Burning Rubber

After staying at Jamaka for 3 weeks, we contacted a farm in Montague offering the same setup, and the owner, a Swiss guy, invited us to come through on the 27^th of May. We were just getting used to our new, slow lifestyle in the Cederberg but it was time to move on. It had gone from fun to boredom to finally really appreciating our surroundings once we found our groove.

Our trial run up to Clan William confirmed that the bus was taking a strain with the extra weight of the bikes on the back and Theo struggled to keep the bus in a straight line. We planned to stop in Cape Town on our way and sort out the smell of burning rubber which was more worrying than the constant smell of exhaust fumes wafting in the back.

Last day on the farm we hiked up the mountain to look at the caves right up on the top. We made it all the way up, puffing and panting, even scaled a rocky bit, and were very impressed with ourselves. I was sure we’d built up some muscles in the time we’d been there and Theo’s calves were looking particularly sexy that day through the sweat dripping in my eyes.

It took us a day to pack up, load the bikes, have a last huge bonfire braai and then we were on our way. We stopped overnight in Elands Bay where Theo managed to smokkel some crayfish from the locals. Next morning we visited the cave to see the bushmen paintings, which sadly did nothing to satisfy my curiosity about the origins of man, and we stopped at the harbour to watch the fishermen launch their snoek bakkies. The early morning hazy flat sea was dotted with the little boats, manned by very abled fishermen who rowed out to sea to make a living.

Back on the road and the increased traffic indicated we were near Cape Town again. We headed up the busy road through Table View in peak hour traffic. Not wanting to make the trip boring, Theo decided to dislocate and detach the gear lever between first and second which left us stranded in the middle of road with a string of cars behind us. Ho hum, never a dull moment. He coasted onto the pavement to let the traffic pass. A few “oh f*ck ” later, we scratched our heads but a boer maak a plan so he grabbed the long hollow handled axe from behind his seat, wedged it over the 2 inch stump of the gear lever sticking out of the floor, gripped the axe blade to put it in 3^rd and we managed to make it to my moms house. We smelt a new aroma of burning clutch as we mounted the pavement in 3^rd gear but that was tomorrows problem. My mother seemed happy to see us although she said she had only just finished scrubbing her stove and pots.

Next day we took the bus in to be seen to including having the back window replaced. (remember the going up trip when we left the road in a hurry), and a new back tyre. The clutch smelt fine luckily and our idea of having to refit the double set of back tyres (removed by the previous owner) to carry the extra load seemed unnecessary. We were told that adding 2 extra feathers to the back springs, would sort us out. Cost a lot but cheaper than running extra tyres. When we collected the bus, they told us that the front king pin would sort out our steering problem but they could only attend to it the following week. We decided to leave the front repairs until after our trip to Montague since we were keen to get going and wanted to stop at Theos folks in Struuibaai for a week or 2 first. Theo was also looking forward to visiting our friends in the same area before the rainy season set in so that he could do some fishing before heading to Montague.

And so we were back on the move again

CLAN WILLIAM TO WUPPERTHAL ROUND TRIP

Eventually we were able to make the long awaited trip to Wupperthal. Any offroading I’ve don’t till now has been piddly easy compared to this trip. Now I can truly say I’ve done offroading.

We left Jamaka at about 8 in the morning, stopped in Clan William to fill our tanks and took an extra 5 litres of petrol with since we were warned there was no garage there. The gravel road from Clan William through the Pakhuis Pass was in good condition and I loved every minute especially when the back tyre came alive every now and then. The next pass, Hoek se Berg was narrower, steeper and tighter with stunning views as you come down the valley and into Wupperthal. I took Theo’s advice and stayed in low gear.

We stopped for lunch and rooibos tea at the little eatery in the dorp. No such thing as a cold beer since Wupperthal is an old Moravian mission station started a few hundred years ago by some people who decided to convert the 7 or so Khoi families living there so they built a church and settled in. Another German guy started the shoe factory which is still operational today – and shoes are still all hand made. We bought our hiking boots, chatted to the guys working there, ambled around town, visited the Rooibos tea co-op, where we were given a tour. The Rooibos tea bundles are weighed on a scale, the farmers are paid one third of the weight since after drying, 2 thirds are lost, then it gets spread out on a cement slab where a tractor drives over it to squash out the big bits. Depending on the weather it sweats out in the sun for a minimum of 1 day then it gets steamed to kill the goggas and finally sold to tea distributors. They package a little themselves to sell to tourists and the community. We bought Buchu, lemon, plain and lemongrass flavored rooibos tea. Seems like I’ll have to sacrifice my morning coffee for tea. Mmm, we’ll see about that.

Back on the road and that’s when the fun started. We were planning to return via the same route, since according to ALL the maps, to carry on the circular trip entailed a section labeled “4 x 4” or “jeep tracks”. Sounded too scary to me but as we left town we got chatting to a guy who knew the road and said it wasn’t too bad and that our bikes would do just fine no problem at all. I succumbed and 10 minutes later I regretted it as the Koeberg Pass, a steep, loose, rocky single track mountain pass loomed ahead. There wasn’t time to say I told you so and turning back wasn’t an option. I flew up over the rocks, cross country style, much too fast but luckily controlled the bike as it hopped everywhere. I was afraid that if I stalled I would slide back down the road but adrenalin and a need to change my underwear kept me going. I made it to the top without falling down the sheer drop to my left and wooped from the thrill. I was doing just fine and once I started relaxing, it became fun. Well almost. Bake brakes gripping loose gravel going downhill was just as scary. Further along, on a corner, the bike cut out and I was still struggling to get it started when I heard a car racing up behind me. Time for a few swear words but definitely no time to look over my shoulder or find the dam neutral gear. They skidded up behind me, by which time I was, lets just say a bit anxious, so I dived sideways into the bushes. Good move – they skimmed past - their bumper touching my tyre. Luckily I hadn’t changed my underwear yet.

Later we passed through a little dorpie called Matjiesriver. Well I call it a dorpie but it was just a cluster of houses in the middle of nowhere with an entry gate displaying on old sign which read – Close the gate. Jy word dopgehou. We diligently closed the gate and rode on - forgetting to take any photos. The going was slow, and the afternoon shadows were getting longer and we still had a way to go.

A few kilometers later we passed a isolated house next to the road. A woman, standing in the front doorway, decked out in her curlers and wearing pants which I suspect long ago stopped meeting around her waist, confirmed that we were on the right road.

We did 6 mountain passes that day, a total of 135 km. It might not sound much to the experienced rider but the going was slow, treacherous, and the last 20 km was done in total darkness over the last mountain pass with roadworks thrown in for good measure, me being a bit night blind and my bikes’ light is a poor excuse. That last bit was madness and when we turned onto the farm I was exhausted and dropped the bike on a sandy patch about 100 meters from the campsite. I’d almost made it home without eating dirt (well except the bush diving bit) but no damage done.

NOW I can say I can do offroading.

Adjusting to the good life

Keeping ourselves amused and focused is not always easy. We’ve been wanting to do a trip to Wupperthal for a while now but we are waiting for better weather. We’ve only been here a week and a half but it feels longer. Having so much free time takes a bit of getting used to. We study our nature books, walk around the farm, ride around exploring the area or ride into town for vitals and of course lets not forget, there’s lots of sex.

Sounds weird but having all this time to ourselves and no deadlines is not as easy as it sounds. We’re not actually working on the farm so it feels strange. Until a few days ago I kept thinking ok the holiday is over now and we better get going back to work as society expects from us. Instead, right now Theo is feeding the Glass Eye bits of his sesame crackle which he made the other day. They are enjoying it and don’t like to share with the Honeysuckle. Jeez, we sound like a pair of old twitters feeding the birds. Theo wants me to drape myself naked over a tree trunk as if I was a leopard snoozing in the sun. I don’t think regular twitters would consider that. Maybe its time for some of that cherry liquor he made. Ho hum - another day in the country side.

BIKING IN THE BUNDU

It’s been a good few months since I’ve ridden but now that my clutch lever is sorted I’m both lekker bang and excited. We did a little trip over Uitkyk Pass past Algiers Nature Conservation. Nice view – not as badly burnt by the fire as it is around here. We took both bikes, parked the one at the bottom, rode to the top and walked all the way down the old road through the valley. We rode in shorts and takkies since the plan was to hike. I was nervous at first but it didn’t take me long to get the hang of offroading again and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip even though they were working on the road in stretches which required a bit of negotiating. I’m standing up, feeling confident and can’t wait for more.

2nd bike trip and I gave myself a mickey mouse badge. We rode into town, more shopping, banking etc and I handled the 25km dirt road nicely. First stop, Agrimark, I thought the people were really friendly – all smiles – until Theo told me I was slightly dusty. My whole front jacket and pants excluding sitting position folds were coated in dust. My face, except sunglass area, was dusty brown. Brushing the dust off gave my whole face a lovely natural looking foundation. Note to self – don’t ride too close behind Theo.

We stopped for a beer at the local pub, hoping to meet and chat to locals but no such luck. Finished our shopping but when we came out of the Checkin it was raining. We hung out on the shop stoep and munched on the braaied rib which Theo couldn’t resist buying. They don’t do boerrie rolls here. Gotta admit the smell of braaied fatty meat on a rainy day was enticing. Anyway the rain didn’t let up so we just had to ride back and get wet. The road was fine (not slippery clay) but we took it slow and I was proud of myself. Getting back in the saddle has been great. I came to Clan William hoping to go home with loads of experience and it seems to be happening.