Berskermengeltjies

Elke reisiger het ‘n beskermengel nodig. Ek het ten minste drie nodig.

Ek het twee skandes op my reis beleef waarvan ek julle nog nie vertel het.

Die dag toe ek geland het in Duitsland aan die begin van my reis, is ek met ‘n taxi van Frankfurt lughawe na my vriende toe. In die bagasiebak van die taxi was al my sakke. Ek het my klein rugsakkie met al my geld en motorfietsdokumente en paspoort op die agterste sitplek neergesit, en ek het regs voor langs die taxibestuurder gesit. By my vriende het die taxibestuurder flink alles uit die bak gelaai en vertrek. Binne het my vriende met ‘n groot ontbyt op my gewag.

Ons was al klaar met ontbyt toe Rosi by die kombuisvenster uitkyk en verbaas noem dat dit daar ‘n man is wat baie na die taxibestuurder gelyk het. Dit was hy. In sy hand was my rusgsak met alles wat vir my belangrik was! Hy was al by die volgende stadjie toe hy die rugsak op die agterste sitplek gesien het! Ek het nie eers agtergekom dat ek nie die rugsak geneem het nie! Ek het niks van die taximan gehad nie, nie ‘n naam of nommer nie.

Was hy, uitlander, nie so eerlik nie, was my reis se einde daar nog voor dit begin het! Ek sê dankie Boontoe vir sy eerlikheid!

Tweede geval: Gister het ek my paspoort met Soedanvisum in Luxor vergeet.

Ek en die man in die hotelletjie was sommer van oomblik 1 af haaks met mekaar. Uit pure moedswilligheid wou hy nie net ‘n kopie van my paspoort maak nie, hy wou dit sommer hou tot ek ry.

Gisteroggend het ek my sleutels afgegee en in my haas om weg te kom, het ek nie eers weer aan die paspoort gedink nie. Ek verstaan nou die glimlag op sy gesig. Hy het geweet …

Na bloedige ure in die son op die fiets het ek in Aswan aangekom. Toe ek stilhou, het ek dadelik geweet: My paspoort! Die plekkie waar ek die vorige twee jaar in Aswan gebly het, het ‘n bestuurder wat ‘n tipiese Egiptenaar is. Hy kan op Egiptiese wyse organiseer.

Hy was bly om my te sien. Toe hy van die probleem hoor, het hy net gesê “Don’t worry, I’ll get the passport for you.” Ek het nie die naam van die plekkie gehad nie maar hom ‘n foto gewys waar my fiets voor die plek gestaan het. Toe het hy aan die werk gespring.

Gisteraand tienuur het hy my my paspoort in die hand gedruk. Tot ek dit gekry het, het vier verskillende mense in vier verskillende voertuie oor die mal Egiptiese nagpaaie my paspoort tot in Aswan gebring.

Dankie aan almal wat my teen myself op my ver paaie beskerm!

Tot volgende Dinsdag is Aswan se maksimum temperatuur 48⁰C!

English

Every traveller needs a guardian angel. I need at least three.

Two mishaps happened until now, about which I haven’t told you anything.

On my arrival in Germany at the start of this tour I took a taxi to the home of my friends. The taxi driver put all my huge bags in the boot of his car. I put my backpack on the back seat of the car and got into the car next to the driver. In it were my money, passport and all the documents of the KLR.

At my friends’ home we got the luggage from the boot and the driver left. Inside Gunther and Rosi were waiting with a big breakfast on me. After breakfast Rosi looked out of the window and saw a man that looked like the taxi driver. It was indeed the driver. In his hand he had my backpack! He was already at the next city when he saw it and turned back to bring back it to me! I never realised that I had left it in the taxi. I didn’t even have his name of a telephone number if I had discovered it!

If the taxi driver, an immigrant, wasn’t so honest my trip could have been over even before it could start! I looked up to the heaven and smiled. Someone was watching over me.

The second case: Yesterday I forgot my passport with Sudanese visa in Luxor as I left for Aswan.

On my arrival in Luxor on Wednesday night the gent at the reception of the small hotel and I were not on speaking terms from the first second. He demanded to keep my passport and not only make a copy as he was supposed to do. Yesterday morning I checked out and left. Now I understand his broad smile. He knew he would see me again …

As I stopped in Aswan I suddenly realised: My passport! I went to the small place where I stayed the previous two years. The manager there is a typical Egyptian that can organize. He listened to my problem, smiled and told me not to worry, he would get my passport back.

I didn’t even know what the name of the place was where I stayed in Luxor. I showed him a photograph of the KLR in front of the place, and then he started working. Last night at ten he handed me my passport! Until then four different people handled and carried my passport in four different vehicles over the mad Egyptian road at night to Aswan. Amazing!

Thanks to all those who protect me against myself!

Until next Tuesday the daytime temperature of Aswan is 48 ⁰C!