Time is flying. For the first time I am ready to start up and go.
Our passports with visa were delivered to Naboom today. Full marks to Thuli from Swiftsure in Johannesburg who, for the third time, completed all our visa applications on time. That completed the planning for the trip. The rest will be dealt with during the trip, like the visa for Sudan and the ferry to Wadi Halfa.
Tomorrow morning, Friday, the aircraft that will fly the KLRs to Munich, arrives in Cape Town at 04:20. Tomorrow night this time the bikes will be in Munich.
Two years ago I left on my tour with over 90 kg of luggage, spares and tools. Now we may take only 20 kg per person on the flight to Germany. Packing will be so much easier.
When I was in Germany during March, one of the exchange pupils I met in Würzburg was placed with a family in Bela-Bela. We decided to meet for coffee while she was in South Africa. Last week I received an email from her to remind me. This afternoon I met Margarethe and her host mother, Mrs Bea Emslie, for coffee. Margarethe was in her element, enjoying South Africa, Bela-Bela, her wonderful host family and the local school. Watching and listening to her a sentence from The Alchemist kept on popping up in my head: Life is truly good to those who pursue their life destiny.
Margarethe is a brave young lady. May South Africa be good to her, as Africa was to me.
Margarethe, an exchange pupil from Germany, is on our long programme in South Africa
I believe that when we leave South Africa on Sunday more than R 26 000,00 will already be raised for Operation Smile. R 90 000.00 is what I am aiming for. If you have R 10 to spare, please donate that to support Operation Smile in the wonderful work they are doing. See http://www.naboom2germany.co.za for details.
4 990 minutes to go …
Africa, Europe, Russia / Siberia! Well done KLR! 