Boulders Beach Simonstown South Africa

On the way to Morocco to pick up my motorcycle I was sidetracked to South Africa. Two fabulous summer weeks in Simonstown with the whole family was just what was needed to thaw out from the North American winter.

The Luck clan

This is a whole lot better than going to school!!

Boschendal Wine Estate

Of course a trip to the Cape would not be complete without a trip to the Stellenbosch region to visit a couple of the beautiful old wine estates. This farm was founded is 1685.

Another family gathering

From Cape Town I rented a car and drove up the Garden route on the east coast of the country with a stop at the Addo Elephant National Park and then onward to spend time with my brother and his family in the town of Ladybrand in the Free State province.

Ramabanta Lodge Lesotho

One of my favourite places to spend the night is at the Ramabanta Lodge is the little country of Lesotho. My brother and I spent a few days doing some rugged mountain driving  and drinking more than our fair share of Maluti beer.

The Amphitheatre

I then spent a few days hiking in the Kwa Zulu / Natal Drakensburg mountains. The massive Amphitheatre in Royal Natal National park is a place I have long wanted to re-visit. I last climbed to the edge of the Tugela Falls that plunges over this incredible mountain over forty years ago. 

The hike entails a final climb up these chain ladders which adds to the fun of the 20km hike

Xtreme Garage with Antonio the magician/ Mechanic

After a 16 hours of flying and another hour or so on a train I arrived in Rabat, Morocco with a precious delivery of a new piston and valves for Moto Naranja. Leaving these parts with Yann and Antonio I collapsed into bed at my Riad ( hotel ) in the old medina in Rabat.

Marrakech

Talking about a precious cargo I was in awe at the bravery of  this motorcyclist I encountered in the main square in Marrakech. I spent two days in this crazy city while the work was being done on my moto. There was still evidence of the huge, 6.9 magnitude earthquake that hit in early September of last year. A number of the mosques had their minarets toppled and many buildings had wooden beams propping up the walls. All in all it was amazing how quickly these industrious people got things up and running again. I think that some smaller villages in the Atlas mountains just south of the city did not fare so well.

The Rock of Gibraltar

With the temporary import permit for my moto fast approaching ( 6 month from original entry date ) I boarded the ferry in Tangier and said goodbye to the African continent.