Headed West

We set a soft pace leaving in the morning and soon wished we hadn’t. Just as we were passing through town we stopped for a bite and the rear tire felt soft. I checked the tire pressure and, poof, the valve stem broke off. My guardian angel was close by, that’s for certain. I gave Eric a call since we were still in town and as fast as I could get the tire off the bike, someone was there to pick it up, on a scooter. The guy took the tire to the shop, replaced the valve stem, and we were back on the road in less than an hour. Fantastic!

Our destination for the next couple nights was a cool place called the Woodlands. It had recently been purchased by Matthew, a Brit, who’s parents had lived in town for 17 years. He was in the process of updating everything. The bar and restaurant area was just what we wanted. The Goat Shed Bistro and Pub had a rustic charm, like it was deep in the bush, waiting for a wild animal to appear. The only animals were a couple dogs, a cat and a couple cool Israeli guys, out on the prowl for a month, looking for a good vibe and headed to Capetown.

Our little cabin was just right for a couple days of just chilling. The next day, Kinga Tanajewska, from On Her Bike showed up. We saw her last summer in Germany, and now here. The night was spent talking about places, routes and people. As the beer kept coming, the conversation progressed to what will be our next tracks. Kinga is coming to North America! I know she will love the overlanding community as much as we love her.

We are waiting on tires and a couple bike parts in Capetown so we will hopefully time our arrival just right. But until then, we will just keep explore the south African coast and Garden Route. Yellow Fever is a real thing in many parts of the world, so our jabs were scheduled in a clinic in Port Elizabeth. The nurse doing the jabbing was super, even advising us on when to start the Maleria meds based on where we going. The next stop was a surfing hostel on Jeffrey’s Bay, the Island Vibe. This area is well known internationally for consistently good waves. It was a great place with fantastic 180 degree views from a cliff above the beach, looking out at the surf break. Charmaine checked us in and was fun where ever we saw her. A real fan of Hollywood.

We camped the next couple nights on a river, but the place just wasn’t right for us. The days were UV 12, without much shade, but breazy. The first night there, as we were cooking dinner, we heard a scream. Looking across the river were a group of baboons, lazily walking along the river. One was like the drunk at the bar on Friday night, fists up, just wanting a fight. Another just ignored him as he was inly interested in throwing rocks in the river.

The next morning we rode into Knysna, to tour the Motorcycle Room. This place is the top floor of a parking garage and the owner has over 150 motorcycles on display. As we looked at the bikes, a couple guys working there went out of their way to talk about the bikes and the history of the museum. On display was a KTM from an African adventure, traveler Noraly, from “Itchy Boots”, Honda from her Africa ride, a signed GS from Charley Boorman, and many other bikes.

Next up? Finding Angie’s G Spot, Black Mambas and Bees.

Safe Adventures,

2WANDRRs