Two old ladies and the open road

Some of you may know Amelia’s history, but for the purposes of this Report, all I’ll say is that she’s no youngster – nine years old with plenty of mileage. In fact, her odometer stood at 79,948 on Sunday 12 August when we left Jozi for Cape Town via Bloemfontein. I normally avoid highways when I’m on the bike, but this ride was not a pleasure ride and I didn’t have time to turn off when I found interesting places or to take photographs. I spent my last trip on the bike visiting small towns and taking photographs of churches and the bike at the “Welcome to…” sign at the entrance to the towns.

With a fair amount of luggage packed, the two of us set off on Sunday at 08:30. Weather was clear but fairly chilly, typical Highveld winter conditions. I looked and felt like the Michelin Man with all the layers I had on – thermal long johns, X-Kulcha jeans, thermal socks and snowboarding pants, rounded off with three layers of thermal tops, waterproof winter jacket, balaclava and finally winter gloves. The wind started fairly early into the ride and I spent most of it crouched low so that my neck didn’t get tired from the buffeting winds. Even with all the layers the chilly wind had a way of working itself into annoying places, chilling me somewhat. By the time we got to Bloemfontein, the wind had really picked up speed and I had quite a time keeping my little bike up straight. We’d made good time, riding 406km in four hours with howling winds from all sides.

We both had a good rest, with me visiting my mom and brother and Amelia waiting patiently in the Bloemfontein cold for our next leg the following morning. The original plan was to overnight in Beaufort West but I saw that a cold front with 80% rain was predicted for Cape Town for Tuesday. That made me decide to do the 1,014km in one stretch.

We left at 07:45, both with full tummies and a song inside us. We took the R706 to Jagersfontein and then R704 to Trompsburg to avoid the road works on the N1. Even with the world lacking in colour other than brown, these roads were made for bikes. One or two potholes of no great size and one could see for miles, especially in the wind still conditions. Not a blade of grass or leaf stirred and the sun was sparkling with the promise of summer around the corner. It was one of those perfect biking days where you had a good bike under you with a cheerfully humming engine, perfect weather, beautiful countryside to enjoy and the promise of more to come. I wanted those few kilometres to last forever, it was that perfect!

But like all good things it had to come to an end and we turned onto the highway for the proper ride to Cape Town. I was in total wonderment once again at our beautiful countryside. Rolling Free State hills, sheep grazing, clear blue skies, a good road, outstanding bike – why are we so scared to explore our own country? Always heading off overseas to “broaden our horizons” but finding our own country a bore? That thought cemented itself the further into the ride we got.

Just before Springfontein I picked up a chap in a purple CLS convertible and I stayed behind him all the way to Colesberg where he turned off to Port Elizabeth. We maintained our speed and he made sure to slow down where we had to – I appreciated that because I could give my concentration a bit of a rest. He gave me an enthusiastic thumbs up when I passed him – I wonder if he knew I was a woman?

I noticed little flowers along the way just after Colesberg which became more prolific as we travelled further south. Banks of orange and yellow daisies; the tiniest purple flowers carpeting the sides of the road; meter tall bushes with yellow star-shaped flowers. Our country is full of wonderment, if we only care to look properly. Even with the single goal of getting to Cape Town before nightfall, I could still look and appreciate what I saw.

Around Three Sisters the wind picked up and never lessened in intensity the rest of the way. From then on I spent all my time lying down hugging Amelia. Closer to Beaufort West the white capped mountains loomed larger and the air took on a chill. The further south we went the more the air smelled of snow.

We were blessed with the absence of traffic all the way from Colesberg – a few trucks which made way for us when they could but otherwise a car or two whose drivers looked at us with envy as we passed them. Most people have the yearning to experience the open road on a bike and when they see somebody obviously on a road trip, that yearning becomes more pronounced.

Touws River gave us our first taste of the Cape’s twisties, not hectic corners, but just enough to whet the appetite for more. We went through the De Doorns valley with kids pointing and joyfully shouting at this lone biker on their road. I was starting to get tired and when we got to Du Toit’s Kloof I was extremely careful with the bends, not wanting to make a mistake so close to journey’s end. The tunnel is a piece of engineering wonder, but I will not travel through there again on a bike – it was oppressive and my breathing became laboured in that stale air. Next time I will take the alternate route and enjoy the scenery.

I timed my arrival in Cape Town perfectly – afternoon rush hour! Fortunately I had enough energy left to lane split in a strange town and once again I proved that being courteous and splitting at the proper speed, people WILL make way for you. I had only two incidents but my experience in Jozi traffic prepared me for it – experience is a wonderful thing!

I arrived in Muizenberg exactly nine hours after starting my trip, tired but happy that we arrived safe and sound.

I reflected once again on how great life can actually be – wonderful friends who care for you, great roads to enjoy, loving family awaiting your safe return and a body that can actually function and that can feel the pain of a long journey on a bike.

So get out there and enjoy life people, it’s fleeting and you get only one chance!

Today the promised cold front hit early and I was pleased that I made the decision to ride through – arriving in Cape Town in this wind and rain would have been most unpleasant.

Fuel consumption was 4L/100km (26.3km/L), not Econorun figures but nevertheless excellent considering my speed and the hectic winds we encountered.

Of EXQUISITE and DEAR things

This day is made for the monumentally suicidal. The updated weather forecast says “Mostly cloudy” which is overstated optimism. The mountain is shrouded in the kind of mist that is determined to last for ever, to become a legend spoken of in awe by people not yet born.

So I’m restless and grab a girly magazine – I don’t like these magazines, they’re too shallow and assume I think the same as the rest of the female population – but it’s lying on the counter, bought for a 20 word caption under a picture mentioning my niece. I find these types of magazines dictate a uniform which doesn’t suit me and tell me that if I want to be eternally happy, I should a) find the perfect man (you cannot possibly live without one of them and we’ll tell you how to catch one), or b) I need to realise, accept and yes! embrace! that I’m either gay (which is still frowned upon but which we won’t admit to) or abnormal (which should make me sublimely unhappy).

While I’m waiting for the kettle to boil, I page through the first few advertisements for perfumes which will make me irresistible to the opposite sex (or the same sex – see above). On page 27 is an article by Nataniël, our local conscience and waker-upper of long forgotten mores. He’s unflinchingly gay, sexually and emotionally, and I love him. I read his article where he asks how we are soothed and he goes on to tell of his gift Encyclopedia  of the Exquisite given him by his friend Diane which makes him think of what is exquisite in his life. He has fallen in love with a coat made for one of his stage shows by Floris Louw and wants to be buried in it. He loves the new CD by 3rd World Spectator called The Theory of Everything. Not major things like sweeping landscapes and the usual dew-drop-on-a-petal kind of exquisite, but the smaller and therefore possessed of greater impact, things to marvel at.

I look out the window where the mountain should be and reflect on what those exquisite things in MY life are. I’m overwhelmed by the task and realise I should distinguish between What is exquisite and What is dear. It is the perfect day to brood and become poetic about life. It is no easy task and I decide to brood over a raw chicken, stare at it for awhile until I decide how it is to be prepared to show it how immensely grateful we are for its demise.

I shall get back to you about both the chicken and the poetry in my life.

I have neglected my blog for too long. I realise nobody really reads it, but if one person can find inspiration from one of my stories, I'm content.

I promise to do better!

A Girl on a Spyder

Promoting the Spyders takes on different guises – doing a long trip every now and again is one of the many ways I can showcase the ability of these wonderful machines. On 8 December I pointed the nose of the RT-S in a westerly direction and set off at 4:20, aiming to get to Kakamas around 13:00 – 867 kilometre on the N14. I planned to get that section behind me as quickly as possible – the road surface is not the best and the trucks belt along the narrow roads at death defying speeds.

I was warned about road works before Kuruman but I didn’t think there would be that many. Another 2.5 hours was added to my estimated riding time and I arrived in Kakamas at 15:30. I was also warned that the road between Kuruman and Upington had no fuel stops so I filled up to the maximum in Kuruman and set off on the 264 km leg. I was easy on the throttle and rode conservatively but the needle dipped dangerously low about 50 km from Kuruman. I lowered the screen for less wind resistance but 10 km outside Kuruman the needle wasn’t moving at all and I gratefully pulled into the first filling station, just to be told they didn’t have petrol! I mentally willed the Spyder to the next station about a kilometre further on and was astonished to see 24.2 litres finding its way into the 25 litre tank! After that little bit of stress the leg from there through Upington to Kakamas was a doddle and the scenery improved as well.

I arrived at the Kalahari Gateway Hotel (owned by one of our Spyder Ryders!) (http://www.sa-venues.com/visit/kalaharigatewayhotel/ ) and could hardly wait to dig out my bathing suit and order a beer! The temperature was in the high 30s and I gratefully sipped my very cold beer submerged to my neck in the pool. Against all logic, my dinner consisted of the best sushi I’ve tasted in a long time (where have you heard of an hotel in Northern Cape serving better sushi than Johannesburg or even Cape Town?)

 

The Spyder looked like a mobile killing field so the next morning I went hunting for a car wash, found the one and only car wash in Kakamas but then was told that one had to book a week in advance – a good business to be in, by the looks of it! I set off for Garies via Springbok, setting the cruise control on 110 km/h to enjoy the sights and smells of the Northern Cape. If you zip through there at 160 km/h you miss all the wonderful sights – rock formations; the tiniest flowers; nesting kestrels; giant communal weaver nests. I took detours to small towns and took a photograph at the Welcome to… sign at the entrance to the town. I also looked for the old churches and photographed them with and without the Spyder.

It’s just over 400 kilometres from Kakamas to Garies but with the stopover at Springbok to have lunch and have the Spyder washed and taking detours to the small towns, it took me over six hours to get to Garies. Although it was hot, the bike telling me it was in the high 30s again, it was a dry heat and not unpleasant at all. I stayed at Sophia Guest House (http://sophiaguesthouse.co.za/ ) which turned out to be the only place with water – Garies town was on water restrictions and they had a tank with a pump for the showers.

After breakfast on Saturday I left for Cape Town and carried on taking photos of Welcome signs and churches, taking my time en route. I arrived at my sister’s place in Muizenberg late afternoon and then discovered that none of the day’s photos of the churches had been saved – a real let-down as I’d made fairly long detours to visit recommended towns for quant churches. I will just have to go back!

Tuesday and Wednesday my sister and I stayed at the Drakenstein Lion Park (http://www.lionrescue.org.za/ )

but it was pouring with rain so we spent most of the time in the tented camp reading. When we could we walked amongst the 35 rescued lions, reading their individual stories. We did find a gap in the rain on Wednesday morning to go to the Butterfly Farm just outside Paarl – the place is well worth a visit! On Thursday when we left we visited the Vroue Monument and Taal Monument and caught up with some of our history.

On the days it wasn’t raining, I cruised around Cape Town, showing off the Spyder. As usual, it drew a crowd wherever I stopped and I spoke to many people who showed a lot of interest in the bike, so hopefully we’ll have a few more Ryders in Cape Town soon!

On Friday 16 December I left for Stanford and having forgotten that it was the first day of the long weekend, I got caught in the traffic jam at the bottom of Sir Lowry’s Pass already! We travelled bumper to bumper all the way through Hermanus but eventually I was on the fairly quiet road on the way to Stanford. I met up with the guys from GV Motorcycle Rentals (http://www.gvmotorcyclerentals.com/#Home) and they escorted me to the village market held in the Common. If ever you’re in that area, give them a shout for outstanding hospitality (they also have two guest houses!)

 

I left the next morning at 5:45 for the 634 km haul to Jeffrey’s Bay via Barrydale on the R62, arriving in J-Bay just after lunch time. As I left Barrydale I thought a bunch of bikers having breakfast at the Backpackers was going to chase me down, they waved THAT enthusiastically! In Jeffrey’s Bay I stayed with some friends and they showed me a pass essentially closed to traffic, but which is still used by bikers and some brave car drivers. Bloukrans Pass has very sharp corners, hairpin bends, fallen rocks and trees across the road, forcing you to crawl along at 40 km/h and so enjoy the scenery. We then went to the Tsitsikama Nature Reserve for lunch. A most perfect day, riding hidden passes then having lunch in one of our most beautiful nature reserves!

I left for Bloemfontein on Monday 19 December via the N10 and N1. The route skirts around the Addo Elephant Park and although it’s essentially a highway, it twists through the mountains, finishing with Olifantsnek Pass. Very little traffic with only a few trucks. The acacias were in full bloom and the area had had good rains – green as far as the eye could see.

I filled up at Springfontein and was pulled over by a traffic cop who was in awe of the bike. He told me not to take the highway as there were lots of stop-and-goes which would delay me unnecessarily. He gave me the alternate route but I misunderstood his directions. He said, “Take the Jagersfontein/ Fauresmith road, then to Bloemfontein.” But when I got to the T-junction showing Bloemfontein right, I thought it went back to the highway, so turned left to Jagersfontein! By the time I realised my mistake, I shrugged and carried on to Fauresmith to take a picture of the Spyder next to the train in the middle of the town. I arrived in Bloemfontein late afternoon having done 820-odd kilometres instead of the 770-odd. The road from Jagersfontein to Bloemfontein is probably the straightest road in all creation – at kilometre 40 there was a very slight right bend, kilometre 60 another right hander, then at 80 another and at 90 a slight left hander.

 

On Tuesday I had to get a new back tyre from our agent in Bloemfontein, Bloem Jetsport run by Leander (051 448 0993). I spent the day being thoroughly spoiled by my brother and the owner of the guesthouse my brother manages (http://www.magrietjie.co.za/index.html ). It was very difficult to leave on the Wednesday, but after another wonderful breakfast, set off for the home run.

Against better judgement I took the N1, thinking it’s the last stretch home so I might as well go on the hated highway. It didn’t take me long to decide it was a bad choice and got off the highway at the Winburg turn-off. Not only is the highway boring, especially after all the wonderful roads I’d travelled, but it was also dangerous. It was the start of the lemming run to the coast and the cars were behaving abominably – passing on solid double white lines, overtaking on blind rises – I wasn’t going to end my trip like this!

I soon discovered that I had made an excellent decision and enjoyed the rolling farmlands. When I was at NAMPO earlier in the year I saw humongous tractors selling for a few million rand each and wondered who the farmers were who bought them. Well, I discovered where all those tractors went! The fields were being ploughed by four to six tractors and along the road I encountered another flotilla of the same workhorses. The only bit of road unfit for travel was in Heilbron town (potholes where a Hummer can disappear into never to be found again) and just after where they were fixing parts of the road – only two stop-and-goes. The rest of the journey was uneventful and my last Welcome to… and church photographs were in Senekal.

Total kilometres in two weeks: 4,927

Average consumption over the trip: 9L/100 km

Number of bike problems: 0

Wonderment at our outstanding country: The superlative doesn’t exist!

 

I was reminded again of the outstanding qualities of the Spyder as a long distance touring machine. If you set the cruise control and take your time to look around, there is no better way to enjoy our wonderful country. We are spoiled for choice where routes are concerned and we should not be put off by the laments about the condition of our roads. There were very few sections which needed serious attention but on the whole, the quality of our roads is outstanding. You might not want to do the kind of mileage I did, but a quick trip to a small town on our back roads should be a regular occurrence. Long distance bike trips become a drug and doing it alone even more so. When I did the trip in June I commented that everybody should do a trip like that at least once a lifetime, but I was wrong. It should be done more often to renew your faith in life and in yourself and to blow the cobwebs away. Travelling alone is not for everybody but even with companions, a bike provides a certain solitude while travelling. I cannot encourage you enough to look at the map and plot a general route to a little-known town and enjoy eating up the miles on an exceptional piece of machinery.

A full range of pictures can be found on the FaceBook page http://www.facebook.com/SpydersSA