Sunday, April 6, 2008

Dagboek Vrydag tot Sondag

Dagboek vanaf Vrydag tot Sondag

Marsabit (Kenia) – Awassa (Ethiopië)

Vrydag 07:00 Opgestaan, baie mistig buite. Sou ideaal wees om in sulke weer te kon begin te ry. Lekker ontbyt: Omelet, een van die klein pannekoekies van hier en ‘n perfekte hol vetkoek. Soet tee.

08:00 Ek begin om ‘n werktuigkundige te soek wat my kan help met sweiswerk aan die slot van my tas wat afgebreek het. Die Afrikawerktuigkundiges kan met min soveel verrig. Ons werk ‘n plan uit hoe om die slot toe te hou terwyl ek ry. Hy spring aan die werk en ek begin om die res van my min goed in te pak.

11:00 Ons toets ons plan, dit werk goed maar nog nie perfek nie. Met Mohamed, ‘n jong man wat my wys wat mens orals kan koop, gaan soek ek nog ‘n ketting wat die laaste veiligheidsmaatreël moet wees om te keer dat die tas loskom uit sy “bracket”.

12:00 Die tas sit, ek voel positief dat ons plan kan werk. Die Kaisutwoestyn van die vorige dag het die vernietigingswerk gedoen, die Chalbiwoestyn van die volgende twee dae sal ons plan met die tas deeglik toets.

13:00 Die son brand vernietigend warm toe ek uit Marsabit ry. Ek kry net buite die dorp ‘n hele klomp kameelkaravane wat, swaargelaai, êrens heen in die woestyn intrek. ‘n Paar kilometer buite Marsabit is ‘n polisiepos. Die vriendelike man wil weet waarheen ek ry, hoekom niemand saamry nie, hoeveel water en petrol ek by my het. Soos oral op die reis is hy net vriendelik. Met ‘n “God bless” van sy kant groet ek.

16:00 Dit voel of die son my wil doodbrand. Die Chalbiwoestyn is ‘n klipwoestyn. So ver as die oog kan sien, lê vuisgrote swart klippe die vlaktes volgepak. Nêrens sou ek ‘n tentjie kon opslaan as ek sou wou stop nie. Ek ry oor ‘n soliede plaat klippe wat soos koeëllaers die fiets heen en weer gooi. Die spoor is diep uitgetrap en ek sukkel om die swaargelaaide fiets regop te hou. Die spoor is ongeveer 40 cm breed en diep, ek kan nie uit die spoor kom nie. ‘n Paar keer gaan lê die fiets sag op die klippe as ek dit nie meer regop kan hou nie.

17:00 Nog steeds die klippe. Ek kom op die plek waar Audrey Kok, my Kanadese kennisse van die Malawimeer, ‘n paar maande gelede geval het. Ek hou stil en neem ‘n foto om dit vir haar en Ekke te stuur.

17:30 My arms pyn so van die sukkel om my fiets regop tussen die klipwalle te hou. Vir die eerste keer voel ek lus vir ‘n traan van moegheid, moedeloosheid. En ek voel alleen op daardie woestynvlakte. (Sien die foto op die voorblad van die Naboom2Germany webblad)

18:15 Dit begin donker word. Ek is nou 90 km van Marsabit af weg. Voor my op die vlakte sien ek ‘n toring uitsteek. Ek besluit om tot daar te ry.

18:20 95 km van Marsabit. By die eensame toring sit ‘n eensame soldate met sy masjiengeweer. Hy sê ek mag maar my tentjie daar opslaan. Die wonderlikste, ek mag sy bruin drinkwater met hom deel. Ek slaan my tentjie op en binne 10 minute lê ek op my slaapsak. Ek is taamlik vodde. Deur die muskietnet sien ek die sterre uitkom. Ek lê en dink, aan my pa wat nog by my huis is, aan Jacques en Estelle en ons rit in die Botswana verlede jaar, dit was goeie oefening. Binne minute slaap ek.

Saterdag: 05:00 Ek sien deur die muskietnet hoe miswolke van die ooste aangerol kom en al die sterre toemaak. Ideale omstandighede om te begin te ry! Ek begin my fiets pak en gaan maak my waterbottel weer vol. Nou eers sien ek hoeveel goggatjies in die water dryf. Die eensame soldaat is ook al op , en toe hy sesuur vir my die hek oopmaak, salueer hy my. Ek het deesdae al hoe meer die neiging om ‘n sentimentele noot te slaan as ek van êrens vertrek.

07:00 Ek kom by Turbi aan. Weer stop die polisie my, wil weet waar ek geslaap het. Die pad word meer rybaar.

08:30 Ek kom weer by ‘n polisie kontrolepunt. Ek en die jong polisieman begin lekker gesels. Hy vertel van die aanvalle in die gebied verlede jaar Augustus deur Ethiopiese rebelle. Hy nooi my uit vir ‘n tee en pannekoekie. Die tee is wit en smaak na houtrook. Om die een of ander rede doen die gesels my goed. Ek ry verder. Dis nou turfgrond. Diep nat modderspore lê in die aarde ingekerf. Ek kom verbasend goed deur al die modderplekke. Die reën het die grond vaster gemaak en ek ry al hoe vinniger. Dankie Vader dat daar geen klippe is nie!

12:00 Ek kom by Moyale aan, baie vroeër as wat ek beplan het. Ek is so bly ek kon met my swaargelaaide fiets die meer as 520 km deur die twee woestyne alleen aflê, sonder enige ondersteuningsvoertuie om bagasie te dra. Die swaarkry van die vorige dae kom lê in my en word ‘n groot rustigheid.

12:30 Ethiopiese grenspos: Ek voel lus om te skel. Hulle is toe. Ek kan nie in Ethiopië in nie. Ek skel wel die ou wat my aanraai om hulle ‘n geldjie te gee om my te help. Ek wil tot by Kaïro ry sonder om enige omkoopgeld aan enige iemand te betaal.

15:00 Die beamtes begin te werk. Die doeaneman wreek hom en laat my my goed uitpak.

16:00 Ek begin te ry. Ek is in Ethiopië!

17:30 Ek kom by ‘n klein dorpie aan, Mega. Ek kry ‘n slaapplekkie. Ek betaal vir die slaap, lekker aandete (suur pannekoek, tamatieslaai en brandgroente en ‘n bier) ongeveer R 18.00.

Sondag:

05:00 Min en sleg geslaap, was bekommerd oor my fiets buite op straat. Ek staan op en in die donkerte begin ek te pak.

06:30 Ek is op pad. Die pad word al hoe meer bergagtig. Troppe kamele kom oor die pad, soos skape. Hulle volg die leierkameel spoor vir spoor.

13:00 Ek kom in Aswassa aan. Hier het ek en twee vriende uit Duitsland, Anja en Anne, afgespreek om te ontmoet. Hulle is nie daar nie. Ek bestel vir my ‘n rysslaai en ‘n bier, my tweede ete in drie dae (ek kan nie eet as dit so warm is nie, bly maklik sonder kos). Toe ek my laaste sluk brandende kos sluk, stop hulle. Groot vreugde om hulle te sien.

Naskrif: In Ethiopië is internet verkrygbaar maar onbruikbaar. Ek doen hierdie opdatering met die satelietmodem van Marius Venter. Dankie Marius! Ek sit vir eers geen foto’s by nie tot ek internet kry wat meer as net bytes per sekonde laai. EK KAN OOK GEEN SMS’E STUUR NIE!

Diary from Friday to Sunday

Marsabit (Kenya) – Awassa (Ethiopia)

Friday 07:00 I got up. It is foggy outside. Ideal weather for riding in the desert. Had a great breakfast: Omelet, a pancake, hollow vetkoek and sweat tea.

08:00 I start my search to find a mechanic / technician who can do some welding for me. The African guys can work miracles with little at hand. I found a guy and explained him what I wanted. He started welding and I went back to start packing my stuff.

11:00 We tested our plan. It was still not perfect. I went with Mohamed, a young guy that is a know-all, to go and buy a piece of chain. The chain is an extra security measure should the pannier come loose.

12:00 The pannier is back in its bracket. I feel confident that it will last. The Kaisut desert did the destroying, the Chalbi desert of the next two days will test the repair work.

13:00 It is boiling hot when I ride out of Marsabit. Just outside the town I see dozens of camels, carrying a heavy load, on their way to somewhere into the desert. A few kilometers further is a police check point. The friendly guy wants to know where I am heading to, why alone, and whether I’ve got enough water and petrol with me. He greets with a “God bless!” and I leave.

16:00 It feels as if the sun is burning me with a magnifying glass. The Chalbi desert is a stone desert. As far as one can see the plains are covered with dark stones, lying next to each other and leaving no place for a small tent. The track consists only out of stones, acting like bearings, which let the bike slip and slide uncontrollable. The track is deep and I cannot get out of it. It is about 40 cm wide and I battle to keep the heavy-laden bike upright. A few times I cannot hold it anymore and it goes down onto the stones, slowly, controlled.

17:00 I am still battling with the stones. I get to the place where Audrey Kok, (the Canadian couple on the BMW’s) had a nasty crash months earlier. I stop and take a photograph. I am going to email that to her and Ekke when I have decent internet again.

17:30 My arms are aching and I am battling to keep the bike upright in the deep stony track. I feel like crying (not really) because I am tired, aching and I am so alone. (See photograph on index page of the Naboom2Germany website)

18:15 It is getting dark. I am still battling the stones. I’ve covered already 90 kilometers. In the distance on the plains I see a tower and ride in that direction.

18:20 95 km from Marsabit. At this lonely tower sits a lonely soldier with his machine gun. He allows me to pitch my tent there. Even more wonderful, I may share his drinking water with him! I pitch my tent and within ten minutes I am lying on my sleeping bag. I am tired. Very tired. Through the mosquito net I can see the first stars appearing. My thoughts are far away, at my father who is still at my house, Jacques and Estelle and our Botswana trip of last year (it was the best possible practice). Within minutes I was fast asleep.

Saturday: 05:00 Through the mosquito net I can see mist clouds rolling in over the dessert. Ideal riding conditions. I get up and start packing my luggage. I fill my water bottle again and see, for the first time, the many little creatures swimming in the water. The lonely soldier is also up. When he opens the gate for me at six he salutes as I ride out. For a quick second I feel a bit emotional. It happens more and more when I leave places.

07:00 I get to Turbi. Again a police check point. The gent wants to know where I’ve slept the night. The track is getting better.

08:30 Again a police check point. I have a lovely conversation with the young policeman. He tells me of the attacks from rebels from Ethiopia in that area last year August. He invites me for tea and a pancake. The tea is white and tastes like a wood fire. I love the smell. I feel so good when I get on my bike again. Now it is time for the black cotton soil. Tracks are carved deep into the black soil. I get through with the bike quite easy. The rain compacted the soil and I ride faster and faster. Thanks heaven there are no stones!

12:00 I arrive at Moyale, much earlier as planned. I feel like after my first Comrades. I am so happy that I managed to bring my heavily laden bike secure (well, nearly) through more than 520 km of the hardest riding conditions. I feel proud to have done that without any support vehicle carrying the luggage. The punishment I suffered the previous days turns into a deep peace deep in me.

12:30 Ethiopian border post: I feel like shaking someone. The border post is closed. I cannot enter Ethiopia. I swear at the guy that suggested that a little bribe could help me in entering the country. I want to ride up to Cairo without paying any bribe. The long wait begins.

15:00 The border re-opens. The custom official takes revenge and let me pack out all my luggage.

16:00 I start riding. I am in Ethiopia!

17:30 I get to a small village, Mega. I find a place to pitch my tent (in a dirty room). I pay for the accommodation, traditional supper and a beer R 18.00.

Sunday:

05:00 I haven’t slept well. I was worried about my bike outside on the street. I get up and start packing in the dark.

06:30 I am on my way. The area gets more and more mountainous. I see herds of camels crossing the road. They are like sheep, following the front one step by step.

13:00 I arrive in Aswassa. I’ve agreed with two German friends, Anne and Anja, to meet them here. They are not at the hotel. I order a rice salad and a beer, my second meal in three days (I cannot eat when it is so hot). Before I’ve finished the salad they arrive. Great joy to see them again.

PS There is internet in Ethiopia but it is unusable. I am going to do this update via the satellite modem. That you so much Marius! I am not going to add any photographs as it is too expensive. Will add some at a later stage. I CANNOT SEND ANY SMS’S EITHER!

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