Alone around South Africa

Alone around South Africa
Quo Vadis?

About Me

"Why? Why would you want to do this?" By and large this is the standard response I get when people would learn of my intention of traveling around South Africa on my motorcycle. It usually gets worse when I mention the word, "solo." Utterances questioning my sanity and menopausal status abound. These, however, only serve to firm my resolve. After all, why shouldn't I experience South Africa with its beautiful and relatively unspoilt coastline, verdant green forests, wide - swept plains, the enigmatic Karoo, magnificent wildlife, craggy mountains and its diverse people, courtesy of my motorcycle? And the best is that I can spend as much or as little time at a place as I choose. So that's exactly what I will be doing. If all goes according to plan and my anxiously awaited panniers arrive in time, I'll be saying my good byes to friends and family very early on Wednesday morning, 24 April 2013. Check in every now and then to see where I am, what I've been up to and where this journey is taking me, both physically and philosophically.

Friday 19 April 2013

A Spanner in the Works?


"A spanner in the works," is an expression well known to most (if not all) of us. The long - awaited panniers arrived in the country last Friday! Or so I thought. Those ever efficient, meticulous Germans packed the container - without including a single 37 litre side pannier set! That left three adventurers / idealists / freedom seekers, embarking on three very different trips to three very different destinations, scurrying to set Plan B in motion. I don't know what my fellow adventurers have arranged, but I now, am the highly impressed and proud owner of a set of Enduristan Monsoon soft side panniers. Wow! 30 litres per side, expandable to 60 litres per side! My sincerest thanks to Amanda and Chris from Dustriders (www.dustriders.co.za) in Still Bay for their efficiency in getting me, amongst other items, my pannier bags and pannier frames so quickly. 

At this very moment the wheels of my motorcycle are making their way (by courier) to Cytech in Johannesburg. Riding a Triumph Tiger 800XC, I have no desire to unsuccessfully attempt fixing a puncture somewhere in, e.g. the former Transkei. Tubed tyres, you see. A very dear friend of mine had his wheels done (at Cytech) after having ridden through Africa twice and then did a nineteen thousand km solo trip through Siberia (www.naboom2germany.co.za) with the tubeless conversion done on his KLR. That convinced me.

Where has this left me? Well, the wheels arrive back in Cape Town by next week Thursday / Friday (Please let it be Thursday!), so my dynamic (because it seems to have a life of its own) date of departure will be either Friday, 26 April or Saturday, 28 April. The (intended) route on my Google map is coming on very well indeed. I'm deriving a great deal of pleasure from poring over it and, already I can see there to be a second trip coming somewhere in the future.


Pictures and more musings to follow soon! Not too many days left before the Adventure begins!
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