Motorcycle trip to Namibia: Day 1 - Heading North

Stellenbosch, Klapmuts, Paarl, Malmesbury. Towns with soft on the ear sounding names located in a moderate Mediterranean wine-producing climate, were gradually replaced by towns in a harsher climate with less tranquil names as three motorcyclists on BMW R1200GS adventure motorcycles gradually made their way North on the South Africa/Namibia national road. 

Not only did the riders observe the change in climate as they moved further away from where they started, but also the effect that the change in season had on nature as they went along. The brown, dying leaves of the vines appropriately dressed for fall, were replaced by lush green orchards of orange trees in the Olifants River valley 200 km North of Cape Town. Here they witnessed the approaching winter life of growth and abundance as they already could see glimpses of orange coloured fruit, as if in a shy manner and trying to hide their metamorphosis, amongst the trees mostly still carrying their loads of unripe, green oranges.

Further North towns named Nuwerus, Bitterfontein and Garies started to reflect the harsh and arid landscape that the riders were now traversing. Even though the foreign traveller may not even understand these indigenous names, the mere sound of them would be enough to make them realise that these desperate names had something to do with hardship. Having to beg for water in these dry surroundings at a fountain with probably no or very little water was probably good enough reason to name a remote spot in this part of the world Smeekfontein.

But then, in spite of the barren landscape that they were navigating, they started to appreciate the beauty of it. Shortly after leaving Bitterfontein, the landscape changed from flat and barren to files of low mountains for as far as the eye could see.

"Did mother nature indeed create this special world of sheer and barren beauty with the distant mountains looking out of focus? Was it my eyes, or did she really manage to layer them on top of each other in shades of blue and grey as they disappeared into the never-ending distance?“ it flashed through the mind of one of the riders as he observed the panorama that kept on changing as they were speeding along.

And all the time they were heading North, their destination Namibia. They were on the first leg of their journey to experience an eight day motorcycle travel adventure in a country known for its raw splendour - ancient desserts, barren coastlines and wide open planes – a venture that most people can only dream of.

But it would probably turn out to be more than only an adventure. Already they could sense an element of a pilgrimage growing in their guts and the hope of finding more than merely a tourist experience. Without saying it, already there was the anticipation of again finding their true selves far away from the rushed everyday world that they were now leaving behind.

And as the three riders traveled in unison at high speed in close formation, the late afternoon sun on their left casting their longer and longer growing shadows to their right, they had only one direction to follow – North, North, keep going North to where Namibia beckons... 

The three riders - Willem, Johan and Adriaan...

...and their motorcycles