Yesterday, Tuesday, I flew into Cape Town -
I had the whole day to find the warehouse holding my motorcycle and, once there,
set about reassembling my steed. Front
wheel, handle bars, wind screen, mirrors; reconnect the fiddly battery connections
and pack on my luggage. It takes me
longer than it should - but I always need a few goes before the packing is as
tight as a drum.
'Econo Trans', my shipping agents at this
end, have been very decent and worth their fee.
Minimal fuss, maximum delivery - my bike is pristine. At 4pm I wave and toot farewell like Mr Toad,
and ride out into the city to find my accommodation.
Now, you may remember the cheerful South
African couple that I met in Ushuaia in March 2012, Andrew and Cathy? They ride a BMW GS too, and we still swap
notes on roads ridden or planned. Check
out their blog for more adventures from the road...
Feeling sad that they'd not be in their home city to greet me, Andrew and Cathy
fixed it for me to stay for a little while with Cath's colleague, Eve.
I've been in steady text message contact today
with Eve, a pretty young doctor who recently moved cross country to Cape
Town. She's a blond, sporty surfer girl
who's now swamped in the daily tumult of hospital waiting lists. I'm impressed when I find the spectacular
penthouse apartment in Green Point that Eve is renting. The modern open plan layout leads onto
generous balconies and the views are excellent.
What a treat! She assure me her
job is not sufficiently lucrative to afford something like this - it's a very short
term let until her own (more modest) apartment is ready!
On Thursday morning I just work on outstanding
'admin' matters, until it stops raining.
Then, in the chilly afternoon sun, I take a turn of the nearby V&A
Waterfront. The boardwalk leads me past
buskers and tour pushers, pirate ships and fancy shopping arcades. Homemade xylophones compete with elderly Cape
Jazz players for a few pennies. In the
low light Table Mountain glows above the city and the waterfront is a great
place to meander. I've got my bearings
of the city now, and it's a fine place to plan an adventure.
Stay tuned.
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