May 23 and 24, 2004,
On a few minutes past twelve, my train left the station in Bergen
op Zoom on my way to Schiphol Airport. Without delay (surprise!) I
arrived at Schiphol and walked to the Air France couter to ask
when I could check-in. I had to wait until half past four so I found
a comfortable chair and had some time to read a book.
When it was half past four, I went to the check-in desk again but
when I told them that I was going to Johannesburg, they started to
look worried and had to call the service desk.....
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They told me to go to the servicedesk because there was a problem with
my flight. Worried, I walked to the service desk and then they told me
that the roof of the new Air France terminal on Charles de Gaulle
Airport in Paris had collapsed, killing seven people and leaving a lot of
people wounded. There would be no Air France flights from Paris to
anywhere!
Lucky for me, they could reschedule my flight to a Lufthansa flight over
Frankfurt, that would arrive an hour earlier in Johannesburg then my
originaly scheduled flight!
I rushed to the Lufthansa desk to check in and at a few minutes past
seven, I left Schiphol on board of an Lufthansa Airbus to Germany.
On Frankfurt Airport, I had to wait less then an hour for my flight
to Johannesburg to start boarding and after almost ten hours in the
747-400, having some sleep and watching "ALong came Polly" the plane
landed on Johannesburg on monday morning.
I had a taxi to the (bus)station in the center of Johannesburg and went
to the Greyhound desk. Because I was an hour earlier, I was in time
to catch the eleven o'clock bus to Harrismith.
At the bus station I talked to a South African family that just came
from China. That man was building golf courses in China. I never knew
they played golf in China. We had a coffe and then the bus arrived.
In the bus I had a very "cramped" seat, next to a very big, very brown
and also very friendly lady and the the 3 1/2 hours bustrip began.
Han was already waitiong for me on the bus station and so we drove
from Harrismith to Clarens on a beautiful mountain road.
On the fields beside the road cows and wild zebra's were grazing!
Zebra's beside the road
After a bit of dirtroad riding, we arrived at their house and I could
put my luggage in the guest house. It is absolutely beautifull here!
After some coffee and lots of talking, we had dinner and I went to the
guesthouse for a good night sleep.
Tuesday, May 25, 2004,
Today I had my first two trips on the Harley. After breakfast at half
past seven I left Rehoboth guesthouse around eight to explore Clarens
and its surroundings.
It was nice to drive a Harley again but it takes some getting used to.
The brakes are tipical Harley brakes and because of the (beautifull
aluminium) forward controls, I have my legs much more forward then
I'm used with my GoldWing.
The first kilometer or two is a dirtroad but very ridable so that is
no problem, then I get on the road to see the Titanic and the Ash River
Outfall that is just 8 km outside Clarens. Water from Lesotho is
tunnelled underground and provides Johannesburg from drinking water.
The Titanic is a big rock just outside Clarens that looks like...
you guesed it... the Titanic
The roads are made for bikers. Nice straights with great views between
fast curves over the mountains.
Just outside Clarens
Then it was time to go into Clarens. Clarens has a park or square and
around that there are all kinds of art shops, restaurants etc. Realy nice
The Gallery in Clarens
Then it was time for a more serious ride, the road to Fouriesburg is
famous with South African bikers and now I know why :-)
The road to Fouriesburg
On my way to Fouriesburg, I noticed I was almost running out of gas so
in Fouriesburg I stopped at the BP station to fill the tank. That is a
pleasure to do, with gas costing half the price I have to pay in Holland!
From Fouriesburg I drove back to Rehoboth Guesthouse and parked the bike.
Time for lunch.
Time for lunch
After lunch my aunt and I had to do some shopping so we drove to Bethlehem,
a village not to far from Clarens. The weather is wonderfull. I wish all
summers in Holland could be like it is here now.
After shopping we drove back to the guesthouse so I could work on the weblog
you are reading now.
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