Karoo - Addo Elephant Park - Garden Route
Easter 2002

Our first trip since we arrived in South Africa for our two year stay. As we finally want to see some elephants, our destination is the "Addo Elephant Park". Riding through the Small Karoo we get enough gravel roads to ride on and to enjoy our Enduros. Our longing to see Elephants "live" is gratified in the Addo Park. The Elephants are not shy at all an we are deeply impressed. The way back to Stellenbosch along the famous Garden Route shows us a green side of South Africa. Again we realize that it is definitly worthwile riding off the main roads.

Infinit gravel roads through the Small Karoo - and nobody else is there.	Finally Elephants: I felt as excited as a little kid getting that close to this phantastic animals.
	Malgas: Manually driven ferry is 1 Rand per person and bike - the tip was an ice cream for the crew. Port Elizabeth - Lion Park: and suddenly behind the next turn this Giraffe stood in front of us! I felt really excited but I also just hoped that my bike doesn't give a problem right now. Luckily, there were no free-running Lions - this would have stressed my spirit of adventure a bit too much.
That is where the Jetset has his Holiday House and each South African spent already some holidays - Knysna at the Garden Route. It is really magnificent and inviting.	Kap Aghulas: southern most point of the African continent or where Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. Further south only the South Pole is waiting for you.

Sederberge - Reunion Tour To Wuppertal
June 2002

Finally we find the time to explore the Sederberge more intensively by our motor bikes - Enduroparadise! Wuppertal is still the same drowsy little village as we first got to know it in April 2000. It's just marvellous to escape the rainy Winter in the Cape by enjoying these impressive mountains.

View over the souther part of the Sederberge	Clanwilliam is still covered in the morning dust while up on the Pakhuis Pass one can already have a bath in the sun.
Track along the eastern side of the Clanwilliam Dam. It's beautiful, fun and nobody is disturbing the enjoyable ride.	View over Clanwilliam Dam
Algeria: in the middle of the Sederberge, a very popular camping site and starting point for a lot of sparetime pleasures.	Eselpad between Wuppertal and Citrusdal. Who believes, that this track can only be done by Enduro or a 4x4 is mistaken - VW Bus, Model 1970, proved the opposite.
This Aloe blooms in the South African winter. We didn't have Rooibos Tea for breakfast, but the only Coffee Shop open this weekend in Clanwilliam, serves a delicious Capuccino and the Scons with Strawberry jam an cream are just unbeatable.

Spring at the West Coast
September 2002

The spring at the West Coast is known for its infinite carpets of flowers in all different colors - and we definitly didn't want to miss that - and it is really marvellous. The only draw back of this weekend was the fact that "Bikers" are not welcome at the camping sites in Langebaan !?!

Flower Boy: the whole meadow was covered with orange, yellow and purple blooming flowers.	Langebaan West Coast Park: well known for its booming meadows - and this time the descriptions in the travel guides are not exaggerated.
I didn't know that flowers also grow on dunes - one never stops learning.	How many flowers might these be - I didn't put the effort to count them, I just enjoyed looking at them.
In the back the flower covered dunes and to the front the rageing sea at the West Coast.	Don' t you think that our Dakar mustn't hide - she's also very beautiful!

"Die Hel": Enduro Riding The South African Way
October 2002

We got to know some really nice "Off-Road-Freaks" here in South Africa. They were willing to show us the one or the other dainty - e.g. in the Small Karoo it goes straight into "The Hell" - DELICIOUS!!

Three Wild Boys - but they didn't mind to take two girls along to their Off-Road weekend.	Small stop while exploring the farm tracks between Laignsburg and Prinz Albert in the Small Karoo. In comparison to the Cape it looks here much more "african".
Lots of fun by motor bike - one can really get into a ralley competition feeling	The popular Swartbergpass: one should ride it twice - once for the scenery and once for the actual fun riding this track.
View into "Die Hel": further on it only goes down on a track that becomes more and more narrow. I don't think I would enjoy doing this track by car - but with the motorbike the fun starts right here....	That is "Die Hel" - not so bad, or ? Even a cold beer, wine and a delicious supper is waiting for you. Old houses for farm workers were renovated and are rented out to stay over.
Looks almost artificial but still impressive?	Over all obstacles to the shore of the dam - well, we are curious.

Christmas In Summer?
December 2002 / January 2003

Scince we didn't get into the mood of Christmas at 30°C in the shade anyway, we didn't long for a Christmas tree - we were longing for something NEW. We felt like exploring some real mountains - Lesotho. We got to know an interesting other world in the middle of South Africa. Everything seems to be simpler and a bit more african - suddenly we realized being the only two white faces and everybody in the village knew that we stay at the "Hotel". Riding around here isn't only enjoyable because of the magnificent landscape.....

We think that this is one of the most amazing villages we saw on our way - found while riding to the Semongkong Lodge.	Malutsanyane: highest waterfall in Lesotho (198m) - you don't have to be afraid not to find it. It is almost impossible to get there without "finding" a guide on the way. The wage is a Coke and the change you find in the pockets of your pants.
Kay managed the Transport Nr. 1 in Lesotho quite good - the Basotho Pony. If it doesn't carry around tourists, it is most probably loaded with some cases of Maluti Beer - the most popular local drink.	The kids always like to pose for the camera. In this case I fell straight to their feet in the mud - after checking out that nothing seriously happend to me they found it really funny.
What if there is not a single tree to give some shade, but the sun is "burning down on you" - it doesn't always have to be stylish, most important is, that it works!	Some boys on their "Initiation Trip" at the Sani Pass. They didn't seem to care about the upcoming thunderstorm.
O.k., this is now the popular Sani Pass. It is really fun to ride and not that frequently visited. These boys, by the way, were already really spoiled - they didn't ask for sweets as usually, they wanted to get some "Smoke". They almost didn't believe us not having some "Somke".	This is what is left of the track back to South Africa - should we go or not? Would it be possible?
This donkey seems to be too slow, even for Lesotho pace.	Little performance to entertain us, just after these kids were watching closely how to pitch up a tent and what interesting stuff can be found in our lugagge.
Khatse Dam - the project to supply enough water to the Johannesburg region. There was a big impact on the local people - not always in a positive way.	If there isn't a camping site available and the thunderstorm is coming up, the balcony of a visitors centre in a Nature Reserve is also good enough to pitch up the tent. Until the first vitistors show up we will have finished our breakfast.
Marvellous mountain scenery of Lesotho - I definitly like it!	Don't you also feel like exploring this mountain kingdom?

Africa By Feet

We do not only move by two wheels - sometimes also by two legs. In the Cape and the Sederberge are lots of nice trails to hike. Each time a breathtaking view is the reward for the sometimes long and steep way up the mountain. In addition one doesn't have to share this view with a lot of other hikers as one usually has to do in Europe.

While one still has access energy to spend...	... is the other already completely exhausted.
Peak of Paarl Mountain - looks from far like beads and thats also the origin of its name.	Do we manage to get to the hut before the thunderstorm starts? Lightnings accelerate the pace while descending tremendously.
The fauna in the Jonkershoek valley is almost as tall as us - Panorama Trail.	Waterfall next to Algeria: if you get up in the morning early enough, you can enjoy the waterfall all on your own - later it might get a bit crowded.
Plateau of Table Mountain in clowds - as it often is. The cool breeze feels good after the steep ascent via Platteklip Gorge.	... and if you are patient enough you finally get the stunning view over Cape Town.

Wine tour

One definitly can't desdain the delicious fruits of this region. The best wines of South Africa are made in the Cape and the Wine Farms are always open to help you to a nice wine tasting. We and the different visitiors we had so far made also use of this offer - an other nice side of life !?!

After tasting the berries of different wine cultivars one can find out how they taste after fermentation during a wine tasting at Delheim winery in Stellenbosch.	Even if we are in "Chamonix", it is still South Africa - Franschhoek to be a bit more precise.
No, not the Toskany - it's Waterford in Stellenbosch. The Lavender was as purple and the odor as intensive as in Italy - the wines can for sure compete with the Italian ones.	.... there are 0,75l bottles and 1.5l bottles and 3l bottles ..... who is able to finish a 20l bottle at once!?!