South Africa Journal

A Journal of Travels Through

SOUTH AFRICA

Lorene Ford and Travis Frankel
12.17.17 through 01.04.18



A Journal of Travels Through

SOUTH AFRICA

Lorene Ford and Travis Frankel
12.17.17 through 01.04.18

DEVISING OUR TRIP

Why South Africa?

TRAVIS: LORENE:
South Africa is arguably one of the best places in The desire to travel internationally spurred many
the world to ride a motorcycle. Given the diversity of potential destinations. I knew I wanted to go to a
roads from beautiful sweeping coastal tarmac to twisty continent I had yet to explore. Fast forward a few
mountain passes, South Africa had landed high on months into half-baked plans, I was pitching to a
my list of “must ride before I die.” The rich African potential client, and the head of marketing walked in
culture, stunning landscapes, amazing wildlife and late announcing she had just returned from a vacation
the country’s storied history all seemed like a bonus to to South Africa. She was clearly loving life, though very
the epic riding I knew existed there. jet-lagged. After the pitch, I approached her out of
When I mentioned the hairbrained idea of renting a curiosity and asked about her trip. She had traversed
motorcycle and treking across this foreign land to the globe, and it struck me how confidently she
Lorene and she replied “sure, I’ve wanted to see proclaimed that South Africa was the most incredible
Africa” I knew the trip was inevitable. Riding on two place she’d been for numerous reasons.
wheels across South Africa with Lorene seemed too Her comments stuck with me and only a couple days
good to be true. later Travis randomly asked me how I would feel about
We hatched a simple plan to spend three weeks around South Africa as a potential destination. The timing
the holidays riding a BMW GS1200 from Cape Town to seemed too ironic, and thus the planning began. The
Johannesburg, exploring the roads, towns, culture and more we each read (he on safaris, wild game attacks,
food along the way. and moto routes; and I on beautiful beaches, remote
camping, mapping distances, and Cape Town vs.
Joburg arguments), we were sold.

THE (MINIMAL) PLANNING:
With an oversized calendar scrawled on a large piece of paper and a map littered with push-pins hung on the wall
of our loft, we charted a course. Lorene scoured for flights and accommodations while Travis located the windiest
roads from point A to point B and the motorcycle to navigate them on. After mining the internet for the limited
information we could find beyond the requisite warnings, we felt like we knew enough to survive. The adventure
that ensued in this unfamiliar land was beyond our imaginations.

SOUTH AFRICA Johannesburg Swaziland

December 17th, 2017 to January 4th, 2018 Lesotho
19 Days

2834 miles
the equivalent of:

New York
LA

Cape Town

top left: layover in the Addis Ababa airport; bottom
left: economy ticket on Ethiopian Airlines; above:
Lorene’s reaction after the first 19 hour leg, landing in
Addis Ababa

Dublin

Los Angeles

Addis
Ababa

Cape Town

DAY 1

Cape Town

12.17.17

Our trip began via Ethiopian Airlines. With a seated stop in Dublin for gas, we landed in Addis Ababa 18.5 hours
after departing from LA. We spent a couple early morning hours at the airport’s Chinese restaurant before boarding
for Cape Town. Fun fact about flights from Ethiopia: it’s okay for flight attendants to spray precautionary pesticides
down the aisle before takeoff. We survived the fumes and landed 6.5 hours later in Cape Town.
Our taxi driver from the airport initially revealed the consistent friendliness and warmth of South Africans. The
peculiar accent found us trying to mimic certain popular words such as “braai”, likely one of the most popular
words we heard in our three weeks. The ‘braai’ is Afrikaans for grilled meat, and they’re very serious about it. It’s
not just a reason to socialize, but a way to share what’s yours and show off your barbequing abilities.
The natural setting of Cape Town leaves you searching for words to describe it’s beauty. Flanked by the Atlantic
Ocean and Table Mountain, the downtown is walkable, and rich in historical layers of colonial establishments over
time. The mountain top constantly looms above - a level plateau that stretches the length of the city, often covered
by mesmerizing, fast-moving clouds (coined the “tablecloth”). We quickly realized Cape Town also experiences
very strong winds for most of the Summer season. While it didn’t hamper our exploration, battling 30 mph winds
isn’t something we’ll forget. Regardless, we were thrilled to finally touch down, and explore our neighborhood and
the surrounding waterfront on our first evening in South Africa.
Our AirBnB downtown was situated next to an Indian food hall. After 19 hours of airline food, we decided to ‘snack’
and ordered several samosas and dosas until we were stuffed. Walking off our food, we toured the waterfront
and found a recently completed Thomas Heatherwick project - the Museum of Contemporary African Art (MOCAA).
Heatherwick converted an old grain silo into a luxury hotel and museum. The MOCAA was already closed for the
day, but we planned a return trip for tomorrow. To end the evening, we discovered gin and tonics are a popular
South African cocktail. Not your normal G&T’s, they are made from premium, local gins as most botanicals made
in the liquor come from South Africa. More experimental flavors and combinations of herbs and citrus exist here
that unfortunately can’t be found back in the states (yet).



top left: the Museum of Contemporary African Art - a
converted grain silo and luxury hotel; bottom left: fancy
G&T’s, a South African specialty; above: the atrium of
our Cape Town AirBnB - a downtown art deco apt bldg;
opposite: the Waterfront’s architectural mix



DAY 2

Cape Town

12.18.17

Our second day in Cape Town led us to MotoRad where we picked up our rented motorcycle, a BMW R1200
GS Adventure. Travis reached out to this small shop in the Fall and had everything worked out upon arrival. We
affectionately named her Gisa after a few days of getting acquainted, and within the first day of riding, Travis was
clearly enamored. Aside from adjusting to riding on the left side of the road, the bike quickly felt comfortable for
us both.
We set out from MotoRad to explore Cape Peninsula, a rocky 52-km long outpost south of the city that juts into
the Atlantic Ocean. The views on the bike were jaw-dropping. Wrapping around the tight curves of Chapmans
Peak and down into massive white sandy beaches was the first indicator this country is full of stunning roads and
landscapes. While we could have easily spent the whole day on the peninsula, we circled back up to the city after
visiting a large, natural penguin colony at Boulders Beach. African penguins roam the rocks and dip into the ocean
here without batting an eye at the surrounding tourists.
Our return to the city was scenic and eventful, which included getting lost and chased by several dogs… just some
growing pains in using the sat-nav on the bike and roaming google maps. With more large mountainsides and
pristine beaches along the way, we ended our loop on Signal Hill – a point where you can view the entire city from
above, with Table Mountain just beyond it. While we attempted to either hike or ride a cable car to the top of Table,
it wasn’t in the cards for us due to the strong winds.
Our second and final evening in Cape Town was spent exploring the city’s Bo-Kaap neighborhood. Filled with small
homes painted in bright colors, it provided for a nice sunset walk before enjoying a Cape Malay meal nearby. Given
it’s mix of cultures, the city’s food scene is known for fusions where South African food becomes a mix between
African and Eastern/Indian influences.

Days 1 and 2

Cape Town and Cape Peninsula
12.17 & 12.18.17 - 82 miles

Downtown &
The Waterfront

Chapman’s Peak Johannesburg Swaziland

Boulders Lesotho
Beach

Cape Town

above: the view on our way up Chapmans Peak Drive,
looking out onto Hout Bay and the Atlantic to the left;
opposite: Travis gets the rundown on Gisa, our BMW
GS1200 moto rental



top left: the hotel rooms above the MOCAA; bottom
left: African penguins at Boulders Beach (no zoom!);
above: MOCAA’s carved-out grain silo atrium; opposite:
the view from Chapmans Peak Drive on Cape Peninsula



above: the view from Signal Hill overlooking Cape Town
with Table Mountain and its “Tablecloth” in the background;
opposite: a view of Twelve Apostles from the bike



above left: some poser and Bo-Kaap colors;
above right: Cape Malay food - stewed lamb
and chicken curry; opposite: the colorful
Bo-Kaap neighborhood within Cape Town



DAY 3

Cape Town to Gansbaai to Cape Agulhas

12.19.17

We left Cape Town early after waking up with enough time to pack up and load the bike. Everything managed to fit
in all three boxes with just enough space – quite a relief. We drove out of the city, heading to Gansbaai for shark
cage diving at 10:30. The ride out of Cape Town was eye-opening. It was our first reality check out of the touristy
zones of Cape Town and into outlying areas of slums for those who serviced the city. The rows of shacks seemed
endless at a certain point – closely abutting the freeway with repetitive wooden electrical posts providing some
utilities to these areas. While initially jarring, it was equally stimulating as a reminder that this was one reason we
chose to ride a bike and explore parts of South Africa unseen from tourist destinations.
The drive, mostly on the N2 to save time, was a beautiful ascent through mountains just north of the coast. Two
hours were spent riding through diverse landscapes of craggy mountains, forests, wine country, rolling hills, then
down to coastal roads and beach towns. The size of the mountains along this coast are massive and leave a
strong contrast against the vast Atlantic.
Gisa proved faster than mapped drive times on her first jaunt. We arrived to Gansbaai early and our diving company
welcomed us with brunch. (I’m personally not sure why anyone would offer me, or anyone else, food before setting
out on a boat in the Atlantic Ocean.) The diving experience was thrilling. Wearing diving suits and weighted belts,
Travis and I jumped into the cage with the first group of 8 people. We saw Bronze Whalers, or Copper Sharks, right
in front of us at eye level. 3-4 of them fed in front of us while we were holding our breath below water level. At one
point, one shark came after the chum in the water so quickly that it’s head was briefly stuck in the viewing gap
between cage bars.
After showering at the diving company, we left for Gansbaai and rode on our first dirt road through farmland to
make it to Cape Agulhas by sundown. The southernmost tip of Africa is a sleepy holiday town and home to a short,
stout lighthouse. We found a campsite steps from the ocean and walked on the jutting black rocks of the shoreline
at sunset. Dinner was at a local grill that dished out incredible queen prawns – larger than my hand and melted
like lobster – and the first of many sub-par local beers for Travis.

Day 3 Johannesburg Swaziland

Cape Town to Gansbaai Lesotho
to Cape Agulhas

12.19.17 - 165 miles
Cape Town

Shark Cage
Diving
Cape Agulhas

Cape Town

top left: our boat for the shark cage diving adventure in Gansbaai;
bottom left: crewmember manning the chum bucket; above: our first
off-road route; opposite: one shark, eight people in a cage



top left: arrival to Cape L’Agulhas; middle left: “best prawns I’ve ever
had” - Lorene; 10 monster shrimp were one of the priciest meals we had
at $15; bottom left: our campsite by the southernmost point in Africa;
above and opposite: the rocky coastline and lighthouse in L’Agulhas



DAY 4

Cape Agulhas to Knysna

12.20.17

A long haul today in hot weather, we ventured to Knysna through extensive farmlands. Rolling hills sunk under
steep mountains beyond. We saw our first baboons among many today, along with ostrich, sheep, and very healthy
cattle. We made a pitstop at a farmhouse coffee shop along the way and met the owner’s pet foxes.
The start of the Garden Route begins in Mossel Bay. The N2 dips down into the city and provides amazing views
over the entire bay. We stopped in George for lunch. A bit disappointing and nothing to see here (I mistakenly
thought I had read about it in a guide book). A little further along we rode through Wilderness – much prettier
setting along the coast. The route became much more scenic at this point, and shortly thereafter we landed
in Knysna for the night. Recent fires had torn through the town, but the views and large bay were still worth a
visit. Water from the bay escapes into the Atlantic between two steep cliffs termed ‘The Heads’ that make for an
incredible setting.
We stayed at Monk’s Caravan Park and met our very kind neighbors, Sean and Shirleen. They also road two-up on
a GS and quickly offered us cold beers upon arrival. Aside from a quick jaunt up to the Heads at sunset, we spent
most of the night with them and learned so much about South Africa and their lifestyles as residents of Cape
Town. We realized what we learned from them that night became invaluable to understanding things we would
later experience along our trip.

Day 4

Cape Agulhas to Knysna
12.20.17 - 294 miles

Johannesburg Swaziland

Knysna

Cape Agulhas

Lesotho

Cape Town

above: a hot day of riding with long stretches of
grazing pastures and farmland; opposite: Lorene
sporting her full riding gear, taking the above photo



above: two baby foxes who found a home at a
farmer’s rest stop where we stopped for cold
drinks; opposite: Travis’s thoughtful photo of two
of the many rolling hills we rode through



above and opposite: we left our campsite along
the Knysna lagoon for sunset at The Heads - where
the land drops sharply on either side allowing
water from the lagoon into the ocean



DAY 5

Knysna to Prince Alfred’s Pass to Storms River Mouth

12.21.17

A foggy night by the bay left us with a very soggy campsite in the morning. We laid out our belongings to dry and
rode to the Heads again for a lovely breakfast with ocean views at East Head Restaurant. We left Knysna by mid-
morning and saw the town’s slums as we reached the gravel road that would be the start of a long day of riding
to and from Prince Alfred’s Pass. The initial ascent took us through ‘indigenous forest’ (according to sign posts)
which seemed more like jungle to us, with thick vegetation and winding roads. The forest gave way to mountain
views and logging farms. Reaching high altitudes and open roads, the sun became intense.
Prince Alfred’s Pass cuts through mountains almost as if to create its own gorge along a small river. Travis handled
Gisa well along the very narrow gravel road, with tight and blind curves. The gravel eventually led us up to Uniondale
for one more pass called Uniondale Poort before stopping for lunch. Here we had our first taste of Bobotie, a South
African curried, minced lamb that became a quick favorite. After lunch, we backtracked and made a pitstop at
Angie’s G-Spot at the base of Prince Alfred’s Pass – a biker bar in the middle of nowhere. The animal-pelt lined
interior of the little shack was a special place to enjoy a “Castle” – one of South Africa’s wateriest of light beers.
Eventually, we rode back down on a gravel road connecting back to the Garden Route near Plettenberg Bay.
The lower altitudes revealed a very foggy day, so we skipped stopping here and continued on to ride two more
passes adjacent to the N2: Gootrivier Pass to Nature’s Valley and Bloukrans Pass. Gootrivier led us on incredible
turns through lush green forests. We stumbled on a pack of baboons and met a local (who was using our parked
motorcycle as cover from the baboons) who directed us to Nature’s Valley to view it’s incredible beach. After this
stop, we rode to Bloukrans which was another surprising paved road of twisting slopes. This one was especially
vacant, and nearly overgrown - filled with rocks in some areas as if maintenance had been forgotten.
The end of our day was filled with ominous dark clouds. We made arrived to our reservation at Storms River Mouth
Rest Camp just before dark and right as the rain began. We found takeaway food in the town of Storms River and
enjoyed it in our reserved chalet at the South African national campground. We quickly realized we wanted to
spend more time here – our large wood cabin was steps away from the rocky coastline, with a private patio and
expansive views of the ocean.

Day 5

Knysna to Prince Alfred’s Pass to
Storms River Mouth
12.21.17 - 155 miles

Prince Johannesburg Swaziland
Alfred’s
Storms River Lesotho
Pass Mouth
Knysna

Cape Town

top left: Camping near water requires a good gear dry-out
before packing up; right: While our gear dried in the sun, we
found breakfast at The Heads; bottom left: Travis’s salmon
benedict; opposite: our ride out on Knysna backroads to off-
roading quickly revealed the ‘other side’ of the touristy town



above: enjoying curvy off-roads through jungle-
like forests on our way to Prince Albert’s Pass;
opposite: Travis gets excited at the site of
unclear warning signs



top left: self-timer attempt on Prince Albert’s Pass; middle and bottom
left: Angie’s G-Spot, a biker pit stop in the middle of nowhere just before
the Pass begins; above: the winding and narrow, two-way Pass cuts
through a canyon; opposite: one of many expansive moto views on our
ride through the mountains north of Knysna (R339)



top left: baboon sighting along the winding Gootrivier Pass;
bottom left: an overgrown two-lane road mostly covered by
a grassy mound; right: our cabin for the night, right on the
ocean at Storm’s River Mouth Rest Camp; opposite: jungle-
like scenery along the Gootrivier Pass



DAY 6

Storms RIver Mouth to Addo Elephant Park to Kenton-on-Sea

12.22.17

We woke up early to have a couple of hours at the campground before departing for Addo Elephant Park. Over
coffee on our patio, I mentioned how amazing it would be to spot a whale. Only minutes later, Travis not only sees
one, but spots a pod of breaching whales in the ocean. After coffee, we walked to the park’s suspension bridge
that hovers above the river mouth as it flows into the ocean. The early walk to the bridge was incredible – mostly
along wooden planks elevated above a thick forest. Baboons meandered ahead of us, and one eventually made
its way across the suspension bridge. The view to the north of the bridge revealed a beautiful narrow gorge that
receded into a thick dark jungle.
After spending more time than we could afford at the bridge, we quickly packed up and rode very fast to Addo. This
stretch was particularly poor, especially in the surrounding neighborhoods of Port Elizabeth. Motos aren’t allowed
in the park so we booked a drive with a guide at 11:30. Big clouds loomed over us for most of our ride to the
park. Thankfully, the clouds passed and a hot sun drove elephants out of the bush and into watering holes for us
to see. This was the first time we saw extensive wildlife: zebras, warthogs, springbok, kudu and many elephants.
There is certainly an incredible difference seeing them so close to you and in the wild. It was amazing to witness
the sheer size of the elephants and their interaction with one another, quietly lumbering around with little regard
for our presence.
We ate a late lunch in the park’s restaurant. Travis ordered springbok to celebrate our safari drive, which was
actually really good (like a gamey pot roast). After Addo, we rode on to Kenton-on-Sea for the night. The town
was another mostly white, rich beach town, flanked on either side by two rivers leading into the ocean. It was
a crowded place with many South Africans in town enjoying their holidays away from home. It was tough to find
accommodations in advance, and I ended up booking a campsite that was unknowingly in an elementary school
parking lot. We both weren’t feeling it, so Travis found a guest house along the river that ended up being spectacular
(not before approaching the wrong house and then getting locked inside a gated community). Perched above the
river with extensive views, the studio was built by the owner who lived in a large house further setback and above
where we stayed. After enjoying sunset here, we found dinner and drinks at a local joint, Bushman’s Bar & Grill -
one of the ‘must-do’s’ in this sleepy beach town. The locals were very entertaining, with most of them drunk and
dancing in the front bar area after enjoying their days on the beach or boating.

Day 6

Storms River Mouth
to Addo Elephant Park to Kenton-on-Sea

12.22.17 - 230 miles

Addo Johannesburg Swaziland

Kenton- Lesotho
on-Sea

Storms River
Mouth

Cape Town

top left: baboons joined us on an early hike to the
suspension bridges in Tsitsikamma National Park; bottom
left: our view over coffee (whales included) right: the mouth
trail; opposite: the trail dropped down to this incredible view
- even baboons use the bridge



top left: our safari tour vehicle in Addo; bottom left: baby
elephant spotted!; right: a hot mid-day sun brought elephants
out to their watering holes; opposite: these massive giants
had no fear of humans or vehicles