The hotel in Clanwilliam was an interesting place. Main course, dessert then soup (we cancelled the soup). The trip today was over undulating dirt, a long day all the way to Springbok. The first parts of the day we had a perfect latte and carrot cake at a brilliant cafe set in the wilderness run by a lovely couple (the boys were particularly impressed by the lady of the house). Pam bought a china plate, which John complained about having to carry in his truck. After that a short run to the Smidswinkel restaurant for lunch - another toasty. And then the "hard run" to Springbok, 150km of sandy dirt. Beautiful scenery and wild flowers, the photos don't do it justice. And then we wind up in the most eccentric hotel in Springbok. Jan, the owner ... read more

There are only two things about travelling with Pam that give rise to any anxiety. One is a general tendency to be "relaxed" about schedules and the other is packing. Nothing major (I am also not brilliant at timekeeping), nothing to write home about (or blog), but on a motorcycling trip these two characteristics come together in a fresh and exciting way. So as we awake in our room at 6 on the morning of the first day's biking , we know we have to rationalise the stuff we are taking in our overnight bags. And its the first time Pam has worn her kit. And when John says , "breakfast at eight, leave at nine" he means it! Somehow we manage to force the (far too much) clothing into the 50L Ortlieb bags, leaving a ... read more

Of course now we realise what we forgot to pack - this time it was the chargers. The Waterfront area in Cape Town is very trendy, loads of shops and restaurants. The hotel we are at is equally good. (Victoria and Alfred). So we bought new electricals whilst waiting for the room. Then a very nice seafood lunch at one of the marina restaurants and then an afternoon kip! Pretty chilly here - I am the only man in this town wearing shorts. 4:30 and we collect the bikes and of course unveil the helmets to an appreciative audience. After mounting up and heading off in the wrong direction, we get back to the hotel where we hit the bar with Charley to get our initial briefing. It dawns on us that the terrain is going ... read more