Leave ordinary behind An enchanting SOUTH AFRICAN odyssey on two-wheels
DAY-3 17 December (Aquila to Oudtshoorn)
Assorted video collection from Day 3
With sunrise in this part of the world at 4:30am, its bright by 5:00am. With the chirping of birds and our own friendly resident peacock visiting our chalet, it was hard to sleep further. Farzana woke me up with a nice cup of tea which we both sat sipping in the portico of our chalet with the cool desert breeze kissing our faces, the occasional howl of a animal deep in the bushes, the morning sunrays beautifully glazing the mountains around was an unforgettable scene to behold. This tranquil feeling in the middle of the vast Karoo was simply mystical.
We finish our morning routine and head for a richly laid out buffet breakfast. As I went for a refill of juice, our resident peacock walked into the restaurant and decided to take a few bites from my fruits on my breakfast plate! Can the jungle experience get any better?
OUR HIGHLY CUSTOMIZED OMLETTE IN THE MAKING……
OUR FRUIT-STEALING RESIDENT PEACOCK IN THE BACKGROUND
We soon pack-up, loaded the bike and get ready for a long day of riding thru the vast & barren little Karoo. Well, Mr. Garmin GPS had a few more plans for us! We head out of Aquila and follow the GPS which ask us to take a left turn towards the route we came the previous day. With no civilization in view for the next 60 odd kms we blindly follow the GPS although my wife kept saying on the intercom it does not seem right and check the paper map. We are soon back in Ceres and I knew we have screwed up big time. We ask a few locals on the road and the answers tell us we have to ride back to aquila and proceed further from there. So today, in addition to the 350kms we are scheduled to munch, I have just added another 140 odd kms to the equation (which honestly, I didn't mind as I love to ride & ride…). We decide to head back towards Aquila, but my lady was not as excited like me and for the next half hour Mrs Adventure gave me a nice piece of her mind thru the intercom and while I obediently listened, I was wishing that either the intercom battery or its headphone comes loose and stops working, but no luck!!! I had once seen a motorbike ad which said 'Man was not put on earth to ask for directions'- but today I didn't think it was a good idea to explain that to Mrs Adventure in her present mood……..
ATLEAST, I DIDN'T FORGET THIS HIGHWAY HAVING PASSED IT TWICE!!!!
I sure felt like an idiot passing the same place we started from this morning after wasting 2 hours & adding about 140kms to the odo. We pass the now 'all-too-familiar'aquila and continue on the R46 road further till we reach the T-intersection and turn right joining the N1 highway briefly before turning left on the R318 road towards Montagu. Its an isolated road with almost no traffic and suddenly for the first time I experience cross winds on this trip. At times it was a little wild, but all within control.
SO FAR TODAY THESE ARE THE FEW PEOPLE WE SEE ON THE ROAD
As we progress, the ambient temperature was also shooting up rapidly. We have a brief respite crossing some more long sweeping curves on the Rooihoogte Pass & Burgers Pass, after which we arrive at Montagu, which is known for its natural hot water springs. We went searching for it and finally reached the spot that has a nice resort built around it and after entering the place we are told the actual water spring is atop a hill nearby and we can only see the water flowing down into the resort. With the holiday season, the place was house-full and with most of them enjoying the sun & heat with just the 'bare essential' clothes Mrs & Mr Adventure looked like creatures from outer space in our boots & riding gear or space suits.
We soon grab a quick lunch of Margarita pizza & Chicken Mayo sandwich and continue our journey on the R62 road or more prominently known as 'Route 62' thru the vast open spaces of the Little Karoo region (Klein Karoo in Afrikaans language). As we rumbled through the echoing kilometers, I was enchanted at the splendid emptiness around us. Ofcourse, we are now riding in 39-40 deg C heat and the annoying cross winds are getting wilder with each passing kilometer not making our riding task any easier. At times sudden wild gusts of wind almost dislodge the handle bar & we are tilting the bike at crazy angles into the wind to keep the rubber side down. I have to really wrestle with the bike, while behind me, Farzana is having a tough time balancing on one side and taking pictures in heavy winds.
We have already entered a part of the Overberg region and stop for a hydration/fuel stop in Barrydale, where we meet a couple of armed but friendly South African cops who gladly agree for a picture. Also we meet another rider from Cape Town on his classic Moto-Guzzi (pictured below), who also shares his agonizing experience with the crosswinds. Farzana is excited to spot a cozy Farm Stalls nearby and starts her own tour inside and the fruits as usual taste super yummy in this part of the world.
More on Barrydale later in the story on Day-6 when we will again enter this village from another route. Anyways for now leaving Barrydale behind, we get small breaks from cross winds while passing quite the quaint & beautiful villages such as Lemoenshoek, Warmwaterberg, Ladismith etc whose local communities are all into farming, wine making etc.
On the Route 62, we also passed the well known RONNIE'S SEX SHOP which is basically located in the middle of nowhere! And well for those of you surprised at the three-letter word, before you raise your eye brows, firstly this shop has nothing even remotely to do with the 'wonder' word (read this http://www.ronniessexshop.co.za/wmenu.php) and more importantly it was a prank played by a few drunk friends of Ronnie one night when he was away and uncle Ronnie decided to leave it that way... With temperatures closing in on 40 deg C, and with the harrowing cross winds, we just stop for a quick pic there and continued our ride.
Crossing the Huisrivier Pass with its long sweepers, moderate twisties, chocolate colored road sections(!) etc and few more kms later we arrive into the town of Carlitzdorp. The wild cross winds still continue unabated and I guess we would have easily ridden close to 200kms in those really brutal cross winds today and although it sure adds to the adventure experience, believe me it is definitely not much fun controlling a heavy bike, passenger & luggage with the side winds whipping you continuously.
BEEN THERE, DONE IT…….
ROOFTOP SOLAR HEATERS INSTEAD OF DISH ANTENNAES IN INDIAN SHANTIES!!
Few more enduring kms and we are finally in the wonderful town of Oudtshoorn. - Don't worry, I too had difficulties pronouncing it every time and have got better now... Well, the locals pronounce it like AUD-SWARRRUNN. Hungry and exhausted with the cross winds, scorching heat etc but still having enjoyed the whole experience as adventurous bikers we check into the clean and no-frills 'Backpackers Paradise' lodge.
MY TYPICAL WORKPLACE……
OUR SLEEPING PLACE FOR TONIGHT………
We have to pay a refundable deposit each for the room key, bath towels etc etc and yes internet costs R 30 for 24 hours use. Our accommodation style is a roller coaster ride, since the previous night we were in the lap of luxury at Aquila resort with air-con etc and today we are at a lodge which as the name suggests is a very basic accommodation with a small pedestal fan in one corner of room. Ofcourse, we cheapo adventurers are not complaining as long as we save money. We will be staying here for the next 2 nights as we plan to take a break tomorrow to explore the Oudtshoorn, which is one of the biggest towns in the little Karoo region. The major attractions for tomorrow include the Cango Wildlife ranch, Cango Caves and Ostrich farms.
We end the day with a lovely dinner consisting of Pancake Torte & Bella Cibo salad with fruit juices at an Italian restaurant across the road from our lodge.
Total distance traveled today 492 kms.