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Ireland to South Africa on KTM 690s
First of all, thanks to HUBB for being such an invaluable resource in planning our trip. Thank you to all those that have shared their experience and insights. We have gleaned a lot from these forums. We have little to know experience with anything like this so HUBB has bee a wealth of information. So, again, thank you!
Otherwise, just wanted to create a thread to share any experiences that my friend Richard and I have and contribute to the community. Basically we are riding KTM 690's from Belfast, N Ireland to Cape Town down the west coast of Africa. The Route is Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, BF, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, DRC, Zambia, Namibia, SA. Thats the plan at least anyway. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...4999999922&z=3 As per usual we have a website that we realistically won't be posting to, www.monadikandco, but when the chance arises, we will post to instagram and Facebook. @nomadikandco. Otherwise we will keep this posted as best we can, and if anyone has any other gems of info or "must do's" as we go that we have missed in any other thread that has come before, we would be glad to hear it. We are in the south of Spain at the moment and hopefully on our way to Morocco in the next day or so. Wish us luck. |
One more new member so Hi and welcome to the HUBB
Sorry, can't help on "Must things to see" on your route not my part of the world, hopefully, some other members on here that can. But still, I can wish you a safe ride. |
Personally I think you're missisng the most beautiful country in the sub-region, Cote d'Ivoire ... Mali & Burkina are both wonderful but CI is incredible!
You ask for 'not to be missed' but don't mention what you like to see/do, culture? animals? scenery? If you need more info about particular bits of the sub-region, do let me know. |
Thanks Anthony, and best of luck for the trip. I will be following in your wheel tracks next year so the only "must do" I can think of is to keep sharing your experience for people like me!
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enjoy guys and don't hesitate to get in touch if you need any info as you travel.
please take time to meet up with some of the West African bikers as you travel down. They will be delighted to meet you and are an amazing source of local info |
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Thanks for the feedback. We're getting the ferry from algeciras in the next hour or so then on to Rabat. We've a VTE so Ivory coast is definitely an option. Are pretty open ended, within a 12 week budget.
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CI is fine now, it's all calmed down and yet again it's been a day or two of anguish, no more than anywhere else on the continent Most of the bullets, as I mentioned before, were sent into the air ... It's perfectly safe to cross the country and see all it has to offer! |
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I would be interested to know about your KTM's and how those 690's are holding up. What year(s) are they? Mods? How are you carrying extra fuel and luggage? Plan for parts if required? Lots of travelers are interested in the 690 and wonder how the newest ones do on a long, tough trip. My DR650 is at 60K miles, so considering an upgrade to Orange. Good luck, safe riding! bier |
Hello
I just finished on May 17. West coast solo on XT600. Irún to Cape Town. Awesome. https://demorasur.blogspot.com.es/ Good luck Enviado desde mi U FEEL mediante Tapatalk |
KTM 690 feedback so far
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To answer questions about the bikes, they are KTM 690s, 2014, both of them. 2014 was the first year of ride by wire throttle I think. My bike I bought with about 10,000kms on it. Richards had ~3k miles. The mods that we made to the bike are listed on the website. https://www.nomadikandco.com/the-bikes/ Gear that we are taking is also. https://www.nomadikandco.com/equipment/ So far we are about 6000kms into it and the bikes have been cruising through Europe, Morocco and Mauritania through the desert. The Sahara wasn't too hot at all, one day of solid heat but the bikes didnt seem to run too hot. A lot of hwy so far so steady 100km/h stuff. We have noticed that we are burning a bit of oil. Richard's we actually put close to a litre in the other day. Mine ~400mL. Not ideal, but we are monitoring it much more closely now. We can't see a leak in either bike. But they have plenty of power and are running smoothly so not an issue there. We have 4L of MotorEx 10-60 in the Rally Raid bash guard tanks between us so good for a while. Otherwise we hit Senegal and had some great dirt roads from Rosso across to Diama. Hit a few good bumps. Stock suspension is really nice, at least in our experience. Main thing we are stoked with so far is the Enduristan luggage. Without a rack it seems on there pretty solid. Hopefully it stays that way. The pace should slow down here now so we will see how everything runs going into hotter heat and more stop start riding. Overall, its been a great bike. Love that snort of power when needed to pass a smoking truck or just get up to speed on the highway. -Anthony |
Mauritania and Senegal Border updates
A quick update on visas and borders.
We entered Morocco off the Ferry from Algecerias-Tangier Med. No issues there other than regular apathy. Visa- no problem TIP- Insurance- Sim card for 10euro with 3Gb 4G, >100 mins intl calls and 700mins local We made it to Rabat and wasted a day trying to get a Mauritanian visa which they claimed would take a week in Rabat. They told us to go to the border. Seeing as our day was cut short we thought we would try Ghana and Nigeria. Neither were any help. Others might already know this, but none residents of a country the embassy is in generally can't get for that country. At least not that far from Nigeria or Ghana in this case. Our original plan was to get these visas closer, but thought we would chance our arm. If nothing else it was a good introduction to African bureaucracy. Morocco Check out No issues, just follow your nose. A few kms of no-man's land. Mauritanian Border Sheik, a hustler/fixer introduced himself as the guy famous on HUBB> We got a laugh out of that. Sign in with the police. No cost or attempt to exhort Apply for Visa- 55euro. Legitimate and nice guys. Digital photo and visa in passport. TIP- 10euro Insurance- 10days was 4286 Ouguiya = 10euro Sim Card for ~10euro with patchy 3G, but reception all through the Sahara for safety in case of an accident. We heard Maroc Telecom hasa best signal in the south and desert, but found no problems with our Orange sim. Lots of checkpoints from Western Sahara all the way through to Senegal. Harmless though so have a Fiche ready. print off ~30 and that should be plenty. We were planning to get the Mali visa in Dakar, Senegal, but read that Nouakchott was the same day. We passed by in the afternoon and got to the Mali embassy at 3.50pm, 10mins before they closed. 30mins later we had a Mali visa. Definitely recommend this for how easy it was. - 14 day visa = 6500 Oug (16 euro), 30 day = 8000 Oug(20 euro) Mauritania Checkout at Diama Sign in with police in a book. Customs- Signed the bikes out and claimed a 10Euro tax. We went along with it, asking for a receipt until he gave our documents and passports back, then refused to pay. He gave up after 10 mins. Passport- The police is in with the bridge tax crew. He stamped us out of Mauritania easily enough but the bridge toll hustlers we gave into in the end. 1euro each. Next time we would just ride away. A police offered was backing htem up and saying we needed to pay. Senegal Border 100m later, at the other side of the bridge was a whole other story. There is another bridge toll. Total bulls%^&. 4000CFA (7euro) We refused, showed our receipt from the other side, they locked the gate. A car came up behind us and we moved to go with it when the gate opened and they called in some muscle to stand in front of the bikes. We stood our ground, moving in front of another car coming the other way to prevent it passing. It basically escalated to the point that one guy started dragging Richard's bike backwards away from the gate by the rear rack. Lots of shouting and aggression but not particularly fearful for our person. We decided that we wanted to see the police and if they said we need to pay, we would pay, just a ploy to save some face, but the police never showed. Eventually we paid and got our dodgy receipt, from a receipt book, but price hand written. They were so mad that they refused to shake hands after it we paid. They were definitely mad. Not a nice introduction to Senegal, but after that it has been great. Visa- Free and no problem. TIP- Easy, really nice young guy. 2500CFA each Insurance- 17,000CFA from the lady in the cafe behind customs. we got 2 months and covers all CFA countries which is nice. Seems legit and others experience has been the same. She asked for 17500 at first but then reverted to 17000 of her own accord. Later we heard a rumour from a local it should be closer to 5000... but that seems pretty cheap, so don't know if he was serious or not. Sim card- Get in St Louis- Got ripped off for 6000CFA for a 3G card that doesnt give me 3G. Got another for Richard's phone in St Louis- 1gb of 4G for 3000CFA and worked right away. We are now good for visas all the way to the Nigeria border. We are planning to try and get Nigeria in Bamako. Meet a motorcyclist going north who had friends that got theirs in Bamako earlier this year. Fingers crossed. Ghana- We are still not sure if we will make it to Ghana as we dont want to void our VTE visa for BF, Togo and Benin. VTE allows us to go to Ivory Coast so considering that. A Moroccan at the Ghana embassy in Rabat said it is no problem to get the Ghana visa at the border as you enter, but we haven't got a solid idea if that is the case. Which is to say we will update with our experiences as they unfold. Otherwise, Senegal is a breath of fresh air after the Sahara. Lots of vibrant, smiling faces, colors and culture. We are currently at the Zebrabar which is sadly devoid of any other travellers to swap tales with, but a beautiful spot to recharge. Plan is to head to Kidira-Kayes border crossing into Mali. If anyone has any good route recommendations from St Louis to Bamako let us know. Looking for some mix of interesting landscapes and offroad without grinding to a halt. Hoping to get across Senegal in 3 days or so. Thanks guys. -Anthony |
We are now good for visas all the way to the Nigeria border. We are planning to try and get Nigeria in Bamako. Meet a motorcyclist going north who had friends that got theirs in Bamako earlier this year. Fingers crossed. You have me confused between this & your next statement, where did you get a VTE? In Barcelona? Bamako was definitely fine in late December for Nigeria, see Phil at the Camel & say hello from me! Ghana- We are still not sure if we will make it to Ghana as we dont want to void our VTE visa for BF, Togo and Benin. VTE allows us to go to Ivory Coast so considering that. A Moroccan at the Ghana embassy in Rabat said it is no problem to get the Ghana visa at the border as you enter, but we haven't got a solid idea if that is the case. Which is to say we will update with our experiences as they unfold. By going to Ghana your VTE won't be annulled, you can re-join the VTE countries by crossing Ghana, I've done this numerous times with both a single and multiple entry VTE & I'm Irish too. However, the Moroccan is very far wrong about the border. You MIGHT be lucky and pay US$150 at the CI-Ghana border for a maximum of 10 days entry into Ghana. The Ghanaian Embassy in Abidjan rarely issues visas these days and only for CI residents normally. So don't count your luck there! Try Bamako possibly??? Plan is to head to Kidira-Kayes border crossing into Mali. If anyone has any good route recommendations from St Louis to Bamako let us know. Looking for some mix of interesting landscapes and offroad without grinding to a halt. Hoping to get across Senegal in 3 days or so. St Louis to Bamako, the best route (a Russian biker was about 12h ahead of me and did the same route, I was in a van) is via Dakar - Tambacounda - Kedougou (30km of roadworks + 90km of sheer nightmare elephant holes) then to Saraya crossing at Moussala. The road then takes you to Kenieba, Kita and then Kati on the edge of Bamako. The first part of this road near the border doesn't even show up on google maps but it's fantastic tarmac with speedbumps on the edge of villages |
We are now good for visas all the way to the Nigeria border. We are planning to try and get Nigeria in Bamako. Meet a motorcyclist going north who had friends that got theirs in Bamako earlier this year. Fingers crossed.
You have me confused between this & your next statement, where did you get a VTE? In Barcelona? Bamako was definitely fine in late December for Nigeria, see Phil at the Camel & say hello from me! Ghana- We are still not sure if we will make it to Ghana as we dont want to void our VTE visa for BF, Togo and Benin. VTE allows us to go to Ivory Coast so considering that. A Moroccan at the Ghana embassy in Rabat said it is no problem to get the Ghana visa at the border as you enter, but we haven't got a solid idea if that is the case. Which is to say we will update with our experiences as they unfold. By going to Ghana your VTE won't be annulled, you can re-join the VTE countries by crossing Ghana, I've done this numerous times with both a single and multiple entry VTE & I'm Irish too. However, the Moroccan is very far wrong about the border. You MIGHT be lucky and pay US$150 at the CI-Ghana border for a maximum of 10 days entry into Ghana. The Ghanaian Embassy in Abidjan rarely issues visas these days and only for CI residents normally. So don't count your luck there! Try Bamako possibly??? Plan is to head to Kidira-Kayes border crossing into Mali. If anyone has any good route recommendations from St Louis to Bamako let us know. Looking for some mix of interesting landscapes and offroad without grinding to a halt. Hoping to get across Senegal in 3 days or so. St Louis to Bamako, the best route (a Russian biker was about 12h ahead of me and did the same route, I was in a van) is via Dakar - Tambacounda - Kedougou (30km of roadworks + 90km of sheer nightmare elephant holes) then to Saraya crossing at Moussala. The road then takes you to Kenieba, Kita and then Kati on the edge of Bamako. The first part of this road near the border doesn't even show up on google maps but it's fantastic tarmac with speedbumps on the edge of villages |
The insurance 'carte brun' good for ECOWAS countries
-they have two tariffs one for locals one for tourists, thus the confusion- they are around 5000 vs 20000 CFA sometimes, with the right agent, you will be offered the local tariff and save some money. |
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We got our VTE in Barcelona before we left. Was an easy enough process. It has "plusiers" written on it which should indicate we can come and go. We are currently thinking of not bothering with Ghana between uncertainty about visa on arrival or the rigmarole of getting it in Burkina Faso. Our timeline for the whole trip is pretty short and the big goal is the DRC. If we had more time to stop and hang out we would definitely do Ghana. We aren't too worried anymore about voiding the VTE just the time and money for a visa to Ghana when we pass through so quickly. -Anthony Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
We are currently at the Sleeping Camel. Great place with beer and good food after a few scorching, 40+ degree days from St Louis to Bamako.
Borders Senegal Exit Customs took out TIP and kept it. Very informal and difficult to find the post. It was alright by the gate out of Senegal. We never got stamped out of Senegal. We never saw a post and then all of a sudden we were in Mali. Figured if we weren't coming back through then we just keep going. Mali Entry Very friendly upon crossing the gate to Mali. Drive a few kms probably to the front of the huge line of trucks and found customs. TIP was a slow process. Passed from one to another to another agent. Then he didn't really know what he was doing. Had to help him along. They did check the VIN#on the bikes. Otherwise they spelt my name wrong on the papers. Basically seemed to be not especially literate. Charged us 5000CFA each. Everyone was paying, locals included and we paid less than the trucks. Not sure if it was legit, but got a receipt with our names and VIN#s on them. Passports stamped a little further up the road in a nondescript, not obvious post. Visa from Nouakchott was accepted no trouble. Then we were away. Mali people have been amazing. Some great wild camping for 2 nights before reaching Bamako. Nigeria Visa This has proven the easiest visa after Mali (30mins same day). Omar is the guy to speak to. Really great dude that speaks good English. 2 passport photos, copy of passport and motorcycle registration papers. It was ready the next day. We may even go for dinner and some live music with him. Otherwise it just started raining. Heavy storm that has felt like it has been brewing for a few days. The wet season might have just started. Onwards -Anthony Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
Hi there!
I did almost the same trip last year. I skipped Ghana and Togo but made an extra loop through Botswana, Pretoria, Cape Town and then went to Windhoek. I would advise you not to cross the Congo river at Kinshasa unless you have a good reason to do so; the two people I personally know who did ran into problems there and left the ferry quite a bit poorer than I deemed necessary. I crossed at Bolobo and posted information about the process here: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...uidebook-73833 Safe travels |
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Thx for the note. We were planning to avoid Kinshasa so your info is perfect. Will update here with how we go. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
Currently in Cotonou, Benin and heading to Lagos. Quick update though.
Bamako to Burkina Faso Border crossing near Bobo was mellow. No stress or squeeze for bribes or gifts or whatever. We decided to try our luck getting a Ghana visa at the border rather than the fuss of going to Ouagadougou. We went to the Hamil border and the immigration officers there were very helpful. We could get a 4 day transit visa for US$150. They don't actually have them on hand there, but they made some calls and said they could make it work. We ultimately opted against spending the money as we would have only spent a day transmitting through. They did say that the Pagga border crossing was better equipped to issue this visa. If you have the time it is cheaper and a longer duration in Ouagadougou. Doubling back we traced the Ghana border east towards Togo on some great dirt roads. Over 400kms of them. It was great riding and different slice of life. On road on Google maps listed a solid yellow road that turned out to be a sandy single trail that took us down the rabbit hole. One of the highlights of the trip. We even managed a swim in the dam reservoir half way along for our troubles. Entering Togo was easy with the VTE. Motorcycle import was he standard 5000CFA. Lomé We got our Rep of Congo visa easily within an hour. 2 passport photos, passport photocopy and photocopy of 3 other African visas. There was a copy shop directly opposite the Congo embassy or whatever it is. It is a non-descript apartment building down a rough track. The iOverlander map location was accurate. They let us park our motorcycles in the garage while they processed our visas. Great experience. Togo to Benin Easiest so far. Offices are signposted at the border for a change and friendly on both sides. No TIP or papers required for the bikes in Benin. Weird but true. DRC visa Contonou IOverlander app lists the correct location in an odd part of town. We arrived a little late without enough CFAs but they accommodated us and we had our visa within an hour. They take a digital photo but also require 2 passport photos and passport photocopy. The visa is a nice visa, embossed and everything. Looks cool. The Chef d'Poste laughed when we said we were riding from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi. She said there were no roads and it wasn't possible. Was funny. Anyway will update on how we fair in Nigeria. -Anthony Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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Well, he's not entirely wrong on the no roads part. Bridges went missing, some roads that are on OSM end in a swamp. I went from Bolobo, Nioki, Badundu, Kikwit, Gouffre de Loukwila, Tshikapa, Luiza, Sandoa, Kolwezi, Lubumbashi, which seems to be more or less identical to what you have in mind. I uploaded my .gpx files of DRC to wikiloc.com you will find them and some basic description if you search for herr_buenzli __________________________________________________ ___ EDIT: Somebody know how I can upload waypoints? |
We are through Nigeria and had a great time. None of the hassles we were warned so much about beforehand.
Nigeria entry We entered Nigeria at Idiroko, just north of Cotonou, Benin. Directed around back of the large immigration building. Parked and left the bikes there. Yellow fever certificate requested, temperature taken for Ebola check. A lengthy (20 mins perhaps so not that lengthy) and ultimately interesting interrogation about our plans by an uninformed gentleman before being handed off to immigration. Officers were great guys. Never even hinted at a bribe. No problem. So much so that we put a Nomadik sticker on their desk. Customs didn't really exist. I have heard others never had papers for the bikes or vehicles but wanted to be sure. I took our bike registration papers and asked. They said "Sure, what do you want me to stamp?" There was no procedure so I had them stamp our actual papers just in case. Then we were off. Very little hustle and bustle at the border compared to many others. Nigerian roads are another level. Lots of traffic coming into Lagos and plenty of busted trucks on the roads across to Calabar. We even passed 2 trucks in flames. Pretty sure we passed a corpse on the side of the road which was troubling. We hit a good number of check points and just stayed close and kept riding. Usually a wave before they make their mind up resulted is being waved through with a smile. We wouldn't have stopped anyway but never got any stress. You have to feel for the local people that they surely extort. Calabar we got our Cameroon visa easily. Got it in the afternoon. Passport photos and a fluctuating rate compared to recent prices quoted on iOverlander but because we didn't pay in Nigerian currency and instead USD we negotiated a rate and they took it. We headed up to Drill Ranch Afi Mountain, a drill monkey and chimp rehabilitation center north of Ikom. Was a real highlight and the road north of Ikom was a motorcycle dream. Jungle, fresh tarmac that runs into dirt with a few friendly stream crossings close to the ranch. From there we were recommended to cross into Cameroon at Akwaya. This turned into an absolute epic. Do not attempt in the wet season unless you are really up for it. Think 40-50kms per day type stuff and your bike will take a beating. Big GS type riders consider it seriously in the dry season even. Never mind that locals passed us 3 loaded onto little 100cc Chinese bikes with bald tires and not any mud in their shoes but they are on cub another level to we mere mortals. Between Nigeria and Cameroon we were held up at a substantial river crossing by some pretty animated hustlers trying to squeeze us for money. They kept hitting our kill switches rendering us pretty helpless. We did manage to get out elbows out and get I. The water and get a cross. I gave them a spray of mud as f$&@ you only to get bucked in a rut on the other side and drop my bike. I looked like a twat and they got a laugh. It was all good in the end. A couple of kms later we hit another river, this one much wider and much deeper. It was raining so sure to come up and behind us was our bandit friends and having to re-enter Nigeria. The water was barely below the airbox. We doubled up to wade the bikes across one at a time. From there the road just spanked us. But if you go, you will be rewarded. The most spectacular landscape so far in Africa and if you are into the hard grind then a real challenge with real satisfaction. Tenting has been out of the question in the wet season for us and as such we have been approaching villages if they haven't first offered to take our weary backsides in for the night. Truly humbling hospitality and off the grid. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...022f7e34c6.jpg The hustler river crossing after clearing Nigerian customs. IMG]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170630/8a97252d0facbfafbc9440714140857a.jpg[/IMG] Properly stuck https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...374f461506.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8c99eb4508.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8bd74d8bc6.jpg The reward Entering Cameroon We got a passport stamp in Akwaya which was not obvious given the trials of just making it to Akwaya but he was a nice guy and no stress. No customs to enter the bikes so that is still unresolved. No insurance either as it was a strike in Bamenda also which made changing money a hassle as well. We have made it to Yaounde and regrouping. We have started to second guess our plans to ride directly into the Rep of Congo and instead go through Gabon. We missed the Gabon embassy this afternoon, Friday, so will have to wait it out til Monday and get it then to leave Tuesday. Does anyone have any experience or insight on crossing into the Rep of Congo from Cameroon? Many have great things to say about Gabon though if possible crossing into Congo sounds like a rare experience and itself a worthwhile challenge. The wet season has definitely humbled us and as such trying to avoid seeking out too much of it and try to protect the bikes. -Anthony Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d764b36ee8.jpg The missing photo from above- properly stuck Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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I do! I crossed the Cameroon-Congo border near Mbalam in March 2016. I also met Markus and Walter who crossed the border near Ouesso in April of the same year in a Land Rover 110. Apparently they chose that road because there's more piste there, my route was rather tarmac heavy. Leaving Cameroon Leaving Cameroon was a breeze, except I missed the border post at first, OSM sent me to a spot where there is some hut, but it was unmanned. Once finding the right post the people were on lunch break, but welcomed me with smiles telling me they saw me riding past them and I shouldn't trust GPS around here. The whole bureaucracy stuff was handled very swiftly, except that the customs guy was on lunch break a little longer, so I had to wait about half an hour during which one police guy jokingly asked me if I want to sell my bike. Custom guy was a little surly cause I interrupted his break but lightened up later. All in all one of the better excperiences with the law in Africa. Entering Congo After a short ride through the jungle I arrived in a village where I had to turn left and after a surprisingly long ride I had to stop at a gate. There where three posts; Police, Migration and Health. The two Police officers were extraordinarily nice, asked some questions where I'm from, where I'm going, what I'm doing, the usual. They also told me that the next fuel station is in Ouésso, which turned out to be true. Top blokes all around. The sole Migration officer wanted bribes, he started with 50'000CFA, went down to 15'000CFA and remained there while starting to stutter. He insisted that I needed to pay the fee, I insisted that I don't. After about 10min I stopped understanding french, 5min after that I fell silent, after about 3min of mutual silence he started insisting that I have to pay again and so on. It took around half an hour until a police officer showed up and told bribe man to cut it. I went on to health where a small man with glasses in his 50s wanted 2'000CFA for a livret jaune. I showed him my vaccine card and and my yellow fever stamp in it, he wrote my particulars down in a huge notebook put my yellow card on the table and said that it would be 2'000CFA. At this point I was too slow; I should have taken the card and get out of there, instead I said that I in fact don't have to pay 2'000CFA after which he took my card. Kankerkut. Anyhow, he went on about how he did me a service and this service needs to be paid. He pulled some old photocopy of some document out of his table on which was noted that a livret jaune costs 2'000CFA, I told him that I already have one and he very well knows that since he holds it in his hands and I very much want it back. I also can't pay him because that's not what I do[that's exactly what I said, my French is far from flawless]. This went on for about 15min, then he threatened me by saying he will have to cross out my name from his book, by which I wasn't impressed. He pulled out pen and ruler and told me that he's gonna do it. "Vas-y!" I replied, he set the ruler and pen aside, gave me my card and off I went. I ran into a military check point after that. They searched my bags and checked my documents. Road Conditions I started the day in Djoum and arrived in Souanké in the evening where I found a little Auberge. The road comes in three flavors; Brand new tarmac through wonderful rainforest, OKish red piste with occasional corrugations and construction site with ankle deep mud. there were some heavy storms while I was there, I rode a KTM 690 with Heidenau K60s with around 6'000km on it in the back and 2'000km in front and I had little problems regarding the riding. Take note that this was over a year ago and the road development is crazy around there, I'm almost certain that in 2 years you can ride a Goldwing from Yaoundé to Brazza. From Yaoundé to Djoum and from Sembé to Brazza it's all good to excellent tarmac. Fuel Take note that there are no proper fuel stations between Djoum and Ouesso, a distance of around 750km. It was the longest stretch I ever did on a single filling, I ride with a 14l Safari tank and had an eye on the economy because I knew that after the border crossing. Clandestine fuel dealing on the roadside is very common tough, you will find someone which will sell you fuel out of a yellow canister in almost every village. I don't have access to my waypoints right now, will add coordinates of the police offices later. |
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Amazing. Thanks for the info. That is great. We had originally planned the Mbalam-Souanké route but got a little unsure of the distinct lack of info on it. Now I guess we need to decide if we go that route or another type of scenic route through Gabon. Much appreciated! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
DRC
I'd like to know if you guys have any problems entering the DRC with a visa issued outside your own country. Cheers.
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You might consider Angola as the road from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi is not safe right now, I was going to do it but had to go through Angola instead.
Best of luck. |
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We'll follow you...
Hi guys,
Good luck on the trip - you're quite a find for me. I'm starting to plan a trip for me and m'lady in 2019 from London to Nordkapp (north Norway) to Cape Agulhas (south South Africa) and was looking to travel down the west of Africa. The current UK govt travel advice (especially re Mauritania, Mali & BF) is a bit discouraging, but good on you for taking it on. Creer, who you've been corresponding with, has been a great source of positive feedback about the area, though. Will keep looking to see how you get on. Hope it's great! Simon |
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We will know tomorrow hopefully and let you know. Follow our trip at https://nomadikandco.com and on Instagram at @nomadikandco |
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Shame to miss you on the road Didier. Would have been great to meet another overlander. We haven't met any other travellers. Safe travels. Follow our trip at https://nomadikandco.com and on Instagram at @nomadikandco |
We are currently in Brazzaville, looking across the Congo River at Kinshasa and the madness to come.
From Cameroon we decided to go through Gabon rather than direct to Congo. Gabon gets high praise for its scenery etc so figured why not. The visa process for Gabon was the most involved we have experienced on our trip. They insisted we wear pants inside the embassy and then we needed copies of previous visas, passport photo, proof of a hotel booking and payment (which we explained we couldn't have a receipt because we weren't in Libreville and they let it slide) travel insurance with Gabon listed on it (a bit of photoshop here helped) and yellow fever certificate. 70,000cfa for same day. We departed Yaounde, Cameroon last week only to have Richard's bike break down on the outskirts of the city. Larry a local biker helped us out big time and brought us to Shankar's shop, an epic junk yard of old motorcycles. Eventually we diagnosed it as a failed rocker arm bearing. (I have a video of the sound the engine makes with a busted rocker arm which I will upload another time for those non mechanic, first timers like ourselves if that helps anyone in the future) Luckily we have spare rocker arms with us as this is a known issue with the 690. Many hands don't necessarily make light work though as our African mechanic friends wanted to put it all back together with exploded shards of metal and bearing rollers still floating around the top of Richard's engine. It was all happening pretty quick but we had to step in and slow the whole process down. It was all great fun, but don't take your eye of your bike for minute. Thankfully we had a magnet. We got it all cleaned out it seems and changed the oil and his bike has been great since. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...25e3890bfa.jpg Fixing a busted rocker arm in Yaoundé. My clutch has been variable so we searched high and low for mineral oil which it turns out is baby oil. That wasn't easy to find but we did find some eventually, topped up my clutch lever reservoir and we were finally on our way. Smooth as a babies bum. Checking out of Cameroon was easy enough. We never got a TIP/Passavant upon entry into Cameroon at our backwoods border. Luckily the officer was really friendly and spoke English and let us pass. No hassle, no squeeze for money. We stamped our passports out no problem. Entering Gabon Across the river a small post took their time and had a dirty smell about them. They called the hotel we made a temp booking with in Libreville for our visa which was for the day before because of our mechanical issue. We sat for 45mins or so, heard the word "cadeau" muttered between them but they never asked for a gift. It turned out fine but felt like it could have gone either way. We got stamped in at the next town of Bitam at the police station and got a passavant nearby at customs also. 10,000cfa for the passavant. Gabon was great riding. It was GS country. Perfect, sealed blacktop twisting and winding, dipping and weaving. It's not quite adventure off-road riding, but it's difficult not to grin as you tuck into corner after corner for a few days. We went Bitam, Mitzic, Lambarene, Ndende. If you go east to Lope and on down the Franceville I suspect you get a bit more adventurous but read around. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b0d461e434.jpg There is plenty of this in Gabon. We stamped out of Gabon in Ndende and that's where the blacktop ran out, straight into a dirt track for ~50kms to the Congo border. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...210c6288db.jpg The road from Ndende to the Congo border. Entering Congo Numerous offices to visit and register in. Passports stamped but got our TIP/Passavant in Nyanga the next morning for 10,000cfa. We camped at the border as it was late in the day and the bar had a good vibe. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c0cf0cd588.jpg Primus- the beer of the Congos. Then another 200kms of really rough and rugged dirt road with dust traps most of the way. Really felt like we are in Africa now. Beautiful landscape and lots of friendly villages. Then it all of a sudden ran out at a sparkling, new toll booth for a Chinese built road at Dolisie and perfect highway all the way to Brazzaville. Lots of police/military checkpoints as you near Brazzaville. And checkpoints that force you to stop rather than the others we have experienced in Africa that we just ignore, give a wave and keep going. Genuine concern here with rebel activity. Had our bags searched at one looking for weapons. All above board and all warned us to be careful. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...156ace5583.jpg We have been riding til an hour before dark and pulling over to ask locals for a place to camp. It always happens that we are welcome to pitch the tent and have felt safe and enjoyed the ambience. Hotel Hippocamp is a must to check in with in Brazzaville. Olivier the owner understands what you need after being in the road and allows overlanders to camp and use facilities for free. Not glamorous but everything you need. Food is amazing. Vietnamese Oho is a must. Be sure to check out the guestbooks. Some great characters and information in there. He and the staff are a great source for information about changing money, visas and the road to Boko for crossing into the DRC. Interesting that he flat out insisted that managing the rebel threat and road status to Boko was a better option than trying to cross Brazzaville to Kinshasa directly. So that's where we are. The road to Boko is currently open and we intend to head out tomorrow (12th July, 2017) and cross into the DRC and up to Kinshasa to check out the madness. Follow our trip at https://nomadikandco.com and on Instagram at @nomadikandco Big thanks to Revit Sport, Enduristan, Rally Raid and Scott Oiler for their support. |
Great stuff.
Great read. Bon chance.:thumbup1:
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Took it apart and little ball bearings all over. His ride was over, no spare parts. He got a ride back to US border with friendly Canadians (pick up truck). All good. Great up date, THANKS! Ride safe, Hope KTM's can make it! (BABY OIL? Serious?) |
I sure did enjoy riding in Gabon, I had a smile on my face through the entire country. Take care in Kinshasa (the antichambre of hell)
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We had another rocker arm failure in Richards bike. Thankfully it wasn't the one we replaced. We caught it before it really exploded bearing guys through the engine but still troubling and annoying. Glad we brought those pets though that's for sure. Baby oil is mineral oil apparently. It's working perfectly. Finding baby oil in Africa isn't easy though, easier than specialist motorcycle mineral oil. A good trick to know though. Follow our trip at https://nomadikandco.com and on Instagram at @nomadikandco Big thanks to Revit Sport, Enduristan, Rally Raid and Scott Oiler for their support. |
Back to the main feature...
Hey boys,
Missed out on a few posts while doing an Aus Outback trip so just catching up on your adventures. I see you're in Namibia now. Did you end up skipping DRC? Thanks again for sharing. Great images by the way. Travel safe! Dave |
Angola
Looks like they went to Kinshasa and then went through Angola. Where did they get the Angolan visa? Where are they now? What's going on? :thumbup1:
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It has been a while since we posted. Sorry for that.
The big news is that we made it to Cape Town. It was an incredible way to finish the trip down through Namibia and the Western Cape. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...dd814b2afa.jpgCape Town To pick up where we left off though, we departed Brazzaville early to beat the road closure for the elections that weekend. No troubles through the Poole region down to the Boko crossing into the DRC. We got our passport stamped in Louingui based on iOverlander advice. Stamped again at the border. Great roads on an adventure bike if they are dry. Wouldn't be much fun in the wet. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...eac457082c.jpg We were stamped into the DRC no problems and ended up on the ferry before we realized customs for the bikes was on the north side of the Congo. It never mattered anyway as we never pursued it in Kinshasa and never got asked for it departing. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...cdb0ff8dfe.jpg The ferry was a great experience. Fits a couple cars and the bikes on the pontoons. Cheap, fixed rate. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b627e5fa9b.jpg We had a wild experience heading into Kinshasa. We stopped in a town to check the map and were just swamped with people and a policeman stroking a taser asking for our documents and to "Give him money!" It was the DRC you hear about. Intense, overwhelming and awesome. We won him over finally without paying anything and reducing the aggression. We ended up having him offer his office to lock the bikes and pitch the tent for the night. It was late in the day and we weren't going to make it to Kinshasa and it worked out in our favor. Just had to stay cool and ride it out. In Kinshasa we were introduced to Frank Verhoestraete, a 4 x Dakar racer and all around great guy, riding a rally spec KTM 690. He is Belgian but grew up in the DRC. Richard had another rocker arm explode which was frustrating. It failed on the way to Frank's garage so it could have been worse. We managed to swap out the arm with the other spare that we brought with us and get as much exploded metal out of the engine. That would come to haunt us again but we will get to that in Namibia. We changed our our tires, putting on Continental TKC80s front and rear. After ~15,000km the Mitas E-07s still had a good 30-40% on them. We probably could have gotten all the way to Cape Town on them, but with the rugged, sandy Lubumbashi crossing that we planned, the TKCs made good sense. We left the Mitas tires there for any bikers in need of tires. Get in touch if you need them and I can put you in touch with Frank. But there are 2 sets of E-07s (21-90/90 and 18-140/80) there in Kinshasa. The bikes needed quite a bit of TLC once we got into it. Just wear and tear and rubbing and general maintainence. We swapped out our front sprockets from 15T to 14T for the slower, clutch heavy Lubumbashi crossing. Both our headlights had vibrated the frame loose but nothing some good African skills couldn't fix easily. We had planned to leave for Lubumbashi the next day but needed a rest day and so postponed a day. That day off we met a restaurant owner that basically talked us out of crossing the Kasai region. There were the 2 UN experts murdered recently and 40 policeman beheaded. None of that was new information but he got us thinking twice. Current info from connections of Frank's who drive the road regularly said it was possible, but with Richard's wife at home pregnant, there was no good reason to chance it. We were pretty disappointed to not do the crossing which was one of the big attractions of the trip, but that is life. We found a cargo flight to Lumbumbashi for $200 per person plus $1.5 per kilogram for the bikes but our preference was to keep the rubber on the road in a continuous line through Africa so we set about getting an Angola visa. This was not easy, but in the end it worked out. The first visit to the embassy in Kinshasa they flat out refused, but we managed to get a phone number for a Mr Amba and that got us through another door and then the process began to move forward. It took 3 days, a bunch of waiting, and a Note Verbal from the British Embassy but we got a 5 day transit visa in the end. If we had of considered Angola sooner, I think the place to apply for the visa is Pointe Noire in Republic of Congo. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7c13b0d186.jpg We took a day to just go riding without the bags with Frank and that was amazing. Single track and sand riding along the Congo to Zongo Falls. It was a great day out. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e20c3995f0.jpg The Bank of the mighty Congo River We left Kinshasa for the Kimbala border. It was another DRC experience, riding crazy roads made fun on the bikes, snaking up through the mtns and through villages. We spent another intense night in a village and crossed over the next morning. We were sorry to not experience more of the DRC. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...c9719529b1.jpg The DRC exit was a little prolonged and they searched our bags, for what we weren't sure. If it was diamonds they didn't look very hard. But it was all friendly enough. They don't see many tourists through that border and inspected our visas intensely, even though we were leaving. The tarmac started right at the gate with Angola. Angola was all above board. Computers and clean offices and clear procedures. It was a bit of a shock actually. Visas were accepted no problems and the TIP for the bikes was all very official. I forget exactly how much we paid, but it was perhaps $19 each bike. We didn't have any currency so changed some with some locals near the exit. That would come back to haunt us also. Approx 40kms down the road a check point stopped us. Thankfully we stopped instead of our normal habit of running them, but they unholstered their guns and seemed to mean business. Shortly after a car pulled up behind us and it was the guy Richard changed the money with. They thought we gave them fake USD and had phoned the checkpoint to alert them to the foreign hustlers headed their way. The $50 bill was printed in 2009 and that wasn't good enough apparently. It was quickly remedied by swapping it for a crisp bill printed in 2013 and everyone was jovial again. From there on out Angola was great. We moved quickly to get through with our 5 day visa but it was a great experience, camping with local farmers and generally some spectacular scenery. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...59a3574fd5.jpg We encountered some intense, red, fine dust the consistency of flour one day that threatened to clog the air filters but it was all a good challenge. Definitely not easy to ride in and the trucks smoked us out big time. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...87689d1327.jpg We made it through Angola in 5 days. 4 days would be possible but it is faster speeds and slightly bigger days. We didn't go through Luanda at all or get to enjoy any of the things Angola does offer, but that's the way it goes. We crossed into Namibia at the Calueque border crossing, riding some fun sandy roads off the highway from Xangongo. Stamping out of Angola was easy and while Namibia took a bit of time, it was easy enough. Namibia checked the VIN numbers on the bikes and gave us a TIP free of charge. They were a bit unsure how to process us without Carnets but they figured it out. As of May 2017 there is a road tax. It was all very legitimate with prices printed on the window. N$177 per motorcycle and N$277 for a 4x4. We got a printed receipt. Try to have Namibian dollars if you can as there was no currency exchange there and we ended up getting a terrible rate. Otherwise we were into Namibia which is just an incredible place to ride a motorcycle. I'll pick that up in another post. Follow our trip at https://nomadikandco.com and on Instagram at @nomadikandco Big thanks to Revit Sport, Enduristan, Rally Raid and Scott Oiler for their support. |
Great to have an official update and glad you've made it safely down!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
O
Hardcore you know the score. Respect.:thumbup1:
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Great to hear you guys made it to SA. Well done!
It looks like an intense trip. Like one of you, I am an Irishman and have a 2003 R1150GS and a recent KTM 690 enduro R. I am riding down to The Gambia in October - on the GS. Will leave it there and return later to head on South. Any views on whether a GS could make the ride South (albeit perhaps not on the route that you followed!)? Cheers and well done Simon |
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Apologies that it has taken so long for the final update. Life just happened again as soon as we touched down back home. But it is nice to relive some of it now 6 months later after letting it all sink in. So here we go. Once into Namibia we didn’t make it far before deciding to call it a day in Ruacana. We stayed at a lodge there, ate 3 lunches each and relaxed. The food quality went up drastically once in Namibia. We had debated making the trek across to Epupa Falls, but rest and food won the day and we stayed another night. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d2a0650c40.jpg Himba women dancing. Back on the road we took the backroads to Opuwo through the Himba region which was a pure joy. We bombed along winding dirt roads with little to no traffic passing Himba villages and herders out with their cows. The men wore loinclothes with a stick in hand to tend to their herd while the women were adorned with mud braids in their hair, skirts made from fur and and ornate metal designs and ochre butter pasted on their naked torsos. We stopped in at Ovahimba Living Museum which is a bit of a tourist thing but given we were only passing through, it was really interesting. We made it to Opuwo just before dark and got fuel while topless Himba strolled past on cell phones and withdrew money from the ATM. It was a real convergence of the ancient and the modern. We wished we could have stopped for a few days in Opuwo and just watched the world go by and explored the region we had just ridden through a bit more. From there we headed down to Etosha National park. Because motorcycles aren’t allowed in the park, we camped at Etosha Safari Lodge just outside. After the roadside camping and campstove pasta, red sauce and sardines routine for the last 10 weeks, the living was high class in Namibia. We enjoyed the pool, rode up to the fancy hotel for a sunset aperitif and listened to some live music at the bar at the campsite. We also met Colin Gruen, an American who rented a Honda Africa Twin in Cape Town and had spent the last 6 weeks touring Southern Africa. It was awesome to connect with another rider and trade some stories. There was definitely not a lot of this type of interaction previously on the trip. We took a wildlife cruise for the day which was awesome. We saw a black rhino, lions, elephants, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest. It was a worthwhile venture although a car and the liberty to explore at your own pace would be great. Having a guide though definitely got us to the right spots for a few animals. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...85e912519a.jpg A black rhino in Etosha National Park. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1764d30425.jpg We managed to tick off a bunch of tourist hotspots the next day but arrived too late for Twyfelfontein so ended up wild camping. It was spectacular, riding off into the plains and pitching camp out of the wind. We tried to keep the fire burning throughout the night to keep the wildlife away, although we also heard that it can attract elephants because they want to stomp it out. Not sure what to believe. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a996642eff.jpg Where would you camp? https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3c422b1bbe.jpg We set off from Twyfelfontein the next morning cross-country on a road that appeared on the paper maps we had. It almost proved a mistake as the road gave way to soft sand that threatened to overheat the bikes and drain all our gas. It was only about 40kms as the crow flies, but it took us til mid afternoon to make it into Brandberg, especially when Richard’s bike wouldn’t start after stopping for a break. We managed to jump start the bike, and cut and left the wires connected to each bike so we didn’t have to take the bags and seat off each time we stopped seeing as it was apparently a persistent problem. We figured it might be just the battery needing to be replaced so kept moving. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...457cce4598.jpg Not an ideal place to break down. Brandberg was spectacular. The colors in Namibia in general are rich shift throughout the day as the light changes before the landscape catches fire at sunset. Elephants wandering through camp in the dusky light was the icing on the cake. The next morning we took the scenic route towards the coast through a truly moonlike landscape that was absolutely breathtaking. Richard’s bike started fine with the jumper leads so we opted against the direct route to Swakopmund where the first modern dirtbike shop and assistance awaited. It was a worthwhile risk to take in the end because we made it and because of how incredibly beautiful the ride was. Dropping down to the coast we could smell the ocean and feel the temperature drop 50kms out and when we finally made it it was overcast and cold, rugged and salty- a completely other world. In Swakopmund we found the Yamaha store which was happy to help us out, but that didn’t stop them making cracks to us about mechanical issues with the KTM. It was all in good fun. They let us work on the bikes in their shop and gave their expertise when needed, and it was needed. It turned out the battery in Richard’s bike was fine, but it wasn’t charging. Following the system back, it turned out to be the stator which has been damaged by an errant piece of metal from a bearing from when one of the 2 rocker arms exploded. It was a rude shock, but also lucky that the shard hadn’t found its way into the cylinder or elsewhere and done more damage. For reasons unbeknownst to us even, we had actually carried a heavy stator with us the entire trip and the only thing we were missing was a gasket which the guys were able to make themselves. By the end of the day we were back up and running. I took some new brake pads because I could and both bikes an oil change. Like most days in the shoppe, it took longer than we had hoped so our plans to explore the sand dunes were cut short but we got a little taste on one of the front dunes, running our tires too hard and sinking and then I ran out of gas at dusk. We looked like total rookies, which we were, but it made for a good laugh. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b2874612aa.jpg Riding in the dunes is way cooler even than we imagined it would be. The next day we waited for the coastal cloud to burn off in the morning, sampling a wholesome breakfast in one of the many great cafes in Swakopmund before getting a permit to ride in the dunes and heading out in the afternoon when the contrast is better. In the middle of the day it’s easy to not see a crest and ride off the edge of a dune. This time we dropped the pressure in our tires and brought plenty of fuel and got the hang of it pretty quick. Having never ridden in dunes, it was something that I had always wanted to do and the experience was ethereal. As the sun waned and the shadows grew longer, the freedom to roam and explore is hard to match elsewhere. The colors and the contours of the sand are so pleasing to the eye and the playful nature of the terrain is so fun to ride, banking off broad natural berms and summiting gigantic dunes only to reveal more undulations all the way to the horizon. We could have spent more time in Swakopmund exploring the dunes and generally hanging out as it was so friendly. We were invited to spend and afternoon shark fishing with a local sport fisherman which was great fun but yielded no bites. But beers and exchanging banter about our trip and Andrew’s fishing conquests was a delight. Cape Town was calling so we departed Swakopmund for Sossusvlei via Solitaire. We never made it to Sossusvlei due to an invite to stay at lodge by a landcruiser piloted by 3 Italian girls on vacation but you have to open to the whims of the road right? We did run into Colin at the fuel station outside Sossusvlei the next mornging and decided to team up for a few days as he was also headed to Cape Town. It was great to ride with some fresh energy, and he was glad for the company after 2 months solo. The roads were terribly corrugated but we made it to Aus, arriving too late to visit the ghost town outside Luderitz. We did enjoy a steak at one of the eco lodges and camped for cheap nearby. Namibia is exceptionally well set up for tourism. Many of the lodges are quite upscale without being too exclusive and after having not eaten particularly well outside of bigger towns for most of the trip, the prospect of cooking in camp or splurging each night on a salad bar, steak and dessert was not a difficult decision. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...01bfc4c733.jpg Colin- a welcome addition to our posse. We took in the Fish River Canyon the next morning before snaking our way through some stunning canyons and making it to the Ais-Ais Hotsprings the following night. The riding in Namibia is wild without being frontier, and at the end of each day if you so choose there are usually some other travellers to share a beer with and a restaurant to feast in. This day though the hot springs were a special bonus. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0334b21e96.jpg The Orange River Our final day in Namibia after nearly 2 weeks of relaxing the pace and exploring and enjoying some of the attractions was one of the most spectacular. The dry, jagged canyons opened up to a verdant river valley, where the road lazily flowed along the banks of the Orange River. We crossed into South Africa on a 2 vehicle ferry at Sendelingsdrif, sad to leave Namibia behind. Checking into South Africa was easy enough although in hindsight we should have insisted on a TIP or some import document as it would have helped with shipping the bikes back home later. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0e3dfd38f4.jpg The Richtersveld Once cleared, we set off through the Richtersveld to complete perhaps the most scenic day of riding any of us had ever done. The Richtersveld proper is forbidden to motorcycles, but we traced the edge of it, skipping through Eksteenfontein as the shadows grew longer and the mountains caught fire in the evening glow. We never passed another vehicle despite the numerous hamlets tucked away off the main thoroughfare. We wild camped for the last time as the nostalgia began to grow with the impending conclusion to our adventure. After a flat tire the next morning, Colin bid us farewell. We wanted to get to Cape Town to go diving with sharks while Richard and I wanted to detour through the Cederberg. We didn’t make it as far as we had hoped and camped by the reservoir in Clanwilliam for the night. With one final day to ride, Richard and I bought and drank a few extra beers, but the enormity of what we had done was difficult to grasp and the excitement to be finishing was difficult to find. It had been such an incredible experience and such a rare state of being--worrying only about what was in front of us, living with only that which we could carry on our bikes, and never knowing where we would rest our weary carasses each day. It was a form of zen and while we were excited for what came next when we returned home, it was a state that we could have stayed in a while longer. It seemed unfortunate that it would be coming to a close. The beers helped to lubricate the emotions and the many experiences and encounters from the last 3 months that we hadn’t been able to properly process began to distill. So much had happened every single day, and the pace that we had ridden at seldom allowed those experiences to fully percolate. It was something that we wrestled with during the trip and a lot that night. Should we have taken more time? We had given ourselves 3 months to ride from Belfast to Ireland, with no idea if that was even possible. The few that we had spoken to that had done the trip thought it was unlikely. But we had 3 months away from work, Richard’s wife was pregnant with their first child and we wanted to get to Cape Town. We had ridden by so much without stopping, but it had also forced us to stop in many places that we otherwise wouldn’t have and to find solutions to problems in ways that perhaps we might not have in other circumstances. We didn’t realize until we began, but the trip became first and foremost about riding our bikes everyday and the rest happened along the way. It took a while to realize that, but there was a distinct pleasure in that. Pleasure in the physical challenge of riding 24,000kms in a single line through an entire continent. Then there was the pure enjoyment of spending time with a really good friend, of suffering the heat and the bugs and the breakdowns along with the elation of fixing a broken rocker arm to the morning light as we raced our own shadows across the desert and sitting by countless small fires with each other and with our gracious hosts along the way. But having never done a trip in such style before, we had to wonder if had we even done it right? Was there something else that we were meant to have done or experienced? These were the musings of two friends that were running out of the types of problems that a trip such as this throws up. We never found solutions or explanations in the mickey of whiskey that we also drank but we must have done something right to make it this far? https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...df8e1c0d92.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...55121b7b9f.jpg The Cederberg The Cederberg the next day begged the question of whether we were still up for adventure or instead ready to throw in the towel and take the highway to Cape Town. Rain and dense mist as we climbed into the mountains that reduced visibility to less than 50 meters and made the entire idea of taking the scenic route seem preposterous. Our persistence, however, was rewarded with a dramatic color palette as the blooming spring wild flowers accented the dark, foreboding skies. We popped out in Ceres to dry out in a coffee shop before climbing up through Bain’s Kloof Pass, an improbable road that snaked through a steep canyon awash with tumbling waterfalls and a raging torrent below due to the rain that saturated the earth and ourselves. From there it we dropped down to Cape Town picking up the freeway as my front sprocket began to skip as the teeth finally gave out. It got us up to Table Mountain, our preordained finish point. Exchanging embraces and messaging loved ones back home that we had arrived, it all felt a bit surreal. Did it really have to be over? https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1c7598daf0.jpg Mission complete. Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town. During the trip we had connected with Woodstock Moto Co, a community garage run by Devin Paisley, who were having a party that evening that soon doubled as our welcome party also. We rode down to the garage and cracked a beer and met the great motorcycle community in Cape Town. We never made it out of our riding gear til late in the evening, enjoying numerous libations while standing around chatting travel, motorcycles and life. It was a great way to come back to earth and begin to re-integrate. The following days involved sleeping off a hangover, catching up in our journals, riding Chapman’s peak--a stunning strip of coastal road-- down to the Cape of Good Hope. From the old lighthouse on the point the Atlantic Ocean formed a moat around our desire to keep riding. We had run out of continent. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...94cbc3dca7.jpg We ran out of continent. Cape of Good Hope. Our final day Devin took us on an awesome Cape Town tour, linking dirt tracks and twisting tarmac through avant garde districts, slums and stunning view points. Devin is passionate about motorcycles, his home town of Cape Town and community. It was a real icing on the cake to have fallen in with he and his crew. Cape Town is a real gem that is largely underrated. With the natural beauty of the coast and the mountains immediately surrounding it as well as being the gateway to some epic riding, there is no question that we will be back. We left Devin at the Cecil Rhodes statue overlooking the University of Cape Town to ride to the warehouse where we would leave our bikes for shipping, change and take an Uber to the airport. And then it was over. In the months that have passed since returning home to daily life, the trip has continued to distill and settle in our minds into the legend that it will become for us. After first talking about it while living together in Chamonix, France 12 years ago, the belief that it has come and gone already is still hard to process. Having finally made it happen, the trip has highlighted the value in having long term goals to look forward to. In an era of instant gratification, it is rare to have a dream that captures the imagination that is largely intangible, but ultimately possible. In the wake of fulfilling that dream, the absence of a goal that that looms large and perhaps services nothing more than wanderlust has become apparent, but there will be time for dreaming up another. As we came back to earth there was much discussion around trying to acutely comprehend what we had done exactly. Morocco felt like an eternity ago. The wet season in Cameroon that spanked us so robustly did not connect to the chaos of the DRC which did not attach itself to the vastness of Namibia. So much had happened and everyday was so intense and full of experiences that it was difficult to compile it into a single accomplishment. It felt like a year ago that we set off from Belfast, and the blink of an eye since we started planning the trip 9 months before. In reality our sense of exhalation just didn’t seem to add up to the sum of all the parts. The only sentiment that I could come upon that captured the magnitude of what we had just done was that we were now part of an exclusive club of folks that had ridden motorcycles overland, navigating the requisite challenges and perils along the way and absorbing all the vibrancy of life on the road. Many of these characters and tales were brought to life on this very forum, personal travel blogs and social media feeds. Before we began the trip, we thought those folks, were icons and the most inspiring characters that we could imagine. And now we had followed in their footsteps to fulfil our vision of an overland motorcycle journey. Does that make us better than anyone else? Not at all. But when you complete the most awesome thing you can imagine undertaking, it is a gratifying feeling. So thank you HUBB for all the inspiration, information, encouragement and advice. And here’s to the next dream. Follow our trip at https://nomadikandco.com and on Instagram at @nomadikandco Big thanks to Revit Sport, Enduristan, Rally Raid and Scott Oiler for their support. |
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Apologies that it has taken so long for the final update. Life just happened again as soon as we touched down back home. But it is nice to relive some of it now 6 months later after letting it all sink in. So here we go. Once into Namibia we didn’t make it far before deciding to call it a day in Ruacana. We stayed at a lodge there, ate 3 lunches each and relaxed. The food quality went up drastically once in Namibia. We had debated making the trek across to Epupa Falls, but rest and food won the day and we stayed another night. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d2a0650c40.jpg Himba women dancing. Back on the road we took the backroads to Opuwo through the Himba region which was a pure joy. We bombed along winding dirt roads with little to no traffic passing Himba villages and herders out with their cows. The men wore loinclothes with a stick in hand to tend to their herd while the women were adorned with mud braids in their hair, skirts made from fur and and ornate metal designs and ochre butter pasted on their naked torsos. We stopped in at Ovahimba Living Museum which is a bit of a tourist thing but given we were only passing through, it was really interesting. We made it to Opuwo just before dark and got fuel while topless Himba strolled past on cell phones and withdrew money from the ATM. It was a real convergence of the ancient and the modern. We wished we could have stopped for a few days in Opuwo and just watched the world go by and explored the region we had just ridden through a bit more. From there we headed down to Etosha National park. Because motorcycles aren’t allowed in the park, we camped at Etosha Safari Lodge just outside. After the roadside camping and campstove pasta, red sauce and sardines routine for the last 10 weeks, the living was high class in Namibia. We enjoyed the pool, rode up to the fancy hotel for a sunset aperitif and listened to some live music at the bar at the campsite. We also met Colin Gruen, an American who rented a Honda Africa Twin in Cape Town and had spent the last 6 weeks touring Southern Africa. It was awesome to connect with another rider and trade some stories. There was definitely not a lot of this type of interaction previously on the trip. We took a wildlife cruise for the day which was awesome. We saw a black rhino, lions, elephants, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest. It was a worthwhile venture although a car and the liberty to explore at your own pace would be great. Having a guide though definitely got us to the right spots for a few animals. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...85e912519a.jpg A black rhino in Etosha National Park. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1764d30425.jpg We managed to tick off a bunch of tourist hotspots the next day but arrived too late for Twyfelfontein so ended up wild camping. It was spectacular, riding off into the plains and pitching camp out of the wind. We tried to keep the fire burning throughout the night to keep the wildlife away, although we also heard that it can attract elephants because they want to stomp it out. Not sure what to believe. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a996642eff.jpg Where would you camp? https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...3c422b1bbe.jpg We set off from Twyfelfontein the next morning cross-country on a road that appeared on the paper maps we had. It almost proved a mistake as the road gave way to soft sand that threatened to overheat the bikes and drain all our gas. It was only about 40kms as the crow flies, but it took us til mid afternoon to make it into Brandberg, especially when Richard’s bike wouldn’t start after stopping for a break. We managed to jump start the bike, and cut and left the wires connected to each bike so we didn’t have to take the bags and seat off each time we stopped seeing as it was apparently a persistent problem. We figured it might be just the battery needing to be replaced so kept moving. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...457cce4598.jpg Not an ideal place to break down. Brandberg was spectacular. The colors in Namibia in general are rich shift throughout the day as the light changes before the landscape catches fire at sunset. Elephants wandering through camp in the dusky light was the icing on the cake. The next morning we took the scenic route towards the coast through a truly moonlike landscape that was absolutely breathtaking. Richard’s bike started fine with the jumper leads so we opted against the direct route to Swakopmund where the first modern dirtbike shop and assistance awaited. It was a worthwhile risk to take in the end because we made it and because of how incredibly beautiful the ride was. Dropping down to the coast we could smell the ocean and feel the temperature drop 50kms out and when we finally made it it was overcast and cold, rugged and salty- a completely other world. In Swakopmund we found the Yamaha store which was happy to help us out, but that didn’t stop them making cracks to us about mechanical issues with the KTM. It was all in good fun. They let us work on the bikes in their shop and gave their expertise when needed, and it was needed. It turned out the battery in Richard’s bike was fine, but it wasn’t charging. Following the system back, it turned out to be the stator which has been damaged by an errant piece of metal from a bearing from when one of the 2 rocker arms exploded. It was a rude shock, but also lucky that the shard hadn’t found its way into the cylinder or elsewhere and done more damage. For reasons unbeknownst to us even, we had actually carried a heavy stator with us the entire trip and the only thing we were missing was a gasket which the guys were able to make themselves. By the end of the day we were back up and running. I took some new brake pads because I could and both bikes an oil change. Like most days in the shoppe, it took longer than we had hoped so our plans to explore the sand dunes were cut short but we got a little taste on one of the front dunes, running our tires too hard and sinking and then I ran out of gas at dusk. We looked like total rookies, which we were, but it made for a good laugh. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b2874612aa.jpg Riding in the dunes is way cooler even than we imagined it would be. The next day we waited for the coastal cloud to burn off in the morning, sampling a wholesome breakfast in one of the many great cafes in Swakopmund before getting a permit to ride in the dunes and heading out in the afternoon when the contrast is better. In the middle of the day it’s easy to not see a crest and ride off the edge of a dune. This time we dropped the pressure in our tires and brought plenty of fuel and got the hang of it pretty quick. Having never ridden in dunes, it was something that I had always wanted to do and the experience was ethereal. As the sun waned and the shadows grew longer, the freedom to roam and explore is hard to match elsewhere. The colors and the contours of the sand are so pleasing to the eye and the playful nature of the terrain is so fun to ride, banking off broad natural berms and summiting gigantic dunes only to reveal more undulations all the way to the horizon. We could have spent more time in Swakopmund exploring the dunes and generally hanging out as it was so friendly. We were invited to spend and afternoon shark fishing with a local sport fisherman which was great fun but yielded no bites. But beers and exchanging banter about our trip and Andrew’s fishing conquests was a delight. Cape Town was calling so we departed Swakopmund for Sossusvlei via Solitaire. We never made it to Sossusvlei due to an invite to stay at lodge by a landcruiser piloted by 3 Italian girls on vacation but you have to open to the whims of the road right? We did run into Colin at the fuel station outside Sossusvlei the next mornging and decided to team up for a few days as he was also headed to Cape Town. It was great to ride with some fresh energy, and he was glad for the company after 2 months solo. The roads were terribly corrugated but we made it to Aus, arriving too late to visit the ghost town outside Luderitz. We did enjoy a steak at one of the eco lodges and camped for cheap nearby. Namibia is exceptionally well set up for tourism. Many of the lodges are quite upscale without being too exclusive and after having not eaten particularly well outside of bigger towns for most of the trip, the prospect of cooking in camp or splurging each night on a salad bar, steak and dessert was not a difficult decision. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...01bfc4c733.jpg Colin- a welcome addition to our posse. We took in the Fish River Canyon the next morning before snaking our way through some stunning canyons and making it to the Ais-Ais Hotsprings the following night. The riding in Namibia is wild without being frontier, and at the end of each day if you so choose there are usually some other travellers to share a beer with and a restaurant to feast in. This day though the hot springs were a special bonus. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0334b21e96.jpg The Orange River Our final day in Namibia after nearly 2 weeks of relaxing the pace and exploring and enjoying some of the attractions was one of the most spectacular. The dry, jagged canyons opened up to a verdant river valley, where the road lazily flowed along the banks of the Orange River. We crossed into South Africa on a 2 vehicle ferry at Sendelingsdrif, sad to leave Namibia behind. Checking into South Africa was easy enough although in hindsight we should have insisted on a TIP or some import document as it would have helped with shipping the bikes back home later. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0e3dfd38f4.jpg The Richtersveld Once cleared, we set off through the Richtersveld to complete perhaps the most scenic day of riding any of us had ever done. The Richtersveld proper is forbidden to motorcycles, but we traced the edge of it, skipping through Eksteenfontein as the shadows grew longer and the mountains caught fire in the evening glow. We never passed another vehicle despite the numerous hamlets tucked away off the main thoroughfare. We wild camped for the last time as the nostalgia began to grow with the impending conclusion to our adventure. After a flat tire the next morning, Colin bid us farewell. We wanted to get to Cape Town to go diving with sharks while Richard and I wanted to detour through the Cederberg. We didn’t make it as far as we had hoped and camped by the reservoir in Clanwilliam for the night. With one final day to ride, Richard and I bought and drank a few extra beers, but the enormity of what we had done was difficult to grasp and the excitement to be finishing was difficult to find. It had been such an incredible experience and such a rare state of being--worrying only about what was in front of us, living with only that which we could carry on our bikes, and never knowing where we would rest our weary carasses each day. It was a form of zen and while we were excited for what came next when we returned home, it was a state that we could have stayed in a while longer. It seemed unfortunate that it would be coming to a close. The beers helped to lubricate the emotions and the many experiences and encounters from the last 3 months that we hadn’t been able to properly process began to distill. So much had happened every single day, and the pace that we had ridden at seldom allowed those experiences to fully percolate. It was something that we wrestled with during the trip and a lot that night. Should we have taken more time? We had given ourselves 3 months to ride from Belfast to Ireland, with no idea if that was even possible. The few that we had spoken to that had done the trip thought it was unlikely. But we had 3 months away from work, Richard’s wife was pregnant with their first child and we wanted to get to Cape Town. We had ridden by so much without stopping, but it had also forced us to stop in many places that we otherwise wouldn’t have and to find solutions to problems in ways that perhaps we might not have in other circumstances. We didn’t realize until we began, but the trip became first and foremost about riding our bikes everyday and the rest happened along the way. It took a while to realize that, but there was a distinct pleasure in that. Pleasure in the physical challenge of riding 24,000kms in a single line through an entire continent. Then there was the pure enjoyment of spending time with a really good friend, of suffering the heat and the bugs and the breakdowns along with the elation of fixing a broken rocker arm to the morning light as we raced our own shadows across the desert and sitting by countless small fires with each other and with our gracious hosts along the way. But having never done a trip in such style before, we had to wonder if had we even done it right? Was there something else that we were meant to have done or experienced? These were the musings of two friends that were running out of the types of problems that a trip such as this throws up. We never found solutions or explanations in the mickey of whiskey that we also drank but we must have done something right to make it this far? https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...df8e1c0d92.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...55121b7b9f.jpg The Cederberg The Cederberg the next day begged the question of whether we were still up for adventure or instead ready to throw in the towel and take the highway to Cape Town. Rain and dense mist as we climbed into the mountains that reduced visibility to less than 50 meters and made the entire idea of taking the scenic route seem preposterous. Our persistence, however, was rewarded with a dramatic color palette as the blooming spring wild flowers accented the dark, foreboding skies. We popped out in Ceres to dry out in a coffee shop before climbing up through Bain’s Kloof Pass, an improbable road that snaked through a steep canyon awash with tumbling waterfalls and a raging torrent below due to the rain that saturated the earth and ourselves. From there it we dropped down to Cape Town picking up the freeway as my front sprocket began to skip as the teeth finally gave out. It got us up to Table Mountain, our preordained finish point. Exchanging embraces and messaging loved ones back home that we had arrived, it all felt a bit surreal. Did it really have to be over? https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...1c7598daf0.jpg Mission complete. Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town. During the trip we had connected with Woodstock Moto Co, a community garage run by Devin Paisley, who were having a party that evening that soon doubled as our welcome party also. We rode down to the garage and cracked a beer and met the great motorcycle community in Cape Town. We never made it out of our riding gear til late in the evening, enjoying numerous libations while standing around chatting travel, motorcycles and life. It was a great way to come back to earth and begin to re-integrate. The following days involved sleeping off a hangover, catching up in our journals, riding Chapman’s peak--a stunning strip of coastal road-- down to the Cape of Good Hope. From the old lighthouse on the point the Atlantic Ocean formed a moat around our desire to keep riding. We had run out of continent. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...94cbc3dca7.jpg We ran out of continent. Cape of Good Hope. Our final day Devin took us on an awesome Cape Town tour, linking dirt tracks and twisting tarmac through avant garde districts, slums and stunning view points. Devin is passionate about motorcycles, his home town of Cape Town and community. It was a real icing on the cake to have fallen in with he and his crew. Cape Town is a real gem that is largely underrated. With the natural beauty of the coast and the mountains immediately surrounding it as well as being the gateway to some epic riding, there is no question that we will be back. We left Devin at the Cecil Rhodes statue overlooking the University of Cape Town to ride to the warehouse where we would leave our bikes for shipping, change and take an Uber to the airport. And then it was over. In the months that have passed since returning home to daily life, the trip has continued to distill and settle in our minds into the legend that it will become for us. After first talking about it while living together in Chamonix, France 12 years ago, the belief that it has come and gone already is still hard to process. Having finally made it happen, the trip has highlighted the value in having long term goals to look forward to. In an era of instant gratification, it is rare to have a dream that captures the imagination that is largely intangible, but ultimately possible. In the wake of fulfilling that dream, the absence of a goal that that looms large and perhaps services nothing more than wanderlust has become apparent, but there will be time for dreaming up another. As we came back to earth there was much discussion around trying to acutely comprehend what we had done exactly. Morocco felt like an eternity ago. The wet season in Cameroon that spanked us so robustly did not connect to the chaos of the DRC which did not attach itself to the vastness of Namibia. So much had happened and everyday was so intense and full of experiences that it was difficult to compile it into a single accomplishment. It felt like a year ago that we set off from Belfast, and the blink of an eye since we started planning the trip 9 months before. In reality our sense of exhalation just didn’t seem to add up to the sum of all the parts. The only sentiment that I could come upon that captured the magnitude of what we had just done was that we were now part of an exclusive club of folks that had ridden motorcycles overland, navigating the requisite challenges and perils along the way and absorbing all the vibrancy of life on the road. Many of these characters and tales were brought to life on this very forum, personal travel blogs and social media feeds. Before we began the trip, we thought those folks, were icons and the most inspiring characters that we could imagine. And now we had followed in their footsteps to fulfil our vision of an overland motorcycle journey. Does that make us better than anyone else? Not at all. But when you complete the most awesome thing you can imagine undertaking, it is a gratifying feeling. So thank you HUBB for all the inspiration, information, encouragement and advice. And here’s to the next dream. Follow our trip at https://nomadikandco.com and on Instagram at @nomadikandco Big thanks to Revit Sport, Enduristan, Rally Raid and Scott Oiler for their support. |
Fantastic conclusion to a great adventure! Thanks for sharing; I've just arrived in Morocco to follow the same basic route. Maybe I should keep everyone on the HUDD updated too. Thanks again!
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Great RR, beautiful pics! Thx for posting your report!
And: bier |
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