This is part of the sixth section of our around the world trip.
Complete Trip Overview & Map

Coming from  South Africa
 

29/4/00 Over the border into Namibia, an easy crossing, no motorcycle paperwork or visas. It's only ten years since this country became independent from South Africa and the trading ties are still strong. The Orange river is the border for a good portion and famous for its river trips through beautiful gorge scenery. We were lucky to be offered a taste, a two hour canoe trip. It's unusual to see such a big river flowing through the desert with only a thin band of irrigated green at its edge.

30/4/00 It's been difficult to keep the grease from under the fingernails this trip. The last two days there has been an occasional clicking noise coming from the engine. This developed into a more frequent but irregular clanging. We checked our repair on the belt to see if any bolts had come loose, removing the primary cover roadside on a dirt road just short of the Fish River Canyon, no loose bolts. We limped with increasing noise to Canyon Roadhouse and arranged a lift for us and the motorcycle to Grunau with the view of transporting the motorcycle the 850 km back to Cape Town. The idea of repairing it here, waiting for parts and the need for special tools weighed up against getting a complete job done in Cape Town. The extra time and expense weighed against the cost of transport.

1/5/00 Amazingly a courier service operates Windhoek to Cape Town once weekly passing Grunau this morning northwards. The driver quoted 250 rand door to door for the motorcycle to Cape Town ($US 40.00) to be collected on his trip south tomorrow. We decided then to hitch today to Cape Town and within five minutes people who had seen us broken down yesterday stopped and gave us a lift to the backpackers in Cape Town.  We were there by 7.00 pm tonight. Assuming the motorcycle arrives the day after tomorrow it and us will have travelled the almost 1000 km from where we broke down to Cape Town for about $US 80.00. There must be no where else in the world that the people are so helpful and friendly to stranded motorists.
 

Move with us to South Africa , or go to our next visit to  Namibia .
 

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