Aah! Africa has become a part of you and you a part of Africa, I think. Now you even love waiting. No more impatient white guy! Bravo and thank you for sharing this once in a thousand lifetimes trip! It is an inspiration and once I have finished exploring my own continent (N. America) I think I shall have to try others. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to do Africa on my own, but perhaps I can find a guide!

I found your thread three days ago and have read every post, I suppose as you've bee riding on your last leg home. Thanks again for letting me experience your journey through your eyes.

Marco,thanks for sharing your great adventure and I think your 'Little Suzuki' deserves an upgrade in status.
regards Ben.

Glad to see you made it safely to your family.

Thanks for sharing your adventure. Epic trip report!

Alles Gute aus dem Süden Deutschlands!

Peter

Well done mate. What an adventure.

You bloody ripper mate, we've been following along since Sydney blast off and enjoyed your reports - thanks.

Congratulations, well done!
Will have a closer look at your journey when I have more time.
Now I have to prepare mine...: )

Cheers, Toby

The journey which had been my life for more than ten months is over. There was much happiness on all sides on my arrival and thereafter. It is nice to be together again with my family who I have not seen for so many years. And the way to get there made it all the more exciting.
My mum and dad live in a small town in East Germany, still in the same house I grew up in. When I moved to Australia in early 2005 I came back only once. Back then by plane. Too long ago.
However, it is a very quiet little town which gives me now the opportunity to slowly postprocess the adventures from the past months. I really appreciate to have this time and would not want to finish a major journey and start working the next day. So let me write a quick wrap-up of the trip to complete this HUBB thread.

Sydney to Germany - the African way has not only been the longest journey but also the biggest adventure in my life. I still remember the exciting and sometimes nerve wracking planning phase. The first idea of this kind of trip came whooping three years before the trip actually started. And the months before departure had no room for much sleep.
From the day when I started from my doorstep in Sydney, farewelled by my friends, my world changed. By a magic push of the starter button.
The first and immediate change was me entering a new world of complete freedom. Something I enjoy heaps. Being free to decide about every minute of your day is an awesome feeling.
All the way through Australia, South Africa, Swaziland etc, up to Zambia I would say that 'freedom' and the limitless enjoyment of freedom was the main topic of the journey. Catching up with Martin and travelling together has been awesome too and we both enjoyed our life in Africa heaps, it's great to have someone to share your adventure with, someone with a similar ideology about life.
In Zambia things started to change. By then we grew much better in controlling our bikes on bad roads or even on sand. And started to have heaps fun using our new skills. Zambia's unsealed roads proved a perfect playground for the two of us. Our fun of riding our bikes became the theme of the journey in Zambia. Also in Zambia people entered our picture. Their friendlyness, helpfulness and hospitality as overwhelming as their poverty.

By the time we reached Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania people started becoming the big topic of my perception of the journey. And while Martin was travelling with his girlfriend I decided to dive in deeper into the 'people' theme and stayed in Mwanza for six weeks. What started out with random people at a random place in Africa ended up being my most impressive experience of the entire trip. Now, that the journey is finished, I find myself thinking back to my time in Mwanza more often than I do to other episodes of the trip. Spending so much time with the Mwanza motorbike taxi gang gave me a deep insight into the Tanzanian life. And how happy people are with the little they've got. And how prepared they are to share even that with a complete stranger. And how much they love to give you access to their life, their friends, their family if you only make time. I made time and got an awesome time back.
I also realised how much we Westerners can help with such little effort. Which also feels awesome if you actually do help.

Although the feeling of freedom and the joy of riding motorbikes always remained high up on the list of good things we somehow got used to it. But I could never get too used to the awesome feeling you get in return for making time for people. They are all so different. But all so friendly and welcoming. As someone from a 'developed' country I found myself asking 'why?'. But that is a stupid question. It has nothing to do with me. No, it is just how Africa operates. People are 'together'. So after Tanzania people became more and more the main theme of my Africa perception. Culminating in Ethiopia where I found a really good rapport to locals. Northern Ethiopia also featured the grandest of all landscapes to ride my little Suzuki in. So Ethiopia and Tanzania would be my pick as favourite locations of this journey.

After Ethiopia the exotic feel of Africa somehow lost itself. The desert countries of Sudan and Egypt were very different in mentality and environment than all previous places. And pretty developed. The wide open landscapes again making my 'feeling free' experience top of the list of good things.
My accident in Egypt changed a lot and eventually gave me a very special experience, meeting the unconditional charity and hospitality of two families. Said's family in MitGhamr who took care of me bleeding on the roadside and of my little Suzuki and all my stuff during my recovery. Ameen and his family in Ismailia who hosted me for three weeks and helped me so much recovering. Both expecting nothing in return. During that period 'people' became the only topic of my journey.

After Egypt came Turkey and Eastern Europe. The further I travelled through these countries the more efficient life became. Feeling less welcoming to me. Combined with the rainy and cold weather I felt like riding and riding and riding towards Germany and the end of the trip. Rules and regulation began to creep up on me again from Hungary onwards. Things like Vignettes and paid parking. So during the last few days it was the 'riding' of my little Suzuki which I enjoyed most. She's been an awesome bike all along.

The three most impressive and most enjoyable things of this trip in no particular order: people, freedom, riding.

And you guys from the HUBB have been there all along. Travelling with me from your computers. I hope you enjoyed the trip and maybe, hopefully, you got an inspiration or two for your own trip out of this story. Somehow. One day. Believe me, it's an awesome thing to do!

If you ask me if I have changed then I must say very loudly 'yes'. Change only really becomes apparent when you are getting back home into your old life. Which will not happen to me till August when I fly back to Sydney. Something I am really looking forward to, after all Sydney is where I feel at home.
But even here in Germany I noticed how much Africa taught me to stand on my own feet. How much more open I became towards people. The trip made me stronger, more decisive, less hesitant. It proved to me how unmeasurably more valuable things like happiness, friendship, community, environment are over money, career, real estate or big cars. And the trip let me experience a just as unmeasurably huge joy of life.
I also found how the trip made me dislike routine and being indoors. When these sort of feelings creep up I have the perfect cure. Getting the helmet on. And the jacket. And the gloves. Turn the ignition key and press the starter button. And the world is good again...

And I know without doubt: Africa will see me back. One day.

__________________
no risk - no fun

For all those of you who like statistics as much as I do - here they are:


1.) time and distance travelled by country

Australia - 22 days - 5100.3km
South Africa - 6 days - 1057.4km
Swaziland - 2 days -362.9km
Mozambique - 8 days - 1506.8km
Zimbabwe - 10 days - 1541.4km
Botswana - 6 days - 197.7km
Zambia - 19 days - 2392.8km
Tanzania - 64 days - 5692.8km
Rwanda - 9 days - 1461.9km
Kenya - 13 days - 1690.5km
Ethiopia - 49 days - 4821.4km
Sudan - 11 days - 2205.5km
Egypt - 65 days - 4135.3km
Turkey - 6 days - 1577.1km
Bulgaria - 2 days - 484.1km
Romania - 2 days - 707.8km
Hungary - 3 hours - 205.0km
Slovakia - 1 day - 272.1km
Czech Republik - 1 day - 544.0km
Germany - 1 hour - 32.0km

Overall - 10 months - 35988.8km


2.) motorbike maintenance and repairs

Date______Odometer_____Work

07/08/2011 9803km journey starts in Sydney
19/08/2011 14423km oil and oil filter changed, spark plugs replaced
24/08/2011 14904km before leaving Australia: new sprockets (15T front, 42T rear), new chain (525), new brakepads, new tyres (Pirelli Scorpion MT90)
30/08/2012 14998km replacing damaged parts from flight: left mirror, speedo light bulb
18/09/2011 18500km fix burst fuel hose
26/09/2011 19570km oil change
14/11/2011 25510km oil and oil filter changed
04/01/2012 29864km entire set of fuel hoses replaced
07/01/2012 29910km valve clearance checked and adjusted
18/01/2012 31630km oil change
27/01/2012 33006km new rear tyre (Vee Rubber) as temporary solution
25/02/2012 35390km new rear tyre (Mitas E07)
13/03/2012 37829km oil and oil filter changed
22/05/2012 41999km new spark plugs and repair of damage from accident: new fork oil, new fork oil seals, broken Safari tank cross brace replaced
24/05/2012 42389km oil and oil filter changed
31/05/2012 44800km new front tyre (Continental Escape)
01/06/2012 45792km journey finishes in Germany


3.) Preparation of motorbike for the trip

- 30 litre Safari long range fuel tank with lockable cap
- RV Aqualine steel luggage frames
- Barkbusters handle bar protectors
- aluminium bash plate
- in line fuel filters
- 12 Volt electric socket
- OFF-switch for headlight
- heavier rear spring 9.0kg/mm
- heavier fork springs 0.70kg/mm


Top three and bottom three equipment:
Pretty much all the equipment I carried performed very well. Not surprisingly because the choice fell after a lot of reading of reviews, asking people and testing stuff. Bike, tent, sleeping bag, tools etc. all perfectly did the job I took them along for. The following short list shows the items / mods which surprised me in a particularly positive or negative way.


4.) Equipment / modification to surprise most positively

- heavier springs: I never thought I would need them until the HUBB convinced me otherwise. And indeed on the DR650 they are a grand improvement on the rough roads in Africa. The bike never bottomed out and the shocks lived through the whole trip, a fact you really appreciate when you meet the many other bike overlanders with their shocks bleeding oil.

- long range fuel tank: even with 30 litres of fuel there were some close calls when I arrived at a petrol station with 2 litres or less remaining. In these situations a big tank saves you from the inconvenience to carry jerry cans. And gives you peace of mind on long remote paths. Most useful in Zambia, Ethiopia and Egypt.

- Steel Pony soft panniers: I can't remember the number of times the bike dropped onto them with it's full weight. They held up. Brushing past thorny Acacia trees which ripped holes in my bike jacket - the panniers held up. Carrying lots and lots of weight across bumpy roads - they held up. Even in my accident where the full weight of the bike fell on them and slid along the asphalt - the cotton was undamaged. Only one plastic clip and one strap gave way. Repaired in less than an hour. I don't know how they made cotton to be so robust but these guys really can cope with a lot. And they also provided a perfect soft protection cushion for the bike whenever I dropped it fell on it's side. Great pieces of equipment.


5.) useless equipment / modification or negative surprises

- Kevlar lined cargo pants style motorbike pants made of cotton: I thought they would be a good compromise solution - bike pants and hiking pants at once without looking too 'Robocop like'. Well, in the sweat and humidity they simply rot away on you. Before they got stolen from me I had to fix and stitch them up uncountable times.

- Katadyn waterfilter: principally a good thing. But I never used mine, not once. Good drinking water was available everywhere we went. To carry a waterfilter was just a waste of luggage space. And money.

- Mastercard credit card: simply does not work in most places in Africa

__________________
no risk - no fun

Thanks, Marco, for everything. I appreciate the time you took to write and post your adventure. I looked forward to your posts, and enjoyed each one. And I learned a lot about Africa and her people. You have a gift for writing, mate. Good luck with whatever you tackle next.
If you ever find yourself in Hawaii....

Chris

Marco,

Sensational.

Inspiring, inspirational.

Thankyou.

Ross

I am off to Prudhoe bay in July, better go.

I´m still on page 11.
Saw you were here and didn´t want to miss the oportunity to thank you so much for the most pleasant reading.
Besides, a great incentive for discovering the friendly Africa arises from your easy riding and enjoying.
A nice poison that is.

Thanks for taking the time to share! A great trip report. Well done!

__________________
Peter

http://peter-onamission.blogspot.com

Cheers guys! I am looking forward to reading your own trip reports one day!

__________________
no risk - no fun

Hi Marco,

You can read mine here: http://jkrijt.home.xs4all.nl/trips/index.shtml
In September, I hope to add another trip report.
..... and I would be surprised if we would not see another trip report of your next big trip.

__________________
Jan Krijtenburg

My bikes are a Honda GoldWing GL1200 and a BMW R1200GS

My personal homepage with trip reports: https://www.krijtenburg.nl/
YouTube channel (that I do together with one of my sons): motormobilist.nl

The adventure has finally come to an end. Just yesterday my little Suzuki was ready to be picked up from Sydney Airport. She had her own little adventure flying from Germany to Canada to Australia. While I was waiting eagerly for her arrival and Customs clearance in Sydney. The journey would not be complete without both of us being back home, right?
Myself, I landed in Sydney already in mid August. Spending most of the time reconnecting to what I left behind over one year ago. Catching up with friends. Moving back into my little apartment. Looking for a new job. Feeling home again. Not much has changed really in that one year. Most people being surprised how fast that year has gone by. Whereas for me it was a pretty long year full of good stuff.

So what remains from the journey?

I'm still in contact with Mr. S. in Mwanza, Tanzania. The guy I agreed to pay school fees for. And indeed he is going to school, his English improved massively and he is heaps happy. He still calls me 'brother'.

I'm still in contact with Ameen, my Bedouin friend from Ismailia. After my accident his family took care of me for almost three weeks. Egypt and Sinai have had a troubled few weeks lately. But Ameen and his family are unaffected by the unrests. Ameen plans to get married next year which is great news.

Some people from Lalibela in Ethiopia keep sending me emails. They are just through the rainy season which keeps tourists away. A tough time without tourist business.

Martin has been working hard in his job since his arrival back in Germany. His AfricaTwin still going strong in her 20th year. Martin will return to Africa in December this year. Africa just keeps calling.


Just today I went on the first ride with my little Suzuki back in Australia. It's been a freezing but sunny winter morning. Just after sunrise. Too early for traffic to become an issue. The city was ours. The white sails of the Opera House and the big steel arch of the Harbour Bridge just zooming past us as we rode along the deep blue Sydney Harbour chasing Sea Gulls. Shivering in the cold winter air. Just as we did a year ago. It's good to be home.

__________________
no risk - no fun