In search of Father Jack.

[Drumacoon Lad.]

The ride was a bit of a climb and starting from sea level we climbed to 1844 meters. I won't go on about how good the bike was, but it was. As we neared Aliwal I saw a small animal running across the road and thought it was a ground squirrel. Later another animal ran across but then stood in the undergrowth and stared at me. This didnt seem to be a ground squirrel, but what was it. The answer came from the B&B owners who said there are lots of meerkats in the area. I've since decided to stay an extra night to explore the meerkats tomorrow.
I was also pleased to see a Secretary bird in a field next to the road. This is the first of these graceful birds I've seen in the wild.
Then a lovely scene of a mare and her foal and later some Zebra.
Lastly the son of the very welcoming B&B owner tries on the Suzuki as he hopes to get a bike soon.

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[barak666]

Excellent report, Jim....really enjoying it and thank you for sharing it with us.

 

[Drumacoon Lad.]

Thanks Barak666, glad you're enjoying it.

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[Drumacoon Lad.]

Well I went out this morning hoping to find some meerkats but came across something quite different. I started my search riding down a small track along the Orange river but it was blocked with trees and not practical for this bike. I was shocked to see how low the river was considering it is one of the major rivers in southern Africa. They really need some rain here. Not able to get to the Meerkat area I thought I'd explore some Boer War sites and monuments. I searched on the GPS and rode to the first site. This proved to be a Blockhouse and British graveyard.

The Blockhouses were British forts stationed near important sites like railways. Sometimes they were close enough together for line-of-site communication and to prevent the Boars passing between them. To the side of the Blockhouse was a graveyard. This contained the bodies of British soldiers killed in the 2nd Boer War around 1901. They had been buried, presumably as they fell, on farms in the area and re-interred here in the 1970's. It was quite a moving place. I was struck with the number of soldiers from Ireland, Connaught Rangers, Dublin Fusiliers etc. Irish being sent to fight Britains Imperial wars. I was reminded of visiting Connaught Rangers graveyards in Gallipoli on a previous bike trip. I left the graveyard but it'll remain with me for some time.

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[Drumacoon Lad.]

The next site was just a few kilometers away, and was equally powerful, as it was the site of a British run concentration camp. In fact it was the British use of camps that coined the term "Concentration Camp". What shocked me most was the number of women and children who were detainees. I'm not going to comment more but I think the pictures tell the story pretty well and theres more on the internet.

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[Pieter Fearless]

Hi Jim. Glad to hear you and the Suzi is doing fine and enjoying the road.


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[Drumacoon Lad.]

Hi Jim. Glad to hear you and the Suzi is doing fine and enjoying the road.


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She's doing fine Pieter. She went up that pass like a mountain goat after the care you gave her in Port Alfred. Thanks again!

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[Pieter Fearless]

It was a massive pleasure to be of assistance to you.


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[Johan]

Those concentration camps were dire. 26, 000 women and children died in them during the Boer War, which was a significant percentage of the population.

 

[Drumacoon Lad.]

Those concentration camps were dire. 26, 000 women and children died in them during the Boer War, which was a significant percentage of the population.

Indeed Johan, i was shocked at how many women and children were detained. As I read the plan was, that by removing the women and children from the farms, this stopped them giving support and comfort to the Boers. A hell of a way to fight a war.

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[Drumacoon Lad.]

When I got back from the historic tour and the fruitless search for meerkats, I parked up and took a breather. At this point the owner came aroind and told me he'd dropped my bike. I'd not parked well and was blocking his exit from the garage and to save bothering me he decided to move it himself. The bike proved a bit heavier than he expected and it toppled over. Weve all done it and the only damage was to one mirror. The owner quickly rushed to his garage and produced 2 mirrors which were good replacements to mine. He was deeply embarrassed and I later found out the mirrors were from his scooter.

Later that afternoon thunder started and developed into a full blown storm. While outside I saw one flash of lightening then a clap of thunder almost immediatly, it was right overhead. When it eased a nipped down to the restaurant and as my food arrived the storm returned. It soaked the bike and I rode home on a soggy sheepskin seat cover.

This morning as I paid for my stay in the B&B I noticed a sign that Tania, as well as managing the B&B is also a hairdresser. My hair was getting a bit long, so she gave me a complementary trim before I left, also apologising for the mirror. Tania was having some work done on the house and I was pleased to see the workmen mixing cement in the old way. I did that many times with my dad.

Before I took the Lesotho road I had one more go at seeing the meerkats. I ride 3km up this gravel road, where they were supposed to be, but nothing. I also looked closely at the sides of the road but to no avail and finally gave up and just focussed on the road and my riding improved. It may well be that approaching on a motorbike and wearing a hi-viz jacked, may not create the optimal stalking conditions. I did see some springbok and sheep.

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[Drumacoon Lad.]

The road to Lesotho was quite good even if we were warned of potholes. As it happens there were very few and I suggest to the sign salesman he should try selling some to Angola and Botswana. The next sign confused me at first then I remembered I'm in the southern hemisphere and then it all made sense. There were cattle, sheep and goats on the side of the road today and often with a herder. As the road stretched out the grey shapes of the distant mountains appeared, which was where I was heading.

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[Drumacoon Lad.]

The SA/Lesotho border has got to be one of the easiest in Africa passport stamp on leaving SA, a stamp on entering Lesotho and pay 40 rand for road fund for the bike. The roads are surprisingly good but i struggled initially for accomodation, until the helpful owner of the supermarket pointed one out. The wifi worked I was told, but only at reception, it didn't. When i pointed that out the lady just shrugged and said the credit must have run out and returned to her conversation. I needed to get a local SIM and went back to the supermarket. Just over an hour later I emerged with a working the SIM. Its too complicated to explain the convoluted process but the SIM in my phone is one from the shop owner and he has the new one I bought. There a lot of people walking along the road and one of these guys gave me a wave.

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[simondippenhall]

Well JIM that’s good work - and not you that dropped the bike . Hope it recovers!


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[Northern jock]

Lesotho will be a bit colder but at least you're not camping. Hopefully you're stocking up on biltong!

How long are you planning in Lesotho, I imagine you may be forced onto gravel if you explore all corners, certainly the Sani Pass (perhaps best avoided)

 

[Drumacoon Lad.]

Lesotho will be a bit colder but at least you're not camping. Hopefully you're stocking up on biltong!

How long are you planning in Lesotho, I imagine you may be forced onto gravel if you explore all corners, certainly the Sani Pass (perhaps best avoided)

Lesotho is actually quite warm at the moment, mid 30 in the day, and not particularly cold at night(at 15,00 metres. I'm now in Semonkong lodge at 2,200 metres so we'll see how cold it gets tonight. Been mostly on tar and not willingly done a lot of gravel.

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[Drumacoon Lad.]

Arriving in Moyeni, Lesotho I followed the GPS to the one accomodation listed and found locked gates and a dilapidated building, not good! I had not seen any accomodation signs and stopped at a supermarket with guard with an assault rifle. I asked the manager and he vaguely pointed at the hill opposite so I vaguely followed his finger to find a sign for a lodge. The reception was not impressive and wifi did not work but they had a room but no negotiation on the price. I took it, though a friend said it resembled a public toilet, but was actually fine inside. The next challenge was to get a SIM for the phone so I could have internet access, so back to the well protected supermarket. Getting the SIM proved tricky and had 3 of us scratching our heads at times, but in summary I left with one of the manager's SIMs and he had my new one. They also sold large quantities of snuff.

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[Drumacoon Lad.]

Next morning I went exploring for dinasour prints. I rode up this "road" to a village but couldnt find what I was looking for. Then a young boy appeared and said he'd lead me to the place, I followed. Then sadly he told me the man with the key was away. I thanked him and began to lesve and a man appeared and had the key but I was not allowed into the house with the dinasour print until I had to hear his long speech about the history of the house. In summary, it was lived in by a missionary, no photos were allowed in the house and the dinasour prints were not impressive.

So I rode down the rocky road again and went to another dinasour site. This was better but the caretaker had to quickly don his shirt while he protested how hot it was. We went into his office and I filled out his book and at 12 o'clock I was his first customer. The pictures show an adult print, then some young ones and the long mark in the rock is where a tail slapped, what was then mud, around 200 million years ago.

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[Drumacoon Lad.]

After the dinasour prints I rode through the town spotting a nice display of cooling pots, an artistic lamp made of horn but finally chose a cow bell as a souvenir. A perfect souvenir for someone who has no cows and needs to carry this heavy item on a motorbike for a couple of weeks yet.

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[Northern jock]

You could always attach the cowbell to the bike, it would warn folk of your approach and clear your path