Suid-Tanzanië

(English below)

Goeie middag!

Tanzanië bly vir my persoonlik een van die mooiste lande om in te reis. Die natuurskoon is werklik besonders met iets vir elke smaak.

Die internet is skaar en duur! Ek gaan probeer om in Malawi weer foto’s op te sit.

Ek is Woensdag vroeg van my stukkie paradys aarde weg. Toe ek uit my tentjie gekruip het, kon ek nie my oë glo nie. Naby my tent was nog ‘n tent en ‘n motor geparkeer. Hulle het die nag so sag ingekom en tent opgeslaan dat ek niks gehoor het nie.

Die motor het die doel van die reis duidelik gemaak. Dit was Keniane wat vir die sokker in Suid-Afrika was. Op die enjinkap was die kaart van Suid-Afrika met al die stadions aangedui. Mense het reg oor die kaart baie boodskappe vir hulle geskryf.

Voor ek kon ry, was al vier uit die tentjie, twee mans en twee vroue. Professionele mense. Een was ‘n fotograaf, die een vrou ‘n filmmmaker.

Ons het lekker gesels en ‘n klomp foto’s van mekaar en met mekaar geneem. Toe ek wou ry, het die een man gevra dat ons eers ‘n kringetjie moes maak. Almal het hande geneem en hy het baie mooi vir my en hul reis gebid. Naomi, Catheleen, Mwangi en Mjomba, julle het weereens vir my gewys hoekom reis in Afrika so besonders is.

Woensdagaand het ek in Morogoro geslaap, ‘n dorp wat my baie aan Stellenbosch met die berge herinner. Ek het die aand lank na ‘n klein orkessie se musiek gesit en luister.

Donderdag het my langs reis wes begin. Ek was feitlik aan die ooskus van Afrika en wil in Augustus deur Namakwaland aan die weskus Kaap toe ry voor ek noordoos Naboomspruit toe draai. Die roete was, soos die vorige dag, feitlik nooit gelyk en reguit nie, ‘n regte paradys vir ‘n motorfietsryer.

Ek het deur die Mkumi Nasionale Park gery. Die keer was ek nie so gelukkig nie en het geen olifante gesien nie. Ek het net ‘n paar troppe kameelperde, sebras en rooibokke gesien.

Na die nasionale park het dit bergagtig geword met baie padwerke oor ‘n lang afstand. ‘n Motorfietsryer het dit eenvoudig net beter en ek het langs al die vragmotors en busse verby gery.

Donderdagaand het ek 51 km suidwes van Iringa by die Old
Farmhouse oornag. Hul aandetes is nog steeds legendaries. Dit was regtig ‘n mooi aand daar met etlike Hollanders en Belge wat daar oornag het. Daar was nog een motorfietsryer, op ‘n KLR!

Ek het by my klein paradysie ‘n hele ronde peperkaas van ‘n klooster in die berge van Noord-Tanzanië persent gekry. Ek het dit in ‘n lappie toegedraai en gebêre. Donderlaatmiddag by die Farmhouse ‘n kraf rooiwyn gekoop en met my Leatherman die kaas opgesny en skerp kaas en rooiwyn geëet en gedrink. Wat noem mens die vrede laatmiddag in die bos met rooiwyn en kaas? Lewenskwaliteit?

Vrydagoggend is ek verder wes. Daar is vir my niks mooier as die winter Afrikabos nie. Vroegoggend was dit koud en moes ek my reënbaadjie aantrek om die koue uit te hou. Later het die sonnetjie uitgekom en elke keer as ek ‘n klompie hutte gesien het, was die versoeking groot om saam met die mense teen die muur in die flou sonnetjie te gaan sit. Ek kon selfs die houtvuurtjie se rokie op die fiets ruik.

Met die groot vrede in my het die KLR sy deel gedoen en moeiteloos berg op en berg af gery, glad en egalig soos ‘n splinternuwe fiets. Voor ek in Suid-Afrika gaan aankom, gaan die KLR na 60 000 km oorslaan. (Nee, Kawasaki borg my nie 🙂

Net suid van Mbeya het ‘n klomp 4×4’s van Suid-Afrika, meestal met GP-nommerplate, van voor gekom. Ek het ligte geflikker en gewaai en gegroet. Nie een enkele mens het ‘n hand gelig nie. Ek het stil vir elkeen ‘n verkeersboete toegewens maar dit toe later teruggeneem. Dis nie hulle skuld dat hulle aan die eiland-groep-sindroom ly nie :-))

Na die voertuie verby my is, het ek bergaf gery, 6 km van draaie en nogmaals draaie. Die groen was gróén, piesangbome, teeplantasies, aartappelvelde. Die rooi tamaties en pers uie wat langs die pad verkoop word, het die kleurvolle prentjie afgerond.

Ek het nou by vir my ‘n nuwe plekkie gestop en my motorfiets in die skadu staangemaak. Klipharde Afrikamusiek weergalm deur die piesangbome en nog harder stemme probeer mekaar in volume oortref.

Ek het gisteraand by die Old Farmhouse weer gesien hoe perspektiewe verskil. Mense wil graag hoor hoe sleg en gevaarlik Afrika en reise in Afrika is. Ek noem dit die koeranteffek. Goeie nuus is geen nuus. Ek dink ek moet in die toekoms kunsbloed oor my fiets uitgooi en ‘n plastiese skedel op my bagasie vasmaak.

Wat die fondsinsameling betref, ek gaan binnekort goeie nuus hê oor ‘n mooi skenking. Ons marsjeer voort na ons doelwit! Manne, dames, asb., ons kort nog R 10 note. Gaan na http://www.naboom2germany.co.za en kry al die besonderhede daar as julle ‘n R 10 wil skenk.

Soos die vier Keniane vir my Woensdagoggend goed was, gaan ons vir baie kinders iets permanents gee: Die herstel van hul menswaardigheid!

Groete uit my geliefde Afrika!

PS Vergewe enige spelfout, ek moet jaag om klaar te maak voor die battery van die rekenaar leeg is!

English

Good afternoon!

Tanzania stays top on my list of favourite travel destinations. Its striking beauty and peaceful people makes it an ideal travel country.

I am not going to upload any photographs now. The internet is very expensive. I will try over the weekend in malawi to upload a few of the last few days.

On Wednesday morning I left my piece of paradise. As I got out of my little tent I got a surprise. Close to my tent was another tent pitched and a car was standing next to it. They were so quiet I didn’t hear anything.

The stickers on the car made the purpose of their trip clear. They were for the world cup in South Africa. On the bonnet of the car was a map of South Africa with all the stadiums indicated on it. Many messages were written all over the map, wishing them well with their journey.

Before I left four people got out of the tent, two ladies and two gents. They were professional people. One is a photographer and one owns a film company.

We had a lovely chat and took photographs of each other and with each other. I was about to get on my bike when the one asked if we first could pray together. We took hands and the one gent did a beautiful prayer which really touched my heart. Naomi, Catheleen, Mwangi en Mjomba, you were once again the living proof why I love my continent and its people so dearly.

Wednesday night I spent the night in Morogoro, a twon that reminds me so much of Stellenbosch and the mountains. That evening a small band was playing and I went to listen to the music.

At that stage I was quite close to the east coast of Africa. On Thursday I turned west on my long journey to reach the west coast of South Africa and travel through Namaqualand down to Cape Town before turning northeast back to Naboomspruit. The riding was a pleasure with the road nearly never straight or flat. It was a motorbike rider’s dream.

I travelled through the Mkumi National Park. This time I was not so lucky to see elephants. However, I saw herds of giraffe, zebra and impala.

The road became increasingly mountaineous after the national park. Road works made the riding challenging. The advantage of being on a motorbike was that I could pass all those trucks and busses on the shoulder of the road.

On Thursday night I spent the night 51 km south west of Iringa at the Old Farmhouse. Their dinners deserve their good reputation. There were a good number of tourists, mainly Dutch and Belgians. There was onother biker, again on a KLR!

At my little paradise earlier the week I got a round pepper cheese, made high up in the mountains at a monastery as a gift from the old gent. I wrapped it in a clean cloth and saved it for a special occassion. That occassion came at the Old Farmhouse. I ordered red wine. With my Leatherman I cut off a few slices, sipped some wine and had cheese with it. What does one call the peace in your heart on a late winter afternoon in the African bush when you are enjoying red wine and cheese? Perhaps an indication of real life quality?

On Friday morning I continued west. To me the most beautiful is the African bush and its colour during winter. Early morning it was quite chilly and I had to put on my rain jacket to isolate myself better against the chilly wind. Later the sun managed to break through the clouds. Each time I saw a groups of huts I felt the urge to join the people who sat against the walls of their huts in the winter sun. Riding through the villages I enjoyed the smell of the many wood fires.

I enjoyed travelling, and reason for that was not only the African continent and its people, it was also the pleasure of travelling with the KLR. What a smooth bike! It rode up and down mountains and through deserts without missing a beat. Before I get to South Africa it will have 60 000 km on the clock. (No, Kawasaki is not sponsoring me 🙂

South of Mbeya a convoy of South African 4×4’s came from the front. I flickered my light, waved and greeted with a raised hand, but they passed me without a single hand raised in greeting. Silently I wished each one of them a traffic fine. Later I smiled and took it back. It is not their fault if they are prisoners in their secure travel environment. :-))

After the convoy had passed I rode down a mountain, 6 km of pure bliss, a good road and many curves. The green was a vibrant, lively green: Banana plantations, tea plantations, green potatoe fields. The red tomatoes and purple onions sold along the road completed the colourful picture.

I discovered a new spot where I would love to spend the night. So I parked the KLR in the shade, and that is where I am sitting now and typing. Loud music echoes through the banana plantations with even louder human voices battling to hear itself.

Last night I realised again what people want to hear about travel in Africa. It is boring if one never has been arrested or robbed. They need the newspaper effect. Good news no news. I have to spill some artificial blood over my bike and make a few holes through the fairing, so-called bullet holes. That would satisfy the newspaper effect.

Regarding the fund raising, I believe I will soon have some good news on another big donation. We are marching on towards our
goal! Ladies and gents, we need R 10 notes! If you want to donate (or some of your friends) go to my website http://www.naboom2germany.co.za (.) There you will find all the details.

Like the four Kenians who put a huge smile on my face on Wednesday morning we are going to put a permanent smile on the faces of those children who are going to benefit from this effort.

Regards from my beloved Africa!

PS Please forgive any spelling mistakes. I had to rush before the battery of the laptop is empty.