26th December 2010 to 2nd January 2011.
Okay, so you have some time on your hands and a bike in the garage, what do you do? Most people go out and mow the lawn and do the odd trip to the mall and maybe, just maybe, if the sun is shining and it is not too cold, they go for a bike ride to Harties and back.
Then there are some of us that decide to go for a bike ride, not just a breakfast run or an overnight stay in Clarens but an 8 day bike ride. Now where would one go for an 8 day ride and not get bored of the road or the scenery. You head to Swaziland!! We had just done a trip to Swaziland from the 16th to the 19th December 2010, that was not enough for us. We pre-planned the trip some time ago; and decided to go from the 26th December 2010 to the 2nd January 2011. There were 5 of us on 4 bikes, John & Jenny, Pat, Anne and me. John and Jenny on one bike the rest of us on our own bikes. Although Anne did some riding on her own bike during the previous trip, this would be her first border crossing on her own bike.
It is amazing how much you can pack into a bikes panniers and topbox. It is also strange; we seem to pack the same amount of clothes for an 8 day ride as we do for a 4 day ride. Although I did notice the packing was a lot “tighter” for our 8 day ride, more clothes per square inch!! Everything was packed and ready to go.
26th December 2010 – to Swaziland
The 26th December saw some early risers; it felt as if it was only the 5 of us that were up that early that day. Most of Joburg was still sleeping off their Xmas celebrations when we started our bikes that morning around 06h00. Anne and I collected Pat at the usual meeting point and headed to the “official” meeting point for a breakfast and coffee before we started the actual 8 days of fun. This time, unlike the 16th December, the sun god was on our side, there was no rain, although some clouds could be seen in the general direction of our destination. We decided to try and do the exact route that we planned on the previous ride of the 16th December. The previous route was changed to accommodate the floods and road closures.
We could not imagine all the water from the last ride, the lands where green but water free. We even had a hard time trying to identify the area of road where the bike was washed away. We did however identify it and seeing it then, one could not believe that it was possible. There was NO water in the spruit; it was also a shock to see what was hidden under the water that day of the flooding. It could have been a lot worse for the young lady and her bike had she landed in the actual spruit; luck was on her side that day. The roads were quiet and free of those dreaded coal trucks that block the roads.
No rain but it was on the chilly side, the temps hovered around the 15C to 18C mark. Not at all bad, but dressed in Airflows that is a bit chills! It is hard to dress for the temps you know you are going to encounter in Swaziland but are experiencing the day you leave. I had been watching the weather reports and Swaziland was showing hot days with minimal rain. As we neared Piet Retief the clouds got lower and lower. At the last petrol stop, before Piet Retief, I succumbed to the cold, no more “mister tuff guy” and donned the only warm garment I had packed, my rain jacket. Not to keep out the rain but the cold this time. After that is was only a pleasure riding again. Funny how just a bit of cold (or excessive heat) can make a ride most uncomfortable.
It was not long before we hit heavy mist and moisture (cannot use the word rain, then I would loose the bet my wife made with me) for some it was not that bad, but for the Novice (Anne) in our group it was a bit scary. Thanks to the Bluetooth I could help her with road conditions etc, I did however get the song “rain drops keep falling on my head” sung to me. I had to keep convincing Anne that this was NOT rain but heavy mist and the moisture that goes along with it. It seemed to have worked as I was not asked to pay the bet. Anne bet me “rain before Swaziland”, my weather report said NO RAIN, so this must have been Heavy Mist!!!
Piet Retief was a Lunch stop. One of the bikes decided it was more than just a lunch stop. I had fitted spots to Anne’s bike before we left. This in conjunction with the heated grips was just one too much for the bike’s battery and alternator. It refused to start. Now all those out there that think it should be easy to push start a 650, think again. It refused to be pushed into any form of life, not in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th gear. We landed up jump starting it with a set of jumper cables from one bike to the other. This would have been a simple and fast job had BMW designed a better place to hide the 650’s battery. Once done it was decided not to use the spots and this problem never reared its head again, although the jumper cables were always on hand.
After lunch we headed to the border post, Hout Kop, this trip of around 30km had a card up its sleeve for us. Tar turned to dirt!! Now for as seasoned rider that’s “okay” but for a Novice it must look like the worst thing that could appear in front of them. But what do you do, turn around find an alternate route or do you try it? Well Anne was approached and asked if she would like to try it. A shaky “Yes” was given, so with indemnity forms signed, we set off on what was shown as 20km to the border. The road was reasonably decent, had a few tricky bits with some mud and some rocks just to change the pace now and again. Anne, I take my hat off to you, the word NOVICE is fading fast, a bit more riding like that and you would loose that title for ever. On our arrival everybody congratulated Anne on successfully completing the last 20kms.
The border post Hout Kop is a no nonsense border, you fill in your forms get your passport stamped and off you go, both sides the same, no hoards of people all pushing and shoving, no officials trying to prove something by being obnoxious. You encounter friendly pleasant staff. What a difference to Os Hoek.
Done and dusted we had landed in Swaziland without any incidents of a serious nature, our fun had officially started. We had a brief break and then headed to our destination Brookside Lodge, which was going to be home for the duration of our stay in Swaziland. It is hard to explain but just being in Swaziland makes one feel more relaxed, you are not always looking over your shoulder and also not expecting some kamikaze taxi driver from hell to ascend on you at any minute. Taxis in Swaziland actually give way to bikes, that is a strange concept I know, but it is true!!!
It was not too long before we arrived at Brookside Lodge. Pat decided to test the strength of the only two men riders; she unceremoniously dumped her bike in front of reception. No injuries, dented ego does not count as an injury!! (Sorry Pat). Not a bad place at all, well kept rooms, grounds and amenities. What we did however have a gripe about was the catering. Luckily for us it was self catering. I think we ended up having just two meals from the restaurant, was a pity, as they had some very pleasant waiters which could have earned a few extra rands from us. Not a place that could accommodate the club as they would not be able to cater for the members, there would be more complaints than I could handle! Really a pity as I do think the rooms and grounds are great, there is a pool, mini-golf, braai facilities, laundry and is centrally situated in Swaziland for easy riding. The weather in Swaziland is definitely a bit warmer than back home. Aircons worked non stop, even throughout the nights.
We unloaded our bikes and unpacked all our clothes into the more than adequate cupboards in the rooms. I must say of all the places we have stayed, these must be some of the bigger rooms we have stayed in so far. Aircons, DSTV, Kitchen and a “front yard” and the price is less than we normally pay (for less) in South Africa. The first night was an early night for all of us. The first days ride was some 470kms through some spectacular areas and lovely roads. I can honestly say “with little or no potholes”, well none that caused us any concern. Yes you have the odd bad patch, but one must look at it as a whole and as a percentage of bad to good it is not even worth mentioning. One so often remembers the bad patch but forgets about the magic patches. So what if there are potholes, it is just a way of turning a boring road into twisties (by avoiding them).
Before we retired the plans were made for the next day’s ride. It was decided to make the next day, Monday, a shopping day for our groceries etc., for the stay in Swaziland. Enquiries made as to where we could go was made and plugged into the GPS. As the Lodge did not sell alcohol, John snuck out and visited a shebeen to obtain some ale to quench his thirst. We did not hear too much about the shebeen, but he arrived back safely so another thing that is safe in Swaziland….shebeens.
It was decided that we would plan the next day’s activities every night before retiring to our rooms. No “long term” plans were made. So it was out with the maps and a route was planned for the next day, we had the time and decided there would be no resting and a lot of riding. When given the golden opportunity to ride on what must be the best roads in Southern Africa, you take hold of that opportunity and ride till you drop. We can rest at work!!!
27th December 2010
We attempted our first breakfast at the Lodge before we set off to do our shopping. Big mistake, we ordered the simplest of dishes – omelettes. After around almost an hour we enquired what was going on, they had gone to the shops to buy the ingredients for one of the omelettes. If only they told us we would have changed the order. We decided rather to pay for the coffee and head to the shops, maybe find a place to eat there.
According to the GPS some 11 odd km away there was a place to eat, seeing hunger was now the driver we headed off in all haste. Surprise – we landed up in front of Quatermain’s Pub Restaurant. Food was great. While sitting there we noticed plenty cars driving past and disappearing around the side of the building, this made us a tad inquisitive, so after investigating we discovered we were parked just behind the Pick n Pay, so that was where we went shopping for groceries. Pick n Pay – well nothing different from the ones we have back here in SA. One could be excused to think we were back home, Debonair, Woolworths, MTN, KFC and a few more shops were in this brand new shopping centre. As Monday was a public holiday, the Pick n Pay bottle store was closed, but John somehow convinced the manager to open the store so he could replenish his stock of the brown stuff. I am sure he used something about being a biker and that he knew people that knew people, you know the old storey of us “bad bikers”. RSA credit cards/debit cards and or Rands can be used in Swaziland without any problems. Money is one on one so there is no need for a calculator or brain. We then went back to the Lodge and off-loaded the groceries. One interesting fact – you DO NOT pay for your plastic bags here, and you DO NOT see any bags lying around, anywhere. So come on SA, get with it!!!
Got back on our bikes and went to Ngwenya Glass (Ngwenya is the Swazi word for crocodile, hence the name) the glass factory looks out at a group of hills that look very much like a crocodile’ hence the name. The artistry of the glassware there is really stunning. Being a holiday, no blowing of glass was being done, so another visit to this part of the country was put on the agenda. Now if you knew how great the ride is to the glass factory you would understand why no moans or groans were heard for a second visit. After a light lunch we headed back to the Lodge to put our feet up before the night’s braai. All entertaining etc was done in Pat’s “front yard”, so while the ladies prepared the salads etc, John and I did the braaing. So all work was shared and as they say, many hands make “lekker food”. After the braai was enjoyed we decided to head our separate ways and meet again at 08h00’ish the next morning to do the southern circle ride.
28th December 2010 – The Southern Route
The predetermined departure time was once again upon us. Big Bend and the furthest point South in Swaziland a town and border post called Lavumisa was plugged into the GPS as our turnaround point. We had decided to do the Southern Round trip that day.
We headed off to Manzini, luckily it was not that busy, they too must have Xmas breaks there. We took the MR8 road and first headed in an easterly direction for a few kms then slowly headed in a more southerly direction. We seemed to go through one continuous village as far as we rode. Speed was not an issue as the scenery was more important than the end destination this time. I normally am not the slowest kid on the block when it comes to biking, but this time I was the total opposite. It was just too scenic to ride fast. As you rode you noticed that there was a distinct lack of shacks, squatters and filth. What you did notice was well built houses, big or small, out of brick and most of then were painted no matter how remote or small. The little lands were well kept, crops growing, cattle and goats in good condition. This is a total contrast to what one sees in South Africa nowadays. The little villages one passes are also well kept and neat, granted there is a bit of rubbish now and again but nothing that needs mentioning.
The roads started off winding around the various mountains but as we got closer to Big Bend the roads had less bends. The road condition ranged from good to fantastic, all you saw was this grey strip of road that lay there waiting for you to ride on, what a pleasure. The temps climbed quite dramatically and it was soon well over 30C. As we past the little town called Big Bend, John came racing up to me and pointed at his throat, hint taken, we did a U-turn and headed into the town. Its name may be Big Bend but don’t be fooled, the town is by no means Big. Not knowing where to stop we stopped in front of a café, nothing spectacular or inviting, but good enough for something cold.
The ladies wondered around the corner and called us, around the back of the grotty little café was a Spar and a very neat little restaurant complete with water feature. We were happy to sit outside, but then noticed an inside portion. Not knowing what to expect we entered and what a change to the outside. There are times when one is so surprised by what you see or experience that you find it hard to believe that it is possible to experience something like this. We stepped from the high 30’s C into what must have been 20C or even less. I now know what it must be like for those dessert travellers when they stop at an oasis in the middle of a desert. This was our Oasis. One does not expect a place like that in the middle of nowhere. The people were friendly, pleasant and helpful. The food was better than I have tasted in a long time. We ordered simple dishes; the menu was limited but had enough of a variety to cater for all our wants. I ordered a Cornish Pie and chips. Now normally you get something the size of your fist and a few soggy chips. The lady warned us it would take half an hour, you know what, I was hoping it would take even longer; just to stay in this cool comfortable place was worth the wait. What appeared out the tiny kitchen was a lot more than I or any of us expected. One freshly baked pie that was more than I or any of the others could eat, it should have a warning on the menu “more than most can handle”. It was great!! If you are ever in Big Bend and need some upliftment, look up the Café 1896. Just ask where the Spar is and there it is, for you to appreciate. We must have just sat there for at least an hour, not really wanting to leave but knowing we had to.
It was on our bikes and off to the turnaround point of our trip – Lavumisa, a total of 154km from Brookside Lodge. Here you could see the northern tip of Jozini Dam. There was however very little else to see except the border gates. We stopped and I plugged in the next leg of our trip, back to Brookside via a different route totalling around 200km return.
The roads changed from the long straights into long sweeps as we entered a more mountainous part of the country again. The temps however stayed pretty constant at f’ing hot. No matter what speed you rode it stayed the same. I think anything in the mid 30’sC is not able to be cooled down by riding faster, it just feels hotter the faster you travel. So sit back, slow down and enjoy your ride, it’s not one you will experience in a hurry again. You climb up and up as you go on and the roads just keep winding, something that never made me feel bad, the more the wind the wider the smile. We stayed on the MR11 from Lavumisa until it met the MR9 and then headed in a northerly direction back to the lodge.
Where the MR26 met the MR9 we had to take a detour as a section of the main route was closed by police. Even the detours are great here, roads narrower but windier ended in a little town called Hlatikulu, here we stopped at what looked like a quaint hotel, for some refreshments and maybe to get out the heat. We got our refreshments but not out the heat. John was in need of some petrol and unfortunately this little town had run out of fuel, so the next leg of the ride was slower until we could find fuel. It was not too far before we found petrol again, but it actually did not make any difference to our speed, we still maintained the same leisurely pace taking in as much of the scenery as our time would allow.
As we came around the one bend we came upon Riders Ranch. Now for the non bikers and those that do not have the book, Flat Roads and Twisties, this would not mean much to you. It was just one of the must see places I had on my list, I was about to tick that one off. On enquiring at the gate, the security said “sorry it is closed, only open in August” what a disappointment. We did the normal thing as second best, posed under the sign. Later more about this chance visit. It was not far to the Lodge and we headed off on the final part of the ride for the day. Arriving at the lodge would have put about 354km on the clocks as we pulled up in front of our accommodation. The distances in Swaziland are not that much, but don’t be fooled, ride that in a constant temp of over 30C and you will be buggered when you stop for the day. It was another day of riding from 08h00 to 15h00.
We headed to The Gables (home of Pick n Pay etc.) booked a table at a “real” Chinese restaurant for that nights dinner. What a lovely place, the owners, yes “real” Chinese gave us the best table in the house – under the aircon. Food and service was outstanding, no more expensive than you would expect to pay back home. After the dinner we headed back to the Lodge.
That was it for the night; the next day was a boy’s (we wish – too old to be a boy anymore, but what the heck, we can still dream) ride only. The ladies had decided to take a chill day; the boys were heading to the Bulembu border post near Barberton. An unknown stretch of dirt road stretching from Piggs Peak to the Bulembu/Barberton border, a distance of about 20kms, how bad could that be? (Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha yeah right)
29th December 2010 – Bulembu
We left at the normal 08h00’ish, this time without the tins and only two bikes. The road to Piggs Peak starts off on the MR1 through Mbabane. What a great way to start the day. This must be the windiest highway you could find, much like when you go from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. Big difference – less traffic. It just winds on and on, you do however have to stick to the speed limit, which is, for most of the ride, 80km/hr, again this did not bother me. You hug the corners, change lanes, it is simply great! I could not even imagine wanting to go any faster.
As we left the highway near the Os Hoek Border you head into the mountains again towards Piggs Peak. It was not long when I was stopped by the cops, speeding, doing 70 in a 60km/hr section. Now this spot was in the middle of nowhere, not a village, school, turn off or anything in site. The last 60km/hr board was some 5kms back and there just was not another board for at least another 5km, so you have to maintain the speed of the last board. Fine was R60, I stood in the queue with 3 others to pay the fine, you pay there and then, no post, no fuss, and guess what, we were all doing 70km/hr, now that is strange. No use arguing, you pay your fine, get your receipt and get on the road again. The local chap told me they are always there and always catch the people doing 70, maybe someone should look at the camera and have it calibrated. But R60 is nothing to pay to ride such great roads, we pay more on toll roads and they are not even great to ride.
As we came to the one T-junction to Piggs Peak, we always took the right turn via Magugu dam, this time I decided to take the left turn to Piggs Peak. This must have turned out to be the nicest road one could ride. You start off winding up a mountain then descend into a valley to cross the river that feeds the Magugu Dam. The road is not technical or stressful, it is simply great to ride, something I would seriously like Anne to ride before we returned home. The road went across the bridge and up the other side of the valley, it just kept winding up and up, just when you think that is it, you land up in the forest, which ends only once you enter the little town of Piggs Peak. We decided to head to the Piggs Peak hotel area, to have something to eat, seeing we did not know what lay ahead of us to Bulembu, needed to build up some stamina!! Breakfast done now The Road!!
We stopped at the start of The Road, wished our good lucks and set off at a pace fitting the surroundings, no fast at all. For the first say 1km I was wondering, what is all the talk about this road, even Anne could do this. No problemo!!! I had no sooner thought this stupid thought when the road showed as what was in store for us. I somehow managed to do a 90 degree pirouette and landed up in the middle of the road, but did not drop the bike. It’s amazing what strength you get when you tell yourself “can’t drop this bike – it’s not mine”. John however did not have that problem, it was after all his own bike, so he promptly dropped his bike, it was that or ride straight into me. Thanks John, much appreciated. The road was such an angle that I could not put the bike on the side stand and had to inch my bike backwards so the front wheel was pointing up the incline. It felt like forever before I was able to help John to pick up his bike. Shaken but not stirred, we still had a lot more road. What was in store for us further down the road?
Well luckily I can tell you what was still to come… some seriously bad road. Ruts, rocks and the sharpest bends one could imagine on dirt. The ups, I thought, would just be too steep to get up without the bike without cutting out. I was seriously impressed. Put the bike into second and just twisted the grip, I can honestly say – “the Ox, he can climb a mountain”. I thought it would never end, I was wishing to see the destination, but also wishing it would not end. As most know me, I am not a “dirt boy” but this was not bad (well not quiet the thought on the ride to Bulembu, that came later) The town of Bulembu is like a town out of the 60’s, time stood still there or is it that the present had not caught up with them yet? Maybe “the present” was not riding a BMW but one of those “other” bikes that you must Keep The Manual!
We headed to the border post, rested, stopped shaking, took our pictures, rested some more and discussed the ride. No time or place en route to have stopped or take pics. One thing about this ride – we had no option but to go back the way we came. Now remember what was so steep down, when we came, was now going to be steep UP and visa versa. Luck wished and prayers said, it was “A” for away. Can’t even hold thumbs, they are both needed to hold the bars!!!
Going back was easier, I think it was because we now knew just how bad the road was and more or less knew what to expect. Honestly now – IT WAS GREAT. I am serious thinking of getting a bike to do dirt, something I am not scared to put down or get full of mud, decided on a normal GS not the GSA.
We stopped off at Magugu Lodge for something to eat and to try and cool off. Cooling off was however not on the cards for us that day. In December ’08 the club stayed here for the Swaziland weekend, same temperatures. This time there was a lot more water evident in the dam as it was flowing over the sluice gates.
We headed back to the Lodge. It is great when one looks back on the day, the ride and the road and able to say “we did it!!” another one taken off my “must do list”, come guys, do it, it’s great. Coming from a hardened “tar boy” that is something. Soon I hope to be able to say to you dirt boys, “eat my dust”, ha ha ha ha.
A braai was enjoyed before we retired. With a few sore joints I might add, not sure how John felt, think we were both too proud to say we were eina! It’s okay to say eina John!!
30th December 2010 – Piggs Peak
We left at the normal 08h00’ish; again in the direction of Piggs Peak, you see we just never got tired of riding the same road more than once, twice or more. You just never get enough. There is a very good saying, in Afrikaans that sums up the roads in Swaziland, it goes like this “behalwe vir seks, is dit die lekkerste lekker”. Just does not mean the same if said/written in English.
I had to take Anne, on her own bike, on the other Piggs Peak road. Took it slow and I had to keep telling her to speed up a bit, she got so wrapped up in the lovely scenery that she forgot to twist the grip that little more. One can definitely give up speeding for appreciation, in this country; once you have ridden here you will know and appreciate what I mean. So all you that have never done Swaziland, add it to your Must Do List. We ended the first leg of the ride at a little place called Peak Craft Centre, just past Piggs Peak hotel for something to eat. This done we swung into Piggs Peak hotel. Jenny tried her hand and winning enough money to spoil herself, all I can say she did not spoil herself that day.
We had planned to return to Ngwenya glass to see the blowing this time. Honestly worth the re-visit. We complain of temps in the mid 30’s C on our bike, the temps in the glass blowing area must have been close if not over the 50’s C, how do the chaps do it? I had to get out after only about 10 minutes. They are simply amazing, if cooler I would have liked to stand and watch a lot longer. The pics, and plenty of them, would have to suffice. All shops were explored this time, as it would be the last. Purchases were made and bikes packed. I was wondering how I was going to fit these additional boxes into our already overloaded bikes on the return trip, but that was later.
We proceeded back home via Malendala House and the House of Fire, where we once again stopped off for something light to eat before heading back to the Lodge again. As we had no plans for supper, it was Pizza night, takeaways from Debonair, you know the one that says “if the Dot is not red it’s free” yep they have one about 11kms from the lodge at The Gables shopping centre. Anne gracefully offered her bike for me to ride, can you believe that? But she did give instructions – don’t ride fast, don’t rev the engine too much, ride carefully etc, now would I ride fast, me? Never!! Three of us, Pat, John and I decided to make a dash to get the Pizza. We did what we should not do, we shed our jackets and with gloves and helmets we rode like those HD boys. After a long day of heat it was actually great, although I won’t repeat it to anybody again. While waiting for the pizza we could see the black clouds roll over the mountains. We just knew we would not make it back without getting wet, but we did not expect that much rain. We headed back, with our pizza and some groceries from Pick n Pay, in a gentle but steady downpour. After a km or so it stopped, that was not so bad, we would be dry by the time we reached the Lodge. Yeah right!!!! Around the next bend the heavens opened the taps, or is it tossed buckets of water down on us. I have never ridden in something that hard, maybe it was the lack of jackets that made it feel worse. Within minutes I was wet to my jocks, my boots filled with water within seconds, I was drenched. Lightening stuck a tree and all you saw was this blue ball of light. We even rode through a river, that is how much rain we had. But you know what…..it was great, no matter what weather hits you there is always something great about riding bike. All you “sissy tin” commuters would not have the foggiest idea what I am talking about. Well we got back and the dot was just turning a tinge of black. Each one grabbed their pizza and disappeared to their own rooms, it was very romantic, the electricity had tripped and it was candles only. Another great day behind us, could this get any better, I wondered.
31st December 2010 – The Northern Route
We left at the normal 08h00’ish; our plan was to do the ride to the northern route, parts of which we had ridden previously and parts that had never been ridden by any of us before. We headed to Manzini, this time first to the BMW Dealer so that Pat could see the “Porn Bike” (Cruiser) that was in the window, like one of those Red Light ladies!! While chatting to one of the salesmen, it turned out that the owner of Riders Ranch and the BMW dealer was the one and same gent – Carlos. I started chatting to him, about bikes of course, he generously offered to open the Riders Ranch for us the next day so that we could see the collection of bikes he had. So this was put on the agenda for the next day, one more box we would be able to tick. Also discovered that Carlos was a man to have on your speed dial while in Swaziland, as he said “if you get an hassles from the police, give me a call”. He was not joking, as we were told by a few locals –“he is well connected”. So all you out there planning on a Swaziland trip, as long as you ride BM’s, give me a call and I will pass on his number.
We stayed on the MR3 as we left Manzini heading north. What a nice road, we had done this ride with the club on the ride a week previously, so it was not a surprise to most of us. Anne had decided to take the day off and ride with me for a change, something I think she was very grateful about later on the trip. Was not too long and we came upon our first police road block while we had been there, not counting the time I was stopped to pay my “toll fee” (fine). Because I did not stop exactly at the stop sign, but chose to stop next to the rather large police lady, I received a reprimand and was ordered to pull off. Anne immediately gave me instructions, via bluetooth, not to say anything, I complied and she did all the talking to the other police lady. This lady actually was very pleasant, so no harm done, no fines and off we went. A few kms up the road we came upon more police, this time not to reprimand us, but to re-direct us as the road was closed as a result of a bus accident.
We all u-turned and played follow my leader through a tiny little village. It was an entourage of cars, trucks, busses and us bikers. What lay ahead was actually not on my to-do-list that day or any other day. It is what most bikers, except the Dakar and Dirt Boys, hate the most – MUD, and plenty of it. The trucks and busses did not help either; they churned it up good and solid. As I was the leader, I had to put on a brave face and cross all the obstacles first so the others could see where NOT TO RIDE. Well it was not long before I showed them where definitely not to ride. Mud 1, Bikes 0…. I put the Ox down, quite gracefully I might add, if you can call going down in mud graceful. As Anne said, later, I dumped her in the mud, no damage and no injuries. Boy was that stuff like grease, even trying to pick the bike was difficult as the bike simply kept sliding all over the place, while lying on its side. Anne had to stand on the rear tyre while John and I lifted from the other side. Minor repairs to the panniers were first done before we could proceed to more obstacles. The one obstacle proved too much for Pat and she decided to back down from being a tuff biker to being a girly biker (just this once). I was asked to take her bike through the huge puddle of mud and water, after she saw I had been able to take the Ox through with out putting it down. The obstacle looked worse than it actually was, but it made me look good, so what the heck, I accepted the congratulations. A hundred or so metres down the track I once again dumped Anne and again gracefully put the Ox down in the mud, this time the other side. Mud 2, Bikes 0. One thing about the mud, there is no way you damage your bike, it is so soft. This time I picked up the Ox on my own, I came to appreciate the two riders of Long Way Down and Long Way Around, they picked up their bikes 50 or 100 times in a single day, I had only done it twice and I was buggered. On the tar again!! Back on the MR3 again.
We headed through a game reserve - Hlane Royal National Park. Now in South African you could not do this by bike. There are no gates, booms or guards, all you saw was a grid and a sign that explained it all – CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS BEWARE OF LION AND ELEPHANT. Now tell me who has seen a sign like that while riding on a bike and tell me who would rather NOT see a sign like that while riding on their bike? Well we did not do too much stopping and posing for pics in this area, wonder why? All we saw was Giraffe, so no excitement this bit of road.
As we left the park we stopped at a small village called Simunye. Was something to do with the sugar estate in the area. We all needed a rest and some fluids, so we turned in to find something. We found a tavern in what looked like a taxi rank with a few shops surrounding it. Now in SA you would stay well clear of a place like this, you would not even stop let alone get off your bike. It is strange how safe one felt here in Swaziland, granted I am sure there is crime, but I can assure you nothing like in SA. We parked our bikes, headed to the tavern, walked in and ordered our drinks…cokes and bottled water. The ladies went off to the toilets, no problem. We had a welcomed rest and cooled off a bit before we tackled the next leg of the trip to the northern most point of Swaziland, close to the border post and then down to Piggs Peak, we rode on the MR24 in the direction of Piggs Peak.
We landed up on dirt roads quite a few times, but with the morning’s mud puddles still fresh in our minds, we all decided to carry on to find tar roads rather. So if you ever see “D” roads on the GPS, take it for granted that these are D for Dirt. We made a few u-turns and doubled back a few times before we found the MR6 which took us to the MR1. Getting “lost” in Swaziland is never a hassle, just lets you find roads and see places you would normally not see. The MR1 down to Piggs Peak is a narrow road running through mountains and villages, I would get “lost” again anytime, and it was awesome.
Temps remained high as we neared Magugu Lodge, our stop for lunch. What was quite evident was that the water was flowing a lot faster over the dam wall, a bit of mist was evident as we rode over the cascading water, a bit of Vic Falls in Swaziland. As always the break at Magugu Lodge is pleasant and peaceful. Food is generally good, service good and the view over the dam…stunning. Not the worst place in the world to stop for a break or even to stay over, put it on your route map for your next visit if you have not already marked it. After a light lunch, rest and refreshments, it is always a bit difficult to get back on the bike. If it was not the thought of what lay ahead I would rather have booked in for the night. Remember this is the area that has the roads stuck to the side of the mountains, down into valleys and up again, no straight roads for a good few kms. It reminded me of Heidi in the Mountains, without the snow. You continually expected to see some kids come tumbling down the mountains with goats and cows romping in the lush green grass.
After about an hour of fun and enjoyment (our ride to the Lodge) we arrived tired and sweaty. We had honestly lost concept of time and what day it was, it was Old Years Eve or New Years Eve, depending how you see it. What had we planned….absolutely nothing, tiredness and the pure enjoyment and thrill of the day’s ride had left us drained and completely satisfied with ourselves. We thought we would give the restaurant fair warning for a good dinner. We booked our table and ordered our food and said we would be there in an hour. What did they do? They started cooking the food immediately, so when we got there in an hour’s time, what did we get….cold food. Such a pity that the food was so bad, it boils down to the fact that there was no proper supervision in the kitchen. They tried their best but simply had no idea how to manage the restaurant; I blame the owners for this. We had our plates unceremoniously heated in the micro wave and munched on some tough steaks after that. But you know, that did not even dampen our spirits, would take a lot more than that after such a great day.
I think we all disappeared to our rooms by no later than 21h00, tired and satisfied. The next day was going to be a chill day with only two short routes planned.
1st January 2011 – 2 Short Routes
The whole time while we were in Swaziland we saw the sign boards for Summerfield Botanical Gardens. This was a place I had come across on my preplanning for this trip on the internet. Only showed a few pics and a short write up, was reported as a “must see” place in Swaziland. We armed ourselves with directions and set off that morning around the same 08h00’ish, we had so grown accustomed to.
After on about 5 or so kms we entered this place one can only call Paradise. If it was not for my helmet, being closed, I think I would have swallowed quite a few bugs the way my mouth hung open. I could not believe this place. Not that I did not expect a place like this in Swaziland, I think my mouth would have been as wide open had this place been in Gauteng or even Cape Town. It is hard to explain to someone exactly what it looked like, you will have to look at the few pics attached here and then go and decide for yourself. It is the type of place I would not go and visit with my bike again. Next time I go by car, from my house, directly there and park the vehicle until my money or time runs out, depending what ran out first. It is tranquil, beautiful, peaceful, stunning; I don’t know all these fancy words to use to try and explain what we saw, go see for yourself. You are surrounded by water features, dams, bridges, plants, trees and shrubs of every kind. They had only recently built chalets there and as the owner said they built around the plants so as not to disturb the beauty of the place. The service was, like the place, amazing. The food far better than ever expected and not expensive, the food that is. The accommodation is somewhat expensive. But if you are there and see what you get you will not complain at twice the price. We spent a good few hours there, walking amongst the plants and taking a few hundred pics between the three cameras. A definite weekend break away from the hussle and bustle of Gauteng, a Will Do place at a later date.
Relaxed and satisfied, we mounted our bikes and headed to Riders Ranch.
This is like chalk and cheese, no comparison and one should not even try comparing the two places. You must remember that in the month of August, Riders Ranch is the venue for the Swaziland Rally. As can be seen by the doughnuts on the cement in front of the building as you stop. Within the building there are some nice surprises, mounted high up on the walls you will see old bikes of every description and age, all, I am told, still all working. Am sure they would need a service before that could be proved. A rough tough place, with two or three bars and plenty writing on the walls, and by the looks of it there had been plenty there before us. One surprise bike was the Rotary engine Suzuki, I, myself, have never seen one before but had heard of this creature. On the one wall are plans and design of what is going to happen to the place. It will become a biker’s getaway, with about 30 apartments planned and restaurants, aimed totally at the biking enthusiast. If this does materialise it would be worth paying a visit. Maybe even a venue for a club ride in the future. Built by a biking enthusiast for biking enthusiasts, let’s wait and see. As they say…watch this space. It was most appreciated that Carlos had opened his place for us that day, just so that I could tick the box and also say “I have been there”.
Pictures taken and satisfied we headed towards The Gables, first we would go and take a second look at Mantenga Lodge.
This was the place we recced a few months ago but could unfortunately not get space for the Club ride or our 8 day ride. This was more a place we could take the Club, cooler, good food and a lot more jacked up for crowds than Brookside Lodge. A definite stay over place for the future rides. Price also compared very well if not cheaper than Brookside. It was right behind The Gables shopping centre. After a rest and some pictures we headed towards The Gables, our home from home shopping centre, did I mention that there was a movie house at The Gables, 4 cinemas and showing the most up to date movies, no jokes in the middle of Swaziland you would be forgiven if you thought you had taken a wrong turn and stopped in one of the better parts of SA. We bought a few provisions and headed back to Brookside Lodge. Tonight we would make supper from whatever was left; the next day was time for home.
We all congregated in front of Pat’s room, chatted about the past week and what we had actually seen and experienced. There was no show of hands, but we all decided that Swaziland was one of the nicest places to visit, if not THE nicest place. Not once had we felt threatened, nervous or scared, no matter where we stopped. Every time we stopped a few locals would chat and comment on the bikes and just generally chatted, what a difference to SA. Pity there is not more companies over there to cater for our working needs; I would be there like a shot. We could not believe this was our last evening there. Not once had the rain stopped us riding. It always seemed to fall just as we had done with the ride, except the one time, but technically we had finished the ride, so all in all, nature was good to us.
We debated the leaving time for the next day, surprise, surprise; we decided that 08h00’ish sounded just right. We retired early, mainly to pack our panniers ready for the return trip. There was some fancy packing taking place in our room that night; Anne had acquired a few gifts of a glass, not always the best gift if you are on a bike. It was decided to pack them in Anne’s topbox and I would inherit all that was in her topbox.
The next day dawned upon us all too early; we actually did not want to leave. Some even tried sabotaging their pannier so as not too leave.
2nd January 2011 – Homeward bound
The morning started with breakfast then the loading of the bikes, a slow process that needed to be done correctly as it was a long way home. Remember I said someone even tried sabotaging his pannier so that he could stay longer – well that was John. For some unknown reason his one pannier just refused to attach itself to the bike. It took as almost an hour and plenty of dismantling of the mechanism before it simply started working again. We would like to say it was the two of us that sorted it out, I am sure it was though, Sorry John if that messed up your plans, but we had to go home!! After seeing Anne’s capabilities of riding dirt, we decided to exit via a different border post, one we used on our recce previously. It was a sunning road there and something we definitely wanted to share with the rest of the group. Around 09h00 we set off on the return trip. I must add it was with a heavy heart that I climbed on the Ox (my loan bike) for the last time in Swaziland. The next time I stopped would be within sight of SA at the Sandlane Border post.
The road up to the border post is great; you are continually heading up this windy road, narrow but good tar, and no traffic at all. The road is yours to enjoy this one last time. We took a slow ride, not so that Anne could keep up, but simply to make the enjoyment last longer. There are bits of dirt road thrown in to make it exciting, but after Bulembu and the mud, this was child’s play, even for Anne. All too soon we had run out of road and were stopped by the border post. Pity I had not forgotten my passport back at the Lodge, almost thought I would tell a white lie and head back just to be able to do the ride again, Anne however knew I had the passport with me, she packed it!!
This border post is a stamp and go border, if you can write fast you can get through fast. It was only the five of us there at the time. We wished the Swaziland officials a Happy New Year and promised we would see them again, as soon as possible. South Africa border post too was a stamp and go affair. Back on home soil again. I somehow did not feel like is “was home” as Swaziland had been so enjoyable that I actually felt sad to “be home”. I took the lead again and again opened the bike up a bit to rid it of all the cobwebs that had been accumulated the past week of sightseeing. I was glad to see that the Ox still had some get up and go!!
After a visit to the Wimpy in Carolina it was onto the last leg of the trip. It was not far down the track where a few choice words were let loose on my poor ears via the blue tooth from Anne. A huge bug had hit her smack bang in the middle of her visor and kind of squished itself good and solid, not a pretty site. The whole bunch had to stop and I had to clean the visor. This done we headed to the Azua Petrol stop for a final filling of the tanks and to say our goodbyes. It had been a great trip, one I will remember for a long time. A trip I will try get as many of you out there to try for yourselves. It’s always a sad time when those final goodbyes are said as that was the sign that the trip was really over.
The last leg on the highway is never a great way of finishing off a ride, it is straight and boring, but something you have to do to get home I suppose. Anne once again rode like a star through the traffic both on the highway and the area going past Boksburg. “Okay girl, you can take that badge off now, the one that says NOVICE. You did yourself proud.”
We finished off by arriving around 14h00, tired but totally satisfied with our trip. The trip was in the region of 2 500 km of some of the best roads you could ask for in Southern Africa.
The Cats and the Kittens
For all you people that go “oooh” and “aaaah” and “cute” over cats and kittens, this is for you (was instructed to write something about them).
It is strange how animals, in this case cats, can sense there are “cat people” in the area. In our party there were 3 lady “cat people” - Anne, Jenny and Pat. About the second day a white and black cat conned the ladies into spoiling her. Cat food was bought, milk was put down, the cat was picked up and petted, the full Monty! It was not long when a second black and white cat appeared. More food was bought, a second saucer of milk was put down and another cat was picked up and petted. It turned out that these two cats were sisters, both had a litter of 5 kittens and both litter was fathered by the same father. These two cats were spoilt by all three the ladies. Each morning the cats would go from one of the ladies to the next. They new exactly where each of the “cat spoilers” lived. Each one gave the cats food and milk and of course the cats did not let on that they had just got from the other “cat spoiler”, they took full advantage of the prevailing generosity. Every night the cats appeared for further spoiling and let me tell you, they were not disappointed with the attention they got.
On the day when the “boys” did the dirt ride to Bulembu, the “girls” spent the full day doing the spoiling thing with the cats, they even met the whole family, and of course the picked up and petted each and every kitten. I had to check all the panniers and bags after that, was concerned that Anne would try smuggling one of the kittens into SA. I think John had the same problem, was worried about Pat though, there was nobody checking her bags !!!!!!
Not only did the cats make themselves comfortable with the ladies and we also had a larger visitor, his name was Boss. It was a rather large dog but as docile as a lamb. Just lay around within arms reach for the food but never begged. There you see, no beggars in Swaziland, not even the animals!!
I think all the adopted animals enjoyed our stay as much as we enjoyed our stay in Swaziland. I am sure had we been there by car I would have had a few more cats running around our house by now.
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Thanks John & Jenny for wanting to do the trip in the first place, thanks Pat for being an inspiration to Anne and her riding. Thanks Anne for showing such enthusiasm towards your bike riding, I don’t think I could ask for a partner with more guts and gusto towards biking. Come on chaps, get your wife/girlfriends riding their own bikes, then you will never have to “drag” your wife/girlfriend along on a ride, ask me I am proof of this.
I would like to thank Jenny for the use of some of the pictures, Pat for the use of her pictures and her daily diary to jog my memory, thanks Anne for your pictures and the company on the bike, on the odd occasion and thanks John, for the company, support and help in picking up the OX.
Written by Wymoth,
With help from Pat
Pictures by
Anne
Jenny
Pat
