Biking in Zuid Afrika
Introduction
It's Saturday, May 1, 1999. I just got out of bed with butterflies in my stomach.
Today is the day. This afternoon I take the train to Schiphol Airport and at seven
o'clock PM my KLM Jumbo leaves for a ten hour flight to motorcycle paradise!
Driving a bike in Holland is fun and a little further away into Europe is even more
fun. I try to get my Honda GoldWing out of the garage to go for a ride as much as
possible but I wanted more. In magazine's I saw articles about trips tho the polar
circle, Route 66 in the U.S.A and other exotic travel stories and I wanted to see
more of the world then the flat countryside of Holland and the well organized Western
Europe.
Then, at the beginning of this year, I saw my chance. My oncle and aunt work for a
project to help the black people from the slums of Pietermaritzburg in South Africa,
the same oncle that teached me how to drive a motorcycle, about twentyfive years ago
and..... he is still a biker. My oncle and aunt invited me to come over to South Africa,
for fun and also to help them with their computer.
I discussed it with my wife and decided to go to South Africa for three weeks, without
wife and children.
Saturday, may 1, 1999
That was a few months ago but today, after a lot of preparation, searching on the
Internet, faxing, making phonecall's and sending emails, making reservations and
getting injections against all kinds of nasty diseases, I'm leaving to South Africa!
While my wife and children wave me goodbye, I leave the station in the train to Schiphol Airport,
with a big white bag with clothes, a bag with books and magazine's to read during the flight
and my BMW system helmet that also goes as handluggage on the plane.
Goodbye at the station
Because it is not without risk to travel alone in South Africa, I bought a mobile phone
before this trip. It's also nice to be independent from others to call home.
With time to spare I arrive at Schiphol Airport and go to the check in counter so I don't
have to carry that big bag with me.
Then I walk to gate F9. The KLM plane at the gate is the Boeing 747-400 "City of Atlanta".
The City of Atlanta
At twenty minutes past eight PM, with a ten minute delay, flight KL 593 leaves Schiphol
Airport with destination Johannesburg, South Africa
Sunday, May 2, 1999
It's about five o'clock in the morning when the cabin lights are switched on again and
all passengers get an orangejuice and a few minutes later, breakfast, an omelet, a sandwich
and a cup of tea.
At ten minutes to seven PM we touchdown at Johannesburg International Airport, South Africa!
From the airport I take a taxi to the busstation in the center of Johannesburg. It's a little
strange to get into the taxi at the left side as a passenger. In South Africa, traffic drives on
the left side of the road. I'll have to get used to that !! The taxidriver lives close to
the airport. The center of Johannesburg is to dangerous because of the crime rate. (Johannesburg
is the most criminal city in the world!) He advised me not to walk around in the town center.
Mmmm....
Johannesburg
When I arrived at the bus station a security official helped me with my big white bag. He also advised
agains sightseeing alone. he was mugged himself a few days ago. I decided to secure my luggage at
the luggage depot at the station and to stay in the nabourhood of the station.
At the Johannesburg bus station
After a long wait, a hamburger, a milkshake and some Cola's it is time to check in for the
Greyhound bus that would drive me the next sevenhundred kilometer from Johannesburg to
Pietermaritzburg and at two o'clock the big Greyhound bus left the station.
On the road to Pietermaritzburg
South Africa is huge. Hours driving on an almost straight road, over rolling hills with
the most beautifull scenery. So differend from the Netherlands.
That Greyhound bus is OK. They serve coffee and there is a toilet in the bus. I have a
seat on the first row on the left side so I have a clear view to the front and to the
left with plenty of opportunity to take pictures.
I was sitting next to a nice black South African lady and it was very pleasant to chat
with her about the differences between our countries. When we were driving past a
neighbourhood with beautifull houses with double garage and swimming pool I asked here
if this was the "rich" part of town but it was not. These were "normal" houses for
middleclass people. The price of a house like that is less than 50000 Dutch guilders
(23000 Euro)!!
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