SOUTH AFRICA - always an adventure (SAT1402)
04 Nov 2014
DAY 15
Last riding day! There was only one target: Cape of Good Hope! We succeeded almost in beating all the buses to get to one of the most famouse places in South Africa. It was the final highlight of a trip filled with adventures and good riding. Thanks to everybody on that tour, you made it easy going, you made it happen, that this trip became an adventure of a life time shared with a whole bunch of new friends! Travell home safely and see you somewhere again on this globe!
DAY 14
A windy day brought us all the way to Cape Town. At the stop in Hermanus we got to see whales, they were just to far out to be photographed.
DAY 13
All the GS rider, no matter if 700GS or 1200 - wanted to climb Swartberg Pass. To get to it's Northern ramp we rode the astonishing gorge of Meiringspoort. The road over Swartberg took us back to Oudtshoorn. After a short lunch we headed for Montague, including a break at Ronnies
Klaus at Meiringspoort
Karl On Swartberg Pass
Manfred and Theresa
On "Die Top"
In front of .........
........and in Ronnies Sex Shop DAY 12 There was not such an excitment to be on the Garden Route with it's lovely towns, rain forrest and great scenery. All the excitement was focused on one thing: BUNGEE! Daniel and John decided to entertain the group and jumped from the world highest commercial bungee place - 216 meters above ground.
DAY 11 The route took us away from the coast to Grahamstown. Visiting the Giant Pineapple and a place full of "toys for boys", called the Agricultural Museum got our attention. In Grahamstown we were fascinated by the only operating Victorian Camera Obscura on the Southern hemisphere.
"boys and their toys"
Kevin and the pineapple DAY 9 and DAY 10 Our trip took us all the way through the Transkei, beautiful landscape. We made it to the hotel just before the big thunderstorm! Mpeweni with it's wonderful beach was awaiting us!
Kevin found a whale rib at Mpekweni
Karl and Mahatma Ghandi in Pietermaritzburg DAY 8 After some more cultural experience we headed for Warthburg. At the stop at Salt Rock Bethuel surprised us with one of his famous picnics.
Picnic at the beach
Karl proposing a Zulu girl
Manfred stick fighting a zulu warior
DAY 7 Travelling from Mkuze to Shakaland we did a short side trip to St. Lucia for a walk at the beach and watching crocs and hippos from a save distance. In the late afternoon we reached Shakaland, where we experienced Zulu culture.
Daniel trying some Zulu beer
Miniman at the beach
DAY 4 to DAY 6 After the great experience at Kruger we were heading South. The Kingdom of Swaziland welcomed us warmly and the workers at the glasfactory and at the candle factory showed us their unbelievable skills. Back to South Africa we entered Zulu country.
The locals love motorcycles and Klaus
Charles at the House on Fire
Paying attantion at the glass factory .....
......to see an artist at work
Jill ans a Swazi local
DAY 1 to DAY 3 An international meeting, called Edelweiss Welcom Briefing at the hotel Kopanong in Benoni / Johannesburg was the start to an adventure for 12 riders and passengers coming from Canada, USA, Germany, Romania and Austria plus our driver Bethuel from South Africa.
The horses waiting for the riders
Having coffee at Charlie C's
Leaving Johannesburg heading East we ended finally up in a place called "Misty Mountain" - next day we figured out why the previous farm got its name. Taking off on day 2 we enjoyed the roads Mpumalnga, got delayed along the route because of a truck-rescue action, but managed it getting to the hotel before night felt in.
Kevin with Long Tom on Misty Mountain
Blooming jacarandas everywhere
Looking at Blyde River Canyon
Road block - while John took a nap .............
.................others made new friends
The game drive on day three was a successful one - after we had seen four of the "Big Five" in the morning, some of us could watch a rhino from the hotel's outlook in the late afternoon!