Preparation for the Dark Continent

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A Taste of Africa
Although the Africa trip in many ways required the same preparation as my other two adventures, it had been over four years and I needed a lot of refreshment in covering the necessary bases. Starting the planning six months before departure seemed like ample time. However I discovered that a couple of key sites were already booked. This was not a factor in the other journeys. 

 I found a source for motorbike rental in Johannesburg and narrowed down my time frame to May 22 through June 7. Knowing where the bike would be picked up, I charted a rough itinerary which would take me north through South Africa, into Botswana then East to Victoria Falls. From there I would return South through Zimbabwe and back into South Africa toward the Drakensburg mountains and finally to Johannesburg for the flight home. 15 days and lots of amazing sights should be in store with this plan. Chobe National Park was full up for this time of year and the chances were slim in getting a game drive and accommodations at the Makgadagadi Pans in Botswana as well to say nothing of lodging at Vic Falls.

So to start with, I seem to need help. Fortunately, the company that was providing the moto also helps organize tours. I was offered assistance in planning and booking the middle part of my trip which would get me accomodations and activities that tour companies are privy to. This would leave me to plan the initial three days and the last five days of my trip.  

The basics
Routes: Using Google maps, I made large prints of the key routes and cities that I would be traveling thru. (note: riding on the LEFT side of the road. . . Oh boy!)

Information: The Internet provides a lot of details on even the remote places on the globe. Political, geographical, and social information to enhance the journey. Besides important facts and key points that a visitor would need to know, there is an abundance of trivia such as: There are about 180,000 elephants in Botswana!

Language: Unlike my trips thru Latin America, it should be relatively easy to find English speakers in Africa. There are multiple languages spoken but apparently English is second or third most common.

Currency: Dollars were commonly preferred in the countries that I visited. This was much easier than other travels. Also I obtained a AAA travel debit card as they offer members the best deal on having the protection of VISA Cirrus which is considered the best card for ATM’s.  

Health: Yep, again I needed antimalarials. In checking my international health card (required in some places) I find that all of my 2006 vaccinations are still good but I needed a “booster” for Typhoid. I also got a script for Malarone (antimalarial). I got emergency medical insurance and trip insurance from AAA which is also required by some places as is an International Drivers License (which I already have)

How much and what to take: Packing a bike is something of an art. Longer trips require more creativity. Especially if you are flying to your start point. This year I have added "C-Pap" to my health needs, adding it to the otherwise over-packed suitcases. I began early practice filling and emptying bags to see whats possible. 

Paperwork: Besides drivers license, medical papers, maps, emergency contacts at home and in S.A, Passport, copies of everything, I be given upon leaving Jo’burg, papers for the bike and for crossing borders.

Now let's see. . . what did I forget?

One week to go!

Having packed and repacked numerous times, you would think I'm ready.

Let's hope, my flight leaves St. Louis on May 21st.  The guys at Motorrad in Centurion (just north of Johannesburg) have the bike ready and waiting.  The BMW GS 650 should be a good match for me as 650's have been my choice for all other trips I've taken.

Thanks to Mark Stodel, Edge Travel, I now have vouchers for the locations that were booked and unavailable to me as an individual.  Those locations are described on the blog page titled Africa 2013 with links to the locations on the page bottom.

Jo'Burg to Botswana

Days 1, 2 – May 21/22

Flight

Day 3 – May 23 

Centurion to Mokopane

After an arduous flight of 16 hours (and that's just from Atlanta to Jo’Burg) I collapsed in my hotel bed at 8:00. Actually the flight and airports went pretty well except for the number of hours. Wednesday morning making use of a taxi, I found the bike shop in Centurion (believe me I would never have found it without help and the taxi driver drove around quite a bit as it was). With the help of Danie and the other Motorrad staff, the G650 was loaded and I set off driving nervously on the side of the road that I never considered before. I'm sure that for some it isn't a big deal but driving on the left side requires me to be very careful especially in busy traffic. It was a short ride to Mokopane, a smallish town in northern South Africa. Of course even a small town allows me to get lost. Fortunately past trips have made me less embarrassed to stop someone an ask directions (it’s getting the right directions that is sometimes tricky).

(below) The BMW G650 GS, I’m riding, is a “thumper” like my KLR I took to Panama. The single cylinder purrs along getting good gas mileage with plenty of power.

Lots of luggage space and pretty too!

Nice hotel. They appropriately allowed me to use a "handicap"space

Day 4 – May 24 

Mokopane S.A to Francistown, Botswana

A fairly long ride (from 8:30 until 4:30), this leg was a cross between past memories of Central America poverty and Argentina’s proliferation of goats. Immense stretches of shacks and squalor along with huge number of goats, oh and donkeys, grazing beside the highways did bring back memories. Unlike the frequency of seeing dogs in C.A, today I saw TWO. That was beat by the six “warthogs” that were near the highway. Nope no elephants yet. Francistown is pretty big and like smaller towns, I managed to drive around for an hour looking for a hotel. This isn’t so bad most days but today I was really tired. There was a lot of highway construction and heavy traffic. At least the pavement so far has be pretty good.

Day 5 – May 25
Francistown to Planet Baobab, Gweta, Botswana
Adventure! Well I got it! Rear brake locked up while going over some speed bumps this morning and before I knew what was happening (the bike seemed to lose power) smoke was pouring out of the rear disk area. Exactly at the same time that I was pulling over to find out what the problem was, I was "supposedly" speeding! Two Botswanan cops had stopped a car ahead of me and apparently wanted a "two-for-one". All I could think about was the smoke pouring off the rear wheel so I paid my $50 fine (amazing that a bike that had the rear brake locked up could actually speed) Luckily after the brake cooled, I was able to continue to ride but with no rear brake. And the bike has become difficult to start so I think the bike’s starter is going south. I don’t know what will happen now as riding with just the front brake is dicey and if the bike decides not to start. . . well you know what. . . I’ll be in real trouble.

The day’s bonus was two elephants about 50 yards from the highway! I stopped to take photos until the closest one looked at me and started flapping its ears. I also saw several warthogs and baboons along the stretch from Francistown to Gweta.

The rest of the ride was not pleasant as you can imagine with worry about the brake situation, but Planet Baobab is a dream with 2000 year old Baobab trees and African style huts (mosquito netting and all) and friendly English speaking staff. We’ll go out tomorrow to see the meerkats which will definitely be cool. I’ll check in with the bike guys in Jo’burg tomorrow morning (using Planet Baobab’s cell phone as my “international” cell phone doesn’t want to get connected here in Botswana).

Baobab to Kasane

Day 6 – May 26

Planet Baobab

On the way to my next destination I was in need of gas and pulled into a station where there were 10-12 vehicles crowded around the pumps. It turned out that the station had ben out of petrol and some of the customers had been waiting for over two hours until a tanker truck showed up.  Fortunately I only had about an hours wait.  The kids shown below were waiting with their day and were happy to take a seat on my bike.

 A three hour trek thru the Africa bush in 4-wheel drive vehicles took 14 of us tourist out into the Magdikgadi Pans.  The Pans are vast stretches of flat clay surface similar to a salt flat.  Where we camped out you could see nothing in any direction on the horizon.  A great bbq at dark was a treat but the sleeping under the stars in the mid 30 degree range was a bit much for an old guy that doesn’t sleep well in a regular bed. 

Kids are always drawn to a motorbike.  

I'd been very used to seeing cow crossing signs but in Botswana you also had bigger concerns!

The red circle I've put on this picture of a Baobab tree shows where my
ball cap is hanging.  This should  give an idea of how big these 2000 year old trees are.



The campsite in the Madagadi Pans was just about ready for a bbq.

The Meerkats were wonderful and it was amazing how they have gotten used to people.

(above) Giraffe herd just off the road and a lone elephant standing in the shade of a tree.

Day 7 - May 27
Planet Baobab to Nata

Us hardly campers got up early in order to see the Meerkats that rise from their burrows when the sun’s warming begins. We drove out of the Pans and into another section of the Kalahari’s bush to find the little ones.  They were amazing.  Well worth the bumpy bush roads and cold (frigid?) temperature. 

Motorrad had over-nighted a replacement bike and I found it ready to go when we returned from out bush excursion. I Left Planet Baobab on the replacement BMW and headed a short distance to Nata, a small town where after a good nights rest (hopefully) I will head for Kasane, Botswana where Chobe National Park is one of e highlights of this trip.  Hopefully I’ll see lots of game.

Day 8 - May 28

Nata to Kasane (Kwalpe Safari Lodge)

Until this morning, I had seen many warning signs on the highway to watch out for animals.  However mostly cows and donkeys were common (except for the warthogs and baboon). Today was different.  Leaving Nata I rode a few Kilometers when there in the bush about 30 yards off the road were two more elephants!  Cool.  Later I saw a small herd of giraffes about 200 yards off the highway. I also saw what I believe were two Dik Dik’s which are like tiny deer about two feet high.

Tomorrow I expect to go on a morning game drive and and in the afternoon, a Chobe River cruisewhich should add hippos and crocs to the sightings

The Kwalpe Lodge (shown below) is rather primitive, with sleeping in tents (with electricity for a light and a fan) so the 80+ day timeheat will keep me in the bar for a while..

Note the "St. Louis beer sign in the windows.  

Chobe Park

Day 9 - May 29
Chobe Game Drive and River Cruise

The game drive began in the early morning with a safari vehicle loaded with about 12 Australians and one lady from Brazil. The guide did his best to show us all the game that Chobe is known for and provided a lot of interesting info. Sadly, no cats were about but lots of water buffalo, elephants, baboons, giraffes, impala, and kudos, were plentiful along with mongoose, warthogs and many species of african birds.

The late afternoon river cruse features many more elephant, and water buffalo as well as some very close-up views of hippos and crocodiles. I think the most interesting thing I learned was how the impalas like to stay close to the baboon troupes in the bush as the baboons would be quick to spot danger and thus alert the impalas.

(above) My tent was sooo hot during the day and so cold at night. However it was fairly comfortable and did have electricity.

Several Aussies and one lady from Brazli were part of my safari experience

The strange looking blobs in the top picture are actually hippos.  The numerous sightings of baboons usually found them playing or hitching a ride on mommy



Below are images from the evening Chobe river cruise.

Kasane (Chobe) to Victoria Falls

Day 10 - May 30

Kasane (Kwalpe Lodge) to Victoria Falls

The early morning border crossing from Botswana to Zimbabwe was reminiscent of Central American borders with form after form to fill out.  However Zimbabwe takes the prize for “sticking it to you”.  They had a hefty fee for a Visa, a fee for entering with a vehicle and then another fee for the vehicle being “rented”.  And they weren’t kidding!  All together it cost $125 just to get into Zimbabwe!

Victoria Falls: One of the seven natural wonders of the world. This is the high volume time of the year and the enormous Zambezi river spreads out to create over a mile of falls. Niagra which is one of the three greatest falls along with Iquacu falls in South America and Victoria, only out does Victoria in yearly volume. Victoria is both taller and wider. It’s no wonder its such a tourist attraction. 

This tiny town of Victoria Falls has many hotels and lodges as one would imagine, however, would you imagine seeing warthogs and baboons wandering the streets? Yep! And at the lodge I’m staying at, twenty some mongoose came scurrying out from under a wooden walkway while I was having breakfast.  They were sooooo cool!

This evening I will do a boat cruise on the Zambezi which will conclude my stay in Vic Falls.

(top) The F650 bike parked at A'Zambesi Lodge near Victoria Falls.
(above) The awesome main falls with striking rainbows.

The above warthog was a common sight in my trip and the above photo shows hippos in the Zambesi

Victoria Falls to South Africa

Day 11 - May 31

Victoria Falls to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

Very uneventful stretch of Zimbabwe with classic Africian huts and few animals except for lots of cows.  I've found that at every stop, people are interested in talking.  Their English is mostly good and the majority just like to visit with some, expressing the dismal economic situation in Zimbabwe,

Day 12 - June 1
Bulawayo to Louis Trichardt, South Africa
After an expensive overnight in a “Holiday Inn”, I left Bulawayo and once again encountered a horrendous border crossing at Beit Bridge. A poser inside the customs office took my papers and asked for 30.00 for the bridge crossing fee. As soon as he gave me my change I went over to my bike and another border crosser, who was standing outside the office approached. He told me that I had been had. That there was no fee reguired! Angry, I went inside the customs office and the only person there was a woman who simply asked me if I got a reciept for the 30.00. Wow! The only thing I can imagine is the colusion between the two. Oh well. On to Louis Trichardt a mid-size town i
n South African.

Day 13 - June 3

Louis Trichardt to Middelburg

Continuing South, it was a beautiful ride thru mountains and farm land. Except for a section of new road construction, the pavement was good.  As in Central America,  the mountain area was slowed to a snail pace with lots of big trucks chugging along.  

Tired by the time I arrived at Middelburg, a rather large city, I managed to spend an hour driving around looking for a guest house.  Guest houses, common in many cities, are gated / fenced compounds with a numer of small building with rooms in each building.  Occasionally there may be a larger hotel like structure with several rooms.  Most Guest houses, like lodges or hotels, offer breakfast and some have dinner as well. It’s getting cold now in S.A as June is the start of their winter.

 A small note: I really haven’t seen many animals the last two days but as I was enjoying the mountain areas today, suddenly a small troupe of baboons were beside the road.  They clearly are smart enough not to cross when they hear vehicles.  They sit right on the right an watch you pass. (It’s donkeys and goats that are unpredictable)

Day 14 - June 4

Middelburg to Lady Smith

Another large city in the south of S.A was my next stop. From what little research I had done, this little town has an important historic place in South African history. I believe having to do with the Boer Wars.

I was told to expect colder temperatures.  O.K. but no one said anything about the strong winds!  The scenery was similar to our Southwest only with coal mining added to the mix of farms and mountains.  I found a great little guest house in Lady Smith and I’ve decided to stay an extra day and perhaps venture out into the surrounding countryside.  The Drakensberg mountains are in the distance but I doubt that I’ll go that far.  

Day 15 - June 5

Lady Smith

Beside catching up with e-mails at an Internet cafe, I spent some time in the downtown shopping district was quite interesting. For such a small town (I was told about 20,000), the architecture of the upscale shops was interesting.

Day 16 - June 6

Lady Smith to Centurion

Frigid cold made seeing the foothills of the Drakensburg mountains less enjoyable and the traffic (big trucks) was not fun. The long cold stretches between towns finally gave way to warmer air by noon as I headed North toward Jo’burg and the bike shop in Centurion.

South Africa in this southern area is clearly inhabited by more Africaaners and a strong mix of middle easterners. Blacks apparently make up only about 60 percent here compared to nearly 80 percent in the Northern S.A, Botswana and Zimbabwe..

I reached Centurion (without GPS) and promptly got totally lost. I wasn’t even in Centurion for a while. Finally a tow truck driver helped straighten me out (I was still bout 24 Kilometers from my destination). Johannesburg/Pretoria and adjacent areas like Centurion cover a vast area and number several million in population. I would guess more than St.Louis and Kansas City put together!

The Motorrad guys were happy to see me (and happier to see the bike in one piece). I really liked these guys and they certainly came through for me. I’m now off to my hotel and wait for my Friday flight home.

(top) Sunset on the Zambesi River

(above) is an Aussie schoolteacher staying in at the same lodge that I was at while waiting for my flight home.