South Africa Journal

top left: typical day’s work - Travis moving a stalled delivery truck; bottom
left: Mantenga Lodge scenery; right: this woman was excited to sell us a
vintage African mask; opposite: leaving Mantenga and traversing more of
Swazi’s rugged green countryside



top left: free-range cows at the hardware store; bottom left:
Travis taking it all in; right: cow roadblock; opposite: the start to
one more remote off-road before dark



above left: back in South Africa, home of live chickens...
above right: and dead chickens - SA’s popular peri-peri
chicken livers; opposite: trees along an off-road path



DAY 12

Malelane to Kruger National Park

12.28.17

We woke up excited today, knowing we would be in Kruger National Park by mid-afternoon. The park is a global
destination for safaris and those hoping to view the ‘The Big 5’: cape buffalo, elephants, rhinos, lions, and
leopards. When planning our trip, we found out very late in the game that motorcycles aren’t allowed in Kruger
(because the large cats will chase them down like antelope...). Luckily, we managed to find one open night with
“Africa on Foot”, a private safari camp within Kruger that provides accommodation, meals, an afternoon game
drive and a morning walk in the bush.
Melalane and the whole of Kruger lies in an arid basin, or “dry veld” which can make for very hot temps. Our early
drive quickly heated up, and we found ourselves anxious to reach the Bush Pub outside of the Timbavati Gate for
our safari pick-up. As soon as we landed I had my gear off within minutes, and we both found cold beers under a
patio to escape the heat.
By 12:30, an open-top Land Cruiser from Africa on Foot drove up to the pub. We were the only passengers for
the day, so our guide drove us through the gates on our own. By the time we reached camp, we had already seen
giraffe, springbok, kudu, an isolated cape buffalo, and of course, baboons. The accommodations were very nice
– open rooms with thatched roofs included a full dining table for 14 guests, an open bar, and lounge area. Our
room was a traditional rondavel with an outdoor shower. A very hot afternoon ensued, and we cooled off with gin
& tonics by a small pool (where elephants often visit for a drink). At 4 pm, a group of 12 of us went out for a late
afternoon safari. Our guide, Chad, drove half of us into the bush. He was extremely knowledgeable on the habits
of all species, both animals and plants, and knew the surrounding bush well. We quickly realized a drive through
Kruger on your own wouldn’t amount to much without guides. These experts have access to remote areas of the
park, along with radio connection to African trackers who communicate tracks and animal sightings in the area.
We ventured upon a group of elephants early into our drive. Their proximity to our jeep was incredible. We watched
them pull up roots from bushes with their trunks like we would pick up a coffee mug and learned that their stomach
grumblings are the sounds used for the T-Rex in Jurassic Park. After seeing warthogs, eagles, and antelope, we
finally approached two white rhino just before sunset. We were both thrilled to be able to see these in our short
time with the camp. Their ancient appearance was incredible to see in person. After this sighting, we enjoyed
drinks and snacks at sunset in the bush, then returned to camp for a late group dinner. It was a quirky bunch,
with language barriers included. We were the only Americans, alongside Brits, Germans, and Dutch tourists. We
enjoyed talking to the guides though and hearing their stories. The heat tonight still felt intense, but a strong (and
very loud) wind was blowing throughout the night to cool things off. Both circumstances made for a long night of
little sleep.

Day 12 Johannesburg Swaziland

Malelane, SA to Kruger National Park
12.28.17 - 137 miles
Africa on Foot

Kruger
National

Park

Malelane Lesotho

Cape Town

top left: our fancy rondavel at Africa on Foot; top right:
view from the toilet into the outdoor shower; bottom left:
warning: warthog; above: our entry into Kruger via Africa
on Foot - we had the jeep to ourselves with a personal
driver; opposite: guest pool & elephant drinking fountain



above left: a springbok’s regal antlers; above right: the smallest
species of antelope - hard to tell here, but this little guy is no bigger
than a large rabbit; opposite: large, medium, and cutest thing ever



above left: roaming wildebeest; above right:
warthog, a member of ‘The Ugly 5’; opposite:
this one galloped right in front of our jeep just as
we turned a corner in the road



top: white rhino spotting - a rarity and incredible to see them
in the wild; above: a sunset stop in the bush with G&T’s and
snacks; opposite: rhino pondering whether to eat or keep
moving



DAY 13

Kruger National Park to Dullstroom

12.29.17

After a sticky night inside a mosquito net cloaking our bed, we woke up at 4:30am for a morning walk. The sun
crested over the horizon as we left around 5:00 with our guide. In a single-file line, he walked ahead of us with a
loaded rifle and five large caliber bullets exposed on his belt. The feeling of being at ground level, fully exposed to
the bush, was disconcerting, and a highlighted feature of the camp we chose. Our guide Chad heard a small noise,
then excitedly called back because he realized African Wild Dogs were within earshot. Within seconds, a pack of
them were running by us, 50 feet away. An exhilarating rush, Chad was thrilled and explained how rare a sighting
this is. The wild dogs are endangered (roughly 5,000 remain with an estimated 250 in Kruger) and very difficult to
spot because they are such fast and vicious predators. Coined the best hunters alive, the dogs dismember their
living prey...Luckily for us, they just ran by, chasing an antelope. Clearly the highlight of the walk, the rest of our
time revolved around plants and other smaller species within the park.
After breakfast with the camp, we were driven back to the pub where Gisa waited for us to return. Thankfully,
today was much cooler, so the effort to wear our riding gear wasn’t as grueling. At the recommendation of our
guide Chad, we headed for the town of Dullstroom today, a quiet holiday town a few hours west of Kruger. The
roads leading to Dullstroom included a couple passes which climbed back up to higher elevations. We road up and
around Blyde Canyon, tomorrow’s final destination. The scenery was all together different from what we’ve seen
so far on our trip. Large gorges, canyons, and rockier mountains provided for more winding roads and sweeping
views.
We ended the day on another gravel road through the Verloren Valei Nature Reserve. This area looked like
something you’d see in pastoral England – rolling green hills and farmland. It ended just north of Dullstroom
where tall pine trees and trout ponds suddenly became the main feature. We found one room left at the Critchley
Hackle Lodge where fancy accommodations in individual stone cabins are arranged around a trout pond. Travis
mapped ‘Wild about Whisky’ down the road from here – a tasting bar that claims to have the largest whisky
selection in the world. We walked to the bar from our lodge and were pleasantly surprised by the local owner and
tastings he provided for us. A massive thunderstorm rolled through as we enjoyed our tastings on an outdoor
patio. The horizontal lightning strikes and ensuing noise was so loud that it jarred us into laughter. Before we left,
the owner was closing the shop with two friends waiting on him at the bar. We chatted with them, and discovered
one guy was an avid adventure rider who now works at NASA in Huntsville, Alabama. He provided moto route
recommendations for the next day, and then pointed us to a nearby dinner where we enjoyed a whole trout and
steak.

Day 13

Kruger National Park to Dullstroom
12.29.17 - 148 miles
Africa
on Foot

Johannesburg Swaziland

Dullstroom Lesotho

Cape Town

above: our guide Chad & his rifle; opposite:
after a night of loud winds and hot temps, a
4:30am wake-up call came quickly



above: a pastoral road less-traveled to
Dullstroom (R577); opposite: up and away
from Kruger, we find more winding passes (Abel
Erasmus Pass R36)



left: a gravel road through Verloren Valei Nature Reserve
led us to Dullstroom; above: Wild about Whisky - whisky
and gin tastings during a lightning storm; opposite: our
Dullstroom digs at Critchley Hackle



DAY 14

Dullstroom to Blyde River Canyon

12.30.17

The Critchley Hackle restaurant provided a hearty omelet breakfast overlooking the trout pond. We returned east
this morning with a final destination of Blyde Canyon. More pass roads, including the memorable Long Tom Pass,
took us back through the mountains. Long Tom begins at quite a high altitude, then drops rapidly down as it winds
its way around steep mountains. We rode through Sabie and Graskop, two mountain towns south of Blyde Canyon
with many shop and restaurant options for South African tourists. This area also clearly caters to a significant
amount of motorcycle riders, complete with biker bars surrounded by bikes; the first we’ve seen of it on our trip.
Clearly the number of passes and variation in roads leading up to and through Blyde Canyon attract the two-wheel
types.
From here, we rode the infamous Panorama Route up to Blyde and stopped at two lookout points, the Pinnacle
and God’s Window. Each stop was on the east side of the road that basically runs the distance of the top of the
canyon and reveals sweeping views of the dryveld below. At God’s Window, we hiked up to the highest viewpoint
along with many other tourists through a thick jungle-like forest. Within this canopy, we reached the final vista
where clouds formed and moved quickly. These opened up after a few minutes to reveal a vast, hazy landscape
far below where we stood. The canyon drops off quickly into farmland and all of Kruger to the east.
The parking lot at God’s Window was filled with locals selling their crafts. We saw another African mask we both
really liked. After vascilating and negotiating on the price, we found ourselves strapping this much larger mask
to the top of our saddle bags on the bike. With only two more days of riding before reaching Johannesburg, we
figured we could find a way to make it work, even if it looked ridiculous.
With a shorter ride today, we reached our reserved campsite at Blyde Canyon by mid-afternoon. It was great to
have extra time to enjoy the views of the canyon and the exceptional camping accommodations here. We spent
a while at the highest viewpoint over the canyon within the campground. One of the largest canyons in the world,
Blyde is 16 miles in length and averages 2,500’ in depth, and is especially unique as being a ‘green canyon’
due to its lush subtropical foliage. After enjoying an incredible sunset from the lookout, we took advantage of a
dinner buffet at the campground’s restaurant. Using Wi-Fi at the restaurant, we also realized heavy rain was likely
overnight. Thankfully with this warning, we packed everything into the boxes on the bike or into our tent for the
evening and hunkered down for the night just as heavy drops began to fall.

Day 14

Dullstroom to Blyde River Canyon
12.30.17 - 135 miles

Blyde River Canyon

Johannesburg Swaziland

Long Tom Pass Lesotho
Dullstroom

Cape Town

top and bottom left: up to Blyde Canyon - the first lookout
at Pinnacle Rock; above: the Panorama Route was high on
our SA must-do list; opposite: so many shades of green and
blue on the winding Long Tom Pass



top left: a hike through a jungle-like canopy led us to the lookout point at
God’s Window; bottom left: our second African mask purchase; above:
Gisa showing off her abilities to carry all of our gear, and an African mask;
opposite: clouds quickly rolled in and out at God’s Window to reveal these
vast views







above top and middle: our campsite at Blyde Canyon
contained hikes to various lookouts; above bottom and
opposite: sunset reveals unbelievable canyon colors



DAY 15

Blyde River Canyon to Hazyview

12.31.17

Waking up with wet camping gear, we hung everything up to dry and went on a short hike for final vistas of Blyde. While most of
our stuff wasn’t feeling especially dry at this point in the trip, we packed up at least reassuring ourselves that it was our last day
of camping, and the African moisture would quickly evaporate back in LA. We left Blyde and headed south on the Panorama
Route, then turned onto a gravel road that paralleled this route down to Pilgrim’s Rest. Big clouds and clear skies made this
ride especially scenic as we road through empty farmlands between large mountains. We crossed over creeks and free-ranging
cattle in the middle of nowhere. At one point a man passing in his truck warned us of a bull up ahead that was chasing his car.
Thankfully, when we approached, the bull looked menacing but was hiding in the trees as we passed.
Pilgrim’s Rest is a small, historic mining town. Idyllic and more of a museum to a time past, we rode through and continued
east on the 533 to Graskop. Another pass, this road is especially narrow with tight turns. We passed several racing bikes
enjoying their rides, and arrived in Graskop ready for a rest stop. We found a biker bar, Biker’s Rest, and quickly met Shannon,
the owner, who was outside the entry chain-smoking. A gruff older man, he was resting what remained of one of his legs on a
crutch, and introduced himself and asked us where we were from.
Shannon shared stories about the area and provided route recommendations for the remainder of our day. He asked Travis if
he was part of a ‘club’ in California. Not initially realizing what he was asking, Travis found out that ‘clubs’ in South Africa are
the US equivalent of biker gangs. Shannon wore his club leather vest proudly and quickly made sure he had it on whenever a
new face entered the bar. After a midday beer and taking in all the historic two-wheel memorabilia on the bar walls, we rode
east and down the mountain from Graskop on the 535. Through another pass and into a tunnel alongside a mountain, this
road was hairy due to lack of maintenance and a scattering of potholes (which we were warned about at the bar). We then
went back up to Sabie on a dirt logging road, and found lunch at the Woodsman. Popular with bikers, it was a great lunch spot
for people-watching, and I found one of the best slices of pecan pie I’ve ever had.
The temps rose today, so we decided to call it quits in the mountains and head down to Hazyview to check in at the Umbhaba
Lodge for New Year’s Eve. With arrangements in the Honeymoon Suite (our most expensive booking at $130 for the night), we
stayed in an incredible room with multiple levels all under a massive thatched roof. Back down in the dryveld, Hazyview was
hot. Thankfully, Umbhaba had a very nice pool that we enjoyed just after check-in. Travis found an online post about a nearby
lodge claiming to host the best NYE party in Hazyview. Just as the heat and humidity brought in a threatening sky, we decided
to venture out to check out the potential NYE venue wearing only t-shirts and sneakers (who needs rain gear for such a short
ride?). The skies let loose during our ride, and we found ourselves at a disappointingly empty lodge run by a British ex-pat. We
think he had very high hopes with his online posting. So after one drink, we left and sought out groceries for an evening back
at our lodge. Without any riding gear on, we were soaked to the core within a couple minutes and could barely see through
our visors. In town, locals in white taxi vans were laughing hysterically at us as a near monsoon ensued. We found one grocery
store still open on NYE and walked in soaking wet to buy food and drinks for the night. After selecting cheeses and local gin,
with our clothes dripping on the grocery store floor, we finally arrived back to our room and enjoyed a homemade charcuterie
board and G&T’s while watching Johannesburg ring in the new year on TV.

Day 15 Johannesburg Swaziland

Blyde River Canyon to Hazyview Lesotho
12.31.17 - 118 miles
Blyde River Canyon

Kowyns Pass
Hazyview

Cape Town

top left: a rainy night in Blyde Canyon left us with damp items
to pack - good thing it was our last night of camping; bottom
left: Travis’s favorite road sign (paved to gravel road); right and
opposite: a road less-traveled from Blyde Canyon to Pilgrim’s Rest



top left: Shannon, the animated bar owner
with one leg; bottom left: Lorene finds pecan
pie; right: so many passes today through the
Blyde Canyon region; opposite: Riders Rest - a
special moto pit stop in Graskop



above left: frogs came ready to party in our room on New
Year’s Eve; above middle: fancy South African gin; above
right: Joburg at midnight (on TV); opposite: the thatched
roof of our room at the Umbhaba Lodge



DAY 16

Hazyview to Johannesburg

01.01.18

We woke up realizing Los Angeles had yet to reach midnight and texts were coming in from East Coast friends and
family. After lounging in our suite, we deliberated over a full English breakfast at the lodge as to whether or not we
should head to Johannesburg today or enjoy a full day at the pool in the hot sun. We decided to let both options
win and requested a late checkout so we could be poolside until noon. Turns out the African sun is intense in the
dryveld (even for Travis), and our pool time was plenty to leave us pretty red within an hour or so.
We departed on a very hot ride to Joburg (highs hitting 100 degrees) with a long stretch ahead of us. Thankfully
after a couple hours, the heat subsided, but today’s ride was one of the less scenic of our trip. After leaving the
mountains, very flat farmland continued on for a few hours until we reached Johannesurg. Our only stop for a
late lunch was at a busy highway rest area to fuel up and eat at Nando’s (ordering more appropriately this time).
Weirdly, the rest stop hovered above farmland and a fenced area below housed ostrich, zebra, and rhinos. There
were no clear reasons for their presence, so the whole experience was a bit odd.
We were excited to see the skyline of Johannesburg by late afternoon. The arrival into the city came with anticipation
as many South Africans we met along our trip warned us of Joburg’s danger. The city also seemed to be viewed
as a waste of time, with ‘nothing to see there’. People even told us we should change our flights and avoid it all
together. Of course, this piqued our interest even more but also fueled some uneasiness since we planned three
days here before returning to LA.
Riding into the neighborhood of Maboneng, we realized the city is a massive and sprawling mix of people, culture,
class, and race. While the center of downtown is still very rundown, other districts seem to be rejuvenating and
pushing for change (including post-Apartheid re-integration). Maboneng is one such neighborhood, and where our
AirBnB was booked for the following night. I had contacted our host to see if we could stay tonight as well, and he
confirmed over loud background noise on a phone call that it was available. After waiting 30 minutes on an empty
street feeling very alien, we finally met up with him only to find out he misunderstood us and didn’t have a room.
Some confusion ensued but thankfully he had another available unit where we could stay in the same building.
We finally found our spot for the night and unpacked Gisa, as this was her last day of riding. We spent the evening
eating and drinking in Maboneng, which was surprisingly awake and eventful on New Year’s Day night. We ended
our night at a club called Shaker’s where a DJ was spinning 90’s US hip hop.

Day 16

Hazyview to Johannesburg
1.1.18 - 269 miles Hazyview

Johannesburg Swaziland

Johannesburg

Lesotho

Cape Town

above left: the Umbhaba Lodge restaurant patio and our
New Year’s Day english breakfast; above middle: a hot ride
to Joburg; above right: rest stop ostrich farm; opposite:
the only shot of us on the bike together, just before entering
Johannesburg



top left: neighborhood bar made of shipping containers; top
right: Maboneng, our neighborhood for the last 3 days of our trip;
above: our Rocket Factory Building loft (on the market for $40K!);
opposite: typical street in Maboneng - old warehouses converted
into live/work lofts; our AirBnB, in the building on the right



DAY 17

Johannesburg - Apartheid Museum

01.02.18

Our AirBnB host, Senzo, is a very well-connected local in Maboneng. In addition to hosting 18 units on AirBnB, he
also manages a neighborhood bar and seems to know everyone. He gave us tips on where to go and let us know
that we would “look like we’re lost” walking downtown. Clearly the danger is a present, real thing, not something
that keeps people fearfully away – just factual and requires one to be smart and always aware.
After a confusing moto ride trying to navigate overlapping freeway systems with little signage, we eventually
arrived to the Apartheid Museum for the day. An impressive museum, it told the history of Johannesburg as a gold
rush town in 1890, how tensions stemming from this time led to apartheid beginning in 1948, and documented
every decade thereafter up to the condition today. We learned so much and some moments were emotionally
ravaging. In particular, excerpts of photographs and text are displayed from Earnest Cole’s book, House of
Bondage, which was banned from distribution until apartheid ended. This 27-year-old man documented daily life
among the blacks during this time. It was by far the most moving and eye-opening portion of the repression and
graphically depicted the horrid realities of government-sanctioned racism. A film also documented the Joburg
riots and insurgencies of the 1980’s, and just how violent they were through almost two decades until apartheid
ended in 1994. Additionally, we spent over two hours in a special exhibit dedicated to the life of Nelson Mandela.
We broke the intense museum visit up with a lunch at their café - one more bobotie meal for Lorene. By mid-
afternoon we returned to Maboneng to transfer all our luggage and move into our originally booked AirBnB. Then
we rode north to Centurion to return Gisa to MotoBerlin. A suburb almost 40 minutes away, we landed in Centurion
only to find the shop closed. After waiting around until nearly dark, we left the bike and hid the key - a rather
lackluster ending after such a great experience on the bike. Travis nearly shed a tear while saying goodbye.
We found an Uber ride back to Maboneng, and realized our driver was not a Joburg local when he told us that he
was not supposed to be driving into the city. He clearly became very nervous as we drove into the center of town
and explained that city taxi drivers are known to bash windshields in if they find out you’re an Uber driver. He
cautiously dropped us off along a darker side street near our place and asked us to get out quickly. It was only in
hindsight we realized cars don’t have any Uber signage. We spent our evening out again in Maboneng and found
another nice local dinner at Pata Pata – Durban-style prawn curry and salmon teriyaki.