Operation Smile in aksie!

(English below)

Naand uit ‘n koue Grünau in Namibie (deelteken werk al weer nie)!

Laatmiddag so ‘n halfuur noord van Grünau het die wind skielik van wes na suid gedraai, en dadelik kon ek voel hoe dit kouer word. Dis miskien die koue front uit die suide wat nou aangekom het.

Ek is eers laatoggend van die Blankestijn’s se plaas naby Mariental weg. Ons het eers nog ‘n reuse ontbyt gehad wat my vir die res van die dag nie na kos laat verlang het nie. Hul gasvryheid was legendaries (ek hou van die woord). Ek het hul 22 jaar laas gesien, en ons het gekuier asof niks tussen in gebeur het nie.

Hennie en Jaco se herstelwerk aan die linkertas van die fiets was skitterend. Daardie tas sit nou beter as ooit vantevore.

Op pad suide toe het ek in die Namadorpie Tses vir ‘n koeldrank gestop. Die dorpie se naambord (sien foto) het my laat stop om dit af te neem. En toe, binne in die Algemene Handelaar, ‘n plakaat van Operation Smile! Toe het ek skielik weer besef hoe belangrik elke donasie is!

Onthou, as jy kan, ‘n R 10 donasie aan Op Smile, asseblief. En as jy naby aan Johannesburg woon, kontak Riana de Villiers om te hoor of daar nog plek beskikbaar by ons afsluitingsete is op 18 September 2010.

Ek ry al hoe stadiger, nie omdat ek of die KLR vodde is nie, ek rek elke minuut van lekkerte van twee minute toe. Die laaste twee weke se ry gaan opwindend wees. Gaan ek oormore blomme by Garies kry? Dit gaan om R 20 000!

Onthou om op die klein foto’tjie te kliek as jy dit groot wil sien.

Lekker aand!

Dis die stukkie water in die Visrivier wat my so laat val het / It is this short stretch of water in the Fish River that caused my crash on Thursday.

Ons het Saterdag Magda en Marinus Blankestijn se 45ste herdenking van hul huweliksdag gevier / On Saturday we celebrated the 45th anniversary of the wedding day of Magda and Marinus Blankestijn.

Hennie maak die brooddeeg aan, 'n man tuis in die kombuis en met gereedskap in sy hande in sy werkswinkel / Hennie is making the bread dough, a man at home in the kitchen and with spanners in his work shop.

Alna maak die lemoene wat in die lewergereg moes kom, gereed / Alna prepares the oranges that were ingredients for the meal (liver) that we were going to have.

Marnus boelie eers sy oupa / Marnus enjoyed bullying his grandfather.

Toe ek Tses inry en ek sien die bordjie, moes ek dit eers afneem / As I rode into Tses and I saw this welcome greeting I first had to stop and take a photograph.

Toe, in 'n winkel, sien ek die plakaat van Operation Smile / Then I saw in a shop this poster of Operation Smile.

English

Good evening from a cold Grünau in Namibia!

This afternoon half an hour north of Grünau the wind suddenly changed its direction and started blowing from the south. Immediately I could feel that it was a cold wind. Probably it is the cold front from South Africa moving this way.

I left the farm of the Blankestijn’s near Mariental quite late this morning. We first had a huge Namibian breakfast. I enjoyed my visit to them so much. It was my first visit in 22 years! It was as if there were no lost years in between.

Hennie and his son Jaco did an excellent repair job on the left pannier of the KLR. I get the feeling the lock is stronger than before.

While riding south and trying the digest the huge breakfast I stopped in the Nama town of Tses. On entering the town I saw the shield at the entrance of the town (see photograph). The word “smile” let me stop immediately to take a photograph of it. Then, in the general Dealer, I saw the poster of Operation Smile. Immediately I realised again how important all those donations are.

If you can afford it, please do a R 10 donation to Operation Smile. If you are living close to Johannesburg, give Riana de Villiers a call and ask whether there is still a place available for you for the final closing dinner on Saturday 18 September.

My riding is getting slower day after day. No, it is neither the KLR nor me that couldn’t go any faster. I am stretching every minute as much as I can. The last two weeks are going to be exciting. Will I find any wild flowers at Garies to take a photo of? It is all about R 20 000!

Remember to click on a thumbnail if you want to see the picture larger.

Enjoy your evening!