'n Dag van vele vreugdes en seeninge!

(English below)

Vandag was 'n dag van baie seeninge en vreugde.

Ek het my fiets gekry. Daar was nie 'n skrapie op die fiets nie. Ek was 'n bietjie bekommerd daaroor gewees.

Daarna het Emil Bosch en en Emil junior my kom dagse. Ek het Emil nog nooit ontmoet nie. Sedert verlede jaar het Emil gereeld die webblad besoek, geskryf, gevra, en toe self 'n KLR gekoop. Vandag was dit ons eerste ontmoeting. Emil is die tipe mens met wie ek deur Afrika sou kon ry. Sy kop en prioriteite is reg.

Na Emil x 2 se besoek is ek na die Mooiloop kantoor toe. Dit was 'n heerlike weersiens met Gerrit Rautenbach en sy personeel. Baie dankie Rezanne, Carie en Michelle vir die heerlike middagete en kuier! Rezanne, jou ondersteuning hierdie laaste vier maande was wonderlik. Dankie jy!

Rezanne het gemeen in die stortreen sou dit wys wees om eerder in die Kaap oor te bly. Die langpad en die KLR het egter harder as my verstand geroep en in die stortreen is ek weg van die Mooiloop kantoor.

Die ontmoeting met soveel skitterende mense oor die hele lengte van my toer het my vandag opnuut weer met groot dankbaarheid vervul. Ek is so gelukkig.

Toe kom die reen sonder ophou, mis, water op die pad, en toe die koue. Ek het op die KLR gevries! Maar weet julle, so ver as wat ek gery het, het my hart gejuig! Ek was terug in Afrika. Dis my land, my kontinent, die reuk van die Karoobossie, gemeng met die reuk van reen-grond het my so welkom en tuis laat voel. Elke nat en koue kilometer vandag was die moeite werd!

Teen skemer het ek by Matjiesfontein afgedraai. Direk oorkant die Matjiesfontein-afdraai is die afdraaipad Sutherland toe. Toe verstaan ek die koue!

Ek het 'n lekker kamer met 'n bad, die eerste een sedert Kairo, en ek het lank in die warm water ontdooi met 'n drinkdingetjie in die hand, een van daardie wat Johan Bakkes so graag drink.

More wil ek tot in Colesberg ry (dankie vir die wenk Emil!), Woensdag tot in Welkom by Jacques en Estelle Roos, Donderdag Potch toe om my dierbare pa te gaan groet, Vrydag Naboom toe.

My hart is vanaand gelukkig.


Today was a day filled with many joys and blessings.

I got the KLR back without any scratch. I was a bit worried about the air transport.

During the course of the morning Emil Bosch and his son, also Emil, came to say hello. It was our first meeting. Since last year Emil was a regular visitor to the website. He often sent emails, asked about the KLR and bought himself one later. It was a privilege meeting him today. He is the kind of guy I could imagine to travel with across Africa as his attitude and priorities are right. Emil and his son are on photograph 1.

After the visit of Emil senior and junior I left for the offices of the Mooiloop travel magazine where I met Gerrit Rautenbach and his competent editorial staff. I had a wonderful lunch with Rezanne, Carie and Michelle. Rezanne, thank you so much for your support during the last four months!

The rain was pouring down and Rezanne thought it would be wise to stay the night in Cape Town. However, the call of the wide open road was stronger and I left Cape Town with the mountain covered in clouds and rain coming down ever stronger.

I was so privileged to meet so many wonderful people during my tour, from day 1 until now! Go well all of you!

It rained without end. The mountains were covered with heavy layers of clouds and thick fog made riding miserable. The rivers were in flood and waterfalls cascaded down the mountains. With such rain floodings will come to the poor people living in lower areas.

I froze on the KLR. Not even the miserable conditions could dampen myjoy to be riding again in Africa! This is my country, my continent. The scent of the Karoo shrubs mixed with the rain and soaken soil made me feel so welcome back in my Heimat! Every cold and wet kilometer was worth it!

I reached the turn-off to Matjiesfontein at dusk. Opposite the turn-off was the road to Sutherland, one of the coldest places in South Africa. I could feel the cold of Sutherland in my hands and wet feet.

I got a lovely warm room with a bath in the village. I had a long warm bath with something to drink next to me. It was my first bath since Cairo.

Tomorrow I want to ride to Colesberg, on Wednesday to Welkom to my friends Jacques and Estelle Roos, and on Thursday I am going to visit my father in Potchefstroom. On Friday I should be back in Naboom.

My feart is filled with happiness to be back in Africa again!