Day 1 - Cape Town to Langebaan

Being a seasoned & relatively gnarly motorbike traveller I like to think I know & thing or two about preparation & planning. Day one is important - it sets the tone for the trip to come so  you need to get things right. Don't for example set off with a bike bubbling burning oil everywhere. Always check, double check you've got your key documents with you. And don't pack unnecessary stuff.

After a short trip up to Table Mtn (pic taken from road to Signal Hill). I headed north. Yes the bike was leaking a bit of oil but the good news was the bird life was on the up with first sights of fish eagles & flamingos. Thought I must get pic for this blog. Stopped. No camera, hold on no passport, hold on no laptop. And the bike & me were now plastered with oil & gently smoking.

About turn & by chance a local Zimbabwean guy was on hand to siphon off excess oil. He also added coolant & secured the chain tensioners which were hanging off (a new bike?). Next stop was to retrieve my stuff which was still in the safe where I left it. Quick pint with a guy who told me the best place to get your teeth done (the whole lot that is) is the Philippines. 

Leaving Cape Town for the 2nd time, I followed the coast north. After the busyness of the city, the land very quickly becomes arid & sparse. The Atlantic coastline is only populated in patches. Endless stretches of scrub land are pockmarked with dark power stations, steel works & refineries. Langebaan sits along side a beautiful lagoon (albeit in the distance tankers are anchored up ready to load/unload). Its a holiday resort & seemed to be mainly catering for older (?) couples who like to drink alot. I had the dorado.

I finally gave myself one last Day 1 kick up the backside when I opened my waterpoof bag to find my "spare" water (stored in a bladder) was no more. The bag is definitely waterproof - from the inside anyway.