Dear fellow riders,

My name is Jolandie Rust. Most people know me as Jo.
I'm from Johannesburg, South Africa and currently living my dream and halfway towards reaching my goal of becoming the first gal to circumnavigate Africa solo.

The dream started out back in 2007 and I initially got around on a bicycle. I cycled through Israel, through and around South Africa in 2008 and became the first person to have cycled around South Africa in 2010, having covered 5951 kilometers in exactly 100 days!

April 2011 I set out from Cape Town to start an epic journey of pedaling around the African continent, but four machete-wielding boys had other plans for me in Northern Angola. And as I stood there, next to the road, in the middle of nowhere, watching these guys take off with just about all my belongings, I just remember thinking to myself: "There has GOT to be a better way of doing this". Soon after (whilst walking back to the nearest town) I decided that I'd start over, buy this time on a motorbike. Best decision ever!

April 2012 I set out, again, from Cape Agulhas (southernmost point of Africa) on my BMW Dakar, and started making my way up the west coast of Africa, again. With a tad more speed this time round though.

And that's where this ride report starts. I look forward to sharing my journey with you and hope to see some of you out there on the road.

Around Africa - woman alone.

Jo Rust

__________________
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride! www.jorust.com

It was a cold, wet and windy day on the 7th of April as I made my way to Cape Agulhas. I had a group of riders from the wilddog adventure forum (A (mainly) South African adventure riding forum) with me who'd come out to bid me farewell.









From Agulhas I made my way up the N7 towards Springbok, a town just before you reach the Namibian border.

__________________
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride! www.jorust.com

On Tuesday, 10 April ’12, I crossed the border into Namibia. This is my fourth time in Namibia in the last year. I really do love this country. It feels like home. This is the one country in Africa where I feel completely and utterly safe! I remember last year, when I was cycling through here, I woke up one night around 11:00pm in my sleeping bag(I camped wild most of the time) and there was a man standing over me. Sure, I got a fright and immediately gripped my knife that was in my pocket, but all he wanted to do is check whether I was alive! (Not sure what he would’ve done if I wasn’t….)

Experiencing Namibia on a motorbike is a little different to the slow pace I’m used to on my bicycle. The upside to now being on a motorbike (Apart from faster progress), is that I now get to see different parts of the country. Like riding to Ai-Ais for instance. I’ve always wanted to visit the Fishriver Canyon. And now I got to do so! Really is a beautiful place. I took the C10 to Ai-Ais. Beautiful gravel road. Before I knew it I was blasting off at 100km p/h. (This might be no mean feat for most dual-purpose bikers, but I’ve never ridden so fast on a gravel road!!!). Also had my first decent fall on this road! (oops) I moved to the side of the road to make way for an oncoming vehicle, not seeing the sand lying right on the edge of the road. Snaked a bit at first…and next thing the front wheel just gave way and I hit the ground with a great cloud of dust erupting around me. Luckily the car stopped and a German guy jumped out to help me pick up the bike. I’m sure he must’ve found my laughing very strange. Well I thought it was very funny!!!



I camped out at Ai-Ais for a night. Checking myself in was a load of fun. I’m used to people always staring at me from my bicycle days (not everyday you see a white chick in Africa cycling with a heavily loaded bicycle…all on her own). On the bike, it’s so much more fun. People initially stare when they see the bike, with all her kit and stickers etc. Then, as soon as I take my helmet off you see jaws drop like a Mexican wave.



My evening at the camps was rather quiet. Spoilt myself to a nice and juicy fillet steak and a Savanna Dry to celebrate the occasion. Next morning the other campers started to approach me. I met two ladies (Jennifer and Belinda), accompanied by their Border Collie (Pegasus) riding up the West Coast of Africa in a Land Rover. Yay. More adventurous people!! We had coffee and swapped stories and notes before I left for my next destination (Mariental). Before long we had our maps out and compared routes to see where we could possibly meet up again. But it was obvious that I would be going at a much faster pace than them. So we opted for email updates.



I could feel that I’m coming down with a bit of a cold. This ALWAYS happens right after I launch for a big trip. I think it’s when I start relaxing, then my body just releases all the stress it built up over the preceding months of preparation etc. Initially I wanted to push for Windhoek, but because of the cold I decided to rather stop over in Mariental. The place where I wanted to camp for the night (River Lodge), was fully booked. As luck would have it I met a bunch of guys from Vredendal and Bellville, on their way to Henties to go fishing! They came to my rescue and said I could stay with them as their chalet had two open beds. Perfect! They had seen an article about my trip in a newspaper (not sure which one) and recognized me as soon as I pulled into the camp. Wonderful gentlemen, they took it upon themselves to look after me and gave me a place to sleep and food and drinks…and we even made a deal to meet up in Henties again. (Seeing as I’m also heading that way!). So on Sunday we have arranged when and where we’ll be meeting to continue our little “it’s a small world” party.







Staying over with Ingo and Lisa Waldschmidt tonight. Ingo was the first Namibian to have competed in the Dakar Rally. Namibia will be my training grounds next year in preparation for Dakar 2014. So we've just been chatting Dakar all night! Gets me all excited!!

__________________
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride! www.jorust.com

Angola - Guns, Sweat, and Smiles


I left Windhoek to visit Swakopmund and Henties Bay for the first time. It was very different to what I expected. This is what makes it such an adventure! Seeing new places where you have never been before…it excites me. “Exploring my unknown”, I guess I would call it. I met up with the guys from Vredendal that I had met in Marienthal and stayed over with them in Henties Bay. Another night with good food and lots of chatting and joking and laughing. Had such an awesome time with these guys!

I decided to push on from Henties Bay to Ondangwa so I could catch up on the day I had lost and take my next rest day staying at Ondangwa rest camp. I had underestimated just how far it is though! I spent 13 hours on the road that day!! One of those hours was spent negotiating my way out of a speeding ticket in Owamboland. (oops – it was getting dark…hence my being caught for speeding). I managed to get off with a stern warning!

At Ondangwa Rest Camp I met two bikers who are on their way down to Cape Town. Chris and Andrei. Chris is from Switzerland and Andrei from Romania. They have ridden down the West Coast of Africa, via Mali. We spent the night having a few s and telling stories of our experiences. They gave me a whole lot of information and contacts for the road ahead! Like motorcycle club in different countries. (Which is how I got to meet the MC’s in Angola)

Next day I crossed the border into Angola. I had expected it to be a quick and easy task. Not a chance!!! My fixer wasn’t at the border anymore, so I called another fixer. Then the customs officials gave me hassles because I have an ordinary visa and not a tourist visa. So I show then my previous visa which was also an ordinary visa and I had no problems with that one. They still won’t accept it! So I give them the number for the Minister of Local Government in Luanda and my contact in Lobito and tell them to call these people. Which they do. 10 Minutes later they tell me to go through!! And welcome to Angola!!!

I phoned my friends in Ondjiva to notify them that I had arrived and would be waiting for them at their house. (Afrikaans couple from Zimbabwe) They got home from work a little later on. After greeting one another with big hugs and loads of questions we had dinner and sat catching up on what’s been going on in our respective lives. And here is where the proverbial paw-paw strikes the fan.

There we were, sitting, minding our own business when next thing I know four guys storm into the house armed with a pistol a crowbar and some kind of spray which I suspect was mace/ pepper spray.
They find tape in one of the drawers and tape us to chairs. I’m first in line so they’re still very eager and almost use half the roll of tape on me. They tape my hands, my feet, my body to the chair and put tape all around my head to cover my mouth. They tell us to increase the volume of the television. (Guessing so no one can hear what’s going on). They keep demanding money. (Dineiro in Portuguese).

Luckily…the police knew of my whereabouts and came checking in on me. Just as these guys were starting to really get agitated with us, the idiot with the gun took out a magazine to load the pistol, but then heard someone hooting at the gate. It was the Police! They took off into the night. We were able to break free and Hennie ran to open the gate. Within the next 10 minutes about 5 cars filled with Police officers arrived on the scene and it was all pretty chaotic. They only took my phone! I was so relieved, knowing that they could’ve taken the bike and all my gear if they wanted to. And most importantly, we were okay! (My phone was replaced the next day)



So from Ondjiva onwards I have had Police escort all the way, everyday. I am not allowed to move without informing the Police.

From Onjiva I made my way to Lubango, knowing that a very bad stretch of road lay ahead between Xangongo and Cahama. It’s a 83km stretch, bad potholes, sand, you name it. The Police rode with me, all the way. In each town I am handed over to the next convoy who then escorts me to the next town, and so on and so on. The Chief of Police in every town has to literally sign me over to the next Chief of Police, and then I become his responsibility!







In Lubango a friend of a friend of mine in Luanda waited for me and booked me into his Lodge for the night. He took me to dinner and I was surprised by two of my friends from Luanda who also just happened to be in Lubango. Slept like the dead that night.



Next day I rode to Namibe, via Serra de Leba. It is a very beautiful area and going down Leba Pass is any biker’s dream!! The most beautiful mountain pass I have ever seen with awesome switchbacks. And it was designed by a woman!



This was my first time visiting Namibe. I stayed with a family who are friends with a friend of mine in Luanda. (I have lots of friends in Luanda as you may have noticed by now). Lol
I had such a great time with this family. Even though we had some difficulties understanding one another every now and then…we could communicate and chat and laugh. I felt right at home. Everybody here just wants to feed me all the time!! LoL. I don’t understand why! If you look at me you’ll notice it’s not like I’m starving! Food is great though! Love the Portuguese cooking.



In Namibe I had to meet the Governess who welcomed me to her Province and wished me a safe journey from Namibe onwards. I also met with the head of Sport and Chief of Police and members from the Tourism department, to discuss the road ahead etc.



From Namibe…I tackled the worst road I have ridden on to date. Namibe to Lobito via Lucira. I had always wanted to see this area as so many people have told me how beautiful it is. The first 100 kilometers is easy, tar road. From hereon out all the way to Dombe Grande the road condition is either that of a rocky road with sand….or a sand road with big rocks. I fell twice, I think. I am starting to lose count! The Police officers had to help me pick the bike back up everytime I had an off. It helps a lot having them around! Dented my panniers and have a few new scratches…but nothing too serious. I thought my rear shock would give in at any second though. This stretch of road is less than 400 kilometers and it took me 13 hours to complete. I only arrived in Lobito at midnight on Friday evening!!! And then….the Police vehicle’s lights didn’t work!!!! So I had to ride next to them to light the way. At night, on a sandy road, having been on the road for like 11 hours!!! Urrrggghhh. I was so tired I couldn’t care less if I fell over or not. I just wanted to get to Lobito!!!









Like I said, I eventually arrived in Lobito at midnight. I was booked into the Hotel Terminus in Lobito. It’s a four star hotel right on the beach! BEAUTIFUL!!!! It’s like a little piece of heaven! My friend Pedro Bandeira from HoteisAngola arranged for my stay at the Hotel and the owner, Mr Fernando agreed. I spent two days in Lobito, resting…sorting things out. Like the bike! There is a Motorcycle Club in Lobito called “Moto Clube 90”. They met up with me and took care of me whilst in Lobito. Cleaned my bike for me, checked that everything is okay. Replaced some light bulbs that needed replacing. Checked the fluids etc etc.

They took me on a few outrides around town and to Benguela. I had such a good time with these guys! They treat you like royalty and really look after you here! And I really love Lobito. I can’t explain it. There’s just something here that attracts me. Maybe I am losing it because I am starting to think that I can picture myself living here!!!!



The Moto Clube 90 guys rode with me from Lobito to Barra do Kwanza, on route to Luanda. From Barra do Kwanza, the biggest Motorcycle Club in Luanda – Amigos di Picada (Meaning: Friends of the off-road), together with my good friend Candido Carneiro from Trevogel would meet us and escort me the rest of the way into the city. My Police escorts are pretty insane! They quite literally chase everyone off the road, so I can pass by. They will ride into oncoming traffic to stop them and push them off the road….until I have passed. It’s crazy!!!! They make very sure that nobody comes near me and that I am safe.

Meeting up with the guys at Barra do Kwanza was really special! I had expected maybe a couple of bikes to turn up and ride with me. As we crossed the river, you go through two control points. (Oh, this is the other cool thing! I never have to stop at ANY control points!!! I can just ride through, following my escort! Saves on time!)

As we passed through the control points, I just saw this LOOOONG line of bikes and a bunch of people in yellow t-shirts, shouting and waving their hands and making a huge noise. About 30 bikes had come to meet me and would ride with me into Luanda!!!! As I got off my bike champagne got poured all over me and I was greeted by the President of the club, Mr Lillio Almeida. And then I got to say hello to my friend Candido Carneiro. I couldn’t believe that so many guys had come out to meet me!
I had a radio interview and we had loads of photos taken, of course.



And then we rolled out for the ride to Luanda. Two police bikes in front, then a police care, then Candido in his 4x4 with the South African and Angolan flags handing off the back, then the Leader, then yours truly…and then the rest of the pack behind me.

Getting into Luanda was absolute CHAOS!!!!!!
Sirens and hooting with the Police, once again, bringing the traffic to a halt so that I could pass with my very long convoy. If you know what the traffic is like in Luanda, then you will understand that it took some doing to get us all through!! I have never experienced anything like this in my life!
We rode into the city and to “Miami Beach”. A restaurant and club right on the beach. The owner of the establishment welcomed me and they had prepared a whole spread for all of us. Loads of food and !!!

We spent most of the afternoon at Miami Beach. I met a fellow South African reporter for SuperSport. They did an interview with me. SuperSport Massimo in Angola will have regular updates on my trip.

I had to take so many photos with so many people.
One thing I can say is: The Angolans know how to party!!
I only got to bed around half past four this morning!!!
And now, whilst in Luanda, DAX is being serviced. I am trying to catch up updates and washing etc etc.

I am waiting to meet with the Minister of Local Government in Luanda. Still have a few more media appointments to attend to. And then from here I head to Soyo to cross into Cabinda and then to Congo. (Yes, my route changed). But….now we wait for a boat!!!

__________________
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride! www.jorust.com

Angola - I love you! Farewell for now.

Tomorrow morning at 05:00am, I will leave Luanda for Soyo. From Soyo, DAX and I will embark on a boat to cross the great Congo River to Cabinda. My initial route would have taken me through the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), but I think that entering Congo (Brazaville) via Cabinda is the best option for me at this stage.

This weekend past, I joined two motorcycle clubs here in Angola on a road trip to Huambo, which is about 300 kilometers East of Benguela. I had not been to this part of Angola and really looked forward to the trip.

We left Luanda Saturday morning just after 05:00am. About 8 of us rode out of Luanda and met up with the rest of the group just outside of town. Another 10 riders or so. From here we hit the road to Huambo. The road between Luanda and Huambo is a fairly decent tar road. Average speed around 110 km p/h. Within the group a “Lider” (Leader) is elected for the day and then the rest of the pack falls in behind the Leader. My spot is always second to the Leader.

The first time I got to ride with a group was back in South Africa, on the day of my launch. Then there was the ride from Lobito to Barra do Kwanza with three members from the Motorcycle Club in Lobito (Moto Clube 90). And then from Barra do Kwanza to Luanda with a convoy consisting of about 20 – 30 odd bikes, 2 Police vehicles, 1 Nissan Patrol and 2 Police motorcycles.

But this was my first “Road trip”. Informal, just for fun. And I really had a great deal of fun! The members from the Motorcycle Clubs really went out of their way to make me feel at home and to look after me. I never had to pay for anything! Not once! They would refuse to accept my money and tell me that they consider it an honor to look after me. Isn’t it amazing? I’m the luckiest girl on earth! ☺

About 70 kilometers from Huambo we met up with the guys from Moto Clube 90 (Lobito). Here we had lunch in Alto Hama and then carried on to Huambo.

In Huambo we attracted a great deal of attention. I think such a big group of bikes usually does attract a lot of attention. But here even more so. People are not used to this ‘lifestyle’ as such. But it is rapidly growing here in Angola.

Saturday evening we all went out to a Club. Having a lot of fun, dancing and singing. I even learned to Samba. LoL. The next day we were all looking a little weary, but still managed to keep to the program and visit the town of Kuito. This town is one of the towns that were most affected by the war. You can still see the scars that the town carries to this day.

From Huambo we made our way to Lobito on Sunday. This was my fourth time in Lobito. It is my favorite town in Angola. I love the people and the lifestyle. If I had to compare it to a town in South Africa, I’d say it’s a little bit like Cape Town. Luanda is more like Johannesburg. Busy, big city…always on the go. Lobito is more relaxed and the people are extremely friendly!

Then from Lobito we headed back to Luanda. Coming into Luanda was insane!! As it was a long weekend, a lot of people left Luanda to visit friends and family in other parts of the country. So yesterday everybody started heading back to the big city. I have NEVER seen such a long stand-still-bumper-to-bumper line of cars!! I am convinced it must have carried on for at least 20 kilometers. Well that’s what it felt like. NO space to move whatsoever. Seeing as we’re on dual-purpose bikes, we made a plan. Bikes on this road trip included: Honda Varadero (x5), KTM 990 Adventure (x1), Harley Davidson (x2), Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 (x 5), BMW R1200GS (x1), KTM Duke (x1), Morini Scrambler (x1), BMW Dakar (x1),

Maneuvering the bikes through a ditch next to the side of the road and onto the embankment next to the ditch. Then back through the ditch and in between the cars and trucks. Everybody hooting and revving engines all around you. Seeing as my bike’s the loudest, there’s never any doubt as to my whereabouts. LoL. AND, it helps creating a path down the middle of the road.

Once we made it through the traffic from hell, the President of the Motorcycle Club in Luanda said to me: “You have become a true Angolan”. Hehe.

Today is spent catching up on admin and going over the bike and packing for the road ahead. Tomorrow morning we will leave Luanda. A few members of Amigos da Picada will accompany me to Soyo.

I will certainly miss Angola a great deal!!! Especially all the friends I leave behind. So to the greater Angolan Public: Thank you so much for receiving me as one of your own. For accepting me in your country and for showing me Angola’s beauty.

To Minister B. de Sousa, Governor Pedro Sebastiao, and the Angolan Government: Thank you for helping make it possible for me to continue with my journey! Thank you for believing in me enough and for investing in me.

To my hosts: Mr Pedro Bandeira in Lobito of Hoteis em Angola - Reserve online e sem custos. – thank you for all you have done. For arranging my accommodation and for always being there for me. Always ready to help! Thank you so much for all your help in the past and this time round.

To Mr. Cândido Carneiro of Trevogel in Luanda – thank you for being in touch with me from the minute I stepped back onto Angolan soil. For everything that you have organized for me. For your updates and for making sure I am safe at all times! To you and Linda, you are my family in Luanda. Thank you!

To Moto Clube 90 in Lobito: Ahhhhh…you guys are like family to me. I love you all so much and really appreciate all you have done for me. I will be back again soon! I promise.

And last but not least, to the Amigos da Picada (www.amigosdapicada.com) – You too have accepted me as one of your own. You guys are just amazing. Thank you for making me feel at home and for allowing me to go to Huambo with you guys. Thank you so much for all you have done for me. For helping me and for assisting me, for riding with me. I love all of you guys as well!
I will miss all of you. But now…the show must go on!

__________________
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride! www.jorust.com

Congo ~ Further than ever before!!!

Total distance to date: ± 7300 km
Total falls: 5 (Last fall was in Angola - Lucira)
Total borders crossed: 3
Current Location: Pointe Noire (Congo)

Leaving Luanda was a very sad occasion. It also meant I would once again reach that fateful point that led to my previous expedition being cut short. Reaching N’zeto once again felt to me like I had finally completed a chapter in the book of my life and could now move on to go further than I have ever gone before.

I had four riders from the Motorcycle Club – “Amigos da Picada” from Luanda with me. They accompanied me all the way to Soyo where Dax and I boarded a boat to cross the great Congo River to Cabinda.

I got up at 4:30am to have a shower and pack my gear. The guys arrived at Jorge Almeida’s house (where I was staying for the last couple of days in Luanda) around 5:00am. The previous evening I had unpacked my bags and tried to take out anything I thought I might not need…to try and lighten my load. I did leave behind a bunch of stuff. It will stay with Jorge in Luanda until I return.

When we left Luanda it was still dark outside, but even this early in the morning the traffic had already started piling up and took some negotiating on dusty roads with trucks and cars swerving left and right to dodge deadly potholes. We stopped just outside of Luanda to fill up with fuel for the bikes and ourselves. Some coffee and snacks for the road ahead and then we headed for N’zeto.

Now for those of you who might not be aware: last year August my bicycle and gear was stolen just a few kilometers outside of N’zeto. The Governor of the Zaire Province; General Pedro Sebastião had come to my rescue, picked me up in a plane, sent two helicopters from Luanda to comb the area for the perpetrators and had the whole country up in arms. I spent two days staying with the Governor in M’banza Congo and then I was flown to Lobito, from where I made my way back to Johannesburg again. The Governor also made a generous donation towards helping me get back on the road again!

I had phoned the Governor before we left Luanda to notify him that I would be making my way to Soyo the next day, accompanied by four riders. He said he would phone me back within an hour. When he phoned back he told me that he would meet us in N’zeto!

Now I know what the road to N’zeto looks like, having cycled on this road. Just North of Luanda there is a quaint fishing village named Barra do Dande. Here I had stayed at a friend’s Lodge last time round right next to the Rio (River) Dande where it runs into the ocean. From Barra do Dande onwards you have a tarmac road for about 30 kilometers or so, until you reach a Police control point. Just beyond the control point you cross a little bridge and this is where the tarmac ends. The first thing I notice is the military presence next to the road. Military officers and men walking around with mine detecting units. They’re busy combing the area for landmines. And then a thought flashes through my mind: “I had camped wild here in the bush for two nights…possibly amongst some mines”. Yikes!!! I just smile, shake my head and thank my lucky stars.

I had been a bit nervous about the road ahead, particularly because I had the guys with me. I was worried that my riding skills might not be as advanced as theirs and I might hold them back. Especially when we started hitting thick sand! But within the first 10 kilometers I realized just how much my riding skills have improved!! The road up to N’zeto consists mainly of a combination of bad gravel tracks, some sandy patches and then corrugated gravel with loads of rocks.

I had found my rhythm on the bike and easily handled the bike through the more technical sections. It was hard work though and extremely tiring. After a couple of kilometers Rui’s bike (Morini Scrambler) had a radiator leak so we had to stop to fix it. I think we all welcomed the break. (No pun intended)
I had the weirdest feeling standing in the middle of the road, looking ahead at the wild landscape of Northern Angola with it’s huge trees…it’s not bushveld and it’s not quite jungle either…something in between…and thinking to myself: “I have CYCLED through this area on this road and I had slept WILD in the bush, possibly amongst some landmines”. Awesome! Hahaha.

Just before N’zeto we reached yet another Police control point. Here we had to stop to wait for our Police Escort that would ride with us to N’zeto. We sat under a tree and had an ice-cold and grilled bananas. It was HOT and humid and we were absolutely covered in dust from head to toe! Carlos gave me a wet-wipe to wipe my face. It wasn’t recognizable as a wet-wipe when I had finished with it! LoL.

We waited for about half an hour and started to get a little impatient. We still had a long road ahead of us and couldn’t afford to lose so much time. So we told the Police officers that we would carry on and meet up with our escort on route. They were coming from N’zeto so we would definitely bump into them. And we did meet up with them about 10 kilometers ahead. From here we hit a stretch of road that allowed us to speed up a bit as there’s road construction taking place and parts of the road have been scraped and evened out. It felt good to be able to go a little faster than 40 km p/h for a change.

When we arrived in N’zeto, we were led to the Provincial office in town. I had only expected to see the Governor and his ever-present members of staff. Instead we were received by a television crew, Chief of police, a whole group of police officers and a big group of local people wearing T-shirts with the Zaire Province emblem on them. And the Governor…with his ever-present members of staff.

Governor Pedro Sebastião: retired General of the Angolan Army, Governor of the Zaire province in Angola residing in the city that used to be the capital of the Congo Kingdom (M’banza Congo) and a personal friend of mine! I have a great deal of respect for this man. Not because of the titles he carries, but because of who he is. A gentle giant with a very big heart…just don’t mess with him! LoL.

The Governor welcomed me back to his province with a big hug and handed me an Angolan flag with a message from him written on it. We posed for the media for some photos and then went inside to his office where he handed me some flowers and an envelope. We then conducted interviews with different television channels present before leaving to go to lunch.

Lunch consisted of a spread of Langoustines, salad, fried bananas, chips, bread, rice and more. We sat chatting about my trip and the road ahead, about things past and all that had happened. The Governor asked me whether I had already organized for a boat to take me from Soyo to Cabinda? “No”, I replied. He picked up his phone and made a phone call, after which he told me: “It’s been organized”. When we got back to our bikes there were five yellow plastic bottles standing next to the bikes, filled with 20 liters of fuel each. They filled our bikes for us and then it was time for us to carry on. I greeted the Governor with another hug, and before leaving his embrace he said: “I will fly up to Soyo tomorrow to meet you there as well”. Wow.

Time had run out and we would not reach Soyo the same day. Lilio looked over to me and said: “You’re the boss, you decide”. So we opted to stay at Mukula, a little village next to the ocean on route. Just about 60 kilometers from N’zeto. The first 30 kilometers was on tarmac, until we turned off towards Soyo. The road just deteriorated from here on out. I was convinced that at some point my rear shock would give in. But it didn’t. Which is why I love my bike. She serves me so well!! But…Lilio’s bike’s rear shock gave in instead. (Honda Varadero)
We opted to sleep on the beach and had to make our way through some very thick beach sand to get there. It was a real struggle. The KTM 990 Adventure (Carlos’ bike) and the Morini Scrambler (Rui’s bike), had no problems. The heavier bikes like mine, Lilio and Lito’s (Honda Varadero) struggled a bit. My bike would just sink right into the sand. But it’s a powerful bike, even if she is just a 650. We managed to all pull our way through and finally stop for the night right on the beach just a few meters from the ocean.

Filthy and exhausted we started pitching our tents. Only three of us had tents so I gave my tent to two of the guys and took one of the one-man tents. The police prepared us some dinner (Pasta) and we washed ourselves out of two buckets. We then made ourselves comfortable on a bunch of mattresses that the beach patrol police had provided us with. Lying under the stars, looking up at the full moon. We had a bottle of Amarula…and I had something to celebrate!!! I had officially made it further than ever before!!! Woooohhooo. The mosquitoes were absolutely killing us, despite spraying and rubbing ourselves with anti-mosquito products. But we didn’t care much. We had food in our tummies and a safe place to sleep right under the open sky. Life’s good!

Next morning we were up at 06:00 am to make our way to Soyo. We stopped off at Mangue Grande for lunch. We had initially aimed to reach this town the previous day but the night had caught up with us, which is why we stopped in Mosaka. We still had police escort all the way from N’zeto and would have until Soyo. The Chief of police and local administrator welcomed us to the town. They took us to a place where we could have lunch, next to the beach. Rows and rows of fish lay on the tables at this mini food market. Cold drinks and s, water…whatever you need, they have. I ate some fish with Cassava (Local food, I don’t quite know how to describe it. I think it is the root of a plant. When cooked it has this very dense consistency and it’s chewy. Doesn’t really taste like anything). One can find Cassava from Northern Angola all the way up the West African Coast.

We were all still pretty exhausted and spent about an hour and a half having lunch, relaxing a bit and having a few s of course. Sitting amongst the guys, listening to them chatting away in their flamboyant way in Portuguese I realized something! I was starting to understand most of what they were saying! When my phone rang I even only spoke in Portuguese! The guys looked at me when I put the phone down and said: “Jo! You’re speaking Portuguese!!!”. Wahahahaha! Then they switched to slang! Hahaha.

The last 30 odd kilometers to Soyo consisted of a very sandy road. Thick sand and no avoiding it. Though I figured that I made my way through hectic beach sand the night before and just this morning so this should be a piece of cake. And indeed, although it was pretty hard work with the load I’m carrying, I didn’t have any problems! Up until then the road had been pretty flat, no huge ups or downs. Now it changed with lots of bends and ups and downs.

As we arrived in Soyo our Police escort that had been hanging around in the back (as to avoid them kicking up dust in our faces), moved to the front. For the last time in Angola the Police switched on their sirens and took in their place in front of me, chasing the cars off the road and bringing the entire town’s traffic to a stand still. They took us to the Kwanda Base which is based at the commercial port. Here they stopped in front of a pretty grand looking hotel. The Governor had arranged for us to stay here. As we stopped a car with the Governor’s member of staff pulled up and informed us that we had half and hour to unpack and have a shower before meeting the Governor for lunch. The boys were taken to their rooms on the one side of the hotel and I was directed to the other side of the hotel. I had my own suite for the night!!! Another friend surprised me and stopped next to us. A friend from South Africa – Paul Buys who works in Soyo. He had brought us some energy drinks (much needed) and a chocolate from home for me! Sweet!

We met the Governor for lunch yet again, together with the administrator of Soyo. The Governor informed me that he had also spoken to the Governor of Cabinda to inform him of my arrival and I would be received by his people there. Two members of staff would accompany me on my boat ride to Cabinda and a Police boat would follow us all the way! They really did go all out this time to make sure nothing happened to me! After lunch we greeted the Governor for the last time and he told me that: “If you have any problems, anywhere…you just phone me”. And I’m sure that if push comes to shove and I think the situations calls for it, I will.

After lunch we took a ride on our bikes and met up with Basilio, a friend of the guys and also a club member. We then went to his house where we just relaxed for the rest of the day and drank some more s and Amarula before heading back to the hotel. Paul met up with us at the hotel and we had all had a nightcap before turning in for the night.

Next morning I had to face the very sad reality of having to say goodbye to my friends. When I got to my bike Paul had left me a card with a beautiful message in it and another energy drink. This was it…I would now leave my Angola behind for new countries to be explored.

The Master of the Port met me at the hotel and said he’d accompany me and see to it that the bike makes it onto the boat safe and sound. It took some doing to put Dax on the boat. But there were loads of strong and fit men to handle this task for me. I just looked on, nervously and took photos. We then boarded the boat and were on our way to Cabinda!! A 4 hour ride by boat. (They said it would be a 3 hour ride but it was more like 4 hours). Once we were out at sea and I couldn’t see land anymore, I made myself comfortable (or as comfortable as I possibly could) on a couch and slept for most of the journey.

__________________
Life's a journey, enjoy the ride! www.jorust.com

This is a very inspiring read! Great photos as well! And a real gutsy performance!

Pretty pictures- thank you- but I cannot agree with your T shirt " I conquered Africa" - yeah right - really? more like Africa let you go chikita!

Was that my friend Wouter Brand (Mr T4a ) I spotted in the George photo?

Margaret

A
May
Zing!

Marco & Ursala

Jo,
Wish I could have followed your thread while you were riding. I never had an interest in riding Africa. But recently decided to see what was there. Yours was the first I looked at. It got me interested. The political environment and diseases worry me a little. You didn't seem to have any problems though. Your being robbed was certainly an adventure. Could have been an ugly mess. One of your guardian angels delivered you from evil, I think. There seems to be a lot more bikers in Africa than I imagined.

Thanks for posting. I know how much time it takes to do a ride report. But it encourages other to get out and see the world.