Missive #3, Tue Jan 24th to Tue, Jan 31st

Quite a few supportive replies coming back from the last missive so thanks for that as it will encourage me to keep working hard on the story;‎ sorry not to reply but time is short due to the demands of each day, length of the day's ride, need to catch your breath on arrival and interact with the group over a beer. It becomes a bit of a routine but in this escapade routine is prefaced by alertness at all times.

The routine looks something like this:

6:00 am alarm set, toiletries etc., pack ( 8 organized Eagle Creek zip bags for easy access to all my stuff) , get gear organized, remove bike cover‎, set Garmin tracking system for day

7:00 am breakfast, short meeting about day's ride

7:30 ‎am departure

12:00 or whenever, lunch at own expense

4:00 pm or before approx. arrive destination, organize stuff for check in, cover bike, get cold beer asap, shower, clean dirty clothing in sink or shower

7:00 pm drinks, dinner, celebrate.

Next day: repeat- methodical and deliberate wins the day‎; compared to my driving habits at home, there is no comparison!

Yesterday I was 30 klics from our destination and I could just feel heavy eyes over taking. I was in the lead so had a cushion and pulled off at one of the many dirt picnic spots and relaxed under a tree. Fifteen ‎minutes of power nap leaning back on my bike, I was ready to go!

Today I started the first of 70 maladrone  malaria‎ pills.

There is some really net stuff to look at on Helge's Globeriders website which has just been updated to include this year's tour. If you click on "bike's and bio's" you can see pics of each rider and a short write up by each ‎including my rather weak effort.

The "map", seen below, is the real-time Tracking map of the Expedition. The location updates are a live feed from our Garmin inReach SE Satellite GPS Messenger. You can change the map from Road to Aerial Imagery to Topo views and of course you can pan and zoom in/out for more or less detail. You can collapse the Side-bar and Top-header using the gray-arrow buttons to see more map. Anytime you want to return the map to it original position you can simply refresh your browser page.

Along with all of this detail, by clicking on any tracking point you can see elevation and motorcycle speed at that point (Helge's I might add, he travels pretty quick!)

http://globeriders.com/live!journal_pages/gcc17_live!journal/gcc17_main.shtml

Sorry, this is being sent to some recipients twice because there were 73 'kick backs' on the last mail out that did not go through. Part of the problem in this part of the world is that wifi is hopeless so it is catch as catch can. It is a pretty neat website.

We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn today.

We arrived to our lovely lodgings called the Strand Hotel‎ right on the Atlantic Ocean via a place called Walvis Bay in the later afternoon.

Day 10, Tue, Jan 24th

Strand Hotel, Swakopmund to Bush Pillow Guest House, Otjiwarango, 379 km

This was our easiest day by far and much deserved after all of the excitement of the previous days; nothing consequential to report.

This worth a paragraph. I have been away 2 weeks and am completely disconnected with the outside world. For a news junky consumer and sports follower I assumed there might be some withdrawal symptoms‎; no such luck! I have not missed any of it, the world still turns and having a breather is just right. Gary had to tell me last night that Atlanta and New England are in the Super Bowl. I have no knowledge of the Trump inauguration whatsoever or the shenanigans going on but I did hear that Fed beat Rafa in the Australian Open, cool!

 
One of the reasons of course is that we are all very busy, very focused on our motor cycling responsibilities, full metal jacket stuff. Even writing this journal is sometimes a squeeze.

Day 11, Wed, Jan 25th

Bush Pillow Guest House, Otjiwarango to Omashare River Lodge, Rundu, 476 km

Amazing feel good day, felt privileged; it was a straight, well paved highway, ‎and we left around 7:45 am Aaron and I behind Joe who we soon passed as he was felling a bit under the weather. We roared down the highway making good time in 18.5 degree temperatures and no wind. This is a great way to make up time as you are fresh as a daisy. When we got to Grootfontein (note many Africaner names) Aaron and I fueled up at separate stations and I took off alone. It was fun being on my own.

Somewhere down the road in the middle of nowhere in an increasingly green and leafy area I came across a gaggle of humans traipsing down the side of the road so I stopped to say hi and take a pic; 2 adult mums carrying 2 babies plus 4 kids walking along, big, happy smiles. Given where they were, where they had come from (who knows?) I wondered where they might be headed so I noted the odometer reading and kept going.

35 km later (ie a marathon) I come to this village and could only guess that that ‎was their destination. I stop to look around and take some pics of the thatched basic housing with no solar, no power, no TV aerials, no dogs, no cats (another mouth to feed?) etc. pretty basic. Five kids saunter up not looking for anything but just to gawk and say hi; time for a soccer ball handout (I had purchased a box of 25 balls in Cape Town for giveaways).

I hand pumped up the ball, gave them each a Canadian lapel pin, took a few pics and was on my way feeling pretty pumped myself.

About a half hour later I come to another village full of kids in blue shirts heading home from school, like a lot of kids. I pull right off the road this time and wait for them to saunter up- ages about 5-10 years, maybe another soccer ball opportunity?

They are all gathering around ‎and I bring out the deflated ball; a cacophony of 'me, me, me, me reverberates everywhere, deafening, at least they know one word of English. Realizing the the ball is useless with no air, when I pull out the pump there is dead silence. I take my sweet time on the pumping process in order to build suspense and survey the sweet little kids looking at me, the bike and mostly the ball; I get an older girl nearby to take a pic.

Finally the ball gets thrown and there is a huge scrum down. I was pleased that one of the smaller boys emerged from the pile to run on down the road. Hard to describe the feeling of this very small giving process.

The rest of the day was ho hum but energizing before and after.

Our lodgings have been absolutely splendid as is the food albeit too much red meat of every make model and description; would like to try some chicken or fish sometime. My ass is causing a few problems, not for riding either‎ so will have to get some more ruffage in me.

Based on today's ride, scenery and local villages we passed (got a sore arm returning all the waves) I am feeling more and more like we are in real Africa. Up to now it has been first world (S. Africa), desert and touristy (Namibia)‎.

Day 12, Thur, Jan 26th

Omashare River Lodge, Rundu to Namushasha Country‎ Lodge, Kongola, 427 km

Another brilliant day on the road, so much happening for these western eyes. The road is straight but the people watching viewpoints are amazing. The following are a few thoughts and observations:

-‎lots of birds (mostly a type of pidgeon) on the road and you do not want to hit one; this means you have to watch your speed and practise your ducking maneuver; ‎they are pretty evasive but one never knows;

-walks everywhere; no bikes, no motorbikes, not even any public transit (to speak of) around;

-I see people, groups in the middle of nowhere ambling along, no idea where they come from or where they go to; 

-lots of women carrying stuff on their heads;

-I need to get way better at stopping and getting a quick photo of what I am seeing; -the ground looks fertile for organized farming; the farming here is rudimentary subsistence farming for personal consumption; all hand tools, no mechanization in sight;

-no one uses headlights underway, apparently uses too much power(!);

-everyone seems happy and contented, do not think there are many or any smart phones around here;

-we are all travelling mostly on our own. This is way better because it allows for frequent stoppages as and when you choose;

-we have seen hundreds maybe thousands of termite nests, incredibly complex living systems under the ground with huge funnels of hard as concrete chimneys built on top sometimes overwhelming trees;

-many elephant, hyena and other animal highway signs; saw baboons (a pack of about 12-15 with the boss over 100 lbs- these guys are smart and a pest, some know how to break in to houses and cars; they can rip apart the fiercest dog with their strong jaws and canine teeth- the big ones as big as a lion's);

-saw 3 kudus prancing across the road, no elephants;

-lots of goats and cattle wandering across roads;

-we cover our bikes every night (Helge's rule) and the bike security is excellent.

We travelled through several interesting parks of different usage and name but the main one was the Bwabwata National Park which forms part of what is called the Caprevi Strip or the Zambezi Region.  This strip was horse traded by the Germans and the British in the 1800's. The Brits wanted Zanzibar for strategic reasons. The Germans had German West Africa (Namibia)‎ and wanted this 200 km strip because of its river systems. All these years later we are still in the finger of

Namibia.

This corridor  comprises the largest concentration of migrating elephants in the world, approx. 60-100,000 of them wander from Angola (where they are poached)‎ south into Botswana and the Chobe National Park where we are going tomorrow.

We are about to go on a private boat tour along one of the main rivers, the Kwando River. The Bwabwata National Park is full of migrating animals, all of the species except Rhino; the guide figures 200 Lions, 60 Leopards, thousands of Elephants and Cape Buffalo's (the big 5) and 250 Cheetahs and lots of crocs; we stopped and studied many hippo families and got up close and personal to a couple of big bulls (maybe 2000 kg) really cool. Rhinos life to 45-50 years. Their noises speaking to each other is awesome.

This is Namibia's rainy season mid October to mid April; Apr-Oct is their very busy tourist season so we have the place pretty much to ourselves. With abundant water holes all over at the moment, animals are harder to spot because they are less likely to come down to the water to drink.

Day 13, Fri, Jan 27‎th

Namushasha Country Lodge, Kongola to Chobi Safari Lodge, Kasane, Botswana, 261 km

Today we crossed from Namibia into Botswana so need time to ‎process the border hence a lower mileage day. We were rained on quite heavily so I got to put on my BMW rain suit which works great.

After some effort we accessed the famous Chobi National Park near the Zambezi River with continuing promises of elephant sightings from Helge. Riding your motorcycle in this park, you can see any and all of the African animal species on any given day. All were disappointed except Harrison, Debbie and I bringing up the rear. It was a real thrill to see approx. 15 very large and some tiny elephants cross the road right in front of us; got the camera out for a quick few shots. While opposite a big bull maybe 100 feet away I was busy trying to put my camera away and get on my left glove to keep going on this hot day. Suddenly, he turns his big tusks towards me and bellows something awful. Needless to say, I downed tools and got the hell out of there because an angry animal like this can cover a lot of ground in a hurry if he wants to.

We get to our stunning lodgings and check in. Pearl, our housekeeper welcomes us to our second floor room over looking the river.  Her words of caution were‎ succinct. Make sure you keep your screen doors shut otherwise the baboons will come in and make themselves at home!

Day 14, Sat, Jan 28th

Chobe Safari Lodge, Kasane, Botswana, 0 km

It rained so hard in the night that I was woken up even with ear plugs;  went outside on to our upstairs veranda and stuck my arm out, amazing the amount of water reigning down.

Up at 5:30 am for a 5:45 departure into the game Reserve, pitch black, drizzling a bit; we drive and drive, through the teak forest (the sand is 200 to 500 feet deep), lush green foliage, quiet, peaceful except for us; down to the river, lots of bird life, hippos, myriad wildlife; at this time of year animal sightings much more difficult; we continue inland on the 3 hour trek, stopping for coffee and a snack along the way.

Sometimes words, even superlative words cannot describe what you see and experience; we were getting a bit antsy with no elephant sightings‎ then, out of nowhere, we are in the middle of a large herd, half on one side of the track half on the other; Webby stops the big Toyota Landcruiser for a photo op.

We are transfixed by the majesty of these animals in their natural habitat. They are a bit jittery with us so close by. Then, out of nowhere, the biggest bull stranded by himself from the herd gets angry, bellows, shakes his majestic head violently and almost knocks down a tree in a show of strength and intimidation. Debbie yells for us to get the hell out of here! We start the vehicle and inch away. The big bull chases us at speed‎. Later, Christian who has been here 3 times says it was by far the best visitation he has had in this environment. We are all overwhelmed by the ‎experience.

Both Steve and I commented afterwards, how in the heck did we forget to video what we were seeing?

Meanwhile, Harry and Andy have slept in. Harry awakens, opens the veranda doors on the second floor for some fresh air and returns to bed. A short while later they are disturbed by 3 baboon visitors looking for their morning coffee (with sugar, they like sugar); only in Africa!

In the later afternoon we all go on a river cruise to visit African nature from the water; we saw literally ‎hundreds of very colorful bird species, lots of crocs up close and personal, lizards, hippos, giraffes from a distance and an elephant that could have qualified for the Ed Sullivan show with his histrionics! Our guide kept us enthralled with his details on all that we saw.

Border crossing tomorrow so lots of paperwork and  patience‎ required.

Day 15, Sun, Jan 29th

Chobe Safari Lodge, Kasane, Botswana to Protea Hotel, Livingston, Zambia, 83 km

Short uneventful trip through the border, much faster than we expected; on the way in to Livingston (population 200k) the GPS setting for the hotel‎ was not right  and I took an incorrect left hand turn up a bumpy water strewn road. About a mile up on a bit of an adventure I find the Royal Livingston Golf Club established in 1908; I drop in all sweaty with riding gear and ask the pro if he would like to play in a couple of hours and head to the hotel to have lunch, shower and freshen up.

I taxi back and play 9 delightful holes with Aaron and his entourage of helpers, minders and caddies. He is 62 and was on  ‎was on the Zambian national team for years finishing as the captain for the last three years. The course is way past its prime, full of weeds but lots of fun for a cost including tip of $35 and all were delighted.

Day 16, Mon, Jan 30th‎

Protea Hotel, Livingston, Zambia, 0 km

Day to take in the sights so Tom (Beckord) and I head over to Victoria Falls for a visit on the Zimbabwe side and then on the Zambia side. The Falls are twice as high and 50% wider than Niagara Falls and truly spectacular; the noise is deafening. What makes it so special is the 15 viewpoints to see the Falls from and the lovely walks between the locations. We spent over 3 hours there and got pretty wet because the Zambezi River is full during this rainy season and there is quite a bit of spray.

Following the long walk we still had energy to taxi to the Livingston Museum which was well worth it. The key for me was nearly all of David Livingston's original letters are there to be easily read and poured over. He lived from 1813-73 and Stanley was commissioned by the British government to go and find him in about 1853. He was a very famous explorer by then and had been missing and presumed dead for over 2 years.

Day 17, Tue, Jan 31st

Protea Hotel, Livingston, Zambia to Best Western, Lusaka, Zambia, 478 km

Easy peasy day to the capital of Zambia, Lusaka. The roads started off excellent and then deteriorated to lots of pot holes so maybe they ran out of money. Getting closer to the capital I noticed for the first time some commercial farming and even a few pieces of mechanized equipment! I also got stopped by the traffic police for going 79 klics but there was no speed posted, cost me 30 bucks.

Stopped at a school out on its break and the kids pumped up a ball. The principal was very nice and very appreciative. The boys took off leaving the girls behind. I thought‎ there is an extra ball in my pannier so why not donate that too? We marked each ball 'boys' and 'girls' so they won't get it mixed up.

We drove through a lot of one and two horse dirty little villages but saw lots of great countryside in between so it was a good day all around.

In closing, one of the things I want to share is a few details on my 2015 motorbike, the BMW R1200 GSA. This is a marvelous piece of machinery and a big improvement on the 2009 model I travelled the Silk Road with in 2011. German engineers tore it apart in 2012 and re-built it from the ground up as follows

‎

-cruise control, real handy
-front brake alone engages rear brake as well for a hard stop; same with rear brake engaging the front; this thing stops on a dime;
-manually adjustment of front windshield
-125 hp up from 111 hp- 0-60 in 2.8 seconds faster than a top sports car
-2" lowering of center of gravity
-many height adjustments; many road condition settings
-way better horn and turn signal improvements
-very well designed rear view mirrors, attractive and functional
-it is shaft driven like the older model
-one place where they really screwed up is the cheap, plasticy start/stop button, mine is about to go tapioca due to being full of dust and sand; can't understand how they missed such a simple ‎component step in the process as this.

Missive #2, Mon, Jan 16th to Mon, Jan 23rd - Day 2 -9

There is a glitch in out travel plans! We were due to pick up our bikes from the container port today (Monday) to prepare for departure tomorrow. Unfortunately, two things coincided ‎for a double negative. Our bikes were container shipped from Seattle October 21st to provide for a big built in buffer. For some reason time was lost with an unexpected stoppage in Singapore. Then, on a several week late arrival and with paperwork needing to be checked and re-checked it was discovered that there was a mixup between World Cargo and the shipping agent in Seattle and the customs officials here- ONE lousy piece of paper missing! Consequently, with this happening over a weekend and the Martin Luther King Day holiday this Monday we have a double whammy on our hands.

Mon/Tue, Jan 16th/17th; instead of being well on our way, we are holed up in Cape Town, not exactly a bad place to be. 

The highlight of Monday apart from numerous meetings about all stuff motorcycle related, was our 'welcome dinner'. Helge always finds a nice private dining room ‎nearby our hotel for a get acquainted celebration. This was no exception. Our lovely hotel near the harbour is very well located and the restaurant right on the water mirrored that as well. The food and drink turned out to be a bonus on top of the top.

After suitable beer and wine to loosen people up Helge asked for a person by person intro along with trip expectations and the like. What an introduction! We were all aghast at the quality of the commentary. Each time I was overwhelmed with one person's comment, along came another, equally terrific. I felt humbled to be in such honest and forthright company.

We have a broad collection of ages and backgrounds which I will not bore you with suffice to say we have two in their 40's, two in their 50's, one in their 60's (me) ‎and three in their 70's plus Helge and Debbie Christian as the sole moderating female! It is a very experienced, proficient team and I think speaking early, that it will jell well together- not a big ego in the group.

Tuesday was a bit gloomy and disappointing due to the bike hold up. Harry got us going with a mini bus tour to Signal Hill for sight seeing and a photo op followed by ‎a driving tour to the other side of town for lunch; a wonderful day all around and another opportunity to enjoy each other's company, thanks Harry and Andy!

Here's hoping that we will be able to make some hay tomorrow.

Day 04, Wed, Jan ‎18th

Cape Town to Springbok, ‎660 km

Finally we get the ok on the paperwork and in a state of high excitement mini bus out to the docklands to find our container. In remarkably short order it is craned into place and unloaded. Then began the work for everyone to get their bikes organized and this took a good couple of hours.

We left at about noon for the 660 km route to Springbok. Unfortunately we had to by pass our first destination on the coast in Lamberts Bay and take the direct route missing the more scenic coast road. Everyone was disappointed to miss the planned barbecue on the beach but the delay in getting the bikes meant that there was no other choice.

It was a long journey for the first day and we did not arrive until after 6 pm. In places it was very hot, mid 30's on average and I saw 42.5 on my gauge a few times. When it went down to 30 I felt like the air con was on! It actually was not all that bad as long as you keep moving and stand up on your pegs to let the air get inside your gear once in awhile; I also have a camelpak which is a 1.5 litre knapsack that I can suck on to keep hydrated.

The terrain was mixed, dry coastal flatlands with limited cattle and sheep grazing at the outset becoming rolling hills with a few green spots and higher temperatures at elevation. We saw some fruit orchards and vegetation before the last bit of very rocky even brilliant and hilly landscapes. 

This place can be very windy. We were buffeted by severe cross winds maybe gusts to 30-40 knots for the first third making driving a bit of a challenge‎. Thereafter it subsided.

After a couple of quick gas stops we arrived in Springbok at about 6 pm to be welcomed by a bottle of S. Africa's finest in our rooms. The Kleinplasie ‎Guesthouse is so quaint and pleasant that I jokingly said to Helge we should be staying another night. Shower and dinner to follow.

Day 5, Thur, Jan 19th

Springbok to Canyon Village Lodge, 318 km

Tough day with a relatively short ride of 318 klics; we left the Kleinplasie Guesthouse in Springbok in good time to get a head start on the heat and cross the Namibian border. The crossing was a breeze and by far the easiest we will see. We all stopped ‎at the Wimpys to fuel up, grab a drink and cool off in the air con before hitting the desert and it is their summer here; the long straight tarred road was easy until the left turn at the halfway point to our next destination. This is where we hit gravel and sand. The first third was fine at 80 klics/ hour, the second bit got worse and by the time we all arrived 100 km later everyone was bushed, humbled and basically exhausted. It is like getting your sea legs, it takes a day or two but even so it was pretty challenging stuff.

The destination in the middle of nowhere is worth the price of admission. Canyon Village Lodge near the Fish River Canyon is like an oasis in a desert, no, it is exactly an oasis in the desert. It is a collection of lovely little stone cabins surrounding the main lodge in a valley of prehistoric rock out croppings, many of them huge and majestic. 

We all hung around the pool, drank tons of liquids to rehydrate and had a delicious dinner outside under a cool evening environment. After Helge's daily meeting we all contemplated tomorrow ‎before turning in early.

Day 06, Fri Jan 20th

Canyon Lodge/ Fish River Canyon only,  117 km

This was an amazing, relatively easy 75 km journey to the world famous Fish River Canyon‎. Namibia is mostly desert, a vast underwater sea from eons ago and at some places you could almost be on the moon. Smack dab in the middle of nowhere is the second biggest ancient canyon in the world next to the Grand Canyon in Colorado; a small group of us arrived early and got some terrific shots of the early morning shadows. We had the place almost to ourselves; what a great way to start the day!

Along the way I finally got my go pro going; I quickly learned that the correct procedure is that you stop, turn the thing on, go, take footage, stop, turn the thing off, go. You DO NOT try do do this on the move. Multitasking is not one of my finer suits especially on a moving motorcycle.‎ Of course I had to learn the hard way. Luckily no one was looking but at an essentially stopped position the bike got unbalanced while I was fiddling with the go pro and fell over, big embarassment! I have been doing 20 full push ups and 80 sit ups daily so I simply downed tools and using the proper procedure righted the 575 lb machine and kept going.

After reversing back via another gem of a place called the Canyon Road House for lunch we spent the afternoon preparing for and contemplating what I am going to tell you about tomorrow.

We are all frankly a bit nervous, especially me. There are tortoises and there are hares. I am definitely a tortoise. It would be better‎ if we could face this adventure a bit later in the trip. At least our bikes and clothing are suitably dusty and dirty so we at least 'look' like we have been off roading. We are heading to a place I can hardly pronounce called Sossusvlei (Sous-sousveli) which is 573 km away with nearly all gravel and sand roads. I mean good God! It is apparently a drop dead gorgeous place where the world's highest and best looking sand dunes take on a very special hue as the sun rises. We will be having breakfast right in the dunes. Problem is, getting there first.

I could go the long way round and meet further up the line as two people will be doing but it would mean missing what Helge says is one of the world's most spectacular‎ places and settings to visit; he is one to know.

I emailed my 'coach from afar' Mike McNulty who was on last year's trip and rides with similar caution as me. I told him that my wobbly handle bars yesterday made me feel wobbly too. His recommendation and the success I had today means that I will be taking this road tomorrow with a bit of trepidation, a good night's sleep and a 5 am departure before it gets too hot.  Still, 573 km is one helluva long way on dirt and gravel. It is at least 10-12 hours of hard riding. And one might reasonably ask, exactly what kind of surface are we contemplating?? Sand for sure in places, how deep, stones, pebbles, rock surface, how rutted is it, is it graded and where, what kind of traffic, are there any wash outs, how is the visibility with the sun over head and the shadows on the road not so pronounced etc. etc. and etc.; many things to contemplate and the liquor will be in short supply tonight for sure.

With a short road day today I also have time to rest up and prepare. A key thing is tire pressure- on gravel surfaces and varying terrain it is best to lower your pressure. I was at 2.4 and 2.7 bars which is a European measurement and should be more like 2.1 and 2.4. I am now down to 30 psi front and 32 back for a better and more controlled ride in the heavy going.

Day 07, Sat, Jan 21

Canyon Lodge to Sossusvlei, 573 km

‎This was a ball buster day and as far as I want to go off roading on a motorcycle. Aaron (Beckord) and I left, clutches out, at 5:38 am likely several hours before the rest of the crew. It was still dark but cool (18.5) and the candle power on our bikes lit up the roads very well. At this early time we saw Giraffes, Ostrich, Kudus and Springbok, not in great numbers but they were there in this hot, dry, arid desert. We finished almost exactly 10 hours later with the temperature at 39.5, ie. hot!

The distance was 574.9 km‎ with all but approx. 100 km gravel and sand roads. They are graded (occasionally) and pretty darn straight for the most part. The problem occurs where there is loose build up and your front wheel kind of skiis through it, a bit unerving at times but you try and get used to it because there is no choice. It is also a lot of hard work so patience, focus, lots and lots of hydration and numerous stops to collect your thoughts and relax a bit is mandatory.

Aaron is from Oregon, 48 and a real estate investor in housing and strip malls‎ in the Pacific Northwest.  He is a self taught, self managed one man show and I can tell very good at what he does. He has 600 hours as a private pilot, owns two airplanes and loves to ride. He is your typical aw-shucks hillbilly type but just a great guy, very balanced. I could not have picked a better guy to be with; although he travels faster than I do he is patient and waits along the way.

I stuck to 80 klics per hour on the easy bits, maybe 90 in a few places. I went down to 60-70 klics in the trickier places and there were a lot of those. Typically you stand up on the pegs to provde increased visibility for what is ahead and improved balance.

At 1:47 on my watch I made the very best decision of the day. Even though I was continually  hydrating on  the move from my camelpak, I  was fatigued; the problem was recognizing it. Fortunately, I stopped under a shaded tree, ate one helluva delicious green apple and just gathered my senses. This stop prepared me for the rest of the trip which though short turned out to be the most difficult part of the ride with quite a bit of heavy going.

All in all I was surprised at my endurance and ability to get this done especially given the heat, distance and road conditions. Everyone was suitably complimentary becausetheir off road skills are superior to mine and they could understand that this was a huge effort because it sure was for them too. We all felt happy that we made it unscathed!

Well, except for Joe! He is just a great rider and all round good guy‎. He also likes to travel fast. He hit a concrete water laden bridge going downhill on a turn; says he was going a 100 klics; under the water was an algae base and down his bike went, boom. He was very fortunate not to get hurt although he was covered in mud and debris as was his bike when I was the first person to see him at lunch about 3 hours later.

(aside, Helge finished first, then Joe then me; Aaron faded and finished at the end of the group; the others arrived shortly after me which spoke to the wisdom of an earlier departure)

We had a great dinner at our comfortable lodgings near the dunes we will see tomorrow and consumed fairly copious amounts of celebratory alcohol. Joe was prevailed upon to foot the bill for his earlier indiscretion (indiscretions can be meted out for all manner of things like being continually late for meetings etc.)

Day 08, Sun, Jan 22

Sossusvlei only

Up at 4 am for a 5 am departure after coffee and a bun with 'Semi' as our guide; we were in a converted Toyota Landcruiser; it is a people mover, it was quite chilly and we drove for an hour to get to the sand dunes. This is one of the key reasons people come to Namibia. They are 2 mm years old and the largest 'non moving' dunes in the world with the Sahara being a close second. It doesn't matter the size, what does matter is the majesty and the unique rust coloured sand. If it was any finer it would be a refined dust.

The dunes are 20 miles inland from the coast at an elevation of 1000 meters- we had come down from a desert elevation of 3000 meters. ‎They inspire complete awe at the majesty of nature. This being the off season (ie. the Namibian summer) it was quiet and almost private. We hiked up a hill top about 100 metres high, rested, hydrated and posed for pictures while Semi captivated us with history and details of what we were seeing.

I have to say that it was one of the more moving scenic experiences of my life. Being used to the spectacular beauty of our westcoast I was nevertheless very, very taken by this natural‎ wonderment of nature. The ecosystem of plant and wildlife is complex and fragile and it was a privilege to be in this serene place.

After coming down from the hill tops we were spoiled with a nice picnic breakfast catered‎ by Semi in the Namibian outback.

The rest of the day was for relaxing and checking on our bikes, tightening loose stuff, topping up tire pressures and the like to prepare for tomorrow.

Tomorrow is another big day of off roading so we really need to be on our toes and up early. We head to... with...km of varying degrees of gravel road in front of us. After that, we get a break and head inland on sealed roads which will be a welcome relief.

Day 09, Mon, Jan 23rd

Sossus Dune Lodge to Swakopmund‎, 359 km

This is another big day ‎of true off roading and I get to a neat little gas stop and bakery called Solitare 89 km along the journey where we meet as a group. I elect to trailer my bike for the rest of the gravel road bit, another 230 klics. What am I trying to prove anyway? It is damn hot out, the road has lots of loose sand and gravel and I have already accomplished the lions share of the Namibian Desert. The rest of the guys are experienced off roaders and I am just getting my feet wet. Good decision, Nick!

The more the day goes on the more I am pleased with my decisionabout relaxing in the truck, chatting with Andy and taking in the beautiful scenery that photographs simply cannot capture. This is our last big dirt day of the trip and everyone seems pleased. I have already elected to pay for drinks tonight before anyone volunteers me.

I am concerned that this is getting a bit long, hope not. Let me finish with the following bullet points:

- a tank slapper is when your handle bars go wobbly (awol) on you and out of control; this is not what you want to happen, ever;

-it is important to not grip the handle bars tightly; kind of a loose grip like swin‎ging a golf club to get the best results; hard to do sometimes;

-I try to follow car tracks as much as possible but again when there is a lot of junk in front of you hard to do;

-they call it 'corrugated' when there are tons of ruts in the road and you go bumpety bumpety for seemingly ever until you get to a flat part;

-am averaging 55 mpg on gas, about same prices as home;

-people very, very nice, more on that later‎;

-my helmet was timexed so bought a Schuberth as recommended by Helge; expensive but could not be happier;

-my Sidi boots are the absolute best you can by, very protective and completely s‎atisfied here too.

We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn today.

We arrived to our lovely lodgings called the Strand Hotel‎ right on the Atlantic Ocean via a place called Walvis Bay in the later afternoon. Time to get this sent off and buy drinks tonight.

Cheerio, N.