My laaste Sondag by die huis

(English below)

 

Volgende Sondag het ek vir die eerste keer in my tentjie op toer wakker geword, weg van die vertroude gemak van my huis en stoep en eie badkamer.

 

More het ek my laaste To do om te doen: My afspraak by die haarkapper vir 'n lekker kort haarsny.

 

Gister het ons die laaste noodsaaklike plakkers op die tasse en fiets geplak. Dis drie noodplakkers in geval van 'n ongeluk: Wie moet gekontak word, kontaknommer, versekering, kontakbesonderhede, polisnommer. Dis soos met 'n vliegtuig. Al die dubbele veiligheidsmaatreels moet juis sorg dat niks gebeur nie.

 

Vanoggend is my oud-bure saam kerk toe. Na die kerk op my stoep bied oud-buurvrou toe aan om vir my padkos vir die eerste aand op toer te maak: Heerlike soggy tamatietoebroodjies (ek vrek oor dit!), hardgekookte eiers, paar stukkies boerewors, miskien nog so 'n paar snytjies beestong ook. As kinders het ons min met ons ouers op vakansie gegaan sonder regte padkos in die motor. Geen behoorlike reis kon sonder so iets aangepak word nie . . .

 

Ek proe reeds die lekkerte van Saterdagaand langs my fiets sit, op een van die sytasse my tafel gedek. My lang vakansie het begin!

 

Al die laaste klein dingetjies het ek die naweek klaargemaak: Laaste musiek op my Ipod gelaai; Kleurafskrifte van al die visums gemaak en gelamineer; Die kaarte tot en met die laaste Kenia-skof op die GPS gelaai. Woensdag pak ek my fiets, Vrydag vroeg kom my Vrystaatvriende, Jacques en Estelle Roos, kuier. Die begin van 'n daglange kuier voor baie maande se stilte.

 

Op die twee foto's is die noodplakker en een van Duitse vriende: Ry nie vinniger as wat jou beskermengel kan vlieg nie.

 

5 dae 14 ure 55 minute!

 

 

 

Next Sunday I will wake up in my small tent for the first time on tour, away from everything that is so familiar to me: My house, my bed, my stoep and own bathroom.

 

Tomorrow the last To do item on my list disappears. At nine I am going to get a decent haircut.

 

Yesterday we put on three emergency stickers on my bike and panniers. It is important that, in case of an accident, people have to know whom they have to contact, my insurance company, their contact number, my policy number. It is like with aircraft: All the security measures are in place only to avoid any crisis.

 

This morning my ex-neighbors went with to church. After the service, while sitting on my stoep, the lady offered to make me some padkos for the first night on tour: Soggy tomato sandwiches (I just love it!), hard-boiled eggs, a few pieces of boerewors, perhaps even a few slices of tongue. As children we never left home on long vacations without padkos. It just belonged to a holiday, like blue to Loftus.

 

I already can taste the padkos, laid out on one of the side panniers. My long holiday has started!

 

During the weekend I completed the last chores. I uploaded the last music onto my Ipod, made colour copies of all the visas, laminated it, I uploaded all the maps up to the Ethiopian border onto my GPS. On Wednesday I am going to pack my bike. On Friday my friends from the Free State, Jacques and Estelle Roos, will be here quite early.

 

On the two photographs are the emergency sticker and one I've received from German friends: Don't drive faster than your guardian angel can fly.

 

5 days 14 hours 55 minutes!

Vroegoggend op pad met die KLR

(English below)

 

Ek het vanoggend vyfuur met die KLR die pad gevat Pretoria toe. Die Doohickey moes vervang word. Julle wat gereeld hier lees, sal weet wat dit is.

 

Dit was nog donker toe ek by die huis weg is. Vroegoggende is die reuk van die bos vir my baie meer intensief. Vanoggend was ek gelukkig en het ek 'n pragtige koedoebul langs die pad gesien. 'n Gewone Sondagmiddagrit by ons verander baie vinnig in 'n "game drive" met die getal wild wat 'n mens langs die pad op plase en reservate sien.

 

'n Vriendin van my wat nou in England woon, het een keer selfs 'n trop leeus gekry by Entabeni wat langs die draad aan 'n wildebees gelê en vreet het.

 

Een week en twee dae voor ek Afrika invaar. Wat 'n fees van kleur en geur smaak wag daar op my! Ek sien uit na my eerste beker tee op pad waar my fiets, soos op die foto hierbo, langs die pad onder 'n groot boom gaan staan. Vrede in Afrika, nog groter vrede in my hart.

 

Ek het die foto vanoggend geneem. As jy op dit kliek, kry jy die groter foto.

 

 

 

I left home this morning at five. I had to take the KLR to Pretoria to replace the Doohickey. You all know what a doohickey is?

 

It was still dark. Early morning in the bushveld the typical "smell" of the bush is more intense than at any other time of the day. I was lucky and saw a beautiful kudu bull next to the road. It happens often that a normal Sunday afternoon ride turns into a game drive with all the game that roam the farms and reserves of our area.

 

A friend of mine that lives in England now once saw a pride of lions next to the Entabeni fence, feasting on a wildebeest carcass.

 

One week and two days before I leave on the tour. It is going to be a festival of colors and tastes and odors awaiting me! I look forward to my first mug of tea under a big shade tree next to the road. Look again at the photograph above. Can you picture me sitting next to my bike with my tea? Peace and harmony in Africa, even more in me.

 

I took the photograph this morning. If you click on the photograph you will get the normal size photograph.

A compliment to Thuli

Thuli is a lady working at Swiftline Couriers in the visa section.

Thuli supplied me with all the necessary visa application forms, all the requirements of the different embassies, she took responsibility for all my visa applications.

Today I received back my passport from her. All the visas were granted.

Thuli, you are a real asset to Swiftline. Not only the way you kept me updated on the progress of the applications, your professionalism in all your dealings impressed me.

Thank you so much!

If you would like Thuli to do your visa applications call her at 011 327 1322.

Vandag was goed vir my.

(English below)

Met nog 9 dae en 'n klompie ure oor het vandag uitgedraai in 'n wonderlike dag.

Heel eerste het kollega Lize laat weet my paspoort is by die kantoor afgelewer. Alle visums is binne. Thule, dankie dankie dankie!!!

Toe was ek by my ou skoolvriend Krap Venter in Pretoria. Krap borg vir my honderd munte sodat ek by elke petrolpunt een kan afgee.

Na die muntstukke kom toe die volgende geskenke:

'n Seiltjie pasgemaak vir my fiets met my naam en Naboom2Germany op. Onder die seiltjie kan ek in die woestyn skuiling kry as die son my wil doodbrand. Met die seiltjie was nog 'n saggebreide springbokvelletjie. Op die velletjie kan ek altyd my rekenaar en satelietterminaal neersit as ek gou die webblad wil opdateer.

Ek het Krap belowe ek sal spesiaal 'n foto op die Dagboek sit met my fiets in die sand, die seiltjie langsaan gespan, en langs dit die springbokvel met rekenaar op.

Ek staan weer eens stom voor al die goedgesindheid van so baie vriende.

Terwyl ek by Krap is, bel Greg van Lynnwood Jetline. Greg gaan vir my honderd en vyftig Naboom2Germany plakkers borg wat ek langs die pad kan uitdeel. Greg, baie dankie!

Toe ek van Krap wegry, lui my selfoon. Dit was Hannelie Visser. Daar en dan word my wens van gister toe waar: Ek het Jean en Hannelie Visser en hul twee seuns JP en Wilhelm ontmoet. Ek sien uit na ons weersiens die een of ander tyd baie ver van hier af. Hamba Kahle my vriende, julle pad is lank.!

Die sirkel kom nader aan voltooiing.

With only 9 days left today turned out to be one of those magical days.

First of all my colleague Lize sent me an sms: My passport with all the visa had been delivered to our office. Thule, thank you thank you thank you!!

After that I went to see my old school mate Krap Venter. Krap sponsored 100 coins. At each petrol filling station where I am going to fill up I have to give a coin to the attendant.

Then he gave me a specially made piece of canvass (2m x 2.2m) with my name and Naboom2Germany printed on it. With that came a springbuck hide, prepared and soft, ready for the trip. I have to use the canvass to make a hide next to the bike when I am in the desert. On the springbuck hide I can put the laptop and satellite terminal when I do the website update.


What can one say about the goodwill of so many good friends?


While I was at Krap's place my cell phone rang. It was Greg from Lynnwood Jetline. He was going to sponsor me 150 Naboom2Germany stickers that I can hand out during the trip. Greg, thank you so much!


On leaving Krap my phone rang again. It was Hannelie Visser. There and then my wish of yesterday was fulfilled. I met Jean and Hannelie Visser and their sons JP and Wilhelm. I look forward to our meeting somewhere in Africa. Hambe Kahle my friends, you have a long road ahead of you.


The circle is closing.

Die mense agter die name

(English below)

 

As 'n mens 'n reis beplan, ontmoet jy baie mense. Ontmoet is miskien nie die regte woord nie want jy leer die mense ken sonder om hulle enigsins in persoon te ontmoet.

 

Jean en Hannelie Visser is twee sulke mense. Ek hoop werklik dat ons paaie êrens in Afrika gaan kruis. Kan julle jul dit voorstel hoe ons gaan gesels (veral ek!) as mens mekaar duisende kilometers van Suid-Afrika raakloop? Jean en Hannelie vertrek met hul twee seuns op 'n jaarlange toer om Afrika, en in Europa in, einde Maart.

 

Twee ander mene wat vir lank, byna 'n jaar lank, net name vir my was, het ek vandag ontmoet. Gerrit Rautenbach is redakteur van die Wegbreek en Rezanne Wessels subredakteur. Die twee is gesoute reisigers wat al ver paaie afgelê het. Gerrit kan vir jou met smaak vertel wat pampoer is en hoe dit gemaak word. Rezanne is 'n borrelende,energieke mens wie se reiservarings om baie kampvure vertel kan word. (Dit is mos onmootlik dat 'n reistydskrif deur net leuenstoelreisigers gelei kan word)

 

Gerrit en Rezanne is die twee mense op die foto hierbo.

 

 

 

If you plan a long journey one meets many interesting people during the planning phase. Perhaps it is wrong to use the word "meet" because one knows those people without having met them personally.

 

Jean and Hannelie Visser are two of those people that I would love to meet. I firmly believe that that will happen, probably many thousands of kilometers away from South Africa. Can you imagine when that happens how we (especially me!) will chat without end? Jean and Hannelie leave on a year long journey around Africa and into Europe end of March.

 

Two other people that I knew since nearly a year without having met them, are Gerrit Rautenbach, editor of the Wegbreek travel magazine, and Rezanne Wessels, sub-editor. This morning I had the privilege of meeting both of them. They are seasoned travellers. If you would like to know what pampoer is, Gerrit can tell you. Rezanne is a sparkling, energetic lady whose travel adventures can fill many evenings around a camp fire. They lead by example in the Wegbreek camp.

 

Gerrit and Rezanne are the two people on the photograph above.

So lyk die Naboom2Germany t-hemde

Klein Leané Cronjé met haar Naboom2Germany T-hemp. Haar pa Johannes het vir my die foto gestuur.

Vir wie moet ek dankie sê? Marius Venter!

(English below)

Hierdie is die eerste toets waar ek die webblad opdateer deur middel van die sateliet terminaal wat Marius Venter van Interexcel tot my beskikking gestel het. Dit werk!!

Marius, baie baie dankie! Danksy jou groothartigheid gaan dit moontlik wees om baie gereeld die webblad op datum te bring!


This is the first test of the satelite terminal that Marius Venter of Interexcel provided me for the tour. And as you can see, it worked!

Marius, thank you so much! Due to you kind heart the many readers of Naboom2Germany will be able to read updates of my tour very often!