After dozens of hours in the air and nearly just as many on layovers, Papa Ish and I have finally arrived in Cape Town. The cool winter night was certainly a welcome change from the intolerable humidity and heat that we experienced in D.C. After leaving the airport we rented a car, which means I will eventually have to reteach myself to drive on the left side of the road. My dad volunteered to drive tonight and I certainly got a kick out of seeing him turn on the windshield wipers every time he meant to change lanes.
For the next three days we will be staying at a friend’s place in Somerset West as we prepare for our journey. Tomorrow we will pick up the motorcycle and amass all the necessary paperwork including updated ownership papers and international motorcycle insurance. I may go peruse the rolling hills and vineyards of Stellenbosch to kill some time before meeting with old friends that evening. We also have yet to get our Yellow Fever vaccinations, an absolute necessity in order to enter a few of the countries listed on our itinerary. Come Monday we will be off through the coastal roads to Hermanus and then deeper inland toward Nelspruit, eventually hitting the Mozambiquan border.
For now, though, the hour is late and I must force my body to adjust to GMT+2 time. I am excited to wake up and see Somerset West in the daytime and pictures are bound to follow. As Leonardo DiCaprio’s character says in Blood Diamond, “TIA” (This is Africa).