Our next destination was Fort Portal, a small town situated South West close to the Congo border. Now, Niel and Silvie are bird watchers and very serious about it – they really tried to draw us in but for us, all is better on two wheels and chicken is the only birds we check out when ready for a meal! We set out without our ‘back-up’ for a few days to visit with our new Dutch friends in Port Fortal.
We were on the gravel for 10kilometers and Elsebie’s bike again stuck its head between its legs like a stubborn mule. Again same story, the electric wire giving power to the petrol pump vibrated off, this time I cut the power outlet wires and extended it. We knew the drill and it only took us 20min or so to get going again.
These guys needs special mentioning. There’s thousands of these Pikipiki’s running around as taxi’s. Not long distance but between towns and mostly on dirt roads. The one remarkable thing about it, they carry easily 2 to 3 passengers and the rider sits on the tank to make space for the passenger and luggage. They ride on dirt roads with these loads where most South African die hard dual purpose owners will think twice of going. They do not have knobby tyres or such luxuries, only normal road tyres.
There’s Pikipiki repair shops in every small town and parts shops are like cell phone outlets, littered everywhere.
The road toward Port Fortal is all gravel, grated into a rounded heap over the years. To make a long story short – here is a picture of Elsebie’ bike with newly fitted, local indicators …
Hey Michnus and the rest of the gang!
This must be your coolest trip report ever huh! Great stuff – this is what life is about eh! How are you ever going to go back to a “normal” life after this? – so just enjoy the experience while it lasts.
Keep the write-ups coming – look forward to the next one!
Travel safe, ride safe, have fun!
Teejay (Wilddogs)
sjoe Michnus – so lekker om jul adventures te lees!!!
An who says you need a 4X4 to overland Africa – if a VW can do it – anything else can do too! I fancied those shoes. Elsabie – very happy that you survived. Safe journey guys.
Trek jou hemp uit as jy wil he die silverbacks moet kom kuier!!!!!
Die skildenaar kan maar op jou voorlig ook skilder, hy het net ‘n nat vinger nodig….
Groente uit Oos London ( Gee so week kennis voor jy terug is sodat ek betyds die squatters uit jou huis kan jaag. )
Wow again!
This truly is an amazing adventure that you guys are having. It’s hard to sit here in front of a PC in the concrete jungle we work in and read this.
Ride safe and enjoy!
Wow. so awesome. This is the stuff of dreams…. and biltong.
Hey guy’s, fantastic to be able to sit in the office and enjoy your travel stories… really good for the soul.
Travel safe and go slowly Slowly…….
Back in 2004 we got a special group price of 100$ (usd) to enter the gorilla sanctuary from the DRC (Near Bukavu). You could also enter from Rwanda and Uganda. However, sad to say but I thought I would get another change and then our demolition team moved to the Western DRC (Mbandaka) Don’t know how they got to this ridiculous 500$, possibly an ‘American mastermind’ behind it….However, I just love your blog!