What must have been the dreariest day this year was the start of the ride to Swaziland. The 16th December 10, saw the start of what was to be a great weekend even if the heavens had opened on us that Thursday morning. We all gathered at the starting point from around the 07h00 mark. At this point a few calls and SMS’s were sent to David and me saying “we will be leaving when the rain stops”, well the rain never stopped that day.

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At the starting point a group of “Noise Pollutants” also appeared, hats off to you few brave souls, they were heading to Ballito, I am sure they are there by now.

We left about a half hour later than planned, with a smaller group than planned. The start was a wet one, we all hoped the weather would clear as we rode, but that never happened. It only got worse. What I discovered was that those fancy “non fog” visors are useless, when you wear glasses, the glasses fog up!! The group maintained a steady pace in spite of the torrential downpour. This steady pace came to an end about 20km outside Standerton, what once was the Rietspruit turned into a raging river.

We arrived at the “spruit” it was little more than ankle deep, within minutes the level rose dramatically. About 6 bikes crossed and then it was the turn of a GS 650, I was right behind this bike. I could not understand why the bike was heading off the centre line of the road, only to see the current sweep the bike off the road completely submerging it and the rider. When I got close to where the bike was swept away, the water was now higher than the foot pegs on my GSA, I realised why the smaller bike could not stand up to the current. I too almost succumbed to the same fate; only the height and power of the bike pulled me through. My first thought was “it’s not even my bike, how am I going to tell Norman (the owner of the bike), I lost your bike in the river?” after about 20 minutes the bike was at last pulled out the river, with the help of a winch from a 4x4. The bike was left that side of the “river” with a few of the other bikes. Well done Lyn, you handled the situation better than plenty of chaps would have. Sorry to have seen you go down in the water like that. Police closed the road; we could not even get the back-up vehicle and trailer to the bike. It was later picked up and delivered to Auto Alpina. The smaller group set off to Standerton and the others an alternate route, to meet up later in Swaziland.

KFC played host to the group of wet bikers that made it across the river. Most of the group had to empty boots and shake out wet rain suites. Even now it became evident that certain rain suites did not do what they were intended to do; they did not keep out the rain. BM boots – water proof, not always true especially if the water comes in over the top! They take up to at least a litre of water between the two of them!! Sorry KFC, at least the floor was tiled and not carpeted, nothing a mop could not sort out!

Again in the pouring rain we set out to try and head to Piet Retief to cross into Swaziland at that border post. This plan was altered, for us, by the police blocking our route, as the Vaalriver has become a raging torrent the other side of town.

So it was back to KFC, luckily for them we did not go in again. It was then decided to change border posts – Oshoek was chosen as the crossing point now. We set off on our new route again. On arrival at Oshoek Border the clouds again showed us just how much water can be saved up in the clouds. It was like a sheet of water coming down on us to drench everything, including our paperwork from the customs. By this time I had let loose with a few choice words, said out loud in the confines of my helmet, with blue tooth switched off. I will not be repeating them now, but what I can say is that I was now officially GATVOL of the rain. I was wet to the skin, my boots sloshed as I walked, my gloves were soaked through. Even my helmet’s padding was dripping with water. There was nothing dry about me, except my sense of humour, which had dried up a long time ago. Hawane, the final destination and accommodation for the duration, was luckily only a few km’s away. We arrived without any more incidents. The final kilometre was gravel, or is it mud, road that put an end to our clean bikes from all the rain. A few minutes after parking the bikes and unloading them, the clouds opened, the rain stopped. Now that we finished!!!! That was nature’s way of showing who the real boss is!!!

All the riders shed their wet clothes, emptied their boots and headed for the confines of the lounge/bar. Stories were told, rides compared and jokes were made. I think everybody was relieved that the ride to Hawane was over. We definitely picked the worse weather to ride in. But that is what biking is about; you cannot always choose the time to leave. If I had a choice I would most definitely not have chosen that specific day to have gone for a ride. One forgets the “bad” riding conditions and turn it into “what an adventure”, but I can tell you at the time that was not the thought that went through my mind, something like “I must be f^%$& mad” crossed my mind more than once!!

More and more bikes arrived, all safe and all with different stories of their ride. Dinner that night was great and plentiful. It is strange what bike riding does, must be the best sedative on the market, if only we could bottle it!! By 21h00, it was like a morgue; most, if not all had moved off to their respective “huts”, not sure what you would call the actual structure of the chalets. They were rustic and like no other we have stayed in before. But quite comfortable. I would have loved to have seen the place when it was first opened to the public it must have been spectacular, now it was stunning. Time and nature was taking its toll on the chalets/huts. They could do with some upgrading, especially with regards lighting in the chalet. If you dropped something you had to wait until the morning, when the sun came out to find it, took 3 days to find my house keys!!!

The next day, Friday, was a stunning day, blue skies, not a cloud to be seen in any direction, something we longed for later that day as the temps reached 41.5C. After a later than normal breakfast, we collected in the front, ready to ride. After the normal route and ride briefing we all climbed on our bikes, even the bike that arrived on the back-up trailer the previous day, was to be seen amongst the eager riders that morning. Not going to mention the name of the lady rider, but she is my wife!! We left, in procession, on our ride around Swaziland.

First stop was a previously visited spot (Dec 08), Magugu Dam. Cameras out and pictures taken. Piggs Peak was the fuel stop and off we went. Some took to the dirt the others the tar, meeting at the House of Fire for lunch. One thing about Swaziland is the scenery, the roads and the lack of potholes. The roads through the mountains are spectacular, any bike could handle even the sharpest bends, they are sweeps that just seem to carry on and on. Not only are the roads excellent but the scenery as you ride is also something worth seeing. It is simply great to ride with so few cars, that is until you hit Manzini - a little town with horrendous traffic. That is where we recorded the highest temps. Summer suites, open jackets and helmets did not do much to cool us down there. A person could walk faster than the traffic moved.

It was at least great to see the Police used BMW bikes there too, maybe smaller than we are used to seeing here in Gauteng but BM’s none the less. The bike was a 650 X-Country, a bit the worse for wear, looked a bit battered but still went well. Maybe someone should tell the chap his rear tyre was a bit smooth? A RT was also seen being ridden by the Police, just goes to show!!!

On the outskirts we regrouped and headed to the lunch stop at Malandela Restaurant. What a lovely surprise to stop there and strip off our jackets etc. Like an oasis in a desert. Lovely green grass, good food and pleasant waiters. Definitely a place to revisit on our next Swaziland ride, which is the 26th Dec 10 for a glorious 7 days.

After lunch it was off to Sibede Rock, which is the world’s largest exposed granite dome and second biggest rock after Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Australia, a whole mountain of solid granite. Unfortunately some of us did not get there, the group split and Anne and I decided to head to Ngwenya Glass. Getting lost in Swaziland is not something one must worry about, it is most enjoyable, and the roads make it so much fun. With the help of the GPS is no problem finding ones way around the country. You never feel threatened by the people, the taxis or anything, really a friendly place with lovely people. Come on South Africa, go and take tips from one of the smallest countries within your borders to see how it is done. Generally a very clean place and funny enough, no squatter camps!!! We never saw any beggars the whole time we rode there. If they can be like that why can’t we be like that? Keep it up Swaziland, you are a great country.

For those first time visitors to Swaziland, Ngwenya Glass is a “must see” place. Some of the most amazing glass works of art can be seen and bought here for a fraction of the price you pay for the same stuff in South Africa. Unfortunately the restaurant/works was closed as the staff had their Xmas function. Again our next visit would be used to visit the Glass Works to see the actual blowing of the glass and turning the molten glass into works of art. Here we just lay around in the shade on the soft grass waiting for the rest of the group to appear, “no rush chaps, take your time!!” So peaceful and pleasant, makes one forget about the hustle and bustle of the big cities. Come on chaps, get on your bikes and head to Swaziland, the Mountain Kingdom or is it Biking Kingdom, it sure felt like it.

Another day done and we all regrouped; this time around the lovely pool and just sat admiring the scenery and watching the clouds come over the mountains. Some even tried their hand at tossing horse shoes at a stick in the ground. It was such a contrast in temperatures and weather. The day never showed signs of rain, mist or winds. It was just a great day to be on a bike and to be riding in such a great place. I think most people don’t visit “other” countries within South Africa because they think it is too dangerous and rundown, well think again chaps. As long as there are people out there thinking this, there are more roads for us Adventure bikers to ride, you chaps keep that thought and we will use the great roads.

It was amazing to see how fast the clouds appeared over the mountains. One could actually see them growing and changing shape, was like some sort of “cloud show” that was put on especially for us as we sat watching. Was this an omen as to what the morning would bring?

Dinner was served and again the chef outdid him/herself, the spread was great, was definitely not on anybody’s complaints list for this ride. After the heat of the day the clouds and coolness was a pleasant change. Again everybody headed to their “huts” early to get ready for an early start the next day. We would be heading to Maputo in Mozambique the next day. The leaving time was 07h00 sharp.

Early the next day one could hear movement; those that were heading to Maputo were eager and up early. Only to be met with a gloomy misty morning. I am sure a few hearts sank, into the now dry boots, when they glanced upwards. Bikes dripped with the moisture. After a quick wipe down and a breakfast it was on the road again. The ride started in the mist, but this soon cleared, to everybody’s relief, and riding was quite pleasant. At the first stop it was wet suites off as there was no sign of rain. Apart from a lone rider that followed his own agenda the ride was uneventful to the borders.

One thing one notices on the roads is the speed restrictions in the middle of nowhere. You would see 100km, 80km then 60km signs within a few 100m of each other, then the dreaded rumble strips popped up only to be interrupted by about 3 nasty speed humps. Many of these humps are in dire need of paint and or a sign warning us of the impending hump.  Once you get the hang of this oddity you are okay. So if you see 60km and a few rumble strips, get ready to hump!!! Apart from that there is very little to slow you down. Just keep an eye on the speedo when you ride, one is inclined to speed up without even noticing it. It is great fun.

Just before the Swazi/Mozambique border we stopped and filled the bikes before entering into Mozambique. Another surprising thing in Swaziland is that the fuel is a lot cheaper, we were paying R7.60 odd a litre, that puts is around 80c cheaper, now if someone could explain that I would be very interested. They get the fuel from us and sell it cheaper, along with most other foods and beverages. Roads are in a better condition, something is wrong in South Africa, maybe the Swazi Government’s pocket are not as deep as those in South Africa!!

The border crossings are quite pleasant but just frustrating sometimes, the forms to fill in, lack of writing space is normally the main problem. One has to take so many documents with, and this time we were never asked to produce anything except passports and of course pay road tax. Every country insists on this, I hope it lands up in the road fund!!

After a quick regroup, a cool drink and some minor repairs on a certain 2010 GSA, it was A for away again, with the lone rider at last catching up with the rest of the group, took him long enough! They are quite innovative in Mozambique, even have live moving Vodacom adverts, not sure what a woman pounding food and cell phones have in common though!!

The traffic became worse as we neared Maputo, it was a nightmare, but still nothing compared to the centre of Maputo. We regrouped at the filling station just before the Toll gate, to be escorted through by Jorge. To our “surprise” Jorge was late and never turned up here!!! We headed through the toll gate and landed in what must be described as a bunch of lawless road users. Whatever you learnt to obey and respect in South Africa is forgotten here. Our taxis are NOTHING compare to what you will encounter here. It is simply horrendous; there are no rules to the driving. What I found is that the drivers are very aggressive and the more forceful you drive the easier it is to get through the traffic. Courtesy is a form of weakness and treated with disdain. Push in and hoot, that is the only way to do it. For a bike it is frightening as there are so many 4x4’s on the road together with rust buckets that would not even notice a new dent.

Not sure if one can say we stepped back in time or that we were looking at our future, when one looks at the condition of the buildings and roads in the centre of Maputo. Some places in South Africa resemble what we were seeing there. It was still evident that there was still poverty there and that the development and new business in Mozambique had not filtered down to the locals yet. As in most African countries there are only two levels of wealth, the very rich and the very poor!

The ride/drive through the centre to the restaurant was a slow and nerve racking affair, I would assume even more so for the bikers, although they got through a lot faster than me with the Landi and trailer. On the outskirts of the city centre the scene changes dramatically, mansions, well-kept high rise flats and with luxury hotels with their feet in the sea become evident. A contrast to what we had just driven through. After a short distance we arrived at out restaurant, fenced off and with a chap directing us to our parking. Any closer to the sea and we would be on a boat floating in the ocean. Still no sign of our illustrious Jorge!! The lunch had been pre-ordered and was served as we sat down. A great bunch of waiters and service was great. One of the lady riders did not feel up to the return trip through Maputo and the back-up vehicle at last was put to use. I will not use the lady’s real name in this write-up but will call her Ariana. The R was loaded, tied down and was ready for the return trip. As we were ready to leave, who appeared yep, you guessed correctly – it was Jorge. His timing was impeccable, as we were leaving!!

The return trip through Maputo was fast and painless; we seemed to now have missed all the traffic. Maybe we should have taken this road along the seafront when we arrived, just a pity it was a one way road. Once out the city the roads are great, through mountains and veldt. Not much activity is evident along the route. Only here and there you would see a bit of farming and some bigger buildings. Most of the time all one saw was huts and animals. There were a few police blocks but did not stop us at all. All in all a great drive, am sure the bikes enjoyed it a lot more than me driving the back-up vehicle. It is just not the same; one can lean as much as you want in a vehicle, still not the same feeling as on a bike. Give me a bike to ride any time above a car, even if one gets wet to the skin, it’s those things one remembers, is however hard to explain to a non-biker. The ride back was uneventful; nobody strayed like some runaway donkey.

On the outskirts of Manzini in Swaziland, we came upon another Police Bike, what looked like a HD turned out to be a Yammie in drag. I was wondering how an HD would be able catch a speeding donkey cart, the Yammie stood a better chance.

Our destination, Hawane Lodge was reached about 18h15 without any incidents. It had been a long day with an additional 500km on the clock by the time we returned. For most that would be a bit far to ride for lunch, but for most BM’s it is the getting there and back that is the fun part, the breakfast/lunch is just to break the fun, can’t have all that fun all day!!

That night was unfortunately our last night in the resort and also our last dinner. Again good food, good company, what more do you want? David/Rita handed out our gifts from the local Ngwenya Glass factory. This time we got rhinos, two years previous it was elephants, a few more rides and I will have the Big Five! Thanks David. Again funny enough the dining area emptied rather fast. I would assume other people would think it was only old toppies that rode BM’s. I would however like to invite any of those “other” bikers to join us for a ride and then see what is left in their tanks after the ride. The plan was to leave after breakfast the next day. Return trips are usually where the groups split into their smaller respective groups and leaving times are staggered. Some could be heard at the crack of dawn and the rest would soon follow.

The Back-up vehicle was again tested for the return trip. David was as sick as a dog from Mapuo-belly that morning and could not ride his bike. No problem - moved Anne’s bike to the side and loaded the other bike. Once tied down it was home time. The Landi was pretty loaded with bikes, people and luggage. I left with John/Jenny and headed on the return trip. Once again the border crossing was painless. What I do find is that the border crossing in Swazi are easier and faster than in South African side, even with our South African passports, we seem to have more hassles crossing into our own country!!

The road was great until near Middleburg, then it hit us again, that stuff they call rain. Stopped at the new petrol stop – Azua, climbed into the rain suites and headed further. It was not at all as bad as the first day’s rain. Every downpour will appear to be mild in comparison, that first day spoilt all other rainy days for me. I am sure nothing will match it in a long time.

By the time we arrived in Pretoria it was a sweltering 32C, in a rain suite that is plenty hot, the suit may not keep much rain out anymore, but it sure can keep the heat in, maybe next time I must turn it inside out when I put it on. We offloaded David and his bike and headed homewards.

Another great ride had come to an end, one with a lot of contrasting weather conditions and roads. If you have not ticked this ride off your box yet, you are losing out on some great places to ride. For all you weekend warriors, pack your passports and explore other countries. Life is so short, why spend it in cars and in your own “backyards” ride a bit further, you may even like it.

Thanks David and Rita for organizing the ride and the accommodation. I am sure I speak on everybody’s behalf when I say it was a GREAT RIDE.

Written by Wymoth Photos by Anne Jaco Lisa