Deane's 2009 Motorcycle Trip
South Africa
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Deane's 2009 Motorcycle Trip South Africa |
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Nov 8, - Pretoria to Magoebaskloof Day 2 - 363 Km (225) Miles |
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The riding day was quite interesting, with the variety of landscapes and scenery. It took us quite a while to get out of Pretoria, riding through some beautiful parts of the city and some areas of very difficult poverty. As we rode North, we first saw smaller farms, and then very large fields which were almost as flat and extensive as the fields in west Texas. Darryl our tour guide led us at a very brisk pace, somewhere 70 and 85 mph, and on two-lane roads. They do have good road surfaces so far. Then the land started up in elevation, first slowly, and then faster as we came in to some mountains. There were some banana plantations and some tree farms, making the mountains very green. Here's a look at some of our riders, with the chase van in the background.
And here is what they look like without motorcycling clothes covering everything up. For lunch we stopped at a little restaurant/picnic area and had a good pre-arranged sandwich and fruit, kind of out in the boondocks. The attraction at this place is a 3,000 year old tree! The diameter of the trunk must be 30-45 feet!
Unfortunately, in getting to this interesting place, one of our riders, David, and his passenger, Mary, went down on the sandy road. It appeared that David may have dislocated a shoulder, and Mary may have had more than just bruises and abrasions. Fortunately, the van that goes along with the tour was there, and took our two people to a local hospital for x-rays. We'll hope for the best as they get diagnosed. We wound up the day at a very interesting motel in the mountains, sitting atop a saddle with beautiful views of very large valleys going down either side. Its name is Magoebabaskloof, named for one of the local chiefs in the days of settlement of the new comers. |
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