Soundtrack: Lou Reed – Just a Perfect Day
It has been a hectic day, not that I got up early. Javier from Dakar Motos arrived saying “You want a birthday gift?” You can get your bike back today! Cumpliaño Feliz (Happy Birthday). This ment no shower, no breakfast… Sandra (Javier’s wife was on the phone and waiting for me downtown). I was out of Dakar Motos faster than you can put your underwear on!
The reason why I just felt for a quick update is because of the video my wonderful Andalucian girlfriend made while she is in Denmark. She keeps surprising me and I admit I shed a tear when watching it. Well I cry sometimes as well that is no secret.
Might have been the best birthday gift for a long time getting the VFR back today. Could it have been better timing, I don’t think so.
Thanks to all for the greetings, family, friends and old coworkers from Thomas Cook Scandinavia. I 
miss you all and I think of you today while I drink a beer or two. Thanks to Javier and Sandra for helping Bea with the cake, it was what I needed. Can’t complain with the company about you guys at Dakar Motos I has been awesome being here ;oP I will see you on Saturday at Azul for an Asado (BBQ).
To my parents, I love you both very much, and I know that at times it has been hard havinga son touring around the big world, but remember one thing, I am amoung good friends out there.
Gustavo Cieslar, it was great surprise having you on Skype today. I promise to visit you before so we can get some beers.
Thanks to the VFR Club of USA for getting in touch with me, I look forward to see you guys this or maybe next year in Mexico and in the US.
Finally thanks to a girl that organized all this. I love you with all my heart, you are always supporting me and my stupid ideas. When I am weak you make me strong, just by thinking of you. I love you. You need to come and visit Sandra and Javier one day, you probably speak much better Spanish with them than I do ;oP
I thank you all for making my birthday a perfect day ;oP
Video made by Beatriz family and friends (Warning, it contains a lot about Mick)
Soundtrack: Sort Sol - Daughter of Sad
See all the new videos from Africa added to Vimeo
Soundtrack: Jarvis Cocker – Black Magic
I will take you through Cameroun by showing a set of photos from the country together with a little story enjoy.
Other overlanders have spend more than 13 days on the Ekok Mamfe stretch during rainy season. I was lucky, no rain and the road had just been improved.
Not the best option for a VFR, but I managed to get through most areas by letting down the tyre press.
The bridges covered in mud from a rainy yesterday. When it rains in Cameroun we are not just talking about a bit of spitting.
When I think of Africa, I think brown dirt roads and green rain forest. Cameroun has plenty of that.
Go easy ;oP
Loaded VFR with pilot.
You are able to get better grip on the dirt roads by letting out air from your tyres. It means more work, but it is all worth it when riding on bad roads.
Prepare yourself to find the roads in this condition. It takes some concentration but it is great fun in the end.
Awesome roads in Cameroun, probably the best in Africa.
Mount Cameroun rising towards the sky with its incredible 4.185 meters.
Taking a cab from Buea city to Mount Cameroun. One of the biggest mistakes in my life ;oP
Even elite sportsmen needs a “zig”!
The trekking team gathered. At this point we are between first and second hut, still going a bit strong. José was down on a bicycle.
Waking up to a cold morning at hut 2, still a long way to the summit.
1 hour after leaving hut 2 my knee gave up. I decided to leave the group and start on my decent alone.
Still time and energy for a smile.
My fellow African travel mate Ian at the presbyterian church/ bar in Yaoundé. Always up for a beer.
Giving the bike a little air filter service while I wait on my Gabon visa.
Hill & Hoey got charged for a little extra water. I cleaned my K&N airfilter in a bucket full of water, which I found in the bathroom of the presbyterian house. The lady of the house freaked out when she discovered it. She used the water placed in the bathroom for cooking!
On the way towards Gabon after 9 days in Cameroun. I love this country, but not its mountain…
INFO 05AUG2010: It is possible to arrive in Argentina and get a 90 days entry stamp in a non valid passport. I am here and will pick up my new passport from Gustavo Cieslar within the next couple of days.
My mood is still affected by the taxi ride yesterday, I can’t believe I let them get away with things that easy. I need a beer today and think on the things to come…
See all the other pictures from Cameroun here
Thanks for reading…
Soundtrack: AC/DC – Whole Lotta Rosie
5.45 am I was up, waiting on Briza road for Singani to pick me up and take me to the airport. He arrived right on time. Last time he was going to pick one up from the SaltyCrax backpackers he failed to show up, so I was a little nervous that the same thing would happen to me.
After arriving to Cape Town airport I went straight in to enjoy my coffee at the nearest cafe. I had 2 hours to kill before the check-in would open. The two hours was spend by walking from the cafe to the chill air outside to enjoy the last cigarettes before a 9 hours flight across the Atlantic.
When my Malaysian B747 taxied in on the gate, I am sure by telling you it was the most beautiful airliner in the airport. Here I was ready to get aboard, find my seat on K49, a window seat. How lucky could I be? I would find out 9 hours later, cramped in next to two Asian women talking like yeah you know, women can do! When it comes to the service onboard I was pretty amazed, 411 euros for a one 
way ticket and you get a descent meal, red wine and beers. Or maybe it is too long ago I did the last travel with a plane?
After what felt like days and several check up’s on my GPS only to find out that we were half way, we finally arrived in Buenos Aires after the most smooth landing in my life. (why do people clap after a good landing, don’t they expect to be alive after a flight?)
Arriving in Buenos Aires airport was a sunny experience and not much change in temperature from South Africa. Quickly through the immigration and customs (it’s a lie) and out to get a cigarette before finding out to get from the airport to Dakar Motos where I was going to stay in Buenos Aires. It is here that everything goes wrong! Getting money out of the ATM went easy than back home, assuming you have credit on your account. After trying my poor Spanish with one guy on the parking lot I decided to 
take a cab into the city. How difficult could it be. It isn’t difficult, just expensive! I went over to the counter (clerk), a guy quickly approached me and ask if I was in need of a cab, I told him that I needed to speak with the taxi company in the taxi office before, but before I noticed it, two guys were looking on my note in my hand with the address on. They quickly had a talk with the guy in the box and told me to take the second cab parked on the taxi lot. I went over to the taxi, got my things in on the rear seat (two bags) and got in. The taxi driver got in, and the guy I just had a talk with a the office got in next to the driver and off we went. After exiting the airport they pull in to the side, took out a map and tried to find out where on the map the address is. It all looked pretty good. We drove on again heading out on the freeway and towards the city while they told me about Buenos Aires. Cool guys I thought. Meanwhile the driver made sure to mention me the price into the center of Buenos Aires (190 Pesos. Quite steep I thought to myself). I was going to the north of the city, a 32 km ride and I didn’t give it another thought untill we arrive at the place. Arriving at the place is not quite right, we arrived two streets away, which means a little walk on foot, not a big deal. The meter was now showing astonishing 494 Pesos (95 Euros). It got my 700 Pesos from the ATM (134 Euros) out of my pocket. Handed over 500 Pesos to the driver. and was about to step out of the car when he said. “You just gave me 340 Pesos, the four of the notes are 10 Pesos bills”. I looked at the notes, he is right, they were 10 Pesos bills instead of 100 Pesos bills which I thought the machine had giving me. I then got all the money 
back. Now I had 340 of their currency instead of 700 Pesos. Not a good thing!. The cab driver then asked if I had any US Dollars on me? I know by now that he had taking me for a ride. But I am too late. Tired after the flight and didn’t take a good look on the notes before I handed them over to him. I ended up giving him 130 USD for a bloody 1 hour 32 km ride through town plus loosing 360 Pesos on his expensive trick. All in all that bloody ride ended up costing me a 863 Pesos (165 Euros). The most expensive taxi ride I have ever been on.
Luckily a smiling and welcoming Javier was opening the gate when I finally reach Dakar Motos on Calle Carlos Tejedor (lovely place, I already love it here). He invited me in, and over a nice cup of hot coffee I tell him my horror story of my first couple of hours in Argentina. He quickly phoned the taxi company in the airport after he heard the price of my ride, but without a positive result. It was a fake receipt they 
gave me. When Javier saw my temper back to normal and I arrived down on earth again he told me what a normal charge should have been, 120 Pesos to go from the airport to his place. I suddenly needed another cup of coffee!
After 3 months in Africa and not being tricked more than a couple of times, for now what seems like a small amount of money compared to today. I arrive in Argentina and after one hour they have already taken me for a serious ride. Well you can’t win every day and especially not after a 9 hours flight. This means no treat for mhoey for the next couple of weeks… fucking cab drivers, you can’t trust them… The last guy they tricked got his laptop stolen with all his pictures, now that is “Te puta madre” I have learned from it, but now I just want to focus on being here and stop whining about it. Tomorrow is near and I am going to call the shipping agency in the harbour. Dakar Motos is going to look nice with a red VFR parked next to my bed. Thanks to Gustavo Cieslar for telling about this awesome place ;oP I owe you a beer…
Within the next couple of days I will decide to head north or south depending on the temperatures. Look forward to see some countrymen from Argentina…
Soundtrack: Jens Unmack – Coke Lovebirds
Is the time it will take a B747 to cross the Atlantic ocean from Cape Town to Buenos Aires.
Tomorrow things tend to go hot again. A taxi will pick me up around 6.30 am and take me to the airport. I will be leaving Cape Town at 11 O’clock local time on a Malaysian Airlines plane heading abroad to Buenos Aires to get reunited with the VFR. Currently I have not received any ETA on when the ship will arrive in BA harbour but I guess it will not be long.
It has been a good experience travelling in Africa, and staying in Cape Town, but I am starting to long for a new continent and new adventures. I will for sure be back one day to travel on the dark continent. Next time it will be on the ”more easy” East coast.
I am full of expectations before arriving to South America, I have waited a long time to go there, but now it is time to set my leg on its soil. In my believe it is one of the most interesting continents in the world. I want to see some of the great impact locations of comet’s and asteroids in Brazil and Argentina. I have always wanted to see them. I also want to check out on the old Inka people of Peru. Visit Chile, Columbia, Fortaleza in Brazil, the Amazonas, see the wildlife, meet new friends, but most important I just want to feel how it is like riding my VFR down the remote roads towards Cape Horn. Camp in the middle of nowhere. Do I have enough time for all this? You bet I have!
When the VFR has arrived to BA, I will be heading down south to Cape Horn hoping the weather is not too cold as it currently is winter in Argentina. I am thinking on taking the “Route 40″ up along the West coast. Route 40 is the longest route in Argentina and one of the largest in the world (along with the U.S. Route 66 and the Stuart Highway in Australia without counting the unofficial Panamerican Highway-), more than 5,000 km (3,107 miles) long. At its traditional southern end near the city of Río Gallegos it starts at sea level, crosses 20 national parks, 18 major rivers, 27 passes on the Andes, and goes up to 5,000 m (16,404 ft) above sea level in Abra del Acay in Salta. Other than that I never tend to plan too long out in the future as I like to keep all possibilities open for a lot of experiences.
After this short visit to the Internet cafe I will head back to SaltyCrax for the last time, pack down my tent (now free of birdshit) and sleep on the couch tonight after a goodbye beer with Shane and David.
Look forward to see how the formalities goes with the off loading agent in the harbour of Buenos Aires. I have notified my shippers that I will do the customs myself and I only want to get the agent in Buenos Aires to unload the bike from the ship to save money! Heard of other people paying astonizing amounts for the agents to clear their vehicle out of the harbour and into Argentina, some up to a 1.000 USD which is a freightening thought! They aint’ gonna get me that easy… Farewell to good friends and people who helped me in Africa. I will keep the memories in my heart till I see you again.
