Sunday, June 6, 2004
This morning we went to the church in the cave again. After church
we drove through Clarens where a bike club just parked there bikes.
Bike club in Clarens
We chatted a while with the owner of a nice BMW R1200C (and tried
to talk Wim from harley to BMW ;-)
In Clarens I bought myself a nice brown leather hat.
Monday, June 7, 2004
I call Air France and ask if it is possible to change my e-ticket to
an earlier date because Kevan's bike broke down and I can't make the
planned tour to Namibia but they are very burocratic :-(
I asked if is was possible if I would pay a little extra and that I
did not need to travel on a fixed date but any date within a week time
would be good but NON, the rules are that it is a non changeable ticket
so they don;t want to talk about it!.
Air France in Holland said the same. It's stupid! last time, I traveld
KLM and then it costed me only a few guilders (before the Euro) so I
don't think I'll ever choose Air France if I have to fly again!
I tried to find cheap tickets home on the Internet and made a lot
more phonecalls but the cheapest way home i found so far is a KLM
flight. Tomorrow I'll drive to the travel agency in Bethlehem to see
what they have to offer.
Because I have been looking for flights all day, there's no time left
for a biketrip so the rest of the day I help with small jobs around
the house and enjoy the beautiful view.
View from Rehoboth on the Golden Gate Park
Tuesday, June 8, 2004
This morning I drove to the travel agency in Bethlehem to look for
cheap tickets home. Nothing :-(
Then I drive to the Game shop to put my digital pictures on CD again.
I have my own CD's with me now and I can do it myself. I'm glad because
it's a little more complicated because I have two memorycards with
data now. It costs me only R20.
The "Game Shop" Internet cafe in Bethlehem
It is a nice Internet cafe. Every time I was there, a computer was
available. Only R20 to put the pictures on CD and friendly people.
If you ever visit Free State and need to go on the Internet or your
pictures on CD, I can recommend this shop.
The Game Shop and Internet Cafe,
Helix Building 5,
Landros street
Bethlehem
I drive back to Clarens but there's nobody home so I get on the Harley
again to enjoy the Golden Gate park.
The road from Clarens to the Golden gate park
A nice lake in the mountains
Looking back on a nice road :-)
Just when I'm high in the mountains and stop to enjoy the view, I
get a phonecall on my cellphone. It's Erika, she arranged a KLM
ticket but I have to check-in tomorrow at 20:40h in Johannesburg!
Now I have to hurry.
First I drive back to Clarens and check if Han can drive me to
the bus station tomorrow, then I call the travel agency in Bethelehem
for a Greyhound bus ticket and after lunch I drive to Bethlehem to
pick up my ticket.
From Bethlehem I don't drive to Clarens but first to Fouriesburg, a
nice road I had not been driving before.
A nice shaped mountain :-)
In Fouriesburg I had to search for the road to Clarens because it
was not very clearly signposted but without to much trouble I
found it and then I drove that beautiful road from Fouriesburg to
Clarens.
The road from Fouriesburg to Clarens
Back at Rehoboth, I park the Harley in the garage for the last time :-(
I had a wonderful time in the saddle and it was much more comfortable
then I expected, it's roadholding is good but the forward controls are
a little awkward in city traffic (Joburg) and on dirt roads. Great bike!
Wednesday, June 9, 2004
This morning I packed my backpack and a little after ten, Han and I left
with the Landcruiser to drive to the bus station in Harrysmith.
In Harrysmith, we had lunch at Spur Village, a nice Western Style
restaurant.
Han at lunch at the Spur Village restaurant
At 12:35h I left Harrysmith in the Greyhound bus. I had a seat in the
front of the top floor of the bus so I had a perfect view.
It is a more then 3 hour ride to Johannesburg but I enjoyed the view
and relaxed. In Johannesburg, I had the change to make some nice
pictures.
Joburg skyline
Streetlife in Joburg
From the bus terminal at Johannesburg station I had a taxi to the
airport. (R180, half the price I payed when I arrived so that was
much to much. Always ask the price BEFORE you get in the car!)
I was at the airport aroung four PM, much to early but that was
no problem. I had a milkshake at the restaurant and went to the airplane
watch deck to enjoyed the view of the airplanes taking off and landing.
It was already getting dark when I checked in for KLM flight KL0592 to
Amsterdam. I was glad I could walk around now without my heavy backpack.
I bought some parfume for Erika at the tax free shop and had a chicken
sandwich. Finaly, at 10:45 PM boarding began. I had a seat on the window
next to an English couple.
After a boring ten and a half hour flight we landed at Schiphol Airport
and soon I had my backpack back on my back and walked to the train
station. I only had to wait two minutes until the train to Bergen op
Zoom arrived and a little more then two hours later I was home.
This trip was unfortunately a litle shorter then I expected it to be
but I had a wonderful trip anyway and I am even more in love with South
Africa then I was before :-)
I hope I can make that trip to Namibia some other time not to far away
but the next time, I want to rent a BMW GS (with panniers) or maybe a
GoldWing to avoid the problems I had this time and to be able to make
the trip alone, without to much risks.
Unfortunately flying to South Africa is not cheap, nor is renting a BMW
or GoldWing so without sponsors, it will take some time before I can go
again :-(
To be continued.......
|
