The time has come…!!

The last few days have been hectic !

I had to go out on Saturday to buy EVEN MORE “THINGS” that came to mind on Friday night ! I had to get a Dictaphone, (to record my thoughts and comments while I ride) a thermometer, (so I can give you guys accurate readings, instead of saying “I think it is hot, because I just fried an egg on my tank!”), collect more branding stickers at Kyama Printing, stop off at the dentist’s office, collect some Forex from Nedbank, collect my Sony T7 camera that had been serviced, buy a 200 watt power inverter to allow me to charge my laptop directly off the bike, set up a telephonic interview with a local newspaper (watch for a piece on me in Citi-Bike !)…..and what was the other….? ….. Ah, yes…

Pack all my stuff into the numerous bags and panniers, and load the bloody bike !!!!!!!!!

Saturday morning, the 27th of February, and my panniers stand empty ! The apartment is littered with “stuff ” that need to be either packed to go onto the bike, or “stuff I don’t need” that has to go into boxes for delivery to Uvongo…. Aaaaagh !!!!!!!

It took hours for me to make up a complete list of all the things I had planned to take with me. I listed them by category, and then had to decide into which pannier or bag they would best be placed. I then had to weigh each pannier to ensure that the weight was evenly distributed. I will post a full list once I have it finalized for those who want to see just how much stuff you need to undertake a trip like this… It will appear in due course under the link “The Gypsy Biker’s World Tour” on the left hand side of the Home page…

For once, I got the weights right first time, with each pannier coming in at 24 kgs exactly !! I then weighed every other bag that was being loaded and found that I had a total of 87 kgs of luggage…. Not too bad for a three year trip, methinks !!!

I had hoped that I would have time to sit and do some “navel contemplation”, (you know…when you put your feet up on a cushion and stare at your belly-button….), but alas….it was not to be…. By Saturday night I had the Top-Box and my right hand pannier sorted, and it took most of Sunday to get the rest packed. I did find time however, to take Debbie on a last ride up the N1 to the Petro-Port on the road to Bela-Bela, where we had an uninspiring breakfast while we watched cars zoom up the highway on their way North…

I went to bed early for a change (11.00pm) having spent the last few nights up and about until 3.00am, making lists and double-checking everything. I lay thinking about the next day, and the few visits I would have to make to some sponsors, who I had foolishly promised to stop off at, on my way to Swaziland !!!

My minded drifted back to my last big trip… I tried to remember the things I had forgotten to take then, and sifted through the memories of what it was like to be out on the road on your own, with only your wits and common sense to guide you…

Four squadrons of butterflies started flapping their wings deep down in my gut, and it was after 1.00am when my eyes finally closed and I drifted into a fitful sleep…..

“Today’s the day”… was my last conscious thought…. “The time has come…”