Dale & Chris - African Odyssey 2018

We were both exhausted when the time came to board the plane in Dubai.  Neither could barely talk.  The best that could be managed were grunts and heavy sighs.  Boarding and take-off were delayed and the nano-second the Captain said “have a good flight”, we were both in the land of nod…  

By Dale Bartlett

Why a Moto Guzzi?  Especially, a Quota?  Good question(s) ... Firstly, it was the most bike (by kilo) that I could buy for the least dollars.  Secondly, it is agricultural in its technology; little has changed in 50 years.  And lastly, an esteemed motorcycle engineer friend supposed it to be possibly the worst bike to choose for a trans-African trip … ticks all the boxes.

Given that Guzzis are as reliable as a rock, all that remained was to custom build the travel items that are not available off-the-shelf … essentially everything.

We are fast coming to the end of an amazing eight years of living and working in Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and at the moment we seem to have an overwhelming number of things to finalise before leaving Dubai. 

Preparing to get to the start line of our Cape to Cairo odyssey, Chris' spreadsheet is smokin' and Dale's bike modifications are coming to an end.  A friend recently asked why it has taken eight years to complete the bike modifications.  Dale simply replied “I was working”…

A strong recommendation prompted us to visit Carla’s Restaurant in Muizenberg to try her famous Mozambique Prawns.  Carla welcomed us with “we only serve prawns and we only take cash”.  We replied with a smile, that we knew “the rules”.  When asked to see the wine list, Carla replied “we have a house white and a house red”.  We ordered a white for him and a red for her, then later prawns and salad.  The first Europeans to settle in Mozambique in the 15th century were the Portuguese.

“Great wine requires a mad man to grow the vine, a wise man to watch over it, a lucid poet to make it, and a lover to drink it”  Salvador Dali.

We took the opportunity during a three day patch of cool, sunny and bright winter weather, to ride through South Africa’s famous Boland wine and fruit growing region.  This was to prove a good shakedown in readiness for our imminent departure from Cape Town.  Learning how to use a new GPS device, a Garmin Zumo, proved a little tricky.  I had mapped out a route, but Settings kept getting in the way of a joyful experience!  

The term Karoo refers to a semi-desert natural region of South Africa, defined by its low rainfall, arid air, cloudless skies, and extremes of heat and cold.  The Little Karoo (in Afrikaans, the Klein Karoo) and the Great Karoo are distinctively divided by the Langberg and Swartberg Mountain Ranges.

Aussies will recognise these words from a well-known Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody song; a song that describes the strength of an Aboriginal civil rights movement in our country’s history.  I’ve had these words bouncing around in my head for some time, as I keep feeling we are celebrating big things at the moment that all started as little things…

We knew it was time to leave Cape Town when hail fell during an early morning walk.  That was enough winter for us; time to go!  Plus our 90 day visas were nearly up. Rain and storms stopped us from leaving when planned, so when a window of clear sky presented, we mounted the Guzzi and rode off towards snow-capped mountains on our way to the Whale Coast.  

There’s this little town on the north coast of Western Australia, called Broome.  Broome is the pearling capital of Australia and is in a region known as the Kimberley.  Broome’s history is a collection of colourful and often violent tales, and one can only imagine what it may have been like during the fevered and heady days of wealth, pearling masters and indigenous slaving; all in the search for those creamy white jewels.

The weather was freezing and the Kalahari Desert sands were being blow at 26kph, gusting at 40kph, as we managed our first African border crossing from South African into Namibia.  Not ideal conditions but we were comforted, after going through the process of buying Road Tax,, getting an Immigration stamp and then getting the Guzzi stamped and passed through Customs, that without too much of a todo, we were now in Namibia!

Having lived in Oman, Qatar and the UAE in the Middle East, we can attest that Omanis are the friendliest people of all the Gulf nations.  We have been told Namibians have the reputation of being the friendliest people in Africa. Besides the Captonians, of course.  Turns out the Namibians are the Omanis of Africa!

The road into Camp Ndurukoro Chalets & Camping was gravel.  We had our hearts set on wasting time watching makoro (dug out local canoes) propelled along the river, sleeping in a tented chalet and firing up the barbie.  Leon the owner had promised us the Guzzi would manage the 9kms of gravel…

“With an unusual water ecosystem that gives life to rich and rare wildlife, birds and culture, the Four Rivers Route is named after the river systems that flow through the Zambezi and Kavango regions, namely the Zambezi, Okavango, Kwando and Chobe Rivers. The ecosystem created by the rivers is one of southern Africa’s best-kept secrets and is home to over 430 bird species, free-roaming wildlife and numerous culturally rich villages.  This route stretches along the Zambezi Region, formerly the Caprivi Strip, through to the Victoria Waterfalls.”

“Pangolins, also sometimes called scaly anteaters, are strange looking creatures covered with protective horny, overlapping scales. It is estimated that the Southern African Pangolin has been around for over 40 million years, adapting itself to the changing environment in order to survive. These mechanisms are, however, not adequate protection against man and pangolins now are reported to be the most trafficked animal in the world. Their scales and body parts are revered in Eastern Medicine and their meat regarded as a delicacy.”

Photos by Chris...with a big girl's camera

Photos by Dale...with a big boy's camera

We didn’t come across giraffes in any potholes, but the 13kms to the Zimbabwe border was severely in need of the road crews we passed earlier, to get a move-along.  Getting out of Botswana was so swift and orderly, that we kept wondering when we were going to hit the chaotic, corrupt African border crossings that we had heard about.

My sister, two brothers and I lost our dad 11 months ago.  He was a great man.  He was my friend, my inspiration, my motivation, my mentor, and my hero.  Amongst many things, he was passionate about radio communications and travel.  It saddens me that he is not here to share our African Odyssey with us.

Our exit from Zimbabwe felt quite grand.  We rode across the Victoria Falls Bridge trailing the “Pride of Africa”, an original 1930’s steam train, with Cecil Rhode’s words in our heads “build the Bridge across the Zambezi where the trains, as they pass, will catch the spray of the Falls”.  

Marula Lodge suited us perfectly.  Our tented chalet was very comfortable, the open air communal dining and lounge areas overlooked the river, and the deck chairs strategically placed along the river edge made easy work of enjoying a chosen beverage whilst watching elephants, crocs and hippos go about their business.  An innovative spiral ablution structure made of bamboo stems provided four private, open roofed and very well appointed bathrooms.  The weather was very pleasant, the swimming pool was refreshing and the staff were friendly and helpful.

Malawi – “the Warm Heart of Africa”

Zambia was previously known as Northern Rhodesia, Zimbabwe was Southern Rhodesia, and Malawi was called Nyasaland.  In 1964, Nyasaland became the independent country of Malawi.  Landlocked Malawi is roughly 900kms long and between 80-150kms wide.  Slicing through the country, in a trough formed by the Great Rift Valley, is the magnificent Lake Malawi.

As soon as we crossed the border from Malawi into Tanzania, so many things were noticeably different.  Bicycles were replaced with Chinese 150cc single cylinder 4 stroke motorcycles (similar to small Honda’s from the 70’s).  Tuk tuks, or I should say Bajajs, were everywhere and the atmosphere had a familiar Arabic and Muslim feel.  Instantly the scenery was that of green hills rolling into the future, lively markets overflowing with produce, jacaranda-lined roads, and wildlife.

Dale’s birthday was in September; mine was in November.  Even though the hotel staff in Lilongwe, Malawi, where I had left Dale whilst I briefly travelled to Australia, made a huge fuss with a cake and staff gathering for his birthday, we missed celebrating together.

We had spent time on Zanzibar back in 2010, and knew it would be the best place to celebrate both our birthdays lazing on white sandy beaches with pina coladas in hand.

Mangos, mangos everywhere!  From Tanga on the coast, to Moshi inland, mango trees were huge and absolutely laden with fruit almost ready to drop.  Roadside stalls contain pineapple, oranges, papaya (pawpaw), avocados and mangos.  Coconut palms are everywhere and we felt like we were almost back in tropical north Queensland.

As things sometimes go, we met the manager of a bank in Karatu, who gave us the phone number of a supermarket owner in Mto wa Mbu, who then put us onto a fellow in Mto wa Mbu, who found us a gorgeous little place to stay in a street behind the main street.  We decided to stay in this unpronounceable town for a couple of days.  

Located in north-eastern Tanzania and directly below Mount Meru, Mama Lydia’s Themi Valley Eco and Cultural Tourism Home Stay in Arusha, provided us with a very pleasant and peaceful environment from which to explore and simply relax.  We settled into a routine of enjoying breakfast with other guests, writing, sorting photos, finding little gems of places to have lunch, then as the sun set, walked 100m to an open air restaurant for G&T’s, a large bottle of cold water, and soup of the day – all for $10.

We wanted to explore some Rift Valley Lakes and chose Lake Nakuru, 150kms north-west of Nairobi, and Lake Naivasha.  Lake Nakuru National Park has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In past years, it has been famed for the Flamingos, both Lesser and Greater, that used to flock to its shores in the millions to feed on the cyanobacteria that live in its alkaline waters.  The park is also a conservation area for endangered black and white rhinos, and is a sanctuary for the endangered Rothschild Giraffe.

Having lived in the Middle East for eight years and travelled to many nearby places, we thought we could handle most traffic conditions.  We have now struck the WORST and most dangerous driving ever.  Everyone warned us that the road to Mombasa was extremely dangerous, and many said they would never attempt it on a bike.  We thought, oh sure, we’ll just be careful, will ride defensively, will take our time, and Dale vast riding experience.

We have been in Africa for eight months, have visited eight countries and have ridden over 12,000 kms.  We have been through cold weather, hot and humid weather, the season of light rains, and have seen snow on distant mountains.  We have seen so many animals that to list, would fill this page.  Dale has decided the warthog is his favourite animal, mine remains the zebra.  We fear for the rare and endangered species we have been so fortunate to see, and being surrounded by African wildlife has been an absolute highlight of our travels.  

To set the scene, we are relaxing in our room at the Shela Pwani Guest House, a lovely Swahili building directly overlooking Peponi Hotel, the most expensive accommodation on the island of Lamu.  Our accommodation used to house royalty some 100 years ago and is decked out with carved plasterwork and bathrooms modelled to look like prayer walls in mosques.  Our room is on the first floor directly below the airy roof terrace, the temperature is 33 degrees and the breeze is blowing directly over our double bed that is positioned to look out across the 1km stretch of water to Manda Island.

By Dale Bartlett

Chris has been asking for a blog entry from me to especially address the motorcycle. I have tried to explain that there are very few Moto Guzzi Quota aficionados left, if indeed there were any to start with. There’s me, and I heard there was one other guy who runs a bed and breakfast near Cape Town. And, oh yes, Zupi from Slovenia. That about pulls it up, so for the rest of you, I’d suggest putting on some pyjamas, ingesting some mind-numbing substances, and I’ll see you on the other side of sleepy-town.

As Overlanders travelling on the Guzzi, we found the transition from one African country to another reasonably subtle.  Probably the most significant differences had been crossing from Zambia into Malawi where the cost of a visa went from either $25 or $50 to $75; a result of entering a very poor country.  From Malawi into Tanzania, the bicycle as the main mode of transport, was replaced with small motorbikes.  Then from Tanzania into Kenya, small motorbikes were replaced with cars; a sign of entering a more affluent society.

Ancient Egypt was one of the oldest and longest lasting world civilizations, spanning over three thousand years. Historians generally use two ways to outline the history of Ancient Egypt.  The first is by using the different Dynasties that ruled Egypt.  A dynasty was a family that had power and passed the leadership of Pharaoh down from one family member to another.  There were 30 dynasties over the course of 3000 years.  The second is by analysing Kingdoms and Periods.  There were three primary kingdoms, the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms.  

Before sunrise on the 1st, we layered ourselves with just about every piece of clothing we possessed then watched the sun slowly creep to expose remnants of life over 4000 years ago.  The air was a little hazy which served to turn sunrise colours from dusty pastel purple to pink, then pale apricot.  We were at the Great Pyramids of Giza!  Some days you just have to pinch yourself…

We’ve all heard about Egypt, Tutankhamun, Pharaohs, the Great Pyramids, hieroglyphs, the Nile, scribes, Luxor and Aswan, but it’s not until you visit, that you begin to connect some dots. 

The most mind blowing thing for both of us was to stand in front of walls of meticulously carved hieroglyphs, and to come to understand that walls, buildings, monuments, and even the Great Pyramids in Giza were all covered in colour.  It’s hard to imagine the rich, colourful and vibrant place Ancient Egypt once was.

Back in Cairo, we decided to seek out some Grand Hotels of Egypt’s past. 

We caught up with a lovely friend of friends of ours who graciously took us on a walking tour of the old Islamic Streets of Cairo, before stopping at his favourite pancake place in the Khan el Khalili market for dinner.  He grew up in this old area, but now lives in a newer location outside central Cairo, so loves nothing more than strolling through his past in these streets that retain a mix of the old and of course, all the trappings of the new.  

We are currently living in Ipswich, just outside of Brisbane, and making regular trips to our farm.  It’s lovely to spend time with family in the area, and making progress with our plans to develop the property as quickly as we can.

First job on arriving back in OZ was to uncover our “other” freedom machine – aka The Troopy.  Air in the tyres, a new battery, and a scrub and she was up and running.