Muti Africa Trek

A Very Special Thanks to:

2008-07-21T17:34:00.002+02:00

Per elencare tutte le persone che mi hanno aiutato nel corso di questo viaggio dovrei scrivere un libro intero. Ringrazio tutte le persone locali che ho incontrato e tutti i viaggiatori che hanno incrociato la loro strada con la mia e che hanno condiviso con me il loro cibo, le loro case, i loro attrezzi, la loro esperienza, le loro avventure, ma soprattutto la loro amicizia. Spero vivamente un giorno di poter essere in grado di contraccambiare tanta generosita'. Voglio fare una piccola eccezione per ringraziare Tom Mamic e Veysel Bayam perche' senza il loro aiuto nel deserto del lago Turkana a quest'ora forse non sarei qui a raccontarlo.
Un ringraziamento speciale pero' lo meritano tutte le persone che si sono impegnate ed hanno lavorato volontariamente senza ricevere alcun tipo di compenso per realizzare il progetto umanitario "Una Scarpa per un Sogno". Innanzitutto ringrazio le aziende che con le loro donazioni lo hanno reso possibile: Ducati (Lucio Attina', Marco Rimondi e tutti i ragazzi delle filiali di Istanbul, Johannesburg e Port Elizabeth), Ies e la famiglia Vannucci, Funaro & Co, Filmmaster, Ferrino, Kutcomm, Cucine & Cucine e Studio Green Grass (Andrea Gandiglio). Ringrazio Diadora, Puma e Mondo per tutto il materiale sportivo che hanno donato. Ed infine ringrazio tutte le persone che hanno collaborato gratuitamente con l'Associazione Muti Onlus: Luca Puggina, Cristina Martinetti, Veronica Bottanelli ed Alessandro Russo.
Ma il mio ringraziamento piu' sentito va a colui che ha vissuto al mio fianco gran parte di quest'avventura: Robin Goode. Con lui ho condiviso i momenti piu' belli e mi e' sempre stato vicino nel momento del bisogno. E' stato il compagno ideale che chiunque vorrebbe avere al proprio fianco per intraprendere un'avventura cosi' impegnativa. Ma piu' di ogni altra cosa lo ringrazio perche' Robin e' un grande amico e mi ha aiutato a realizzare il piu' grande sogno della mia vita. -Thanks Bru, I will never forget!-

Well… it would take me a whole book to mention all the people who helped me during this journey. I thank all the locals I met and all the travellers who crossed their road with mine – we shared food, accommodations, tools, experiences, adventures and friendship - I do hope I will have the chance to do more for them one day. However, I must mention Tom Mamic and Veysel Bayam, because without their help in the Lake Turkana desert I wouldn’t be here to tell about it now.
Thanks to all the people who worked as volunteers (no money for them) to make the humanitarian project “Una Scarpa per un Sogno” come true. First of all thanks all the companies that made it possible with their donations: Ducati (Lucio Attinà, Marco Rimondi and all the guys at the Ducati branches in Istanbul, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth), Ies and the Vannucci family, Funaro & Co, Filmmaster, Ferrino, Kutcomm, Cucine & Cucine and Studio Green Grass (Andrea Gandiglio). Thanks to Diadora, Puma e Mondo for all the sportswear they gave us for free. And finally thanks to everybody who cooperated for free with the Associazione Muti Onlus: Luca Puggina, Cristina Martinetti, Veronica Bottanelli, Alessandro Russo and Federico Boggio.
But the most heartfelt thank you is for the guy who experienced with me most of this adventure: Robin Goode.
We shared the most beautiful moments and he was always with me when I needed him. He’s been an ideal travel-mate, a guy anybody would like to undertake an adventure with. But most of all I thank him because Robin is a great friend and helped me a lot in carrying out the greatest dream of my life. -Thanks Bru, I will never forget!-

Betty's Bay - Cape Town (32.717 km)

2008-07-21T17:24:00.003+02:00

Done!

The Peninsula

False Bay

What incredible colours!

Water front

Table Mountain View

Sunset at the Cape

Cape Town

Lions Head

L'ultima tappa fino a Cape Town e' stata un po' come la passerella finale di questo lungo viaggio. Bob (il papa' di Robin), Patrick, ed altri amici ci hanno "scortato" con le loro moto ed io e Robin abbiamo guidato fianco a fianco sulla strada panoramica che costeggia tutta la costa. E' stata una bellissima giornata. Il sole rifletteva la sua luce sulla superfice dell'oceano e le montagne di Cape Town creavano un contrasto drammatico con i colori chiari e brillanti del cielo. Durante questo viaggio avevo cercato piu' volte d'immaginare questo momento, ma questa volta credo che la realta' abbia superato di gran lunga in bellezza l'immaginazione. Una volta arrivato a Cape Point sono stato travolto nuovamente da una quantita' infinita d'emozioni. Ho ripensato ai momenti piu' difficili di questo viaggio. Al deserto Nubiano, al Lago Turkana, al Namib. Ma ho pensato anche ai momenti piu' belli e soprattutto alla ragione che mi ha spinto fin qui: il sorriso di tutti i bambini che hanno ricevuto il materiale sportivo attraverso il progetto "Una Scarpa per un Sogno".
L'ultimo paesaggio mozzafiato che posso descrivere in questo blog e' quello delle cime aguzze e squadrate della Table Mountain circondate dalle luci della citta'.
Ora l'Africa Trek e' veramente arrivato alla fine. Oramai fa parte dei miei ricordi piu' belli e forse e' arrivato il momento di progettare una nuova grande avventura da qualche altra parte nel mondo. In realta' c'e' gia' qualcosa che bolle in pentola, ma sara' una sorpresa.
Colonna sonora: "Wish you were here" Pink Floyd

The last leg to Cape Town was a sort of a final parade to this long journey. Bob (Robin’s pa), Patrick and other friends “escorted” us with their bikes, and Robin and I rode side by side all the way down a scenic route along the coast. The weather was very fine. The sunlight was shining on the ocean waves, and the mountains backing Cape Town created a terrific contrast with the bright colours of the sky. During the journey sometimes I wondered trying to imagine this moment, but this time the beauty of reality knocked out imagination. At Cape Point excitement and emotion overwhelmed me once more. My mind went once again to the hardest moments of this journey, the Nubian desert, Lake Turkana, Namib. But I recalled the good moments as well, and most of all I thought of the reason why I have travelled this far: the smiling faces of all the children who received the sportswear through the project “Una Scarpa per un Sogno”.
The last breathtaking views I can write about in this blog are the Table Mountain pointed peaks surrounded by the city lights.
Now the Africa Trek is definitely over. It will stay with me as one of my fondest memories, and maybe now it’s time to plan a new great adventure somewhere around the world. Well, actually something’s brewing already, but it will be a surprise.
Soundtrack: “Wish you were here” Pink Floyd

Mossel Bay - Batty's Bay (32.017 km)

2008-07-01T15:15:00.008+02:00

Matteo pulling the southernmost wheelie

Amazing place on the mountain

they looks like drunk dancer

Hello little fish

"Are you sure it's safe down here?"

Great white McDonalds drive through

Hermanus

Cape Agulhas

Southernmost tip of Africa

32.000 km just to take this picture

Rob and Bob Goode, two great bikers

Batty's Bay Beach

Rob welcome back party

Il grande giorno alla fine e' arrivato. Ogni viaggio ha una fine , un punto d'arrivo, una meta da raggiungere prima di cominciare una nuova avventura. Il nostro traguardo era Cape Agulhas, il punto piu' a sud del continente africano.
Quando siamo arrivati sulla costa ho iniziato a scrutare l'orizzonte infinito dell'oceano cercando d'immaginare le creste ghiacciate delle montagne del polo sud. Mi sono sentito come un esploratore alla scoperta di terre lontane. Mi sono chiesto se Bartolomeo Diaz e Vasco De Gama avessero provato le stesse emozioni una volta arrivati fin quaggiu' ai confini del mondo. Il cuore mi batteva a mille all'ora, sembrava quasi che volessi sincronizzarsi con i giri motore della mia multistrada. Ero terribilmente felice per essere arrivato fino in fondo, ma allo stesso tempo triste perche' ero arrivato alla fine di questa splendida avventura.
Mi sono girato verso Robin e ci siamo scambiati un segno d'intesa con il pollice ed il mignole della mano. Esattamente lo stesso segno che ci eravamo scambiati alla partenza 32.000 km, 25 paesi e 210 giorni prima. Ho ripensato a quel giorno allo Scapadaca quando tra una birra e l'altra abbiamo parlato per la prima volta di questo viaggio e quando Cape Agulhas ci sembrava cosi' lontano ed irrangiungibile. Quasi non riuscivo a credere di essere arrivato fino a qui. Ogni 500 metri c'e' un cartello che scandisce gli ultimi chilometri come un'implacabile conto alla rovescia. A meno 2.500 mt io e Robin abbiamo iniziato a rallentare sempre piu'. Un po' per prolungare il piu' a lungo possibile questo momento indimenticabile, ma forse anche per cercare di rimandare un po' piu' in la' la fine di questo nostro grande sogno. A meno 1.000 mt ho sentito uno strano rumore e per un attimo ho temuto che la motocicletta si sarebbe potuta rompere proprio a pochi metri dal traguardo. Sarebbe stata proprio una beffa, ma per fortuna la mia multistrada non mi ha abbandonato neanche questa volta.
Arrivati a Cape Agulhas abbiamo parcheggiato le moto per la foto di rito e prima di togliermi il casco mi sono asciugato le lacrime dagli occhi. Ero talmente emozionato che non riuscivo neanche a capire cosa stessi esattamente provando in quel momento. Io e Robin ci siamo abbracciati e ci siamo detti: -We did it, mate!- -We did it, 'till the end. And Now?- -Now we should turn the bikes and ride all the way up through the west coast- -Would be great! Two of us again...-.
Neanche dieci minuti piu' tardi sono arrivato due ragazzi in sella a due ktm che, partititi da Londra, avevano appena percorso tutta la costa occidentale dell'Africa fino a qui. Che incredibile coincidenza!
Quel pomeriggio siamo arrivati a Betty's Bay dove il papa' di Robin ed alcuni amici avevano organizzato una festa di bentornato. Abbiamo passato un bellissimo weekend. Robin era felicissimo di poter rivedere tutti i suoi amici dopo cosi' tanto tempo ed io mi sono sentito un po' a casa, anche se mi e' venuta una voglia matta di tornare a Torino e rivedere tutti gli amici.
Colonna sonora: "Heroes" David Bowie

Here we are at last, we’ve made it! Every journey comes to an end, a final point, a destination to get to before you can start a new adventure. Our goal was Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of the African continent.
When we got to the coast I scanned the ocean’s endless skyline trying to imagine the icy peaks of the South Pole mountains. I felt like an explorer seeking for faraway lands. I asked myself whether Bartolomeo Diaz and Vasco De Gama felt the same kind of emotion when they first arrived here at the end of the world. My heart was beating fast, like it was trying to synchronize with the engine of my Multistrada. I was so damn happy to have made it till the end, but at the same time I was sad too, because my wonderful adventure was over.
I turned to Robin and we exchanged a sign with the thumb and the little finger of our hand. The very same sign we had exchanged when we started: 32.000 km, 25 countries and 210 days before. That day at Scapadaca came to my mind, when for the first time we talked about this journey over a beer or two. Cape Agulhas seemed so far away on that day, almost unreachable. I can hardly believe I’ve travelled so far from home. Every 500 m signs along the road point out the few remaining kilometres as a merciless countdown. At 2500 m Robin and I started to slow down in order to prolong this unforgettable moment, but also trying to put off the end of this great dream of ours. It was less than 1.000 m to the arrival, when I heard a strange noise and for a second I feared my bike would break down, just a few meters before the chequered flag. It would have been a mockery… but my Multistrada didn’t let me down, not even this time. In Cape Agulhas we parked the bikes to take the customary pictures and before I took off my helmet I wiped my eyes. I was so excited I could not even make clear what my feelings were like. I and Robin clasped in each other’s arms and said: -We did it, mate!- -We did it, till the end. And Now?- -Now we should turn the bikes and ride all the way up through the west coast- -It would be great! The two of us again...-.
About ten minutes later two guys arrived riding two KTMs. They had just been travelling all the way down through the west coast. What an incredible coincidence! In the afternoon we drove to Batty’s Bay, where Robin’s pa and some friends were organizing a welcome party. We spent a great weekend. Robin was very happy to be with his friends again and I felt a little like being at home, but don’t let me be misunderstood: I can’t wait to get back to Torino and meet my friends!

Soundtrack: “Heroes” David Bowie

Plettenberg Bay - Mossel Bay (31.372 km)

2008-07-01T15:08:00.002+02:00

Da Plettenberg Bay ci siamo inoltrati nuovamente nell'entroterra fino ad Oudtshoorn, la capitale mondiale d'allevamento di struzzi. Qui siamo andati a visitare le Cango Caves, delle immense e spettacolari grotte dalle forme piu' assurde ed incredibili. Ancora una volta la strada sulla montagna e' stata magnifica. A Mossel Bay siamo andati a trovare Leon che ci ha ospitato per la notte e ci ha offerto l'ennesima magnifica grigliata. (Pare che qui in Sud Africa non si mangi altro...).
Colonna sonora: "Crash!" Propellerheads

From Plettenberg Bay we headed inland once again and drove to Oudtshoorn, the world capital of ostrich-breeding. Here we visited the huge, scenic and incredibly-shaped Cango Caves. As usual, the mountain road was great. We paid a visit to Leon in Mossel Bay, who put us up for the night and offered us another gorgeous barbecue (it looks like they don’t have but BBQ’s in South Africa…).

Soundtrack: “Crash!” Propellerheads

Hogsback - Plettenberg Bay (31.062 km)

2008-06-23T20:39:00.004+02:00

The Bay

Big Whale

Con gli ultimi chilometri di fuoristrada il pneumatico posteriore di Robin si e' consumato a tal punto che ne era possibile vedere la trama interna. A Port Elizabeth siamo capitati per puro caso davanti ad un concessionario Ducati di cui ignoravamo addirittura l'esistenza. Il proprietario Remi Van Den Berg ha fatto tutto il possibile per aiutarci tant'e' che nel giro di mezz'ora siamo ripartiti con un pneumatico nuovo verso Plettenberg Bay dove ci aspettava una squisita grigliata di pesce cucinata da Tanah e Jane che ci hanno ospitato nella loro bellissima casa sulla spiaggia. Tanah e' un incredibile esperto di mare e di pesci. Il giorno dopo ci ha portato a fare un giro sulla sua barca ed in meno di un paio d'ore e' riuscito a farci vedere centinaia di delfini, foche, balene ed una quantita' infinita di pesci locali di cui ha descritto ogni singola caratteristica come non avrebbero saputo fare neanche su Discovery Channel.
Ci siamo svegliati prima dell'alba e siamo andati tutti insieme alla baia per vedere il sorgere del sole ed aspettare l'arrivo della marea. Io e Robin siamo rimasti estasiati di fronte a questo spettacolo. Tanah si e' girato verso di noi indicando l'orizzonte dove un'esplosione di colori illuminava l'oceano oltre la baia. In quel momento ho capito che cos'e' che lo ha spinto a venire a vivere in questa baia.
Colonna sonora: "(Sittin' on) The Dock of The Bay" Otis Redding

During the last kilometres, Robin’s bike rear tire was completely worn out; we could even see the pattern inside it. In Port Elisabeth we passed in front of an unexpected Ducati concessionaire we hadn’t heard of before. The owner Remi Van Der Berg did all he could to help us, and in half an hour we set out to Plettenberg Bay with a new tire. In Plettenberg we had a gorgeous fish barbecue cooked by Tanah and Jane, who even put us up in their beautiful house on the beach. Tanah knows a lot of things about the sea and the fish. The next day he took us on a boat tour and in a couple of hours we were able to spot hundreds of dolphins, seals and whales. We also saw thousands of local fish, which Tanah described in full details; wow, much better than Discovery Channel! We woke up well before dawn and headed all together to the bay to see the sun rise and waited for the tide to come. Robin and I were completely enraptured in front of this wonderful sight. Tanah turned to us pointing his arm to the skyline, where colours were exploding illuminating the ocean beyond the bay. At that very moment I knew what induced Tanah to settle in these surroundings.

Soundtrack: “(Sittin’ on) The Dock of The Bay” Otis Redding

Coffee Bay - Hogsback (30.5174 km)

2008-06-23T20:32:00.003+02:00

The Fellowship of the ring

The Edge

Il mio problema all'orecchio continuava a peggiorare, cosi' abbiamo deciso di fermarci da un dottore ad East London. Il Dr.Paul Bak e' un grande appassionato di motociclette ed ha viaggiato parecchio con la sua moto attraverso tutto il continente africano. Durante la visita e' sembrato decisamente piu' interessato al nostro raid motociclistico che non al mio problema uditivo. Alla fine in due minuti ha liquidato la questione orecchio prescrivendomi una cura a base di cortisone ed ha parlato per piu' di mezz'ora di motociclette, viaggi e strade ideali per motociclisti. Seguendo i suoi consigli abbiamo percorso una bellissima strada sterrata che attraversa le montagne ed arriva fino ad Hogsback. Questa zona e' ricca di foreste, ruscelli, canyon e grandi picchi rocciosi. Sembra di essere in una di quelle regioni fantastiche descritte nel Signore degli anelli e popolate da nani, elfi, stregoni, cavalieri neri e gnomi.
Colonna sonora: "The Gnome" Pink Floyd

The problem with my ear was getting worse, so we decided to stop for a doctor in East London. Dr Paul Bak has a great passion for motorbikes, and he travelled a lot on his bike throughout the African continent. He definitely seemed far more interested in our motorbike raid rather than being concerned with my ear problem. In a couple of minutes the examination was over. He prescribed me a cure based on cortisone and went on talking about motorbikes, travels and ideal roads for bikers for a good half an hour. We followed his advice and cruised along a scenic dirt road through the mountains to Hogsback. This area is dotted with forests, brooks, canyons and high rocky peaks. It reminded me one of the imaginary regions Tolkien writes about in “The Lord of the Ring”, inhabited by dwarves, elves, black knights and gnomes.

Soundtrack: “The Gnome” Pink Floyd

Durban - Coffee Bay (30.041 km)

2008-06-23T20:03:00.006+02:00

Coffee Bay

Who is shooting who?

Umzimbuvu River

La wild coast e' una zona prevalentemente montuosa. Non c'e' una strada che segue la costa, ma per spostarsi da una baia all'altra bisogna risalire le montagne nell'entroterra.
Patrick, Robin ed io ci siamo divertiti come dei pazzi a guidare le nostre motociclette su queste montagne. Attraversando questa zona selvaggia ho avuto come la sensazione di ritrovare di nuovo la vera Africa. I bambini ai bordi della strada saltano dalla gioia quando ci vedono passare e ci salutano con dei grandi sorrisi. Proprio mentre stavo pensando a quanto e' bello vedere tutti questi bambini felici, uno di loro ha fatto un rapido movimento con la mano ed un'istante dopo mi e' arrivata una pietra proprio sulla visiera del casco. Che dire, questa e' l'Africa!
Dopo una breve sosta alla foce del fiume Umzimbuvu a Port St. Jones siamo andati a dormire sulla spiaggia di Coffee Bay.
Colonna sonora: "Family Affair" Sly & The Family Stone

The wild coast is a hilly region. There’s no road following the coast; you have to climb the mountains inland to get from one bay to the other.
Patrick, Robin and myself had great fun driving our bikes on these mountains. Riding through these wild lands I felt like I was back in ‘real’ Africa again. The children on the side of the roads jump with happiness when they see us passing by and their big smiles mean ‘hello’. I was just thinking how nice it is to see all these happy children, when one of them swiftly twisted his hand and suddenly a stone hit my helmet visor. Well… this is Africa!
After a short stop at the mouth of Umzimbuvu River in Port St Jones, we spent the night sleeping on the beach at Coffey Bay.
Soundtrack: “Family Affair” Sly & The Family Stone

Durban - Coffee bay

2008-06-23T08:59:00.008+02:00

i hit 30.000km that day.

patrice lookin smooth

transkei

these okes were pumpin the skei roads hard

port saint johns

We left pretty early again. we have been riding a lot now. since mozambique we hadn't had a rest day. ouch. i was really looking forward to this day. the route is infamous for its beauty. we hit the coast and immediatley the roads just twisted away beneath us begging to be cranked. and crank 'em we did. we hit a very aggressive police block. one of the most aggressive we've seen in africa. cops armed to the teeth ordering us around and whatnot. pushing on we found that the roads in the transkei were fantastic. thought they were supposed to be terrible. nice surprise which ended up in more cranking. the roads are tight, small, windy and great to ride on. you have to be very careful, every now and again youll come round a corner and find a sheep standing there. the guys were riding hard. i couldnt keep up. and was wary of riding hard so close to the end. they always happen 5km from home they say... when your nice and relaxed and your concentration wavers. the road into port saint johns was fantastic. winding left and right. the bike flipping over into the curves. it was wonderful to ride a bike like that again. the hypermotard would have eaten those curves up nicely. we rode hard all day. the roads are very twisty and small and so it takes time to cover distance. we miscalculated a bit and so we only arrived at coffee bay after nightfall. we were greeted with a nice beer and free potjie. what a great backpackers. slept like the dead that night. the next morning we had another long ride ahead of us. my back was starting to hurt cronically. the upper part. too many kilometres on the bike. the wear and tear on my body from the trip was starting to show.

Johannesburg - Durban (29.444 km)

2008-06-23T08:58:00.001+02:00

Alfie Cox The King of Paris Dakar

Per andare a Durban siamo passati lungo il confine orientale del Lesotho attraverso le montagne del Drakensberg. Ancora una volta abbiamo potuto ammirare paesaggi mozzafiato e guidare le motociclette e' stato uno spasso. Credo di essermi danneggiato il timpano dell'orecchio sinistro durante l'ultima immersione in Mozambico. Infatti tutte le volte che c'e' una curva verso sinistra perdo l'equilibrio e mi sembra sempre di cascare per terra. Prima di arrivare a Durban abbiamo incontrato Alfie Cox, la leggenda sudafricana della Parigi Dakar, che ha prestato una delle sue moto a Patrick per arrivare fino a Cape Town.
Colonna Sonora: "Roads" Portishead

We chose to ride along the eastern border of Lesotho in order to get to Durban. We crossed the Drakensberg mountain range and once more we could take in breathtaking views along the way. Riding our bikes was great fun. I’m afraid I damaged my left eardrum while diving a few days back in Mozambico. As a matter of fact, every time I have to curve to the left I can’t keep my balance very well and I feel like I am falling down. Before getting to Durban we met Alfie Cox, the Paris-Dakar South-african legend. He kindly lent Patrick one of his motorbikes to ride as far as Cape Town.
Soundtrack: “Roads” Portishead

Joburg - Durban

2008-06-23T08:31:00.005+02:00

my great buddy patrick

ewok and co. our wonderfu hosts in durban.

somehow the view from my toilet at home is just not the same

fooling around

roadside meditation.

saying goodbye to all our new found friends in jo'burg. big up to kim and gabi.

golden gate

We said our goodbyes to the many friends we had made in joburg and made our way towards the drakensburg. our destination was Durban. patrick seddon, my great friend flew in from cape town town to accompany us on our final leg. we were due to pick up his bike later that evening. a ktm 990. spanking new. the ride down was just lovely. golden gate is a must. with the scenery rivalling that of turkey in Goreme. mountains and rock that leave one in awe at their beauty. we then passed this lake. flat as glass, crystal blue and a crisp light breeze. it was a wonderful days ride. one of those where you ride slowly soaking up all the sights around you. i was so very happy to have my best friend on the back. to share sights of that magnitude with a buddy like that is special. we rode all through the day and into the night. we arrived near Durban and picked up patrick's bike from Alfie Cox. one of ktm's sponsored demogods. hes a seasoned paris dakar guru and enduro superhero. so it was a real pleasure meeting him. matt will post a photo of us together shorlty. it was cool meeting a guy like that after a journey like ours.

Maputo – Johannesburg (28.640 km)

2008-06-23T08:17:00.000+02:00

Siamo partiti da Maputo molto presto perche’ dovevamo arrivare a Johannesburg in tempo per la cena organizzata dal Ducati Owners Club South Africa. E’ stata una bella serata. Abbiamo conosciuto tantissima gente simpatica che condivide la nostra stessa grande passione per la motocicletta ed abbiamo ricevuto un’infinita’ di complimenti per la nostra impresa. E’ stato divertente anche se eravamo talmente stanchi che facevamo fatica a tenere gli occhi aperti.
Colonna Sonora: “Satisfaction” The Rolling Stones

We left Maputo very early in the morning because we were due in Johannesburg for a dinner party organized by the Ducati Owners Club South Africa. We spent a very nice evening. We met a lot of nice people sharing the same great passion for motorbikes as we do, and we were paid many compliments for our bold enterprise. It was very funny, but we were so tired we could hardly keep our eyes open.

Soundtrack: “Satisfaction” The Rolling Stones

Praia do Tofo – Maputo (27.950 km)

2008-06-23T08:15:00.000+02:00

Siamo partiti da Praia do Tofo veramente tardi. Questo posto era talmente bello che abbiamo fatto fatica ad allontanarcene. Quasi tutto il viaggio l’abbiamo fatto di notte al buio, ma fortunatamente la strada e’ stata rifatta da poco ed era quindi in ottime condizioni.
Colonna Sonora: “Night time is the right time” Ray Charles

We lingered at Praia do Tofo, and when we set out it was really late. The place was so beautiful that it was difficult for us to leave it behind. We travelled mostly by night in the darkness, but the road has been renovated recently and it was in excellent conditions.Soundtrack: “Night time is the right time” Ray Charles

Swaziland - Inhambane Tofo

2008-06-23T08:05:00.005+02:00

our wonderful friends

our mozambiquen dinner club

road patchwork

pragtig sunset. kuik hoe mooi.

Matteo left a day earleir than me. so i rode to mozambique alone. it was a long ride. and i rode the whole day. doing more than 500km. mozambique is exotic africa. they speak portughese and it adds a completely unique flavour to the place. its not africa as you know. instead it feels more like cuba. the beautiful old colonial buildings. the people are just so nice and friendly. the country is very close to south africa and so the infrastucture and roads are very good. it all became so tropical again. a nice change after the dry brown country side of johanessburg in winter. the ride was pretty uninventful and fast. there was a wonderul sunset over these rice patty fields with all these tributaries illuminated by the setting sun. i arrived at Tofo. a lovely beach town. good surf, great diving and loads of whale sharks. we met some fantastic people there and started a dinner club. the amazing thing about travelling is the people you meet. we ate dinner and haung out with spanish, german, mexican, israeli, italians, south africans... to name a few... i really find it incredible. we swam with a whale shark on our last day. which was a memorable expereince. i swan along side it for nearly an hour. pumping away to keep up with it. the water was full of jelly fish so it was a bit tricky. i managed to get stung on my tongue. dont know how. at one stage the 9meter beauty came up very close to the surface and i was literally 2 metres from her. a beautiful beautiful moment.

Mbabane – Praia do Tofo (27.387 km)

2008-06-18T16:16:00.005+02:00

Mozambique

Inhabane

Praia do Tofo

The dog is throwing the stick to Matteo

Fisherman on the beach

Tha dawn

The bar on the beach

Looking for sharks

A big big big shark

Matteo swimming next to the shark

Praia do Tofo team

Mentre risalivamo la costa del Mozambico ho avuto come l’impressione di essere ritornato in Africa. Il paesaggio e le persone sono gli stessi che abbiamo incontrato tra il Kenya ed il Botswana e non hanno nulla a che vedere con quelli del Sud Africa. A Praia do Tofo (S 23 51,119’ E 35 32,605’) ci siamo rilassati per cinque giorni guardando le grandi onde dell’oceano Indiano dal piccolo bar sulla spiaggia sotto un tetto di foglie di palma. Abbiamo anche fatto un po’ di surf ed io sono riuscito a realizzare un altro grande sogno che mi portavo dietro fin da bambino: mi sono immerso in mezzo a tre enormi manta ray ed ho nuotato fianco a fianco con uno squalo balena di sei metri. E’ stato incredibile. Sono riuscito a stargli proprio vicino. Ma il momento piu’ emozionante e’ stato quando mi ha guardato dritto in faccia con uno dei suoi piccolissimi occhi.
Colonna Sonora: “Surfin Safari” The Beach Boys

While cruising up the Mozambico coast I had the impression to find myself back in Africa. The countryside and the people here look very much the same as the landscapes and the people we met between Kenya and Botswana. They have nothing to do with South Africa. At Praia do Tofo (S 23 51,119’ E 35 32,605’) we relaxed for five days. Nothing much to do but contemplating the big waves of the Atlantic Ocean from a tiny beachfront bar under a palm-leaf roof. We spent some time surfing and I accomplished another great dream I was longing for since I was a child: I plunged in the water among three huge manta rays and swam side by side with a 6-meter whale shark. It was unbelievable, we were indeed very close to each other! The most exciting moment was when the shark looked at me right in the middle of my face from one of his wee wee eyes.

Soundtrack: “Surfin Safari” The Beach Boys

Jo'burg - Swaziland

2008-06-18T16:13:00.000+02:00

black napolean

my cousin aidan really liked my bike gear.

aunty sue and beardo weirdo

such a cool idea.

We cruised from joburg for Swaziland. we foud ourselves in africa again. cows roaming around the border post. we stayed at my aunty, sue dowding. with her husband tom and aidan her son. it was so wonderful to see some family again. after 7 months of being on the road. we drank lots of tea, chilled out and visited some of her many artistic friends in and around the capital. i was so inspired by all the creative energy there that i decided to get into wood carving. we visited house on Fire. which is a family run theatre and creatve hub. and african goudesque/hindusim feel to the place. they also did these beautiful wood carvings that were receiving astounding sucess nationally. it is so wonderful to see contemporary artists embracing local culture and creating fresh work.

Johannesburg - Mbabane (26.555 km)

2008-06-18T16:11:00.001+02:00

Quando siamo arrivati tra le montagne dello Swaziland abbiamo finalmente potuto apprezzare il paesaggio che fino a quel momento era stato piuttosto noioso. Vicino a Mbabane siamo andati a visitare un bellissimo spazio multifunzionale allestito da Jiggs Thorne ed alcuni amici locali. Qui vengono organizzati concerti, esposizioni, festival ed eventi artistici e culturali di ogni tipo. Ma la cosa che piu’ mi ha affascinato e’ stato il posto in se’. La “House on fire” (S 26 26,236’ E 31 11,166’) e’ un vero e proprio museo a cielo aperto in continua espansione. Jiggs ha iniziato a realizzarlo con tanta pazienza circa otto anni fa e sembra non dover giungere mai ad una conclusione. Ispirandosi a Gaudi’ e’ riuscito a creare questo gioiello attraverso una commistione di stili afroeuropei e locali. Ho girato per un bel po’ all’interno di questo locale ammirando ogni singolo particolare e sognando un giorno di poter costruire una casa tipo questa da qualche parte per il mondo.
Colonna Sonora: “Burning down the house” Talking Heads

When we finally got to the mountains in Swaziland we were rewarded with stunning views, and that was good, because the panorama had been rather boring all the way through. Close to Mbabane we visited a beautiful multi-functional complex set up by Jiggs Thorne and some local friends of his. They organize concerts, exhibitions and festivals here, as well as art and cultural events. The place itself is beautiful, and I was very impressed. The “House on Fire” (S 26 26,236’ E 31 11,166’) is an open-pit museum getting larger and larger every day. Jiggs started with it about eight years ago and it seems like the place is never going to be finished. Taking inspiration from Gaudi’, he created this gem combining afro-european and local styles. I spent a lot of time wandering inside this museum and could take in every single detail, dreaming that one day I will be able to build a house like this somewhere around the world.

Soundtrack: “Burning down the house” Talking Heads

Jo'burg bike maintenance

2008-06-17T19:33:00.000+02:00

Kristof and Mark getting their hands dirty

some of our desmo buddies

Ducati Sandton. the team. thanks a million guys for all your wonderful support.

my bent rim. air is seeping out. losing a bar a day. this happened in botswana.

matt getting busy

my seat shaft... fixed african style.

that nice crack that ended my advetnures in namibia.

Gabi, ducati president of south africa. grande grande gabi vai piano ne!

It all started off while i was in the middle of the salt pan. i was sleeping beside my bike and by chance saw a massive crack on my engine casing right where the engine mount bolt went in. wow i thought... thats big. i did a routine check and found that my seat adjustment shaft was broken, again. ok i thought. thats it... im walking outta here. about 70km. would have taken me about 2 days of solid walking. i had enough water... in the end it turned out alright. i fixed the seat shaft momentarily (bush solution) an decided to make for joburg where i knew our friends Ducati Sandton would help me out. and what a lovely reception! After much shaking of heads by kristof and mark and a helluva lot of work we got her back on the road. the list was: 1.) redo valve clearances. 2.) new oil filter, air filter, plugs, oil etc. 3.) fix up the front fairing i destroyed in my kenyan crash - it was hanging on with cable ties. 4.) new chain and sprocket set - my front sprocket's teeth were bent. 5.) move the exhaust back, it was rubbing on my swingarm and causing a terible racket. 6.) give her some love and attention. 7.) a little kiss. 8.) oh yeah, and weld the nice fat crack in the engine! Ducati Sandton were just fantastic. they put us up, and gave us everything from a place to sleep to the best coffees in africa. a big thanks goes to Theoni, Peter, Joe, Gabi, Kristof, Mark and Kim. Thanks for all the lovely dinners and tlc. we really needed it.

Bike Maintenance

2008-06-17T18:31:00.002+02:00

Krzysztof and Mark with my new tyre

My lady is shining

The beautiful Ducati Sandton workshop

Il pneumatico della ruota posteriore si e' consumato prima del previsto. Ancora prima di arrivare a Johannesburg ha iniziato a perdere aria direttamente dalla gomma (che oramai era diventata sottilissima) costringendomi a fermarmi a tutte le stazioni di servizio per ripristinare la giusta pressione d'aria. Cosi’ ho portato la motocicletta all'officina Ducati di Sandton (uno dei concessionari piu’ belli che abbia mai visto). Qui ho trovato delle persone stupende. Hanno fatto tutto il possible per aiutarmi e riconsegnarmi la moto il piu’ presto possible. Veramente un ottimo lavoro, forse addirittura piu' del necessario. Oltre ad aver sostituito il pneumatico posteriore hanno anche cambiato l'olio, il filtro dell’aria, il filtro della benzina, regolato la cinghia di trasmissione, e pulito la catena.
Ora grazie a Paul, Theoni, Brian, Krzysztof, Mark e Gabriella la mia motocicletta e’ tornata come nuova.

The rear tire wore out before I expected. Before Johannesburg the air kept slipping out of the tire (which was now very thin) and I had to stop at each and every gas station to inflate the right air pressure into it. So I decided to take my bike to the Ducati workshop in Sandton (one of the most beautiful workshops I’ve ever seen). I found wonderful people there. They did everything they could to help me and give the bike back to me as soon as possible. Great work, maybe even more than what was strictly necessary. They changed the bike’s rear tire, as well as oil, air filter, gas filter and driving belt. They even cleaned up the chain. My bike was brand new once again. Thank you very much Paul, Theoni, Brian, Krzysztof, Mark and Gabriella.

Regina Mundi Church

2008-06-17T18:28:00.001+02:00

Il calcio ha sempre avuto un ruolo fondamentale nella vita delle persone di questo continente, specialmente per le classi meno abbienti. In Sud Africa in particolare questo sport e' diventato piu' di ogni altro simbolo dell'assurdita' dell'apartheid. Fin dalla sua creazione nel 1892 la Football Association of South Africa ha ammesso unicamente giocatori di razza bianca. Tutti i non bianchi si sono dovuti organizzare in associazioni autogestite. Nonostante cio' il calcio ha proliferato in tutti i sobborghi sudafricani e ogni settimana i tifosi si riversavano negli stadi per vedere le magie dei propri idoli come Jomo Sono e Kaizer Motaung. Ancora oggi il calcio e' lo sport piu' seguito e piu' praticato in Sud Africa (conta piu' di 2 milioni di tesserati) e per le persone piu' povere ha da sempre rappresentato una via di fuga dai problemi e dalle difficolta' della vita di tutti i giorni.
L’Associazione Muti Onlus ha deciso di inserire tra i beneficiari del progetto umanitario “Una Scarpa per un Sogno” i bambini di Soweto.
Al piu’ presto verra’ spedito un carico di materiale sportivo dall’Italia che verra’ distribuito ai bambini meritevoli con la collaborazione del, parroco della chiesa Regina Mundi di Soweto che garantira’ che le scarpe ed il resto delle attrezzature sportive vengano consegnate ai bambini bisognosi e meritevoli che rispettano l’obbligo primario di frequenza scolastica e che si comportano in modo corretto.

Soccer has always been fundamental in the life of African people, especially for the poor. Particularly in South Africa, this sport has become the symbol of the apartheid absurdity. Since it was founded in 1892, the Football Association of South Africa was allowed only to white players. Those whose skin was not white had to organize themselves in self-run associations. Nevertheless, soccer had its way in all suburbs in South Arica and every week the stadiums are crowded with supporters who come to see the local idols, such as Jomo Sono and Kaizer Motaung. Today, soccer is still the most popular and played sport in South Africa (counting over 2 millions associates). For the poor, it has always represented a way out from everyday problems and difficulties.
The children of Soweto will be among the beneficiaries of the project “Una Scarpa per un Sogno” promoted by Muti Onlus.
As soon as possible, a load of sportswear will be shipped from Italy and delivered to the children with the collaboration the parish of Soweto’s Regina Mundi church who will make sure that the soccer shoes and the sportswear are given to the children who really are in poor conditions and deserving, i.e. the ones who attend school and behave like good children should.

Soweto

2008-06-17T17:59:00.005+02:00

Hostel next to Orlando

Match box house

Desmond Tutu house

Nelson Mandela house

Regina Mundi Church

New houses from the government

Slums

Non appena ho superato il cartello di benvenuto di Soweto un brivido mi e' corso lungo la schiena. Questo sobborgo a sudovest di Johannesburg (SOuth WEstern TOwnship) e' carico di significati storici, politici e sociali. Ad essere sincero ero anche un po' nervoso dal momento che non sapevo di preciso cio' che avrei potuto vedere e chi avrei potuto incontrare ed anche perche' i media tendono a dipingere questo posto in modo esageratamente negativo etichettandolo con il piu' alto tasso di omicidi e stupri al mondo. Soweto e' enorme ed ha una popolazione stimata tra i 3 e i 4 milioni di abitanti. Entrando da nordest attraverso East e West Orlando (la zona piu' vecchia ed oggi piu' ricca di Soweto) l'impatto non e' stato cosi' drammatico. Qui risiede la classe piu' ricca di Soweto. Questa zona e' sorprendentemente pulita ed ordinata ed ho visto case lussuose con giardino e piscina senza alcun tipo di protezione (a differenza delle case di Johannesburg circondate da muri alti sei metri e recinzioni elettriche). In Vilakazi Road mi sono fermato davanti alle case dei premi nobel Nelson Mandela e Desmond Tutu, situate a soli 200 metri di distanza l'una dall'altra. Questa zona e' stata anche teatro dei piu' sanguinosi scontri tra studenti e polizia durante la rivolta di giugno 1976 quando persero la vita oltre 600 ragazzi.
Esattamente al centro di Soweto c'e' la chiesa Regina Mundi. Anch'essa ha avuto un ruolo fondamentale nel corso della rivolta. Qui la polizia ha fatto piu' volte irruzione per attaccare gli studenti che si riunivano al suo interno durante gli scontri. Ancora oggi sono ben visibili sui muri interni della chiesa i fori causati dai proiettili esplosi dalla polizia.
Quando mi sono spostato nella zona occidentale di Soweto la situazione e' cambiata. Qui ci sono le case popolari assegnate gratuitamente dal governo ai cittadini sudafricani piu' poveri, ci sono gli hostels (fatiscenti capanni in lamiera a schiera privi di ogni forma di servizi) e ci sono distese infinite di baraccopoli. Prima di entrare in un hostel mi sono fermato un attimo per valutare quale potesse essere il grado di pericolo quando sono stato avvicinato in modo del tutto amichevole da un ragazzo del posto che mi ha sconsigliato di avventurarmi in quella parte della citta' e si e' offerto di accompagnarmi nella zona di casa sua in una baraccopoli poco distante da li'. Qui le persone vivono in condizioni di estrema precarieta'. Le baracche sono ammassate una sull'altra in mezzo ad una montagna di rifiuti e sono prive di servizi igienici, acqua corrente ed elettricita'. Nonostante cio' mi e' sembrato un ambiente piuttosto tranquillo e sereno. Sebbene girassi con la macchina fotografica in mano non ho mai avuto la sensazione di essere in pericolo, anzi tutte le persone che ho incontrato mi hanno salutato amichevolmente scambiando sorrisi e cenni d'intesa con le mani.
Colonna sonora: "Apartheid is Nazism" Alpha Blondy

As soon as I passed the Soweto welcome road sign I got shivers down my spine. This south-western suburb of Johannesburg (SOuth WEstern TOwnship) is plentiful of historical, political and social meanings. To be true, I was also a little nervous: I didn’t know exactly what I was going to see nor whom I could possibly meet. Furthermore, the media have labelled Soweto as one of the most dangerous places in the world, with a high percentage of murders and rapes. Soweto is a sprawling city with 3 to 4 million inhabitants. I entered the city through East and West Orlando (the oldest and richest district in Soweto) and the sensation was not too bad. Here is where the Soweto wealthy people live. The area is clean and tidy and I saw stately homes with garden and swimming pool without any kind of protection (in Johannesburg houses like these are protected by 6-meter high walls and electric fences). In Vilakazi Road I stopped in front of the residences of Nobel Prizes Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, just 200 meters away from each other. In June 1976 riots between students and the police took place in this area, and more than 600 young people died. Just in the centre of Soweto is the Regina Mundi Church. This building was relevant during the rebellion, too. The police broke several times into the church to attack the students who had gathered inside. Shots from the police are still visible today on the interior walls.
The situation in western Soweto is completely different. Here you can find the houses that the government has assigned for free to the lower class, the hostels (ramshackle sheet-iron huts in a row with no facilities) and an endless expanse of slums. A local guy approached me just as I was on my way to a hostel. He was very friendly and advised me not to venture in that part of the city, and offered himself as a guide to an area nearby the slum where he lived. I wondered how dangerous that might be… Here people live very poorly. The huts are piled up on one another, with garbage everywhere and no toilets, water or electric power. Nevertheless, it looked to me like a quiet and safe environment. I held my camera in my hand, but I never felt in danger, all the people I met were friendly and greeted me with big smiles and waving hands.

Soundtrack: "Apartheid is Nazism" Alpha Blondy

Mohale - Johannesburg (26.658 km)

2008-06-17T17:05:00.002+02:00

Sound: a river, a waterfall and the wind

Beautiful road on the mountains

I met this guy and his cows just after the corner

Welcome to South Africa again...

Some more gravel sir?

Dopo essere sceso dalle montagne ed aver superato nuovamente la frontiera sudafricana la temperatura e' tornata a livelli accettabili.
Sara' sfortuna o forse destino, ma per arrivare a Johannesburg ho dovuto fare forse l'unica strada sterrata di tutto il Sud Africa.
A Johannesburg (Jo'burg o Jozi come viene chiamata qui) sono andato a visitare il museo dell'apartheid. E' stata un'esperienza decisamente toccante dal punto di vista emotivo. All'ingresso ci hanno consegnato una carta identificativa con la quale si viene classificati in base alla propria razza d'appartenenza, cosi' io e l'amica neozelandese che era con me siamo stati separati e siamo dovuti entrare attraverso due percorsi differenti (uno per europei ed uno per non europei). Il museo attraverso l'uso di testi, filmati e documenti audio fornisce una testimonianza accurata e dettagliata dell'intricato, contorto e drammatico sistema creato dall'apartheid. Attraverso quest'esperienza travolgente mi sono fatto un'idea piu' chiara delle terribili conseguenze causate dalla segregazione e dalle leggi razziali di questo paese.
Colonna sonora: "Biko" Peter Gabriel

Back to the flatlands. Beyond the South Africa border the heat drops down becoming more bearable. Maybe it’s bad luck or maybe just fate, but to get to Johannesburg I had to drive along a dirt road (perhaps the only one in South Africa).
In Johannesburg (known locally as ‘Jo’burg’ or ‘Jozi’) I visited the apartheid museum. It was a very touching experience. At the entrance visitors are given an identification form: you have to fill the blanks declaring what race you are. So my friend from New Zealand and I were separated and had to access the museum via two different gates (one for European visitors and the other for non-European visitors). The books, films and audio documents in the museum show in full details the much intricated, complicated and heart-moving system created by the apartheid. This touching experience gave me the opportunity to know more about the terrible consequences caused by segregation and racial laws in this country.
Soundtrack: "Biko" Peter Gabriel

Malealea - Mohale (25.825 km)

2008-06-02T18:07:00.003+02:00

Brrrr......

Fixing this car was harder then my Ducati

What is wrong?

Quando mi sono svegliato ed ho visto il sole splendere nel cielo terso mi sono detto: "Quasi quasi vado a fare un bel giro in motocicletta". Cosi' ho caricato tutti i miei bagagli e sono partito senza avere la piu' pallida idea di dove andare. A qualcuno potra' sembrare strano che dopo 25.000 km abbia ancora voglia di salire sulla moto per il puro piacere di guidare. Ma vi assicuro che poter guidare su una bella strada di montagna guardando il panorama con calma e tranquillita' e senza l'ansia di dover raggiungere una determinata destinazione e' tutta un'altra cosa. Ho valicato 12 passi, tutti oltre i 2.000 metri. Poco prima del Sani Pass sono dovuto tornare indietro perche' c'era piu' di un metro di neve. In un solo giorno ho praticamente girato l'intero Lesotho ed ho guidato costantemente con mezzo occhio sulla strada ed uno e mezzo sul fantastico paesaggio che la circondava.
Colonna sonora: "Destination: anywhere" The Commitments

When I woke up the sun was shining and the sky was blue, so I said to myself: ‘Well, it’s bike time again’. I got ready and I left. I hadn’t the slightest idea about where to go. I know that it might sound strange that after 25.000 km I still feel like riding a bike for the mere pleasure of driving. But let me tell you something: cruising down a mountain road in tranquility, simply taking in the panorama, without the anxiety of another place to get to, is something completely different. I crossed 12 passes, all of them more than 2.000 m high. Just before Sani Pass I had to go back because of the high snow (more than 1 m). In one day I toured the most of Lesotho driving with one eye on the road and one eye and a half on the terrific landscape on both sides.

Soundtrack: "Destination: anywhere" The Commitments

Maseru - Malealea (25.335 km)

2008-06-02T17:41:00.004+02:00

Non c'e' niente di peggio che svegliarsi al freddo con la nebbia e dover indossare i vestiti bagnati. Cosi' quando sono partito da Maseru avevo il morale piuttosto basso. Ma appena si e' dissolta la nebbia ed e' tornato il sereno improvvisamente tutto e' cambiato. Ho ritrovato il buonumore e la gioia di guidare la motocicletta attraverso le montagne del Lesotho illuminate dal sole. Malealea (S 29 49,718' E 27 35,968') e' un piccolo villaggio arroccato sulle montagne in mezzo ad un fantastico paesaggio bucolico. Per chi ama lunghe passeggiate in mezzo alla natura con scenari mozzafiato e' il posto ideale. Io che sono un po' pigro e non amo molto camminare ho preferito andare a cavallo ed ho passato un giorno intero a cavalcare su e giu' per i prati passando di valle in valle tra montagne, cascate, ruscelli e pitture rupestri. E' stata una giornata fantastica anche se quella sera il mio fondoschiena ha gridato vendetta.
Colonna sonora: "Ain't no mountain high enough" Marvin Gaye

Nothing’s worse than waking up on a foggy day, and I even had to put on my wet clothes. When I left Maseru my morale was rather low, but then the fog dissolved and it was sunny again everything changed. I was in a good mood again and riding my bike through the sun-lit mountains of Lesotho was great fun. Malealea (S 29 49,718' E 27 35,968') is a small village perched up on the mountains and the landscape is very bucolic and unspoilt. If you like hiking in the nature with breath-taking views this is the place for you. I am a lazy guy and I don’t like walking so much, so I preferred a horse. I spent all day on horseback up and down the meadows, criss-crossing the valleys encircled by mountains, riding by waterfalls, streams and rock paintings. It was a great day, but in the evening my back was oh so sore.

Soundtrack: "Ain't no mountain high enough" Marvin Gaye

Kimberley - Maseru (25.244 km)

2008-06-02T17:24:00.002+02:00

Maseru

La giornata e' iniziata esattamente nello stesso modo in cui si era conclusa quella precedente: tanta acqua e tanto freddo. Per 6 ore ho guidato sotto una tempesta con una temperatura di poco superiore allo zero. Sono arrivato al confine con il Lesotho completamente fradicio e per il freddo mi si erano congelati l'indice e il dito medio della mano destra. Arrivato a Maseru ho steso i miei vestiti ad asciugare e sono crollato in un sonno profondo sognando di poter ritrovare il sole l'indomani.
Colonna sonora: "Riders on the storm" The Doors

The new day started exactly as the day before had ended: pouring rain and cold. I drove for six hours under a storm and it was nearly 0°C. I arrived at the Lesotho border completely drenched, and my right hand second and middle finger had frozen because of the cold. In Maseru I took off my clothes and put them to dry. I fell into a deep sleep dreaming of a sunny day tomorrow.
Soundtrack: "Riders on the storm" The Doors

Upington - Kimberley (24.623 km)

2008-06-02T16:52:00.002+02:00

The big hole

The big tower

La pioggia non mi ha concesso un attimo di tregua, cosi', invece di arrivare a Bloemfontein, mi sono duvuto fermare a Kimberley. Anche questa volta non sono riuscito a raggiungere la meta che mi ero prefissato. E' incredibile come gli eventi atmosferici condizionino la vita quando ci si sposta in sella ad una motocicletta. Ma fa parte del gioco ed e' proprio quest'imprevedibilita' e questa fragilita' che rende questo tipo viaggio cosi' unico e bello. Kimberly e' una piccola cittadina del Northern Cape e deve la sua fortuna ai famosi diamanti che sono stati rinvenuti nel corso del secolo scorso nella sua ricca miniera ed e' famosa per il suo grande buco (S 28 44,399' E 24 45,324') e per la sua grande torre. Vi lascio immaginare il resto...
Colonna sonora: "Starlight" Muse

Well, in the end I made it to where I was at. It’s incredible how the weather can change your plans when you’re riding a bike. The rain didn’t stop, not even for a minute, so instead of cruising as far as Bloemfontein I had to stop in Kimberley. This Northern Cape small town is famous for the diamonds that were dug in its mine, as well as for its big hole (S 28 44,399' E 24 45,324') and its huge tower. I won’t tell you about the rest…
Soundtrack: "Starlight" Muse

Fish River Canyon - Upington (23.998 km)

2008-06-02T16:19:00.004+02:00

Namibia

Rain coming

Welcome to South Africa

My new open-up portable tent

Pochi chilometri dopo aver lasciato il Fish River Canyon ho incontrato Leon, un simpatico sudafricano in sella ad un BMW 1200 GS che mi ha offerto ospitalita' per quando arrivero' nella sua citta' vicino a Cape Town. E' incredibile, ma e' gia' il quarto sudafricano che incontro che mi offre ospitalita' ancora prima di essere arrivato nel loro paese. Quando sono giunto a Grunar il tempo e' peggiorato cosi', invece di proseguire verso sud come avevo programmato, ho deciso di deviare verso est per raggiungere il confine orientale col Sud Africa e cercare di evitare la perturbazione. Ma cosi' facendo ho peggiorato la situazione ed ho guidato fino ad Upington in mezzo a pioggia e vento. Come se non bastasse mi sono ritrovato senza soldi perche' tutte le banche di Upington quel giorno erano fuori servizio. All'improvviso e' rispuntato Leon. Ha fatto un paio di telefonate ad alcuni suoi parenti dopo di che mi ha detto di aver rimediato una sistemazione gratuita per entrambi in un albergo di proprieta' di alcuni suoi conoscenti. Poco dopo mi sono ritrovato al Ontvangs Hotel, un bellissimo albergo a 5 stelle sulla riva dell'Orange River.
Colonna sonora: "One night in the hotel" Michel Petrucciani

A few kilometers after leaving the Fish River Canyon I met Leon, a friendly guy from South Africa riding a BMW 1200 GS. He was very nice and offered me hospitality when I’ll be in his town near Cape Town. Unbelievable: he’s the fourth South African saying he would put me up even before I get to their country! I cruised down to Grunar, but as the weather was getting worse I preferred not to venture South (like I had planned) and detoured to the East instead, in order to get to the South African border trying to stay away from the bad weather. That was a wrong decision. Things got even worse and I got me a windy and rainy drive all the way to Upington. Worse still, I had no money and the banks were all closed on that day. Unexpectedly, Leon was there once again. He made a couple of calls to some relatives of his and was able to find a free accommodation for the both of us in a hotel owned by some people that he knew. In a very short time I was feeling safe and comfortable in the five-star Ontvangs Hotel overlooking the banks of the Orange River.

Soundtrack: "One night in the hotel" Michel Petrucciani

Gweta - Magkadikadi salt pans

2008-05-23T15:16:00.010+02:00

50 foot me

matt's book cover idea put to the test in the pans
check the sun coming through the bike. beautiful

camp
the sunrise the following day

free to be
nothing to look at but the line

getting to the pans

Jupiter's travels shot - you gotta have it
hot day, loads of bike gear. bad cocktail

riding on a salt pan has been a dream of mine for a long time. ever since ive dreamed of this trip i have an image of myself riding through a salt pan with nothing in sight. well on that fine day i did it. it was a hard 70km ride through deep sand to get there. and over lots of shrubs and other indescribables. but mamma mia was it worth it. on arrival your greeted with this nothingness. and its goes on forever. an infinte nothingness. it feels like a scene from the neverending story. where the word was lost to emptiness. all your left with is simplicity. the sky and the white earth. theres a line you can draw at the horizon and its all you have. its a magical feeling being out there. i kind of felt like i was in my mind. in my subconsious. i was all alone out there and so it was quiet. just me and myself and the line. everything i amplified. your breathing, your swallowing. theres no sound, so a breath has the force of a hurricane and a click of your tongue is the sound of a lightening bolt. i felt so free. at one point i took all my clothes off and ran naked with my eyes closed in the nothing. and i did it for a long time. that really touched me - and no, not down there.

i then layed myself down and closed my eyes. the brightness was hurting and as i didnt have any sunglasses i could get sun-blindness very quickly. i slept under the shade of the ducati with nothing to do the whole day but look occasionally at the line and think about who i was and where i was. my life and my loved ones. and its all so simple out there. i felt like lifes complexities were broken down. that i knew what mattered, that i truly knew who and what i was.

i put up my tent and cooked a simple dinner. the sun went down and it was a magnificent sunset. the setting sun's light pans out horizontally across the nothingness and the gradients of colour were both perfect and new to me in their tones. i slept. during the night there was a large animal sniffing around my tent. i had a dream that the animal was pulling me out. i woke up in the morning to the predawn sunrise. and it was more. the colour range could have killed a goldfish.

i left. i was sad to go. but you cant hang around the nothingness too long. i think you would go mad. mad with its infinity and beauty. it was one of the most beautiful moments ive had on this trip. and what made it even more special was that i was all alone with me myself and i.

Livingstone - Gweta

2008-05-23T15:03:00.003+02:00

etc etc etc..
no comment

sunset on vic falls. wont forget that in a hurry
mist in africa!
me and some local chinas chilling on the ferry boat
zambiam botswana border crossing
another straight road calls for another bob marley song in hebrew

Well left Livingstone early in the morning for a long days ride to botswana gweta. krikey the roads in zambia and botswana are boring. so boring in fact that i fall asleep. the only way to keep me awake is to drink coke

or red bull. but im so tired that it really helps. so i sing to myself. i sing all kinds of songs. i make some of them up and then i often sing songs that i know in chinese, russian, dutch or german. i cant speak any of these languages but singing away in strange tongues does one thing for me, it keeps me awake and alert! strange i know...

i came acorss a big truck flipped onto it's side. we see a lot of that in africa. incredible accidents in chilled out places on the road. how do they crash things like that in these places? well never know.so apart from nearly having a huge truck reverse into me at the border the other highlight of the day was getting hit by a huge bug and whilst i was peering down i hit a great big wopping pothole. a big one. and i thought,,, thats it, here we go again! turns out i only badly damaged my rim (later i realized it went a lot further - but thats another story). so nothing really exciting exept long straight boring roads with a bearded weirdo singing the russian of Staying alive.

Keetmanshoop - Fish River Canyon (23.490 km)

2008-05-23T12:22:00.002+02:00

Il Fish River Canyon (S 27 35,417' E 17 36,210') e' uno dei posti piu' affascinanti della Namibia. Misura 160 km in lunghezza, 27 km in larghezza e raggiunge una profondita' di 550 m. Davanti a quest'enorme corridoio di roccia scavato dal fiume ci si sente veramente piccoli e non so perche', ma guardando il canyon dal bordo del crepaccio si prova un'irresistibile tentazione a saltarci dentro e provare a volare.
Colonna sonora: "Find the river" R.E.M.

The Fish River Canyon (S 27 35,417' E 17 36,210') is one of the most fascinating places in Namibia. It’s 160 km long, 27 km wide and 550 m deep. You feel like you are very small indeed in front of this corridor made of rocks carved by the river. I don’t know why, but looking down to the canyon from the edge of the cliff you really feel like jumping into it trying to fly.
Soundtrack: "Find the river" R.E.M.

Maltahohe - Keetmanshoop (23.324 km)

2008-05-23T12:12:00.004+02:00

Da Maltahohe mi sono spostato a Keetmanshoop. Questo posto e' famoso per la presenza dei Kokerbooms, degli strani e buffi alberi che sembrano appartenere piu' al mondo delle fate e dei folletti che non al pianeta terra. Qui ho incontrato un gruppo di ciclisti che a colpi di pedale attraversa tutta l'Africa dal Cairo a Cape Town. A loro il merito di tanta tenacia e costanza. Io non ne sarei capace. Troppa fatica per i miei gusti. Quella notte mi sono accampato in un bellissimo terreno roccioso proprio in mezzo ad alcuni Kekerbooms.
Colonna sonora: "Mad about you" Hooverphonic

From Maltahohe I continued to Keetmanshoop. This place is famous for the presence of the Kokerbooms: these funny trees seem to belong better to a fairy-world rather than to planet earth. Here I met a group of cyclists, who are pedalling all the way through Africa from Cairo to Cape Town. Well, hats off to their tenacity and steadfastness. I couldn’t do that. Too tiring for me. I camped for the night in a picturesque rocky terrain just in the middle of some Kekebooms.

Soundtrack: "Mad about you" Hooverphonic

Sossusvlei - Maltahohe (22.944 km)

2008-05-23T11:56:00.002+02:00

Dopo soli 160 km mi sono dovuto fermare perche' ero troppo stanco per andare avanti. Probabilmente tutti i chilometri su sterrato che ho fatto in Namibia iniziavano a farsi sentire. Cosi', alcuni chilometri prima di Maltahohe, ho montato la tenda a qualche centinaio di metri dalla strada tra alcuni cespugli (S 24 51,958' E 16 59,060'). La notte senza luna e' terribilmente buia e quando si e' accampati da soli in mezzo al nulla lo e' ancora di piu'. Durante la notte sono venuti due animali (probabilmente sciacalli) ad annusare la tenda girandoci un paio di volte attorno. Inutile dire che non sia riuscito a dormire molte ore quella notte.
Colonna sonora: "Darkness on the edge of town" Bruce Springsteen

I had to stop after only 160 km: I was too tired to go on. Probably the dirt road kilometres in Namibia had been one too many. So just a few kilometres before Maltahohe I set up my tent in the bush a few hundred meters away from the road (S 24 51,958' E 16 59,060'). The night with no moon is so dark, and for a lonely camper in the middle of nowhere it is even darker. During the night two animals (probably jackals) came and made a couple of rounds sniffing at my tent. No need saying, I could sleep but a few hours that night.

Soundtrack: "Darkness on the edge of town" Bruce Springsteen

Sesriem - Sossusvlei (22.780 km)

2008-05-23T11:13:00.007+02:00

Tutte le mattine alle 5:15 si apre il cancello che da' accesso alla valle in mezzo alle dune e puntualmente inizia la folle corsa dei turisti per arrivare per primi alla Duna 45 e poter lasciare le proprie impronte sulla sabbia immacolata rimodellata dal vento della notte precedente. Io me la sono presa con comodo e sono partito quasi mezz'ora dopo tutti gli altri, ma quando sono arrivato alla duna (S 24 43,297' E 15 34,482'), stranamente, non ho trovato nessuno. Mi sono arrampicato fino in cima ed in completa solitudine ho aspettato che il sole spuntasse dall'orizzonte ed accendesse le onde del deserto per me. E' stato davvero emozionante. Sono rimasto per piu' di due ore immobile immerso nel silenzio piu' assoluto del deserto ad osservare quest'incredibile spettacolo naturale che pur essendo cosi' unico e bello si ripete all'infinito tutte le mattine da un'eternita'.
Dopo essere sceso dalla duna mi sono diretto verso il fondo della valle e mi sono reso conto che in realta' avevo scalato la duna sbagliata ed e' per questo motivo che non c'era nessun'altro oltre me.
Dopo aver camminato per circa mezz'ora in mezzo alle dune al di la' della valle ho raggiunto la Dead Vlei (S 24 45,403' E 15 18,024'). Questo e' uno degli ecosistemi piu' aridi di tutto il pianeta, tuttavia in questo posto cosi' inospitale sopravvivono piante ed animali. Ci sono insetti, rettili, uccelli, oryx, e persino dei bellissimi fiori gialli che spuntano direttamente dalla sabbia. Ma l'animale piu' numeroso, piu' buffo e piu' curioso e' senza dubbio il turista che, nonostante possa camuffarsi nelle forme piu' strane, lo si ritrova in ogni angolo del pianeta.
Colonna sonora: "High" James Blunt

Every morning at 5:15am they open the gateway to the dunes in the valley, and punctually a crowd of tourists rushes to Dune 45 in order to leave their foorprints on the immaculate sand that the wind has remodelled the night before. I took it slowly and easy, and started about half an hour after the other people had left, but when I got to the dune (S 24 43,297' E 15 34,482') I didn’t find anybody there, oddly enough. I climbed to the top and waited for the sun to rise from the horizon, lighting up the desert sands for me. It was quite something. I lingered in the silence of the desert for more than two hours watching this astonishing sight offered by nature: so beautiful, so unique and still repeating itself every morning since the beginning of the world.
I eventually went down from the dune and while heading towards the end of the valley I realized I had climbed up the wrong dune, and that’s why nobody had been there with me. I walked for about half an hour to the Dead Vlei (S 24 45,403' E 15 18,024'). It’s one of the driest ecosystems in the planet, but still many animals and plants live here: insects, reptiles, birds, oryx and even some fine yellow flowers sprouting from the sand. But no doubt: the most numerous, funniest and curious animals are the tourists. Even in disguise you can find them anywhere!

Soundtrack: "High" James Blunt

Windhoek - Sesriem (22.620 km)

2008-05-23T10:53:00.002+02:00

Remhoogte pass

A Windhoek mi sono fermato quattro giorni piu' del previsto. Mi ci voleva proprio un po' di riposo. Fermarmi qualche giorno nello stesso posto, uscire con gli amici e poter rivedere le stesse persone il giorno dopo mi ha fatto sentire un po' a casa. E' strano, ma continuo ad incontrare sosia dei miei amici italiani. Forse perche' un po' mi mancano e mi sembra di vederli dappertutto.
Quando sono ripartito mi e' dispiaciuto dover salutare tutti quanti, ma nello stesso tempo ero contento di rimontare in sella e riprendere la strada.
Prima di raggiungere il deserto del Namib la strada si inerpica sulle montagne ed offre un panorama da pelle d'oca. Lo so, dico sempre la stessa cosa, ma questa volta il paesaggio e' davvero stupendo. Dopo aver valicato il passo Remhoogte e superato un paio di tornanti in leggera discesa all'improvviso, proprio come un sipario, si apre uno spiraglio tra due pareti rocciose e ci si ritrova davanti all'incredibile spettacolo delle dune color fuoco del Namib.
Percorrendo gli ultimi chilometri non si sa piu' dove girare la testa: sulla sinistra si possono vedere le montagne straordinariamente verdi a causa delle precipitazioni da record di quest'anno, sulla destra lo sguardo si perde sul mare infinito di sabbia rossa e davanti la strada che si perde in un canyon in lontananza.
Colonna sonora: "Con te partirò'" Andrea Bocelli

I spent in Windhoek four days more than I expected. I needed some rest. To find myself in the morning in the same place I was the night before, hanging out with friends and meeting the same people for a few days made me feel like I was at home. It’s funny, but it’s like I see doubles of my Italian friends everywhere I go. Yes, I do miss them a lot. When I left Windhoek I was sorry to say goodbye to everybody, but I was happy to be back on the saddle once more. Before getting to the Namib Desert the road climbs up to the mountains and the views are breath-taking. I know I’m repeating myself, but the landscape is really terrific this time. After Remhoogte Pass there a couple of downhill switchbacks and then suddenly in an opening between two rocky walls you can see the incredible fire-red dunes of the Namib, like a curtain opening before your eyes. Cruising down for the last few kilometers I don’t know where I should turn my head: green mountains on the left (it rained a lot this year), an endless sea of pink sand on the right, and the road stretching ahead to a canyon in the distance.

Soundtrack: "Con te partirò" Andrea Bocelli

Walvis Bay – Windhoek (22.157 km)

2008-05-23T09:07:00.002+02:00

Leaving the Namib

Bosua Pass

Great View

So green up here

La strada e’ sterrata, ma prevalentemente in buone condizioni. Per i primi 150 km attraversa il piatto deserto del Namib, poi inizia ad inerpicarsi su colline e montagne fino ad arrivare a valicare il Bosua Pass. Qui il paesaggio s’inverdisce ed oltre i 1700 metri ho ritrovato gli stessi buffi alberi che c’erano sul Kilimangiaro. Sono arrivato a Windhoek stanco morto. Forse 360 km su sterrato in un giorno solo sono troppi. Nel poco tempo che ho passato nella capitale non sono riuscito a farmi un’idea precisa, ma la mia impressione non e’ stata del tutto positiva. Ho ritrovato nelle persone quella frenesia e quel nervosismo tipici di chi vive in alcune grandi metropoli europee. Elementi solitamente estranei alla maggiorparte della gente che abita questo continente. Ho dormito al Cardboard Box Backpackers. (S 22 33,762’ E 17 04,534’).
Colonna Sonora: “Living in a box” Living in a box

It’s a dirt road, but it’s in good conditions most of the way. The first 150 km are through the flat Namib desert, then the road starts to climb on hills and mountains up to the Bosua Pass. Here the landscape gets green and leafy, and above 1700 m I saw the same funny trees I had found on the Kilimangiaro. When I arrived at Windhoek I was very tired. Maybe driving 360 km along a dirt road in one single day is too much. I didn’t spend much time in the capital, so I couldn’t figure out things very well, but the first impression was absolutely positive. The people here are frenetic and nervous, like the inhabitants of any bustling European city. This kind of living is very unusual to most of the people in this continent. I spent the night al Cardboard Box Backpackers. (S 22 33,762’ E 17 04,534’).
Soundtrack: “Living in a box” Living in a box

Swakopmund - Walvis Bay (21.804 km)

2008-05-22T16:08:00.003+02:00

Nubian desert....

I tried to bring the bike up here but it was too hard

Skeleton coast. Brrr!

Per andare a Walvis Bay (S 22 57,332' E 14 35,064') si puo' scendere lungo la costa oppure passare all'interno attraverso le dune del Namib. Io sono passato per il deserto. Si allunga un po', ma ne vale sicuramente la pena. Le dune di sabbia rossa modellate dal vento freddo che soffia dall'Atlantico s'intrecciano in curve morbide e sinuose creando dei disegni magnifici. Alcune di queste superano i 200 metri d'altezza. Questa volta guidare sulla sabbia e' stato piu' semplice del previsto. Mi sono insabbiato una volta soltanto. Poco prima di arrivare a Walvis Bay ho scalatao la duna 7 (S 22 57,332' E 14 35,064) che e' la piu' alta della zona. La discesa e' stata decisamente meno faticosa e piu' divertente dell'ascesa.
Colonna sonora: "Highway to hell" AC/DC

To get to Walvis Bay (S 22 57,332' E 14 35,064') you can ride down along the coast or cruise in the interior through the dunes of Namib. I chose the desert. The route is a little bit longer, but it’s really worth it. The dunes shaped by the wind blowing from the Atlantic Ocean entwine in gentle and smooth curves. Some dunes are more than 200 m high. This time driving on the sand was easier than I presumed. I got stuck in the sand only once. A few kilometers before Walvis Bay I climbed up dune 7 (S 22 57,332' E 14 35,064), which is the highest dune around. Driving downhill was less tiring and more fun than going up.
Soundtrack: "Highway to hell" AC/DC

Bike Maintenance

2008-05-22T15:51:00.002+02:00

The crash on the bushplate and the salt

The welder

Facendo fuoristrada sulle rocce del deserto si e' spaccato il paramotore, cosi' a Swakopmund mi sono dovuto fermare per effettuare alcune saldature.
Colonna sonora: "Fattalla’" Almamegretta

Riding off-road on the desert rocks the protection of the motor broke, so I had to stop in Swakopmund to do some welding.

Soundtrack: "Fattalla’" Almamegretta

Uis - Swakopmund (21.664 km)

2008-05-14T17:04:00.005+02:00

Springboks

Ostrichs

Some rocks on the way

Plants grow even in the desert

Oooops

Taking off some air

"....."

Trying to find an alternative way

...finally some help

Offroad driving kills!

Lunch

Let's go for a swim?

Amazing Salt Pan

Swakopmund

Aquarium

BBQ with friends

Our Cessna

Namib deseret

Just befor the jump

Seguendo il consiglio di diverse persone ho deciso di fare un percorso alternativo per raggiungere la costa. Cosi' ho seguito una pista che aggira la Brandberg Mountain per poi attreversare il deserto per 200 km fino alla Skeleton Coast. "E' un po' piu' impegnativa della strada principale", ma ne vale al pena". Mi avevano detto.
Il panorama effettivamente e' da mozzare il fiato. Attorno alla montagna poi ho incontrato diversi struzzi ed alcuni springbok che mi han corso dietro giocando a superarmi ed a tagliarmi la strada di continuo.
Dopo 50 km sono arrivate le prime difficolta': enormi pietre nere che tutto sommato non mi hanno dato troppi problemi, pero' mi si e' spaccato il coprimotore.
Quando la sabbia ha iniziato ad aumentare le cose sono cambiate. Con tutto quel peso sulla moto era veramente difficile andare avanti e quando la sabbia ha superato il mezzo metro di profondita' sono stato costretto a scendere e spingere la moto camminandoci affianco. E' stato terribilmente frustrante ed estremamente faticoso. Dopo un'ora e mezza evevo appena percorso 5 km. A quel punto ho pensato di provare ad andare fuiri pista dove la sabbia era un po' meno profonda, ma dopo nemmeno un metro mi sono insabbiato (S 21 04,371' E 14 14,633'). Era l'una di pomeriggio, c'erano piu' di 40 gradi, io non avevo piu' energie ed ero ad oltre 150 km dalla civilta'. Con quel caldo era impossibile andare avanti, cosi' ho deciso di montare la tenda, aspettare il tramonto per liberare la moto e ripartire l'indomani all'alba. Proprio mentre stavo cercando un posto dove piazzare la tenda, pero', sono arrivati quattro tedeschi che viaggiavano nella direzione opposta alla mia su di un 4x4. Non potevo credere ai miei occhi. Mi hanno aiutato a spostare la moto e poi mi hanno scortato per 15 km finche' la sabbia non e' tornata ad un livello accettabile.
Arrivato sulla costa ero esausto e non vedevo l'ora di fare un bel bagno per rinfrescarmi un po', ma uno squalo piu' grande della mia moto mi ha fatto subito cambiare idea.
La Skeleton Coast e' una lunga striscia di sabbia piatta tra l'oceano ed il deserto. Il sale che la ricopre rende la sabbia molto dura e compatta ed e' quindi molto facile guidarci sopra.
Quando sono arrivato a Swakopmund (S 22 40,882' E 14 31,681') era ormai sera, faceva freddo e c'era addirittura la nebbia. Qui pero' ho ritrovato la civilta'. Ho mangiato una pizza e poi sono andato al cinema. E pensare che appena poche ore prima ero bloccato in mezzo al deserto!
Swakopmund e' la capitale degli sport estremi. Da qui non si puo' andare via senza aver provato qualcosa tra sandboarding, quad biking, shark swimming o una delle mille attivita' piu' strane che organizzano qui. Io mi sono buttato dall'aereo con il paracadute.L'aereo era un piccolo Cessna pieno di buchi e tenuto insieme con american tape. Il volo panoramico sopra le dune del Nabib e' stato spettacolare. Il momento piu' emozionante e' stato quando ho aperto il portellone e mi sono seduto sul bordo dell'aereo con le gambe sospese nel vuoto. Forse non si deve fare, ma io ho gardato in basso e' mi sono un po' innervosito. Poi pero' il volo in caduta libera e' stato stupendo.
Colonna sonora: "Highschool Lover" Air

I decided to follow the advice I had been given by many people, so I cruised down a different route to get to the coast. I followed a trail that goes around the Brandberg Mountain and cuts through the desert for 200 km to the Skeleton Coast. "It’s more challenging than the main road, but it’s worth it’, I had been told.
The views are breath-taking. Driving down the mountain I met several ostriches and a few springbox, that got in the way trying to go faster than me.
After 50 km things got harder: huge black rocks across the road. Not too many problems, fortunately, but the protection of the motor broke.
When the sand became deeper things changed completely. The bike was heavy and driving was really difficult. When the sand became half meter deep I couldn’t but get off and push the bike. It was frustrating and very tiring. After one hour and a half of hard work I had covered only 5 km. I decided to go off-road, where the sand was less deep, but after just 1 m I got stuck in the sand (S 21 04,371' E 14 14,633'). I just couldn’t move anymore. It was 1pm and a sweating 40°C, I was exhausted and more than 150 km far from any civilized settlement. It was too hot to continue my efforts, so I decided to set up camp and get my bike out of the sand at dusk. I would start again my journey the following morning. I was looking for the right place to camp when four Germans arrived on a 4WD travelling the other way. I couldn’t believe my eyes. They helped me taking my bike out from the deep sand and escorted me for 15 km until the sand was lower and thicker.
When I reached the coast I was dead beat. I was looking forward to a refreshing swim, but a shark bigger than my bike made me immediately change my mind.
The Skeleton Coast is a long and flat stretch of sand between the ocean and the desert. It’s covered with salt and driving on this hard and thick surface is very easy.
I arrived at Swakopmund (S 22 40,882' E 14 31,681') in the evening and it was cold and foggy. At last I found civilization again! I had a pizza and then went to the movies... and just a few hours before I was stuck in the middle of the desert!
Swakopmund is the capital of extreme sports. You can’t leave without trying sandboarding, quad biking, shark swimming, or alternatively one of the many activities on offer here. I chose parachuting. The plane was a small Chessna full of holes and put together with American tape. The scenic flight over the dunes of Namib was breath-taking. The most exciting moment was when they opened up the big door and I sat on the edge of the plane with my legs suspended in the air. I know one shouldn’t do it, but I looked down and felt myself a little uneasy. Free falling is great, anyway.

Soundtrack: "Highschool Lover" Air

Twyfelfontein - Uis (21.336 km)

2008-05-14T16:26:00.007+02:00

Organ Pipe

Burnt Mountain

So quiet

Trying to find Ugab Camp

Lost

Ghost camp

Eating some biltong

Rock paintings

The white lady

Brandberg Mountain

Sunset behind Brandberg Mountain

Da Twyfelfontein mi sono diretto verso la Brandberg Mountain, la montagna piu' alta di tutta la Namibia. Questa zona come tutto il sud di questo paese, e' incredibilmente desolata. In 200 km non ho incontrato assolutamente nessuno. Solamente una quantita' innumerevole d'insetti e di serpenti. Gli insetti sono talmente grandi che quando attraversano la strada bisogna fermarsi per farli passare, mentre i serpenti ti spuntano davanti all'improvviso quando meno te lo aspetti ed ogni volta mi viene un mezzo infarto, anche perche' qui in Namibia ci sono i serpenti piu' velenosi del mondo, compreso il cobra sputatore.
Prima di arrivare alla montagna ho effettuato una deviazione verso Ugab Camp (S 21 00,053' E 14 46,897') per rifornirmi d'acqua, ma dopo aver percorso 40 km di sabbia profonda ho trovato il sito abbandonato quindi niente cibo e niente acqua.
Arrivato ai piedi della montagna ho finalmente trovato un po' d'acqua e poi ho cominciato la scalata fino alla caverna dove sono stati rinvenuti alcuni disegni su pietra risalenti a piu' di 6.000 ani fa. (S 21 06,642' E 14 39,756').
Uis Brandberg Rest Camp (S 21 13,149' E 14 52,067')
Colonna sonora: "Sign" Travis

From Twyfelfontein I headed to the Brandberg Mountain, the highest peak in Numibia. This region, as well as the southern part of the country, is totally bare. I didn’t meet absolutely anybody for 200 km. Just lots and lots of insects and snakes. The insects are so big here that when you cross the road you better stop to let them pass. The snakes jump up suddenly, when you less expect to see them, and every time they give me a heart attack, because here in Namibia live the most poisonous snakes in the world, including the spitting cobra.
Before reaching the mountain I detoured to Ugab Camp (S 21 00,053' E 14 46,897') for water supply, but after 40 km of deep sand all that I found was an abandoned site: no water and no food.
At the foot of the mountain I finally found some water, then I started climbing up to a cave with rock paintings more than 6000 years old (S 21 06,642' E 14 39,756'). Uis Brandberg Rest Camp (S 21 13,149' E 14 52,067')

Soundtrack: "Sign" Travis

Tsumeb - Twyfelfontein (21.111 km)

2008-05-14T15:55:00.004+02:00

Petrified forest

Beautiful road

The lionman

Twyfelfontein si trova in una zona desolata a nordest della Namibia. Il paesaggio e' semidesertico, cosparso di colline rocciosee sabbia. La temperatura e' sempre ai massimi livelli e qui soffia un vento secco proveniente dal deserto del Namib. Praticamente e' come aver costantemente un'ascigacapelli puntato dritto in faccia.
Lungo la strada mi sono fermato a visitare la foresta pietrificata dove sono stati rinvenuti enormi tronchi d'albero vecchi di milioni di anni che, con la pressione che la sabbia ha esercitato su di loro in tutto questo tempo, si sono letteralmente pietrificati.
A Twyfelfontein c'e' la piu' estesa galleria di pitture rupestri di tutta l'Africa.
Qui i disegni sono stati effettuati circa 6.000 anni fa incidendo la superficie delle roccie. Il disegno piu' famoso e' l'"Uomo leone" che rappresenta un leone con una mano umana all'estremita' della lunga coda. Da questo si deduce che gli uomini che hanno fatto questi disegni credessero che, una volta morti, si reincarnassero in qualche altro animale.
Aba-Huab Rest Camp (S 20 32,939' E 14 23,910')
Colonna sonora: "The heather on the hill" Chet Baker

Twyfelfontein is in a bare region in the northwest of Namibia. The landscape is almost like a desert, with rocky hills and sand. The climate is always very hot here, with a dry wind blowing from the Namib desert. It’s like having a hair drier constantly pointed to your face.
Along the road I stopped to visit the ‘stone forest’, where million-year old huge tree trunks have become like stones, due to the compression of the sand throughout the centuries.
At Twyfelfontein there’s the longest rock paintings gallery of all Africa.
The paintings here date back to 6000 years ago, and were created by carving the rock surface. The most famous is ‘The Lion-man’, showing a lion with a human hand at the end of its long tail. Presumably, the men who carved these paintings believed they would reincarnate into other animals after death. Aba-Huab Rest Camp (S 20 32,939' E 14 23,910')

Soundtrack: "The heather on the hill" Chet Baker

Etosha National Park

2008-05-13T11:10:00.006+02:00

L'Etosha National Park (S 19 02,402' E 16 28,246') copre piu' di 20.000 km quadrati. All'interno del parco vivono 114 specie di mammiferi, 340 specie di uccelli, 16 diversi rettili ed una quantita' innumerevole d'insetti.L'Etosha e' uno dei parchi piu' facile da visitare. La superficie e' prevalentemente piatta ed al suo interno sono state costruite delle ottime strade. Noi addirittura abbiamo usato una Toyota Corolla.L'unico problema e' che in questo periodo dell'anno l'intera zona e' ricca d'acqua e gli animali tendono a disperdersi, cosi' diventa difficile avvistarli.

Colonna sonora: "Take five" Grover Washington Jr.

Etosha National Park (S 19 02,402' E 16 28,246') sprawls over 20.000 kmq. The park hosts 114 mammal species, 340 species of birds, 16 different reptiles and millions of insects.Etosha is one of the easiest parks to visit. It’s flat and is crisscrossed by a number of roads in very good conditions: we were even able to drive a Toyota Corolla.The only problem is that this time of the year the park is too rich with water, causing animals to disband, so it’s very difficult to see them.

Soundtrack: "Take five" Grover Washington Jr.

Rundu - Tsumeb (20.609 km)

2008-05-13T10:59:00.002+02:00

Tsumeb e' una citta' tranquilla. Quando sono arrivato era domenica e in giro per le strade non c'era proprio nessuno. Sembrava una citta' fantasma.Questo piccolo paese e' conosciuto per essere vicino all'Etosha National Park e per la ricchezza di minerali presenti in questa zona. Dieci dei 184 diversi tipi di minerali che sono stati rinvenuti qui non si trovano in nessun'altra parte al mondo.Mi sono sistemato al Mousebird Backpackers (S 19 14,813' E 17 43,057') dove ho ritrovato Carlo, un italiano della Garfagnana che ha iniziato due anni e mezzo fa il giro del mondo in autostop. Questo sistema di trasporto sembra funzionare, infatti e' dal Malawi che riesce a mantenere il mio stesso passo.

Colonna sonora: "Teardrop" Massive Attack

Tsumeb is a quiet village. It was Sunday when I arrived and nobody was around. It was like a ghost town.This small village is well known because it is near Etosha National Park and for the minerals that can be found around here. Ten of the 184 minerals in this area cannot be found anywhere else in the world.I found an accommodation at Mousebird Backpackers (S 19 14,813' E 17 43,057') and there I met Carlo once again. He’s an Italian from Garfagnana who started a trip around the world two years ago. Well, hitchhiking seems to work: he’s been travelling at my speed since Malawi!

Soundtrack: "Teardrop" Massive Attack

Bagani – Rundu (20.269 km)

2008-05-13T10:38:00.003+02:00

What is this white thing on the ground?

Eucalyptus forest

Rundu e’ una piccola citta’ che si trova esattamente a meta’ strada tra Bagani e l’Etosha National Park. E’ un’ottima tappa per spezzare in due il lungo trasferimento. Sulla riva meridionale del fiume Okavango c’e’ il Sarasungu River Lodge (S 17 53,448’ E 19 46,911’), un tranquillo campeggio situato nel bel mezzo di una foresta di eucalipto.Oggi per la prima volta dopo sei mesi di viaggio mi sono sentito un po’ solo. Forse inizio ad avere nostalgia di casa. Di sicuro mi mancano gli amici. Mi piacerebbe tornare in Italia per un giorno e passare una bella serata insieme a loro e scambiare quattro chiacchere e bere vino e ridere e fare tardi. Comunque so che prima o poi tornero’ indietro e li potro’ rivedere. Nel frattempo saluto tutti e ringrazio tutti quelli che mi sono stati vicino in questi mesi con i loro messaggi e le loro e-mail e mi hanno fatto sentire un po’ meno solo in questo paese cosi’ lontano e diverso dal nostro.
Colonna Sonora: “History Repeat Itself” A.O.S.

Rundu is a small town half way between Bagani and the Etosha National Park. It’s a very good stop for a relaxing break during the long journey. On the southern bank of the Okavango River is Sarasungu River Lodge (S 17 53,448’ E 19 46,911’), a quiet campsite in the middle of a eucalyptus forest.For the first time today after six months of travelling I felt myself alone. Maybe I’m homesick. I miss my friends, that’s for sure. I would like to find myself in Italy for just one day and spend an evening with them talking, drinking and revelling till the wee hours. Well, sooner or later I’ll be back home and I will see them. For the time being, I say hello to everybody, with special thanks to those who have been in touch with me by SMS and email. They make me feel like I’m not alone in this country, so far and different from Italy.
Soundtrack: “History Repeat Itself” A.O.S.

Tsodilo Hills – Bagani (20.050 km)

2008-05-13T10:17:00.005+02:00

Small village in Botswana

Some friends

Hut made with beer cans

The sand is everywere!

On the way to Ngepi

Camping just on the river

Swimming with Hippos and crocodiles

A Stripe Bellid Sand Snake hunting

Alle nove di mattina Katja ci ha svegliato con il profumo del caffe’ preparato con la sua preziosissima moka. Dopo colazione Alex e Katja mi hanno scortato per una cinquantina di chilometri fino alla strada principale mostrandomi, tra l’altro, una pista in condizioni nettamente migliori rispetto a quella ache avevo fatto io all’andata.Alla frontiera con la Namibia sono passato senza problemi. Questa non e’ una frontiera molto trafficata. Io ero il primo della giornata che passava da li’ e credo anche l’ultimo.
Dopo la frontiera ho attraversato senza saperlo un Parco Naturale ed una volta arrivato all'ingresso/uscita del parco il renger mi ha guardato storto dicendomi che e' da pazzi attraversare il parco in motocicletta e che sono stato davvero fortunato a non aver incontrato alcun leone.
In questa zona della Namibia le strade sono messe abbastanza male e fa un caldo da stare male. Dopo due ore di guida sulla sabbia sotto il sole ero completamente sfinito. Cosi’ mi sono fermato al Ngepi Camp (S 18 06,959’ E 21 40,169’) dove ho fatto il bagno nel fiume Okavango in una grande gabbia che tiene ad una distanza di sicurezza i coccodrilli e gli ippopotami che ci nuotano attorno.I propietari del campeggio mi hanno detto di tenere gli occhi ben aperti perche’ da qualche giorno si aggirava nel campeggio un Black Mamba, uno dei serpenti piu’ pericolosi al mondo, ma per fortuna non mi e’ capitato tra i piedi. In compenso, pero’, ho trovato un piu’ innoquo Stripe Bellid Sand Snake che aveva appena catturato una lucertola piu’ grande di lui.La sera, invece, sono venuti a trovarmi tre ippopotami che mi hanno fatto compagnia pascolando per tutta la notte intorno alla mia tenda.

Colonna Sonora: “Kobra” Donatella Rettore

Katja woke us up at 9am with the scent of coffee, that she had prepared with the help of her precious moka. After breakfast Alex and Katja escorted me for about 50 km to the main road. They showed me, amongst other things, a trail in far better conditions than the one I had run through before.
I entered Namibia without any problem. It is not a very busy border. I was the first one to cross the border on that day, and maybe the last.
After the border crossing I found myself in a natural park I was unaware of. When I arrived at the park entrance/way out, the ranger looked badly at me and told me that only a madman would try to venture through the park by bike. I had been very lucky, he added, not to meet any lions.
In this part of Namibia the roads are in poor conditions and the heat is almost unbearable. After two hours of driving on the sand I was definitely dead beat. So I stopped at Ngepi Camp (S 18 06,959’ E 21 40,169’), where I swam in the Okavango River inside a cage protecting people from the crocodiles and hippos swimming nearby. The camping owners adviced me to keep my eyes wide open, for a Black Mamba, one of the most dangerous snakes in the world, was moving around in the camping grounds. I didn’t meet him, anyway, but I saw a harmless Stripe Bellid Sand Snake: he had just captured a lizard bigger than he was! In the evening, three hippos came to see me, and they grazed all night around my tent.

Soundtrack: “Kobra” Donatella Rettore

Sepupa – Tsodilo Hills (19.930 km)

2008-05-12T12:19:00.005+02:00

Beautiful hill

Riding on the sand

Sand, sand and sand again...

Sand and rocks

Rock paintings

6.000 years old rock paintings

10 minutes old rock painting

Carlo, Katja, Alex and me

Oldest and newest design

New Ducati supporter

Tsodilo Hills e’ uno dei siti piu’ inaccessibili di tutta l’Africa. Per arrivare alla base di queste colline bisogna percorrere una “strada” terribile. Cinquanta chilometri di sabbia e rocce sotto un sole cocente. Per tre ore ho rivissuto l’incubo del lago Turkana.Una volta arrivato li’ ho fatto la bella scoperta che non c’e’ assolutamente alcun tipo di servizio. Il che significa niente cibo nel raggio di sessanta chilometri ed io, ovviamente, non avevo con me nessuna provvista quindi ho deciso di scalare in fretta una delle quattro colline per andare poi in Namibia a cercare qualcosa da mangiare.Su queste colline sono stati rinvenuti piu’ di 2750 pitture rupestri. Alcune risalgono addirittura a piu’ di 5000 anni fa.Quando sono tornato alla motocicletta ho incontrato una coppia di svizzeri che viaggia con un vecchio Land Cruiser. Mi hanno detto di conoscere tutta la mia storia ed il progetto che sto portando avanti qui in Africa ed a conferma di cio’ hanno saputo dire tutti i miei spostamenti precedenti.Mi hanno invitato a mangiare qualcosa con loro. Cosi’ abbiamo montato la tenda nella foresta alla base delle colline (S 18 45,638’ E 21 44,510’) e Alex ha cucinato degli ottimi spaghetti con pomodoro e verdure e, incredibilmente, anche un bel caffe’ espresso.

Colonna Sonora: “I Know a Place” Bob Marley

Tsodilo Hills is one of the worst sites to reach in Africa. We had to ride along a ‘road’ in very poor conditions to get to the hills. Fifty kilometres of rocks and sand under a scorching sun. I relived for three hours the nightmare of Lake Turkana. When we finally made it to our destination we found out there weren’t facilities of any sort, which means no food within 60 km. Of course, I had no food with me, so I decided to climb up in a hurry one of the four hills, in order to reach Namibia looking for something to eat. On these hills more than 2750 rock paintings have been found in the course of time. Some of them date back to more than 5000 years ago.
Back on the saddle, I met a Swiss couple travelling with an old Land Cruiser. They told me they knew all my story, as well as the project I’m involved in here in Africa. They were even able to report about my previous stops. They invited me to eat something in their company at the foot of the hills (S 18 45,638’ E 21 44,510’) and Alex cooked very good spaghetti with tomato and vegetables. He even provided us with an excellent expresso coffee.

Soundtrack: “I Know a Place” Bob Marley

Maun – Sepupa (19.843 km)

2008-05-10T13:12:00.004+02:00

Beautiful pink flowers on the Okavango Delta

Stuck in the sand

"Non calpestare i fiori del deserto"

Crossing Nxaragha Valley

Wild horses

Trying to ride a wild horse

Okavango River

Riding through a village

La strada che porta a nord fino al confine con la Namibia compie una grande deviazione a sudest per aggirare il delta del fiume Okavango. Per accorciare ho deciso di tagliare attraverso il delta attraversando la valle Nxaragha. Non posso dire di aver fatto una scorciatoia perche’ ho impiegato tre ore piu’ del normale, pero’ ho avuto la possibilita’ di vedere da vicino le meraviglie del delta e gli incredibili e miracolosi effetti che puo’ provocare l’acqua in un ambiente cosi’ arido.
Qui non ci sono ne’ piste, ne’ tantomeno strade, ma l’erba che cresce sulla sabbia del deserto rende la superficie piu’ stabile ed e’ quindi piu’ facile guidare la motocicletta.
Il paesaggio e’ spettacolare. La sabbia e’ completamente ricoperta da una fitta distesa d’erba, da alcuni alberi e da diversi tipi di fiori che creano delle bellissime macchie di colore giallo, rosa e verde chiaro.
Prima di ritoranre sulla strada principale ho incontrato tantissimi asini e cavalli selvaggi che pascolano e girano liberamente in questa zona.
A Sepupa ci siamo fermata al Swamp Stop Camp (S 18 44,732’ E 22 11,858’) ed abbiamo montato la tenda proprio sulla riva del fiume Okavango.
Colonna Sonora: “Wild Horses” The Rolling Stones

The road leading North to the Namibia border detours southwest in order to get around the delta of the Okavango River. I took a shortcut and cruised through the delta, crossing the Nxaragha Valley. Actually, it was not a ‘shortcut’ (it took me three hours more than it should), but I had the chance to ride very close to the many wonders of the delta, and appreciated the incredible effects of the water on such a dry environment.
No trails here, no roads, but the grass growing on the desert sand makes the bike more steady, and driving is easier. The landscape is terrific: the sand is covered with thick grass, some trees and flowers, creating colourful scrubs (yellow, pink and green).
Before getting back on the main road I met lots of donkeys and wild horses grazing freely in these surroundings.
In Sepupa we spent the night at Stop Camp (S 18 44,732’ E 22 11,858’), camping just off the banks of the Okavango River.
Soundtrack: “Wild Horses” The Rolling Stones

Gweta – Maun (19.477 km)

2008-05-10T12:46:00.005+02:00

Kalahari desert

Camping on the Okavango river

My beautiful bike (for who hasn't seen it yet)

Some fishermans on the river

Prima di andare a Maun mi sarebbe piaciuto attraversare il deserto Kalahari, ma l’accesso a questa zona e’ proibito alle motociclette, cosi’ ho potuto solamente percorrere una piccola parte della zona settentrionale del deserto.
Il Kalahari e’ un deserto atipico e, a differenza del Namib, del Sahara e di altri deserti “classici”, durante la stagione delle piogge riceve abbastanza acqua da permettere la comparsa di una fitta vegetazione. In questo periodo dell’anno, infatti, quasi l’80% del deserto e’ ricoperto d’erba e d’arbusti. Inoltre il Kalahari riceve per 365 giorni all’anno l’acqua del fiume Okavango che, prima di scomparire completamente sotto la sabbia del deserto, forma un delta proprio nei pressi di Maun e rende questa zona incredibilmante fertile.
A Maun abbiamo dormito al Back to the Bridge Backpackers (S 19 56,645’ E 23 29,377’).
Colonna Sonora: “78 Stone Wobble” Gomez

Before getting to Maun I would have liked to cut through the Kalahari desert, but bikes are not allowed in this area. So I could only ride few kilometers along the northern edge of the desert.
The Kalahari is not a ‘classic’ desert; unlike Namib, Sahara and other deserts, it gets wet enough in the rainy season to let a thick plant life grow up. As a matter of fact, in these days about 80% of the desert is covered with grass, bushes and shrubs. Moreover, the Kalahari receives the waters of the Okavango River 365 days a year. Before disappearing under the desert sands, the Okavango forms a delta near Maun, making the soil extremely rich.
In Maun we spent the night at Back to the Bridge Backpackers (S 19 56,645’ E 23 29,377’)
Soundtrack: “78 Stone Wobble” Gomez

Livingston – Gweta (19.245 km)

2008-05-10T12:33:00.003+02:00

The ferry leave just without me

Finally on the other side of the river

Big elephant along the road

One of the big Baobabs trees

A forza di fare l’intrepido sulle cascate mi sono beccato un bel raffreddore, cosi’ mi e’ toccato guidare per piu’ di 500 km con due fazzoletti infilati nel naso.
Alla frontiera con il Botswana bisogna attraversare il fiume Zambesi e l’unico modo per farlo e’ prendere la nave Kazungula. Com’era facile immaginare non e’ stato nulla di piacevole. La prima volta la nave e’ partita senza di me lasciandomi ad appena un metro dal pontile. Mentre la seconda volta il macchinista a pensato bene di abbassare l’argano del ponte levatoio proprio con la mia moto sotto! Fortunatamente il bauletto ha attutito il colpo e non ci sono stati danni.
Dopo pochi chilometri ci siamo fermati davanti ad un elefante che stava mangiando alcune foglie da un albero proprio sul ciglio della strada. Fa un certo effetto trovarsi a pochi metri di distanza faccia a faccia con questo grande animale. E’ completamente diverso che vederlo durante un safari dall’interno di un robusto 4x4. L’elefante, invece, non sembrava per nulla sorpreso ed ha continuato a mangiare indisturbato rompendo con la proboscite i grandi rami dell’albero come se fossero grissini. Ogni tanto si limitava a lanciare qualche rapida occhiata nella mia direzione e sembrava pensare: “Ma che cos’ha tanto da guardare questo piccoletto? Forse non ha mai visto un elefante prima d’ora?”. In effetti lungo la strada abbiamo poi visto talmente tanti elefanti e zebre che alla fine non ci facevamo neanche piu’ caso.
Gweta si trova sul bordo settentrionale del Makgadikgadi Pans, un grande lago salato che nella stagione secca si trasforma in un’enorme distesa di sale bianco. In questo periodo, pero’, e’ completamente ricoperto d’acqua e quindi non siamo riusciti ad attraversarlo. Ci siamo fermati a dormire al Planet Baobab (S 20 11,360’ E 25 18,344’), un bellissimo lodge nel bel mezzo di una foresta di enormi baobab.
Colonna Sonora: “Effervescing Elephant” Syd Barrett

The result of myself acting like a lion-hearted brave man in the proximity of the falls was a bad cold, that had me driving for more than 500 km with a dripping nose.
At the Botwana border we had to cross the Zambesi River, and the only way to get to the other bank is by the Kazungula ferry. As you can easily imagine, crossing the river was no fun at all. The first time the ferry crossed the river without me: I was left just 1 m away from the jetty. The second time the machinist activated the drawbridge ramp with my bike beneath it! Fortunately the locker cushioned the impact and the bike suffered no damage.
After a few kilometers we stopped before an elephant eating leaves from a tree along the road. To be face to face with an animal as huge as an elephant is very impressive indeed. It’s completely different from watching him from inside a safe 4WD during a safari. The elephant, on the contrary, didn’t look surprised at all and went on eating the leaves totally unimpressed, crushing big branches with his proboscis like they were breadsticks. Every now and then he glanced at me, maybe thinking to himself, ‘What’s the matter with this little man staring at me?’. Well, we saw so many elephants along the way that after a while we didn’t pay attention to them any longer. They became just a usual sight.
Gweta lies at the northern edge of Makgadikgadi Pans, a large salt water lake that in the dry season becomes an endless stretch of white salt. This time of the year it’s full of water, though, so we could not venture through it. We spent the night at Planet Baobab (S 20 11,360’ E 25 18,344’), a fantastic lodge in the middle of a baobab forest.
Soundtrack: “Effervescing Elephant” Syd Barrett

Victoria Falls

2008-05-10T12:15:00.006+02:00

Le cascate Vittoria sono una delle sette meraviglie naturali del mondo.
In questo periodo dell'anno, alla fine della stagione delle piogge, la portata del fiume Zambesi e' 20 volte superiore rispetto alla stagione secca. La nuvola d'acqua che s'innalza al di sopra delle cascate e' visibile da oltre 40 km di distanza ed i 108 m d'altezza e 1.7 km di larghezza valgono il primato delle piu' grandi cascate del mondo. Nella lingua Kolokolo queste cascate sono conosciute come "Mosi-oa-Tunya" che significa "Fumo che tuona".
Appena arrivati sul ponte che collega lo Zambia con lo Zimbabwe siamo rimasti a bocca aperta vedendo la potenza e la grandezza di queste cascate.
Subito dopo abbiamo percorso il Knife Edge Track che corre parallelamente alle cascate. Qui ci si trova esattamente difronte alle cascate a meno di 100 m di distanza, ma c'e' talmente tanta acqua sospesa nell'aria che e' difficile riuscire a vedere qualcosa. In compenso, pero', ci si puo' fare una bella doccia fresca.
Prima di tornare a Livingston siamo andati dall'altra parte, a monte delle cascate, dove abbiamo provato il brivido di camminare nell'acqua ad appena 5 m di distanza dal bordo del grande salto.
Colonna Sonora: "Victoria" The Kinks

Victoria Falls are one of the seven natural wonders in the world.
This time of the year, the end of the rainy season, the waters of the Zambesi River are 20 times higher than in the dry season, forming a cloud above the falls you can see from 40 km away. Victoria Falls (108 m high and 1.7 km wide) are the highest falls in the world. In the Kolokolo language these falls are known as "Mosi-oa-Tunya" (Thundering Smoke).
We first saw them from the bridge linking Zambia to Zimbabwe: the power and the size of these falls are absolutely jaw-dropping.
We cruised along the Knife Edge Track, a trail running parallel to the falls. Here you find yourself exactly in front the falls, just 100 m away, but there’s so much water floating in the air that you can hardly see anything. Don’t worry, in compensation you can take a nice cool shower!
Before getting back to Livingston we hiked upriver from the falls, and we felt shivers down our spine while we were walking at just 5 m distance from the big drop.
Soundtrack: "Victoria" The Kinks

Lusaka - Livingstone (18.727 km)

2008-05-10T08:44:00.003+02:00

Non c'e' molto da dire su questa tappa. La zona occidentale dello Zambia e' completamente piatta e tra Lusaka e Livingstone non c'e' nulla d'interessante. L'unica nota "divertente" e' che lungo la strada sono stato investito da una nuvola di strani insetti ciccioni che mi si sono spiaccicati addosso ricoprendomi dalla testa ai piedi come una marmellata.
Colonna sonora: "Land of 1000 dances" Wilson Pickett

Not much to be said. Western Zambia is totally flat and between Lusaka and Livingstone there is nothing remarkable. The only funny thing to report is that while driving I was attacked by a cloud of strange fat insects: they covered me from tip to toe like a fruit jam.
Soundtrack: "Land of 1000 dances" Wilson Pickett

Lusaka - Chingola (chimpanzee orphanage)

2008-05-03T12:13:00.008+02:00

riding in the bush - seems like australia hey Marco?

Sheila and he family have done the impossible here. such wonderful and warm people.
i felt a part of the family after just a couple of hours there.

me and my new friend dominic

the driving in Zambia is so boring! straight straight roads!

this was taken with a 50mm lens!!! the most dangerous animal in africa!

ouch

I just spent 3 days at the chimpanzee orphanage. which has been one of my highlights of the trip through africa. its near Chingola. northern Zambia. it was incredible being with them. it is the largest chimp sanctuary in the world with over 100 chimps there. they've also adopted a baby hippo 16 years ago, and it is now a tame 2 tonne pet. sheila (owner of Chimfunshi chimp sanctuary) is so tiny and its fantastic so watch her boss around this 2 tonne beauty. i spent a wonderful 3 days there, and have just come back tothe real world, without animals, and i wanna go back! i really recommend going to anyone who ever goes to zambia. it is a must!

* Important notice *

2008-04-30T23:02:00.000+02:00

New english translation available for the previous posts.
Look back!

Bike Maintenance

2008-04-30T17:53:00.003+02:00

Almost in love...

Changing rear tyre

Look at the difference.

Complete check up

Changing air filter

Everything ok!

Krikey, im not as organized or as clean as matteo, as you can see, we have very different ways to work on our bike. im just bloody messy. and i love getting dirty, especially when its bike grease! changed my air filter and had a serious look at my transmission. my chain hasn't had a serious lube up since Istanbul. there is just so much sand everywhere. and lubing it up does more harm than good. its hitting and slapping around a bit. just to dry. i also tightened up my chain a bit. so lubed her up and whaddya know. shes full of dirt of already! oh well... changing my air filter is quite hard right now. as my fairing and lights are held together with cable ties! so undoing them is tricky business. especially as i dont have any more and you cant buy them anywhere. i tell you, one day im going to make a bike outta cable ties and duck tape. without those two elements, no-one can traverse africa. my filter was absolutley filthy. i even had sand in my air box. and a lot of it! so cleaned her out and put in my last air filter. should get to jo'burg on that. this is one of the last bike maintenance days of our trip.... and it makes me get all soppy.

In Lusaka ho fatto un check up completo alla moto ed ho trovato tutto in perfette condizioni. La moto sembra ancora nuova, come appena uscita dalla fabbrica. (Ad eccezione di un paio di graffi sul fianco sinistro). E, considerando tutto quello che ha dovuto passare in questi cinque mesi, e' veramente incredibile. Ho cambiato il filtro dell'aria ed il pneumatico della ruota posteriore. Con queste ultime modifiche ora dovrei essere in grado di arrivare fino a Cape Town.
Colonna sonora: "Special K" Placebo

In Lusaka I checked up my bike completely and I found it in perfect conditions. My Ducati looks like it’s brand new, just out of the factory (apart from a couple of scratches on the left side). Well, going back with my mind to all we’ve been through during these last five months, it’s quite incredible.I changed the air filter and the rear tyre: now the bike should be OK all the way to Cape Town.

Soundtrack: "Special K" Placebo

Luangwa Bridge - Lusaka (18.239 km)

2008-04-30T17:42:00.002+02:00

Big Baobab tree

Kids running to receive some gift...

...but I don't have so many gift!

TseTse Control

Lunch break on the way

La zona attorno al fiume Luangwa e' infestata dalla mosca Tzetze e prima di entrare nella provincia di Lusaka abbiamo dovuto superare un posto di blocco dove un ufficiale con un retino effettua il "controllo tzetze". Tutti i veicoli provenienti da est vengo ispezionati ed a quel punto inizia un’esilarante e buffa “caccia alla mosca con retino”. Arrivati a Lusaka siamo stati multati per eccesso di velocita' nonostante stessimo viaggiando a soli 70 km all'ora su di una superstrada a tre corsie. Ma questo e' l'unico modo che hanno i poliziotti per "arrotondare" il loro misero stipendio. A Lusaka ci siamo fermati al Chachacha Backpackers (S 15 24,700' E 28 17,552') Colonna Sonora: "Zobi La Mouche" Les Negresses Vertes

The surroundings of the Luangwa River are infested with tsetse flies, and before entering the Lusaka Province we had to stop at a checkpoint where an officer with a net makes ‘tsetse-fly’ inspections. All vehicles coming from the East are inspected, and it’s very funny: everybody’s hunting flies with a net. In Lusaka we were fined for fast driving, despite our speed was only 70 km/h on a 3- lane freeway, but this is the only way the traffic police can make some extra money to ‘round off’ their low wages. In Lasaka we stopped at Chachacha Backpackers (S 15 24,700' E 28 17,552')

Soundtrack: "Zobi La Mouche" Les Negresses Vertes

Lilongwe - Luangwa Bridge (17.989 km)

2008-04-26T17:15:00.005+02:00

Drowing some clouds in the sky

A lot of coal on the road

The coal guard

Lwanga Bridge

Our Camp

Alla frontiera con lo Zambia non abbiamo avuto grossi problemi, anche se gli zambesi sono di una lentezza esasperante. La strada ed il panorama in Zambia sono terribilmente noiosi, tent'e' che ad un certo punto, per rompere la monotonia ci siamo fermati a disegnare alcune nuvole nel cielo. Per fortuna negli ultimi 100 km sono arrivate le colline e tutto e' diventato piu' divertente. Dopo aver superato il modernissimo ponte sul fiume Luangwa ci siamo accampati al Luangwa Bridge Campsite (S 15 00,302' E 30 12,9125')
Colonna sonora: "C'mon everybody" Eddie Cochran

At the Zambia border we didn’t have difficulties of any kind, but the slow-pacing locals are just too much.The road and views are extremely boring in Zambia, so to give it a break we stopped and spent some time drawing the clouds we saw in the sky.Luckily enough, the last 100 km are hilly, and so everything was more fun. After crossing the ultra modern bridge on the Luangwa River we spent the night at Luangwa Bridge Campsite (S 15 00,302' E 30 12,9125')

Soundtrack: "C’mon everybody" Eddie Cochran

Muti Football Book

2008-04-25T08:53:00.001+02:00

One of the main reasons for embarking on this trans africa trek was to make a book. a book for the 2010 world cup in south africa. a book that would try and reveal the purity of football. i figured that it would be found in the children of africa. The kids that play in the dust and the mud.

A sight so beautiful and so simple.

Money is as good as dust when you can make a ball from rags tied together with string; when you can draw adidas stripes on your feet to emulate your favourite footballer; when you can make goal posts from branches and when your football pitch is an open plain in africa.

Here are a few photographs that ive been taking during the trip down. i have many more, and there are more to come.

Chitimba - Lilongwe

2008-04-25T08:24:00.006+02:00

what a chef! you wouldnt wanna taste my cooking though...
some kids i met on the way. love the colours that africa has.
looking rather rough. biking takes it out of you. sometimes i look about 10 years older after a ride.

well we had a lovely two days at Kande beach. i managed to put my back out whilst lifting my bike up so had to rest on my last day. that evening the wind was howling hard, and at 06:00 as i woke up it started to rain. heavily. and mamma mia did it rain. buckets. so had to pack everything up and get the bike ready to roll. its a miserable sight when your entire world is drenched. i say world cos my bike and my gear is all i have. and so when everything is wet and muddy you feel a little worn down. but you get over it and we just literally waited it out. we got rolling around 11 that morning. another easy cruise. again beautiful scenery. im not going into detail as ill just be repeating myself. but yes, beautiful beautiful beautiful! the grass on the side of the road was awfully high. which made it very dangerous. kids are running all over the place down there and there are loads of goats and cows constantly running onto the road. usually they cut the grass back for safety. its better if you can see them approaching. but like this it was so hard. they could literally appear 3 metres in front of you and you would have seen them coming. so we went quite slowly. about 60km/h. the ride was a little boring for the first 2 hours. we stopped for some fried casava, which is a type of potato, like a sweet potato but not. delicous! the ride got better and i stopped falling asleep. i have a wonderful remedy for falling asleep. i sing to myself. as awfull as it sounds it keeps me awake. and im starting to come up with some pretty horrific songs of late. not in content but in pitch! we arrived in Lilongwe to find a pretty little african town. not the usual chaotic, dirty beyond belief, city. but a nice clean one with green trees, everything seems so orderly here. a nice change. today were off to zambia. and i think we'll be bush camping tonight juts beyond the border. apparently the petrol in zambia costs 2 usd per litre! might be pushing our bike through the place in the end. feels like a bit of the adventure is gone now. everything is so easy down here in southern africa. where are the deserts? i dont wanna see a gas station every 50km, and i dont wanna buy bottled water. all sure signs that were arriving in civilization.

Senga Bay - Lilongwe (17.487 km)

2008-04-25T04:07:00.003+02:00

Prima di Lasciare il Malawi ci siamo fermati un giorno nella capitale per lavorare un po' sul computer e per ricaricare le energie per affrontare le terribili strade dello Zambia.
Lilongwe e' una citta' piccola, ma con infrastrutture moderne. E' molto pulita e tranquilla e per certi aspetti ricorda un po' Kigali. La gente e' fantastica, come del resto in tutto il Malawi che forse e' il paese piu' sicuro ed ospitale di tutto l'est l'Africa.
Colonna sonora: "Nel ghetto" Fratelli di Soledad

Before leaving Malawi we spent one day in the capital, in order to work on the computer and for some relax before heading towards the awful roads in Zambia. Lilongwe is a small town, but its infrastructures are modern. It’s a quiet and clean place that reminds Kigali in some way. The people are fantastic, like anywhere in Malawi, which is arguably the safest and friendliest country in eastern Africa.
Soundtrack: "Nel ghetto" Fratelli di Soledad

Chinteche – Senga Bay (17.359 km)

2008-04-25T03:27:00.002+02:00

Chia River

Malawi Moto GP

Local Canoes

Lake or Ocean?

In questa zona del Malawi e’ appena terminata la stagione delle piogge e lungo la strada che costeggia il lago fino a Senga Bay si possono vedere moltissime persone del posto intente a falciare e raccogliere l’erba che spesso finisce col ricoprire completamente l’intero manto stradale. Davvero un bello spettacolo da vedere, pero’ questo rende la strada terribilmente scivolosa e guidare la motocicletta in queste condizioni non e’ proprio il massimo.
Dopo circa 200 km abbiamo attraversato un piccolo ponte che passa sopra il fiume Chia (S 13 07,633 E 34 19,517). In questo periodo dell’anno la portata del fiume raggiunge il livello piu’ alto e l’acqua carica di detriti assume un colore rosso scuro che, in contrasto con l’acqua azzurra del lago Malawi, forma un bellissimo gioco di colori.
Arrivati a Senga Bay abbiamo campeggiato al Cool Runnings (S 13 43,860 E 34 37,151), un bel posto sulla spiaggia gestito da una ragazza dello Zimbabwe davvero gentile e simpatica.
Colonna Sonora: “Mr. Jones” Counting Crows

In this part of Malawi the rainy season is just over and along the road coasting the lake to Senga Bay you can see a lot of locals making hay and picking up the grass, most of which covers the pavement. A nice thing to see, but riding a bike on roads like these is rather difficult and unsafe. After about 200 km we crossed a small bridge over the Chia River (S 13 07,633 E 34 19,517). This time of the year the water is highest and full of debris, making it a dark red colour. The mix of the river waters with the blue waters of Lake Malawi creates an interesting range of colours.In Senga Bay we camped at Cool Runnings (S 13 43,860 E 34 37,151), a homely place on the beach run by a nice and friendly girl from Zimbabwe.

Soundtrack: “Mr. Jones” Counting Crows

Mzuzu – Chintheche (17.070 km)

2008-04-25T02:21:00.002+02:00

Abbiamo speso l’intera mattinata a Mzuzu cercando invano di fare qualche lavoro sul computer. Qui in Africa tutto cio’ che ha a che fare con la tecnologia si traforma in un impresa praticamente impossibile da realizzare ed ammesso che si riesca a trovare un computer, nella maggiorparte dei casi non e’ in grado di eseguire quello di cui si ha bisogno e quelle poche volte che si riesce a fare qualcosa puntualmente, appena un attimo prima di poter salvare il lavoro, salta la corrente.
Nel pomeriggio siamo partiti per un’altra corsa sulle strade malawiane che sembrano disegnate da un ingegnere della Moto GP. Questa volta, pero’, sono riuscito a controllare la fortissima tentazione di spingere al Massimo i 1100 cc della mia Multistrada, ma ho dovuto fare affidamento a tutta la mia forza di volonta’ (per altro piuttosto scarsa). E’ stato per me come smettere di fumare all’improvviso due pacchetti al giorno di Gauloises caporal senza filtro. Un grande aiuto, pero’ me l’ha dato Herby con la velocita’ di crociera ridotta della sua KTM 950. Per riprendere la metafora e’ stato un po’ il classico amico non fumatore che ti offre continuamente chewingum al mentolo.
In questo modo abbiamo avuto la possibilita’ di osservare il bellissimo panorama offerto dalle colline che fiancheggiano il lago Malawi completamente ricoperte da una distesa infinita di alberi della gomma. Ogni singolo albero viene intagliato e la gomma che se ne ricava viene venduta in tutto il mondo.
Prima di arrivare al Chinteche Inn Campsite (S 11 52,921 E 34 10,120) abbiamo avuto il tempo di fermarci a giocare un po’ a pallone con alcuni ragazzi che vendono lungo la strada palloni di gomma intrecciati a mano.
Colonna Sonora: “Start me up” The Rolling Stones

We spent the whole morning in Mzuzu trying in vain to work on the computer. Here in Africa anything regarding technology becomes an impossible task to accomplish. Even if you find a computer, you can’t work on it, and in case you can, just the minute before you save your work the power goes off.In the afternoon we went for another ride on the Malawi roads; it’s like they have been designed by an engineer from Moto GP! This time I controlled myself from the temptation of full throttling the 1100 cc of my Multistrada, but I made a big effort (actually, I was about to surrender)! For me it was like stopping abruptly from smoking two packs a day of Gauloises caporal with no filter. Herby was very helpful, I must say, thanks to the constant low speed of his KTM 950. He was kind of a non smoker friend who keeps offering you with mint gums!Well, slow driving gave us the chance to admire the wonderful views of the hills surrounding Lake Malawi, sprawling with gum trees. Every single tree is carved and the gum is sold all over the world.Before getting to the Chinteche Inn Campsite (S 11 52,921 E 34 10,120) we had the time to stop and play soccer for a while with some boys who sell hand-woven rubber balls along the road.
Soundtrack: “Start me up” The Rolling Stones

Chitimba – Mzuzu (16.981 km)

2008-04-25T01:06:00.002+02:00

Subito dopo Chitimba Herby si e’ distratto un attimo per guardare la mappa e, non riuscendo a frenare in tempo, ha sfondato con la moto la barriera di un posto di blocco lasciando una striscia nera di 60 metri sull’asfalto. La polizia non l’ha presa molto bene, ma alla fine ce la siamo cavata con qualche scusa ed un grande sorriso.
Arrivati a Chiweta la strada devia verso l’interno ed inizia ad inerpicarsi sulle montagne disegnando curve perfette su di un asfalto perfettamente levigato. Una delle strade piu’ belle che si possa fare con una motociletta. Ricorda molto le strade che attraversano le alpi vicino a Torino. Ancora una volta questa moto e’ riuscita a stupirmi positivamente. Su queste strade riesce a sviluppare una potenza impressionante mantenendo una tenuta di strada impeccabile nonostante il sovraccarico di bagagli. Ho passato tre ore di puro divertimento. Sono sempre piu’ convinto di aver scelto la miglior moto possible per questo viaggio. Gli ingegneri della Ducati non potevano scegliere un nome piu’ azzeccato. La Multistrada, infatti, si adatta a qualsiasi tipo di terreno e riesce sempre a dare il meglio di se’ in ogni situazione.
Alla sera ci siamo fermati a dormire a Mzuzu (S 11 27,666’ E 34 01,272) che e’ la seconda citta’ del Malawi in ordine di grandezza e misura la bellezza di cinque isolati per sei.
Colonna Sonora: “Polizia molto arrabbiata” Goran Bregovic

A few kilometers after Chitimba, Herby was checking the map and lost control of his bike. He couldn’t brake in time and crashed through a checkpoint barrier set up by the police. He left a 60-meter black stripe on the asphalt. At the beginning the policemen were very angry at us, but eventually we made it with some excuses and a big smile.At Chiweta the road bends towards the interior and starts climbing up through the mountains. Driving is fine, though, with perfect curves and a smooth asphalt. One of the best roads you can drive by bike. It reminds me a lot the roads through the Alps near Torino. This bike of mine is truly amazing. It is extremely powerful on these kind of roads and it’s very steady, even if it’s heavier than it should with all our luggage. I spent three hours of utter excitement, and I’m sure I’ve chosen the best bike for this kind of journey. The Ducati engineers couldn’t choose a better name: Multistrada. This bike is actually good on any kind of terrain and always gives its best in any situation.We stopped for the night in Mzuzu (S 11 27,666’ E 34 01,272), the second largest city in Malawi: five blocks per six blocks!
Soundtrack: “Polizia molto arrabbiata” Goran Bregovic

Nyika national park - Chitimba

2008-04-24T17:27:00.005+02:00

what a mess ive got!

doing what i do best on lake malawi
sunset meraviglioso!
love the kids in this country
my funny posing gentleman

Another really easy day. had a small puncture. a nail in my tyre. great way to start the day. we then moved onto getting past the dirt road section. hit the tar and then started cruising again. reaaaaaaaall......y slowly. as we do best. met a wonderful old man on the street who was posing for me in his bright red sport jacket. cruised into Chitimba beach camp half asleep from the slow driving to find an overland truck full of young people that we knew roasting a pig on the spit. we were invited to join them and proceed to end the day off to a good party on lake malawi, a full moon and so many lovely people. missing my girlfriend a helluva lot right now. its been far too long and i just cant believe how lucky i am to have a girl that supports my decision to go travelling for 8 months. in chitimba i worked on my bike agian. my rear tyre was completely finished. couldnt loosen the 46 but on the back. so took the tyre off without even taking the rim off the bike. it works! well.. sort of. managed anyhow... and had to replace the dot4 in my phantom rear brake. my rear brake has been working on and off for the past 6 months. its a complete mystery to all of us. as there is nothing logical about the way it behaves. i lose pressure, gain it again. some times it goes completely then comes back.... strange one. a ghost in my brake.

Mbeya – Chitimba (16.841 km)

2008-04-24T17:15:00.002+02:00

Oggi il clima e’ stato clemente. Le nuvole hanno coperto il cielo per tutto il giorno, ma senza lasciar cadere una sola goccia di pioggia.
Alla frontiera con il Malawi Herby ha scoperto che, essendo cittadino svizzero, non avrebbe potuto ottenere il visto d’ingresso e quindi sarebbe dovuto tornare indietro fino a Dar Es Salaam. Dopo piu’ di un ora di trattative, pero’, siamo riusciti ad ottenere un permesso speciale di tre giorni col quale saremmo potuti andare a Mzuzu a richidere il visto ufficiale.
Il Malawi in questa stagione e’ incredibilmente verde.
La gente e’ fantastica. Molte persone ci fermano per salutarci, per farci i complimenti e per scambiare quattro chiacchere nel modo del tutto amichevole e disinteressato. Qui persino i poliziotti sono gentili e servizievoli e non provano mai ad “arrotondare lo stipendio” a scapito dei turisti come invece fanno molti dei loro colleghi africani.
Il lago Malawi e’ enorme, talmente grande che sembra quasi un mare d’acqua dolce.
Il Chitimba Beach Campsite (S 10 35,103 E 34 10,540) ha una spiaggia bellissima con sabbia Bianca finissima e non ha nulla da invidiare alle piu’ famose spiaggie della costa dell’oceano indiano.
Colonna Sonora: “Ready or not” The Fugees

Today the weather has been good to us. The sky was overcast all day long, but no rain. At the Malawi border Herby discovered that being a Swiss citizen means he could not get a visa, and he should go back so far as Dar Es Salaam. After a couple of hours of talking we eventually got a ‘3-day special permit’, just the time necessary to go to Mzuzu to request an official visa.
Malawi is very green this time of the year, and the people are fantastic. Many stopped us to say hello, congratulate with us and spent some time chatting friendly. Here even the policemen are kind and helpful, and they never try to cheat on you to get some extra money, as many of their colleagues throughout Africa do.
Lake Malawi is huge, so large that it looks like a sweet water sea of some sort.The Chitimba Beach Campsite (S 10 35,103 E 34 10,540) includes a very fine beach with thin white sand, a place similar to the more famous beaches along the coast of the Indian Ocean.Soundtrack: “Ready or not” The Fugees

Chitimba - Nyika national park

2008-04-24T17:09:00.005+02:00

pretty pretty scenery
camping at nyika national park

taking some pics of a football on the roadside
getting lost as the sun was going down. that grass was tall!

the day before we left Chitimba i spent the entire day at Hare school taking photographs for the muti book. it was just a wonderful experience being with the kids the entire day. they have next to nothing. we played games all day and had a wonderful time. i had about 100 kids constantly around me. it was tyring i tell you but their smiles and happiness burnt into me with their brightness. the net day was an easy day out, we spent only 3 hours in the saddle. cruising around veeeeer....y slowly. its the best riding. doing 50km/h. stopping everywhere. the road followed the lake coastline . we then broke in land and headed for a national park. a very small one. we had about 70km of bad dirt roads. andwe got very lost at one point. ending up in high grass as the sun was setting. the park was very nice. we stayed on a lake and had hippos walking past us during the night. we awoke the next morning, still alive, and went for a walking safari. only thing we saw of the animals was their dung! so not a successful safari but lovely all the same.

bush camp - Chitimba

2008-04-24T16:53:00.003+02:00

our Masai friend - he walked a thousand cattle from arusha to southern tanzania, over 2500km!

After having a great night with Benny our cyclist friend we headed off early. we had to cross the malawian border that day. it was raining and wet. we rose up high into the highlands and funnily enough our surrounding looked like canada! through of our old travelling partner Tom - riding a suzuki v-strom - and wondered where in the world he was. beautiful fast roads, again, with excellent tarmac and lovely curves - tanzania was a dream to travel through. we then stopped for lunch in a one horse town and chatted to a Masai warrior there. he told us of how his family moved a thousand cattle from arusha to southern tanzania in 6 months! what an ordeal, can you imagine the logistics of that? and they walked the entire way. it must be around 3000km through hilly and rugged terrain. incredible story. we crossed the border aorund 12:00, which turned out to be a joyous 20 min ordeal. an absolute record border cossing. as soon as we entered you could taste the poverty. these people are really poor. the roads immediatley disintergrated and everything became much much smaller. another thing i noticed was the smiling going down. so many smiles! i stopped to take some photos of some kids and was so happy to see good some good 'ol positive energy. gone was the begging from tanznia. these guys are a hundred times poorer yet have so much more self respect. we bumbled on down to Chitimba on lake malawi. what a fantastic place! idyllic and just plain beautiful.

Bush camp - bush camp (malawi border...

2008-04-24T16:20:00.004+02:00

looking rather camp as i try my best to look dangerous

look a 20cm giraffe - how cute!

george chatting up a local lady
ja and people thought we were crazy.

well we woke up early that morning to get the most out of the day. we had to ride through the mikumi national park. which is literally a road running though the middle of a small park. lions the works. we left at 6:30 and rode as the sun rose. africa is just so beautiful at that time of the day. it seems as everything is just being born for the first time. we entered the park and the first sign read ' warning, dangerous animals ahead'. nice i thought. ive ridden 20.000km only to be eaten by a lion in malawi. we rode through an about 10km in we came across a little dirt road. we went down it about 3km (its illegal to ride through Mikumi park - but we did anyway - adventure calls!} after about 10min we thought better about it and turned back. i really didnt want to get eaten by a lion anyway. i rather like this rump of mine. we carried on riding and saw giraffe, buffalo, elephants only 10 metres away. we saw a warthog as well. it was fantastic to see all these animals from your bike on a road. i really had the feeling that i was riding through africa that morning. whilst stopped in the park we were visited by a game warden, he came over to us eagerly asking what the hell we were doing parked in a park with so many lions in it. we carried on for the rest of the day and it was just a wonderful ride. beautiful roads, lovely vistas and dreamlike cruising. southern tanzania is just beautiful. huge open plains and a sky that seems to be inifinitley high. howcome the skies and the land seem so much bigger here in africa? later in the afternoon we came across a cyclist. these guys are bloody mad. riding through africa on a bike, all by himself! well... he was a really nice fellow and we ended up camping the night with him. just to cook him dinner - after cycling 13.000km we thought he deserved it.

Mafinga Seminary

2008-04-12T14:51:00.005+02:00

Father Gabriele Goletto and Father Pio Callegari

Mafinga Seminary football pitch

S. Scola

Al Mafinga Seminary vengono ospitati piu’ di 150 ragazzi di entrambi i sessi e di diverse religioni. Tutti i ragazzi ricevono vitto e alloggio e frequentano le lezioni alla scuola di filosofia ed a quella magistrale che si trovano all’interno della struttura. Padre Gabriele Goletto e Padre Pio Callegari ci hanno accompagnato a visitare le aule delle scuole, gli alloggi dei ragazzi ed il campo sportivo. Purtroppo non abbiamo potuto incontrare i ragazzi che hanno ricevuto il materiale sportivo perche’ in questi giorni sono in vacanza e sono tornati al loro paese d’origine. Padre Gabriele e Padre Pio ci hanno poi invitato a pranzo offrendoci pane e formaggio prodotti all’interno del seminario col latte delle mucche della fattoria ed il grano dei loro campi. Un pranzo davvero delizioso, forse il migliore che abbia avuto qui in Africa.
Padre Goletto ci ha spiegato che in Tanzania le strutture scolastiche non mancano, ma c’e’ una grave carenza d’insegnanti e questo rappresenta un grande problema che comporta spesso la formazione di classi sovraffollate.
I ragazzi che frequentano la scuola magistrale di Mafinga vengono preparati per la carriera d’insegnanti ed hanno quindi un posto di lavoro assicurato per il futuro.

The Mafinga Seminary lodges more than 150 kids of both sexes and several religions. Everybody is given full pension and the kids attend lessons at the Philosophy School and at the Teachers School, both located inside the complex. Padre Gabriele Goletto and Padre Pio Callegari showed us around to see the classrooms, the kids accomodations and the playground. Unfortunately, we could not meet the kids who received the sportswear because these days they are on holiday to their native countries. Padre Gabriele and Padre Pio invited us for lunch and gave us food produced inside the seminary: bread made from wheat from their fields and cheese made with the milk of farm cows. The lunch was a real treat, maybe the best I’ve had since I’m in Africa.
Padre Goletto explained that in Tanzania there is no lack of schools; it’s just the teachers who are missing, and this is a big problem and the main cause for overcrowded classes. The kids who attend the Teachers School will become teachers, and so they can count on a steady job for the future.

Ikonda Hospital

2008-04-12T14:47:00.003+02:00

L’Ikonda Hospital si trova in una regione remota ed isolata vicino al confine con il Malawi. A quest’ospedale sono state inviate diverse divise, scarpe e palloni da calcio destinati agli orfani ed agli studenti di Ikonda.

The Ikonda Hospital is in a far-flung region by the Malawi border. A lot of sportswear, shoes and balls have been shipped through this hospital to the orphans and students in Ikonda.

Iringa – Mbeya (16.576 km)

2008-04-12T14:22:00.005+02:00

Mbeya

Cows crossing the street

Break in the trucks park

Pochi minuti dopo aver lasciato Iringa siamo stati sommersi da un’acquazzone tropicale. Daltronde qui siamo nel bel mezzo della stagione delle piogge e qualche “doccia fredda” l’avevamo messa in conto. A Mafinga ci siamo fermati a visitare il Seminario della Consolata, uno degli enti che ha beneficiato del progetto “Una Scarpa per un Sogno”. Nel pomeriggio siamo ripartiti, ma la pioggia battente ci ha accompagnato fino a Mbeya (S 08 53,759’ E 33 26,894’).
Colonna Sonora: “Here and Now” Letters to Cleo

A few minutes after we had left Iringa we were flooded by a tropical storm. Well, we are in the middle of the rainy season, so we can’t help a few ‘cold showers’. We stopped in Mafinga to visit the Seminario della Consolata, one of the institutions beneficiaries from the project “Una Scarpa per un Sogno”. We set out in the afternoon, and the pouring rain was our best company until we got to Mbeya (S 08 53,759’ E 33 26,894’).

Soundtrack: “Here and Now” Letters to Cleo

Tosamaganga Mission

2008-04-08T18:00:00.007+02:00

Godfrey and the Team

Chris with his new pair of shoes

Before Muti

After Muti

The football field

Tosamaganga Mission e’ un punto di riferimento per molti ragazzi del paese. Ogni giorno si ritrovano tutti insieme per organizzare qualche partita di pallone. Godfrey e’ il capitano della squadra ed a suo dire il migliore ed indiscusso leader. Quel pomeriggio ci ha accompagnato al campo sportivo e ci ha presentato alcuni dei ragazzi che hanno beneficiato del progetto umanitario organizzato dall’Associazione Muti Onlus. Io non ho saputo resistere ed ho giocato insieme a loro, ma gia’ alla fine del primo tempo avevo esaurito tutte le mie energie e con la scusa di voler fare alcune foto mi sono defilato mestamente. Tutti questi ragazzi hanno ricevuto dall'Associazione Muti Onlus un set completo per giocare a calcio.

The Tosamaganga Mission is a landmark for many kids in the country. Everyday they meet there to play some soccer. Godfrey is the team’s captain and, in his opinion, he is the best and a leader. On that afternoon he took us to the playground and introduced us to some kids who were beneficiaries from the project promoted by Associazione Muti Onlus. I couldn’t resist, so I played with them, but by the end of the first half I had lost my energies, so I said I would rather shoot some photographs and sneaked sadly away. All these kids have received a complete soccer set from Associazione Muti Onlus.

Orfanotrofio delle Suore Teresine

2008-04-08T17:40:00.006+02:00

All together for Muti Onlus

Playing football

Sister Godfridah, Sister Valeria, Sister Epifania, Sister Emiliana, Sister Gregoria and Sister Leukadia

The kitchen

Playing

Pupils dorm

L’orfanotrofio di Tosamaganga e’ gestito da Suor Godfridah, Suor Valeria, Suor Epifania, Suor Emiliana, Suor Gregoria e Suor Leukadia. In questa struttura vengono ospitati 250 bambini, la maggiorparte dei quali purtroppo affetta dal virus dell’HIV. Oltre a frequentare la scuola i bambini possono utilizzare il campo sportivo ed il parco giochi che si trova nel cortile all'interno della struttura. Nel tempo libero dagli studi i ragazzi partecipano attivamente a tutte le attivita’ dell’orfanotrofio aiutando ed imparando a cucinare ed a riordinare gli alloggi.
Non appena i ragazzi hanno saputo che noi eravamo i mittenti delle scarpe e dei palloni da calcio, ci hanno fatto un’enorme festa e per tutto il pomeriggio non hanno smesso di abbracciarci, cantando e ballando per la felicita’. Il loro sguardo era cosi’ luminoso e pieno gioia e si percepiva una forte e sincera felicita’ ed e’ veramente difficile capire come questi bambini riescano ad essere cosi’ contenti, nonostante siano anche cosi’ sfortunati allo stesso tempo. Non saprei trovare le parole per descrivere quello che ho provato in quel momento, ma posso dire che il sorriso e la gioia di quei bambini sono stati forse il piu’ bel regalo che abbia mai ricevuto. Mi hanno riempito il cuore di felicita’, tant’e’ che quella sera, prima di andare a dormire, potevo ancora sentire l’allegria dei canti di quei bambini e mi sono addormentato con il sorriso sulle labbra ed una piccola lacrima negli occhi.

The orphanage at Tosamaganga is run by Suor Godfridah, Suor Valeria, Suor Epifania, Suor Emiliana, Suor Gregoria e Suor Leukadia. Two hundred and fifty children are lodged at this orphanage, most of them affected by the HIV virus. Here the children can attend school, the soccer field and the playground located inside the complex. In their spare time, the kids can attend all the activities, learn how to cook and how to keep their accommodations tidy.
As soon as the kids knew we were the shippers of the shoes and of the soccer balls, they started a big party with us throughout the afternoon, showing their happiness hugging us, singing songs and dancing. Their eyes were so bright that we could feel their sincere happiness. It’s really difficult to understand how these children can be so happy and so unlucky at the same time.I can’t find the words to tell what I felt at that precise moment; all I can say is that the chilldren’s smiling faces and their joy have been the most beautiful gift I have ever been presented with. My heart was filled with joy and that evening, when I went to bed, I could still feel the cheerfulness of those chants and I fell asleep with a smile and a little tear in my eyes.

Parrocchia della Consolata

2008-04-04T19:34:00.006+02:00

Kids at Iringa church

Father Angelo Pizzaia

La Parrocchia della Consolata di Iringa e’ stata inserita tra i beneficiari del progetto “Una Scarpa per un Sogno”. Padre Angelo Pizzaia ci ha spiegato quanto sia importante il ruolo del gioco del calico per i ragazzi della citta’. Tutti i giorni dopo la scuola si ritrovano nel campo sportivo della parrocchia per giocare tutti insieme. Il calcio e’ un forte elemento d’aggregazione e per i ragazzi e’ anche un grande incentivo a frequentare le lezioni scolastiche.

The Parrocchia della Consolata at Iringa is one of the beneficiaries from “Una Scarpa per un Sogno”. Padre Angelo Pizzaia explained how important is soccer for the kids of the city. Every day after school the kids meet in the parish soccer field and play all together. Soccer is very useful to keep them together, as well as a reinforcement for them to attend school.

Faraja House

2008-04-04T19:01:00.008+02:00

Faraja House

Kids dormitory

Kids School

Kitchen

Father Franco Sordella and some kids HIV positive

Father Josef

Mechanics school

Faraja House e’ una casa d’accoglienza per bambini orfani affetti dal virus dell’HIV. Qui vengono ospitati 72 bambini tra gli 1 e i 9 anni. Tutti i giorni frequentano le lezioni in una scuola che si trova a pochi passi dai loro alloggi. A tutti i bambini vengono assicurati 4 pasti completi al giorno e periodicamente vengono effettuati controlli medici per monitorare lo stato della malattia. Attraverso le cure specifiche che ricevono, i bambini riescono a condurre una vita normale e serena.
Il responsabile e’ Padre Franco Sordella che ci ha accompagnato a visitare la scuola, il campo sportivo, gli alloggi dei bambini e le stalle degli animali che vivono nella fattoria.
I bambini ci hanno accolto cantando alcune canzoni tradizionali per darci il benvenuto e per ringraziarci del materiale che abbiamo spedito loro. E’ stato davvero emozionante. E’ incredibile vedere come questi bambini riescano ad essere cosi’ allegri e sorridenti nonostante la loro condizione. La loro felicita’ e’ cosi’ grande che viene trasmessa anche a chi gli sta vicino e vedere i loro sorrisi e i loro occhi pieni di gioia e’ stata la cosa piu’ bella. Successivamente Padre Josef ci ha mostrato l’altra area del complesso dove vengono ospitati altri 79 ragazzi tra i 13 e i 18 anni. Questi ragazzi frequentano la scuola tecnica, quella meccanica, quella di falegnameria e la scuola di scarperia. Tutte queste scuole si trovano all’interno della struttura e permettono ai ragazzi di imparare un mestiere che potranno svolgere una volta usciti da li’. Anche a loro sono state inviate scarpe, divise e palloni attraverso il progetto umanitario “Una Scarpa per un Sogno”.

Faraja House is a welcome home for orphans children affected with the HIV virus. Here they give hospitality to 72 children from 1 to 9 years old. Everyday the children attend school nearby their lodgings. All the children are given four full meals everyday and they undergo medical check ups to keep the disease under control. Thanks to specific treatments, the children can live a normal and untroubled life.
The man in charge is Padre Franco Sordella. He showed us around the school, the playground, the children’s lodgings and the sheds of the animals that live in the farm.The children welcomed us singing traditional songs, and thanked us a lot for all the things we had shipped to them. It was a very exciting experience. It’s unbelievable to see how these children can be so happy and smiling in spite of their poor conditions. Their happiness is so big and it is transmitted to those who are with them. To see their smiles and their eyes full of joy was really something. Afterwards, Padre Josef showed us another area of the complex, where 79 kids between 13 and 18 years of age are lodged. The kids here attend technical, mechanics, carpentry and shoe-making classes. All these schools are located inside the complex and give the pupils the opportunity to learn a job they will be able to do the day they get out of the institute. We shipped to them shoes, sportswear and soccer balls through the humanitarian project “Una Scarpa per un Sogno”.

Dar Es Salaam – Iringa (M: 16.197km, R: 20.853km)

2008-04-04T18:27:00.012+02:00

beware of the animals... i tried to look dangerous, but ended up looking rather camp
our bush camp in the middle of nowhere.
great roads

last sight of dar
yep just the perfect place - ciao Dar

my beautiful girlfriend Anita (not the one with the goatee!)

our lovely hosts Joe and Lucio from Mikadi beach. i became a part of the furniture there

Masai never saw a bike before...

Bikes are not allowed in Mikumi National Park

Waiting for petrol with some giraffes

My new friend

I called him Kaa

Finally it was time to leave Dar. i'd been there for nearly 5 weeks! my girlfriend Anita Macchi came out to visit me for 3 weeks. we hadnt seen each other in 5 months. so needless to say i was over the moon at having 21 days with her. we went to zanzibar pemba and stayed one week in dar (i had a serous fever for some days). so after a fantastic holiday away from the journey i left Dar and made my way down to a bush camp near Iringa. the road was just beautiful! lovly tarmac, sweeping climbs and curvy roads that made the ducati scream with joy. the roads are rough in africa, so when we get a chance to feel the curves we go for it. the going was pretty slow, i hadnt been on a bike in 4 weeks. so i took it easy. we camped that night in the middle of nowhere in the mud. was a nice start to my re-entry into travelling. sleeping on mud is quite comfortable i must add.

Quando ci siamo alzati la sabbia bianca rifletteva ancora la luce intensa della luna. Ci siamo seduti sulla spiaggia ed abbiamo aspettato l’alba per godere un ultima volta dell’incredibile spettacolo offerto dal sole che, sorgendo dall’oceano indiano, illumina le piccole canoe dei pescatori che si apprestano ad atterrare. Dopo aver salutato il mare, la spiaggia, l’amaca e gli amici siamo partiti con un pizzico di tristezza in fondo al cuore. Faceva un caldo terribile e con l’umidita’ ed i vestiti della moto addosso ci sentivamo soffocare. Dopo 200 km siamo arrivati a Morogoro ed abbiamo visitato l’Allamano Seminary. Subito dopo Morogoro la strada attraversa tutto il Mikumi National Park. Questo parco non e’ molto esteso, ma presenta un’elevata concentrazione di animali ed a causa della presenza di leoni, leopardi e serpenti non e’ consentito percorrerlo in motocicletta. Nonostante cio’ sulla strada principale non ci sono controlli e noi non abbiamo avuto nessuna difficolta’ a passare. Sfortunatamente nel bel mezzo del parco sono rimasto senza carburante e mi sono dovuto fermare ad aspettare che Herby tornasse con una tanica di benzina. Ad essere sincero durante quei quaranta minuti non sono stato del tutto tranquillo ed ho passato il tempo a guardarmi in torno scandagliando continuamente ogni singolo cespuglio d’erba. Alla fine ho contato 16 elefanti, 14 giraffe, una ventina di babbuini, ma, sfortunatamente, neanche un leone.
Appena 5 curve dopo essere ripartito mi sono ritrovato davanti un serpente lungo 1.5 m e per lo spavento ho rischiato di finire per terra. Nonostante cio’ mi sono fermato a salutarlo ed alla fine siamo anche diventati amici.
L’ultimo tratto di strada che porta ai 1.800 mt di Iringa e’ in salita e pieno di curve. Un vero e proprio parco divertimenti per motociclisti. Verso sera ci siamo accampati al River Side Campsite (S 07 47,868 E 35 47,780) dove abbiamo montato la tenda proprio sulla sponda del fiume. Abbiamo passato qualche giorno ad Iringa per far visita ad altri quattro enti beneficiari del progetto “Una Scarpa per un Sogno”.
Il secondo giorno tornando dal mercato ho trovato il lucchetto del bauletto della moto aperto ed in quel momento mi si e’ gelato il sangue. Sono rimasto come paralizzato a fissare quella serratura chiedendomi chi avesse potuto forzarla davanti a tutte quelle persone. Ho appoggiato la mano sul coperchio, ma non ho avuto il coraggio di aprirlo ed ho iniziato a guardarmi intorno cercando una risposta negli sguardi della gente. Ho fatto un respiro profondo per trovare il coraggio ed ho sollevato il coperchio con un rapido movimento della mano, ma proprio un attimo prima di poter vedere il contenuto i mie occhi si sono chiusi istintivamente. Il mio futuro dipendeva da cio’ che avrei visto una volta riaperto gli occhi. Dentro quel bauletto c’era il mio passaporto, il carnet, il libretto della moto e tutte le cose piu’ importanti. La perdita di quei documenti avrebbe significato la fine di questo viaggio ed un ritorno prematuro in Italia. Mi sono concesso altri 3 secondi dopo di che ho aperto appena un angolo dell’occhio sinistro e la prima cosa che ho visto attraverso le ciglia e’ stato l’obiettivo della mia macchina fotografica. Senza neanche controllare il resto ho chiuso il bauletto e per la gioia ho iniziato a cantare come un matto abbracciando chiunque mi capitasse a tiro.
Colonna Sonora: "Always on the run" Lenny Kravitz

When we woke up the white sand was still shadowed by the light of the moon. We sat on the beach waiting for the dawn. We lingered there to see one last time the breath-taking show offered by the sun: rising from the Indian Ocean it lighted up the small fishing boats about to land. We bid goodbye to the sea, the beach, the hammock and our friends, and set out with a little bit of sadness in the deep of our hearts. The weather was very hot and it was like choking because of damp and our bike clothes. After 200 km we got to Morogoro and visited the Allamano Seminary. Soon after Morogoro the road cuts through the Mikumi National Park. Mikumi is not very large, but there’s plenty of wildlife. It is not allowed to drive through the park, because of the presence of lions, leopards and snakes. We were lucky, though: we didn’t find any checkpoint on the main road and so we ventured through the park easily enough. Unfortunately, half way through the park I ran out of gas, so I had to wait for Herbie to come back with a gallon of gas. To tell the truth, during those 40 minutes I felt a little uneasy, and I spent the time looking around carefully at every single bush. At the end, I had counted 16 elephants, 14 giraffes and about 20 baboons – unfortunately, no lions at all!
After just five bends I found a 1.5m-long snake across the road and I almost fell off my bike: gee, I was scared! Anyway, I stopped to say hello to the snake and we eventually became friends.
The last section of the road to 1800 m-high Iringa is steep and full of curves. A real amusement park for riders. At sundown we stopped at River Side Campsite (S 07 47,868 E 35 47,780), where we camped on the bank of the river. We spent some days in Iringa and paid visits to four organizations benefitting from the project “Una Scarpa per un Sogno”.
On the second day, I had just come back from the market when I found the padlock of my bike locker open and my blood just froze. I was sort of paralyzed while I stared at the padlock wondering who could have open it: the place was crowded with people. I leaned my hand on the cover but I didn’t have the courage to open the locker, so I started looking around trying to find an answer in the eyes of the people who were there. I took a deep breath and I lifted up the cover with a swift movement of my hand, but just before I could see inside my eyes closed instinctively. My future depended on what I was going to see. Inside the locker were my passport, the carnet, the bike registration card and all of the things that were most important to me. Losing those documents would have meant the end of my journey and my comeback to Italy before the time due. I waited for another three seconds and then I peeped inside the locker: the first thing I saw was the lens of my camera. Wow! I didn’t even check the rest; I shut the locker and started singing out loud like a madman hugging everybody around me. Soundtrack: "Always on the run" Lenny Kravitz