Day 1

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Well, finally its upon us. After many months of preparations, I am sat in seat 20B on BA0059 with less than an hour to go before we land at Cape Town, the sun is streaming in through the window, and we have just witnessed a beautiful African sunrise over Namibia, seen from 36,000 feet.



Even getting to this point in our travels has been a journey. The first part was summoning up the courage to book the Motoaventures + Charley Boorman Cape Town to Victoria Falls trip in the first place. It wasn't the biking bit that was daunting for me - I have ridden with John and Su of Motoventures for many years in Morocco and Spain on some fairly arduous terrain. No, it was the length of time to take off work, primarily. How could Pam and I lave our own business behind for 18 days or so (including travel)? It initially seemed like a lifetime.



The perception that the trip was a long one had grown in my mind for several years, as I had wanted to do it before but could not contemplate being away from Pam and our boys for so long, indulging myself in my individual sport of choice. I remember being with John in Morocco years ago when he first spoke of creating the trip and I was very enthusiastic. But in those days the costs were a stretch and the time away was such that I could not justify it to myself.



So there it lay. The trip I wanted to take but was resigned never to do. Each year Su would spam me with an email invitation to the "trip of a lifetime", now with Charley Boorman for added spice. I felt I knew Charley as well (if not better) as I knew John and Su, having watched every episode of The Long Way Round and Down, Race to Dakar and By Any Means as well as reading the LWD book (a great alternative take on the trip, BTW). But each year it was passed over...





...until Pam said she'd like to ride pillion.



This was unexpected.





Now 18 days in Africa became not only do-able, but way too short. So we tagged another 8 days on to revisit the place we spent some of our honeymoon. The business? Well I have a some very good and trusted colleagues who I just knew would be more than happy to cover for us whilst we were away...



So the incessant search and selection of kit to take began in earnest. Budgets were set, broken, re-set and re-broken. Particular bags had to be sourced lest Su, the baggage Nazi, deemed our payload too great for the support vehicles. New Rally gear had to be acquired, Pam had to buy MX boots for the first time and then there was the helmet she would wear.



Ah yes, the helmet. A plan was hatching in my mind about a custom paintjob to commemorate the occasion, and I managed to keep it from Pam. Jason at JLF Designs took my brief and three weeks later (yesterday) these beauties arrived. Pam very pleased and excited.



So now all I have to do is fill in the immigration forms and we are in SA. Time to switch off the Surface.

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

I love your adventure
We will be following along. Fantastic plan. Keep those blogs coming!