After a fantastic first day of riding 750Km we made it to Namibia. We rode away from Cape Town on a cold and cloudy winter morning and we rode so far that we are already sitting here on a warm Spring day. We rode through some of the most stunning scenery in Western and Northern Cape and into a sunset through the desert like hills that lead up to the border. We rode through the winding roads and through the passes, and we rode through the crests of the hills that were tinged with burnt ochre as the sun sank. Last night we camped under stars that were the brightest I'd ever seen, as though we were looking through the lens of the Hubble space telescope. It was enough to take your breath away.
The border was easy, no hassles and we reached our first camp on the banks of the Orange River at Noordoewer after dark, where today we’ll rest up and make sure the bikes are working fine, before heading off in the morning,
All the gear is working well and the bikes are purring. No major mishaps except I [Andy] developed an interesting way of horizontal parking in uneven parking lots. I may patent it as long as it comes with two guys to help you pick a heavy bike up. The KLR is really loaded and the centre of gravity has changed a bit. We didn’t have time to get any practice with all the gear strapped on, but it’s all a learning experience and I had it mostly worked out by the end of the day. The bike is a robust old beauty so there is nothing damaged except some pride and an easily fixable brake lever. Other than that it’s already been an amazing time.
As we rode I found myself singing at the top of my voice [ thanks for the awesome playlist Louise] and thanking God for this amazing journey. It really feels surreal to be here doing this and I feel so exceptionally privileged. I am so looking forward to sitting down and meeting all the fellow travellers and visiting the projects as we work our way North.
Internet is possible here but we may be quiet for a few days after we leave tomorrow. We'll post as we can so talk soon!
