Becker’s African Diary #2: Leaving on a Jet Plane

(As you might have seen on the blog, Andreas is setting off for three months of motorbike riding, football watching and general exploring down in southern Africa.
The plane to Windhoek leaves today, and here are some of his thoughts as he is about to depart…)

Berlin, 30.05.2010

A few hours to go, packing more or less finished, the flat cleaned, the bike on it´s way to Namibia…time to calm down.

The last weeks have been pretty hectic, rushed, and intense, with the renovations of the hostel, volcanoes breaking out, and with the attempt to get the bike prepared and inspected, test ridden, Carnets organized, insurances checked, bank mangers comforted and guide books read…

But, worse than being busy was coming to terms with the fact that I’ll have to do the motorbike trip of 11 weeks through  the countries of Southern Africa all by myself, which is definitely not perfect.

Travelling the Kalahari desert and the Karoo on bikes, criss-crossing south Africa watching the games of the World Cup and seeing the Lake Malawi in northern Mozambique was a plan some friends of mine and me have developed watching the magnificent World Cup 2006 in our home country – actually, in the beginning it was planned to head down all the way on bikes starting from Berlin. Over the years reality hit. We realized that time wise we would not be able to be away from our friends, families and work for the 6-8 months it would have taken, then the first one dropped out because bike riding was not his thing, kids came to others that do not allow an absence of months, and in the end we were 2, an American friend of mine and myself.

Now, a string of unhappy events later – a broken ankle, an economical crisis and other unfortunate happenings – I had to learn in the last few weeks that my beloved BMW 1200 GS Adventure might be my only companion on those long overland streets between Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth. I will miss Chris a lot when having a smoke on petrol stations in Lesotho and in the evenings, after 12 hour rides in street side motels to reflect the day….

Nevertheless, a dream of mine is getting real. Being a kid and having a  small poster of the XT 500 hanging on the walls of my otherwise naked bedroom I dreamed of riding through African deserts, and it is about to get real. Now. I love that..I am a happy man..

Having done a 3-month bike ride to the Middle East in 2008 alone, riding through places such as Lebanon, Jordan and Syria and the shattering streets of Albania I think I do have an idea what to expect when it comes the sheer riding, but I feel I am not prepared for the beauty of Africa and the effects it will have on me. I am quite sure that the sounds, the natural wonders and the souls of Southern Africa will have a lasting effect on me, hopefully change me, and help me finding answers on how to spend the next years of my life.

Plus, I hope I’ll see some great football..Although the chances of little Lahm lifting the trophy – can he actually physically do that? – are more than slim, all the tournaments I have visited so far – France, Japan, Korea and our very own of course – have been among the greatest travel memories of mine. The passion of billions of people on this planet from all corners of the globe focusing in one spot, for 4 weeks, the unlimited number of stories of a Shakespearean dimension that become immediately part of the national memory adds an intensity to the host nation that is irresistible. More intense than anything I have had the privilege to experience when it comes to peaceful events..

So, what´s the plan? Leaving today for Windhoek in Namibia, picking up my bike, making my way down to Cape Town for the next days, leaving after a few days for Jo´burg where I’ll see the opening ceremony and the first game, South Africa vs Mexico..The next day seeing the same loss-of-fear-paralyzed English Team playing the Soccer World Power US, and then, the next day, the Invincibles aka Germany playing the hot shots from, wait, some faraway place, where, to my surprise, people do seem to live who like sports which does not include running over your opponent and trying to break his backbone..

After that free rolling, picking games as they come along, visiting the Finals in Jo´burg and then 5 more weeks through, hopefully, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and back to Namibia..

If you like, stay tuned, this might be  a small collection of badly shot videos, amateurish photos and semi-poetic e-Mails, but at least, Mama, you´ll see that I am enjoying myself..:-)..

Hope you all have a great summer, sing silently “It´s coming home…” at your breakfast table, and we see each other soon..

Andreas