arrived at Trac Mac, a friendly and well appointed service and fitting centre. Remember our enigmatic clutch slip that has been bugging us since Windhoek. Well, the synthetic Bel Ray 20W50 was the culprit (thanks to the questionable customer service of Yamaha Windhoeak): I switched back to Motul 5100 10W40 and the clutch works. After a quick assessment we also concluded that unfortunately the chain we fitted in Lubumbashi (DRC) must be changed, after only 6000 km: already 2 (two!) security clips had fallen off and again there was a lot of wear around the connection link was damaged. This time I went for a riveted connection link with a DID X-Ring. Time to change sprockets (after only 10k, because I had to fit them with an old chain in Matadi and because most of this mileage was off road) and brake pads also. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9262.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9266.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9269.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9276.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9280.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9282.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9288.jpg The rest of the week we chilled. We had fun playing a game that we used to wrongfully dismiss for being commercial and stupid: Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Especially for Iulia's b-day. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9710.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9714.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9718.jpg And hanged out with Charl and Carla at the legendary Blue Peter and a farmers' market, sampling local olives, olive oil, wine and biltong. The evening we braid and finally stayed over their chic crib, decorated in French country style. They are talented, sporty and ridiculously attractive people. Charl is an entrepreneur and Carla recently started a photography venture, have a look here: link facebook http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9294.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9289.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9293.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9324.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9340.jpg Braai After 10 days we moved to a 'surf house' in Table View, which is exactly what the name says: a house where the kitchen, living room and toilets are shared spaces, whilst several rooms and garden cottages are rented out to long term vacationers. This was 'Endless Summer': a place located in a very quiet residential area, 200 meters from the beach with the best view of the iconic mountain. The locals have a cool name for the daily show of cloudscapes creeping on top of the flat rock: Table Cloth. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9461.jpg The business relies on word of mouth to attract the aficionados of some of the coolest water sports around. People from the Netherlands, Norway, France, Switzerland and the UK are flocking here in summer to surf, SUP, kite surf and windsurf. They stay anywhere between a couple of weeks to season-long terms, spending their holidays in the cold crisp waves, or enjoying other cool stuff that Cape Town and South Africa have to offer. Safaris, game drives, cage diving with great white sharks, seal snorkeling or diving, paragliding, skydiving, bungee jumping. Or wine tasting, hiking trips, or clubbing on Long Street, where party buses arrive loaded with old and young sardined together high on booze and imported weed. BTW, the dudes who appear to be selling clothing hangers at junctions, are actually in a different kind of business. It's all good fun, but it comes at a substantial cost, way beyond our budget. We felt apprehensive about moving in this fun hub, fearing that the temptation would be too big, that we would get sucked into it. But the price of fun kept us at bay. Regrets that we couldn't enjoy the opportunity to discover some fantastic sports aside, we had to remember we were on a mission to overland. Already we had arrived there with our budget in shambles, butchered by systematic visa problems, DHL fees and enormous import duties for parts. And for the last 5 weeks we had been struggling to cope with the high costs of living in Namibia and South Africa, while still trying to enjoy some of the good stuff available. We ended up staying longer: the magic flowed, we enjoyed cooking, relaxing in a real bed, reading books, updating our CVs and scouting for jobs in SA or elsewhere, thinking about the future and how we can solve our immediate financial problems. The long, tapering breath of Friday braai fire became a catalyst for sharing stories and making friends. |
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http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9462.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9475.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9483.jpg Sheree, the godmother of this joint And how did we feel to be the first people to travel by motorbike from Bucharest to Cape Town? Well, it didn't feel like quite an achievement. Last June it was too vast to grasp, now it was too full of memories to summarize in a few words. The innumerable hours of riding, the peaceful nights wild camping, the freedom, the fragrant dawns, the breakdowns, the weeks of living and sharing everything with the French family, it all needs time and space to sunk in, to become real. I guess we felt pleased with ourselves. Whatever would happen next, we knew now something that should have been evident before we even begun to plan this journey, something that we should all know: we can do anything we truly want to do. |
Edge of Africa
Cape Town - Cape Agulhas 01- 10/04 http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/ruta_cttobdrp.jpg The first men who ventured into the southern seas were spellbound by the wild beauty of the peninsula: flowers, herbs, woods, elephants, hippos. Since the advent of pastoralists, the original peninsular Khoi vanished, the wild herds were wiped out and much of the endemic vegetation has been uprooted to make place for industrial and residential developments. But the city, one of the world's few, like Rio and Hong Kong, that enjoy an exceptional geography, has kept its charm. We almost grew roots in Cape Town. For many over-landers, it represents the glorious finale of a arduous journey down. For us southern hemisphere's most important container port meant more business than pleasure, a much needed logistic base camp to sort our stuff out. We tried to organize as best as we could our journey ahead, couldn't get any temp jobs though, not could we find sponsors, fix our leaking tent or patch the aluminum pannier turned harmonica in the Congo. But southern winter, with rain and cold winds, was an extra incentive to suck it up and get moving. Which we did, not before enjoying with James a final wine and cheese at the Fairview Estate, one of the many Old World-like vineyards in Stellenbosch. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9750.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9751.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_0252.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9752.jpg A rich soil, a gentle climate and a permissive law, that allows mixing grape varieties and techniques means that even the cheap supermarket wines are seldom not very good in South Africa. After the gourmet hour, we took a fair well ride in the crisp sunset through Bainskloof Pass. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9757.jpg We took our last breakfast in Cape Town with Charl, who was keeping another ace in his sleeve: the best eggs Benedict in town. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9764.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9762.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9760.jpg When we were shopping for a shared room to rent in Cape Town, a guy had mentioned Clarence Drive as being more stunning than Chapman's Peak. From Gordon Bay to Hermanus and up Gansbaai we finally had the chance to see that for ourselves. The Indian waters are strikingly blue, the shores gently curved into successive gulfs, while the perfectly smooth tar keeps the adrenaline pumping. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/pano...oagulhas01.jpg Now and then we stopped to listen to the ocean and count clouds. Epicurean surfers were hanging out in the frothy surf and life seemed beautiful. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/pano...oagulhas02.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9780.jpg We continued on the R44 to Gansbaai, where we lunched on fish & chips. We were bored of tarmac and running out of time, so we cut it straight to our destination, across the Agulhas National Park. One would expect a dramatic view in such a landmark spot, but the shores of Cape Agulhas are flat and a simple wooden path leads to the famous sign. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9795.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9797.jpg We have been marching to this point for months, and once there, we felt joy, but also butterflies in our stomachs. Where the traveller imagines an extraordinary scene, the earth is flat, modestly dotted with juicy flowers, and the waves rhythmically pound into the indifferent shore. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9799-2.jpg http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9815.jpg We obliged for the mandatory photo at the Cape Agulhas, but gravitation is kind of weird around here� http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9804.jpg The end of a chapter, so many faces, places and stories that have become memories we miss. From now on, our journey will took us only north� at least for a while. http://intotheworld.eu/blog/rsa/IMG_9824.jpg |
Tank bag
Hello Mr White
Just been reading your article and looking your pictures, you are using a Hein Gerecke tank bag? I have looked at all the tank bags but cannot find one that fits the 660 Tenere tank apart from the one made by Touratech, what bag did you use? Cheers Rod |
Wow amazing!!! Thank you.
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absoulty amazing photos:toothy12:
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Welcome in our part of the woods
We live in the beautiful Hermanus Great photos |
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