Independence day

Thar she blows! Humpback whales.
These Americans completley forgot that is was Independence Day for them... and for me as well.
I wonder who was more inquisitive?
Oy! That plane keeps buzzing us!
The Gentle Giants, Southern Right Whales.
Three abreast on the Starboard...
Gansbaai from the bay.
Back in harbour...
A very blurry squirrel... these were the most camera shy creatures of the whole day!
day 9 of 12 Days with Shrek

Goosing out the bay

The back of Helderberg mountain, in wine country...
Gansbaai harbour and a gull in perfect focus!
Kelp harvesters... how those boats do not sink beats me...
Shrek on the pier...
The bikers favourite roadsign = fun!

day 8 of 12 Days with Shrek

Cruising the Kloof's

08:30 and ready to roll...
halfway up...
and there is more ahead...
looking back...
more or less on the crest of the pass

Day 7 of 12 Days with Shrek

Mountain breezes

Kitted up and ready to roll again
Mountain view
KLR promo shot...
The other breed...

day 6 of 12 Days with Shrek

Wet, wet, wet

The front is here...
Getting some breakfast in Kleinmond
Wall of cloud rolling in over the mountains... this is gonna be wet!
Time to suit up and hope hope that the tires are also good in the wet.

Day 5 of 12 Days with Shrek

The Ferarri of Sorbet

I forgot the Camera! Set out for Hout Bay in the morning but by 10h30 I had to head back as fast as possible as I had to visit the dentist in Somerset West, found the N2 and kept to 120 all the way... made it with 10 minutes to spare! After sitting in the dentists chair with the best view I have ever had from the seat of torture I once again set out to visit the shop of a hundred flavours in Hout Bay and return via Chapmans Peak drive.
The Marinello's in Hout Bay make the best Sorbet south of Sicily. Period! And the Beast is feeling like a Ferrari as the engine loosens up...
I look back at this day with quite a bit of nostalgia... remembering the times when we used to sneak away from camp to "test the car" and go over Chapmans Peak to buy that heavenly Lichi sorbet... I hope I get to see H just to see if things are working out ok for her here were she has decided to start a new chapter in her life... just as I have in mine.
Day 4 of 12 Days with Shrek

Four passes and a bay

Some pics so long...
My temporary plates... picture taken just in case they tear off in the breeze...
Seems like this happened the night before, as there were no rubber marks on the tar I suspect that this may have been a black frost vitim. There is a lot of snow on the peaks.
We came from down there... super twisties!
Breakfast in Franschoek.
That is what life is all about, a bike, a beautifull setting and good food.
Several hours later and in Gordons Bay harbour...
The Naval College emblem on the mountain above Gordons Bay.
The precursors of the front over Cape Point on the horizon.
Another KLR Promo Picture. The point in the backround is back towards Gordons Bay... this road is awesome!
Looking up the mountain... no baboons today, just crazy bikers...

Day 3 of 12 Days with Shrek

From Zero to Heroes

Sunrise over Somerset West... 08h30! decided to take some pictures while waiting for Chris to play taxi for me. I see why it is called The Helderberg...
The early ladybird catches the aphid...
The HQ of my support team while staying here in the Cape.
The recent snow still on the Hottentots Holland mountains and it is cold... 12h00 and I am on my way to the mall to find an Internet Cafe, lunch and some distraction while the bike gets prepped by Justin and his team in the workshop. More about these great guys later...
People amaze me lately, is my enthusiasm so infectious? Diane at Sunglass World gave me a bag for my glasses after I explained what I was looking for and doing here... I mean she GAVE it to me while I wanted to pay. Bless them. I hope I can retain this positive outlook back at after the holidays.
Graham Phoned at 13h40 to say the bike is ready... I go all sweaty palmed and clammy skinned, this is like the first time on the KB360... At 14h00 I climb on the bike, get my feet secure and start it... The sound of pure pleasure but I was shaking, first took it for a spin around the parking, fortunately not many cars that side. It was AWESOME... then I went to fill the tank for the first time. 20.5 litres later and I am on my way to find the workshop in Victoria Road, to thank them and get a feel of the bike.
Made a date for the first service at 1000k and decided to do Sir Lowreys pass and then come back... ended up in Caledon! 169 kilos later I was back at the shop, picked some more kit, thermal underwear amongst others. That first ride got a tad chilly on the way back.
Then I headed back to Spook and Erica's place and got lost in the dark! Erica gave me direction from the Thai Food Restaurant and I found their place from there... that put another 20 odd kilos on so I was not worried... then they invited me for supper, a fitting end to a wonderful day filled with wonderful people.

Day 2 of 12 Days with Shrek

Sub-Sun's or Who needs luggage...

when flying with Mango... looking back at the day all I can see is the humour and beauty of the day. Boarded and ready to go... sans luggage...
M got me to the airport on time, I checked in and said "There... that's my luggage booked in, now it's your problem"... and Murphy smirked an evil smirk! I will let the reader use their imagination what happened when I got to Cape Town... it was not pretty. But I digress...

The flight was awesome, some say it was bumpy but they have never flown in a single engine plane coming in for a landing at Marydale in the Northern Cape... that is bumpy!

The clouds were awesome and as we took of the Captain mentioned that it had started snowing in Bloem Zoo! and that it was 2degrees C... We almost had wall to wall cloud all the way, some breaks in the cloud gave us amazing sights. This was at 13:00 as we passed over Van der Kloof Dam.
Van der Kloof dam as a pool of quicksilver.
There were even more amazing things to be seen as we winged our way over the seemingly endless sea of clouds...
Sub-Sun on the starboard... an APOD picture!
banking to Port for Cape Town approach...
Braking with reverse thrust after touchdown...

Table Mountain through the window after being reunited with my bags...
Thanks Chris
The Green won my heart...
After selecting some kit and a top box with the help of Jan, Graham and gang opened up a celebratory beer to toast the Beast, then Chris dropped me off at my digs at Spook and Erica... the most delightfull hosts a tired traveler could wish for. Thanks guys! The bike would be prepped next morning and Graham would get the paperwork done so that we could get out on the highway...
So off to bed it was to dream of things to come... but I first read the first chapter of Charlie Boorman's Race to Dakar... The book on the bedside table, inpiring me to keep working on my 2T2 dream. He and Ewan McGregor are busy with the Long Way Down, riding from John O'Groats to Cape Town... Dream Big Guys!
"The scientific theory I like best is that the rings of Saturn are composed entirely of lost airline luggage."
Mark Russell (1932 - )
Day 1 of 12 Days with Shrek