Items tagged with South Africa
2009-10-31 22:00:00
Written By: Billy van Graan
Total Distance: 2260
Spent the past couple of days in Cape Town at my brother Vincent. I really enjoyed being there because I love there dogs and Emma (their baby) is just soooooo cute. 
Claudine spent one day with her grandmother and the other with some friends she met at one of her previous jobs.
Couldn't go surfing because the wind just wouldn't stop.
The Bulls won the Currie Cup in a thrilling final (but everyone knows that).
2009-02-18 10:12:46 Somehow I managed to calculate the days wrong and with the days calculated wrong this was supposed to be our longest day for the trip. We were heading for Sodwana Bay but our chances making it quickly disappeared when we took nearly 2 hours to fix our bikes (replacing the bolts that fell out of the 2 Kawasaki’s in Lesotho) in Harrysmit. We rode through areas of South Africa I have never seen. Between Vryheid and Pongola there are some really beautiful hills and everything is very green. I loved riding here. We stopped near Louwsburg to fill up with petrol and a break and discussed our option. Still under the impression we where one day short I suggested we stay with Loenen the night in Pongola since we won’t make Sodwana Bay in daylight. Then the next day we wake up really early and do Sodwana Bay and Lake Sibaya in one day. They were not happy with the idea and reckoned the roads are too bad and the time too little. In our little discussion the word “impossible” even came out. I didn’t know how to respond to that. I wanted to laugh and I wanted to cry. Instead I did nothing and decided if they don’t want to give it a try I’ll go about it alone and they can sit and wait at Loenen’s house.
Written By: Billy van Graan
On our last stretch to Pongola we stopped for a quick photo and I noticed a huge bolt lying in the frame of Lance’s bike. We couldn’t immediately locate the spot where this bolt came from but judging by it size this was definitely an important one.
Once we arrived at Loenen we realized we had an extra day so we could go ahead with our planned schedule to Sodwana without having to try and cram too much into one day. Lance spent most of the evening fixing his bike and tightening all the bolts and screws on his bike. While doing this he noticed 3 bolts missing from the engine, which made the total count of 5 bolts.
2009-02-16 09:26:29 I woke up today feeling a bit hung over from last night’s drinking. Still tired but can’t get back to sleep I thought I would take the opportunity to get some exercise in. Lance’s mom owns a treadmill so I fired it up and did 7km. With all the noise it created Lance couldn’t sleep and moved to my spot in the double bed. After getting Lance out of bed and food in our stomachs it took us forever (that’s what it felt like to me) to get on the road. We did a quick tour through the Valley of a 1000 Hills on one of the main routes. I would have like to spend more time and go a bit off the beaten track but we still had a lot of distance to cover that day.
Written By: Billy van Graan
We drove through some regions I have never been to, to the South of the Drakensburg where the Sani Pass goes up into Lesotho. On our way we stopped at a garage for some food and me and Neil go huge pieces of chicken. The chicken looked really nice but once we started we realized the chicken was extremely oily. Mine was at least fully coocked but Neil's piece was still bloody around the bone. With the chicken we got a loaf of bread which only after taking a slice out of the bag realized was full of mold. Some guy came up to us asking for a slice so we gave him the whole loaf. He sat in his car eating and talking on the phone never realizing the loaf was full of mold.
Scenery before Sani Pass - Click to Enlarge
We didn’t make the border so we ended up rough camping in a pretty cool spot Lance discovered next to a river just of the road. After dinner (braai) and a beer it was straight to bed. Finally tomorrow we will get the chance to go off road.
2009-11-02 22:00:00 Today was the first really hot day and I guess this is only the start. When we stop for a break or to put in petrol I wet my shirt and it really helps to cool me down once I start driving again.
Written By: Billy van Graan
It is amazing how the landscape changes as soon as you cross the border into Namibia. We rode on a very straight road for a long time after the border and Claudine couldn't stay awake. Her head was bumping against mine as she fell asleep then woke then fell asleep again. I watched her for a long time laughing. I think the heat is to blame because I was also getting a bit sleepy.
We are staying with some people from CouchSurfing.com in Keetmanshoop township. They are Americans with the Peace Corps and have been living and working here in the township for 2 years in a Youth Center.
2009-02-15 17:30:03 Today we will spend some time with my mother in the morning and played with my sister’s son before leaving for Hillcrest near Durban and the Valley of a 1000 Hills where Lance's mom stays. We chose a more scenic route past the Sterk Fontein Dam and past the Drakensburg. Sterk Fontein Dam - Click to Enlarge We stopped for lunch and a beer in Winterton when clouds started moving in. We quickly finished our food and got going but got caught in the rain for the last 200km to Hillcrest. We were completely soaked. Driving in the hard rain proved to be quite challenging especially with my helmet fogging up all the time. After getting out of our wet clothes we quickly cracked open a bottle of Richelieu brandy and the usual getting drunk and talking rubbish followed. Lance had to sleep on the couch and me and Neil got to share a double bed.
Written By: Billy van Graan
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