ADVENTURE BIG FIVE - a real adventure (ABF1301)

ADVENTURE BIG FIVE - a real adventure (ABF1301)

01 Sep 2013
/Markus Hellrigl
Thank you to all of you, you made the trip to an outstanding adventure for everybody. "GOOD BYE AFRICA" Day 16 "It's time to say good bye...." a bus took almost all of us us to the airport of Victoria Falls, only John stayed behind. Day 15 We left the bikes in Botswana and got on a bus to cross the border into Zimbabwe. Our destinatinon were the Victoria Falls. Even with low water they are realy impressive. Day 14 A lot of signs, but no elephants either. but at our destination in Kasane we took a boat tride at the Chobe river and it looked like all of them where there! Day 13 Maun to Nata takes you on a road without many highlights. After the signs "Be aware of elefants" showed up, we expected at least to see one - but no! Insead we had a look at one of the gigantic boababs before we kept on going. The mighty baobab trees Day 12 Restday in Maun. in the morning we got a surprise! we explored a part of the Okowango delta with "mokoros" - small boats, good enough for two and directed by a "puller" steering and balancing. Finally hippos were bloking the waterway to our original destination and we had to explore a different island in the delta. In the afternoon most of us took a plane flight to see the delta from above - breathtaking! Elefants, giraffes, buffolos, hippos - all could be seen from 150 meters above ground! Mokoros going into the delta The "puller" Above the delta Do you see the elephants? Day 11 Ghanzi to Maun - tree savanna for 300km! Some wild life along the road, warthogs erecting the tail and running into the bush and ostriches trying to compete with the motorcycles. Endless (not winding ) roads "Thumbs up" from the sheep taxi Day 10 After a night in a town we were longing for the dessert again. The "adventure of the day" was crossing the border into Botswana. Welcome to real Africa! We succeeded to Ghanzi, a small town in the middle of nowhere. Herero woman in Ghanzi Day 9 A relaxed ride from Swakopmund to Windhoek. we are over halftime, but with all the adventures we had it feels like a month allready. Coffe break along the road Day 8 For sure the hardest riding day - 240 km on gravel road from the Namib Dessert to the coast at Swakopmund. No drops, no crashes - everybody happy but done. Tropic of Capricorn Namib Dessert Sunset in Swakopmund Day 7 Restday! Sounds great, but we get up at 4.15 and with three cars we chase the sunrise. Shortly before we hit the Sousousvlie sun rises and tempeture turns from freeze to not so cold. But finaly we get warm climbing "Big Mama". Impressions Sousouvlie Climbing  "Big Mama" Sand as far as you can see "Death Valley" Day 6 Leaving Mariental we head for Maltahöhe. We are surprised that our host of the restaurant speaks straight German, but than we learn that his greatgrandfather came from Germany and settled here. After lunch the “gravel adventure” continues and dusty and thirsty we reach the Namib Naukluft Lodge Riding through the Naukluft Mountains Day 5 An easy day! Cheetahs in the morning, the Giant’s Playground afterwards , coffee in Keetmanshoop and a two hour ride to Mariental. Just a few miles more took us to the Kalahari Anib Lodge where all kind of different antelopes came close to say “hello” "Good morning" At Giants Playground Evening visitors Day 4 Fish River Canyon – for sure one of the high lights to see in Sothern Namibia. Impressive! The road takes us after endless miles on gravel to Keetmanshoop and a little further to the Quiver Tree Forrest Camp. Hand raised cheetahs and of course the forest where sensational! Dusty roads Fish River Canyon Sunset at Quiver Tree Forrest Day 3 Springbook, the last overnight stay before we cross the border into Namibia. After about one hour we get to the border post. It takes us about one hour to get across and pretty soon we hit the unpaved desert roads of southern Namibia. Our final destination is a mind-blowing place named Canyon Lodge. Between Springbook and the Namibian border Welcome to the dessert Ursula and Vicky going off-road Day 2 Leaving Citrusdal it showed 6,5°C on the display. Pretty cold! But it got warmer and finally peaked with 32°C – so it almost became a summer day. Outstanding sceneries and plenty flowers along the road – it is definitely spring. Flowers along the road Day 1 We left Cape Town and took an inland road to get north as far as Citrusdal. Trying to get used to the bikes we got our first “off-road experience” shortly before we reached our destination. Leaving Cape Town Bainskloof Pass View from Guidow's Pass Arrival Day Flying into Cape town you got to see what nobody expected – SNOW ! The Hexrevier Mountains and the Frenchhoek Mountains are stretching there snow-covered peaks towards the sky. That means, winter is leaving and spring is already here. Snowcaped Hexrier Mountains