Dag 73: Sidi Ifni na Agadir

(English Translation Below)

Dag 73: Sidi Ifni na Agadir
 
Die Afrika-avontuurgedeelte van ons reis is verby. Hier waar ons nou ry kon netsowel in die Kaap gewees het. Die pad kronkel al langs die see soos die pad tussen Bettiesbaai en Gordonsbaai. Dit is koud. Nie koud genoeg vir my dons-baadjie onder my motorfietsbaadjie nie, het ek gedink voor ons weggetrek het. Ek was verkeerd.
 
Ná twee ure van vasbyt in die koue, kry ons 'n koffiewinkel reg uit die hemel, in die goue son toegedraai, net buite Agadir. Café Jana. Ons ontdooi. Drink koffie. Eet 'n tipe pita-deeg pannekoek deurdrenk van stroop. Goud soos die son. Ons mis nou ons mense. Vir die eerste keer voel dit soos vakansie en ons sou dit graag met ons gesinne wou deel.
 
In Agadir kry ons 'n motorfiets-werkswinkel. Haal die rowwe bande af en sit weer ons 50/50 grondpad/teerpad bande terug. Los die rowwes net daar. Vir die eerste keer in meer as 10000km gaan ons nie 'n ekstra stel bande saamkarwei nie. Ons maak ook kettings en lugfilters skoon. Sit nuwe remskoene in. Die fietse voel nuut en lig en reg om nog vér te ry!
 
Dis nog so 1000km tot by Tangier waar ons die veerboot kry Spanje toe. Dan nog byna 3000km deur die Europese winter tot by Rotterdam - ás ons besluit om voort te gaan met die plan om die fietse van daar af te verskeep. Ons het intussen begin rondvra oor die koste om die fietse uit Spanje of Portugal te laat vlieg. Wag nog vir antwoorde. Dit sal duur wees. Maar 3000km se petrol en tolpaaie en oorslaap en eet in Euro's sal ook duur wees. Plus die koue in ons somerklere laat ons nóú al bibber, wat nog van as dit tien grade kouer is. En nat.
 
Ons kry 'n slaapplek 'n entjie buite Agadir langs die see. Dis die speelplek van die Europese branderplankryers. Al wat nog herinner aan die Afrika waardeur ons gery het, is die klein motorfietsies wat sonder valhelms gery word. Hier's 'n duisend keer minder van hulle, en hulle hou min of meer by die padreëls, maar die boodskap bly dieselfde: Geniet die vryheid van Afrika. Wat kan fout gaan?
 
Day 73: Sidi Ifni to Agadir
 
The Africa adventure part of our journey is over. Here where we're riding now could just as well have been in Cape Town. The road winds along the sea like the stretch between Betty's Bay and Gordon's Bay. It's cold. Not cold enough for my puffer jacket under my motorcycle jacket, I thought before we set off. I was wrong.
 
After two hours of grinding our teeth in the cold, we find a coffee shop straight from heaven, wrapped in golden sunlight, just outside Agadir. Café Jana. We defrost. Drink coffee. Eat a type of pita dough pancake soaked in syrup. Gold like the sun. We miss our people now. For the first time, it feels like holiday, and we would have liked to share it with our families.
 
In Agadir, we find a motorcycle workshop. Take off the off-road tires and put back our 50/50 off-road/tarmac tires. Leave the rugged ones right there. For the first time in more than 10,000 km, we won't be carrying an extra set of tires. We also clean the chains and air filters. Put in new brake pads. The bikes feel new and light and ready to ride much further!
 
It's about 1000km to Tangier, where we will take the ferry to Spain. Then almost 3000km through the European winter to Rotterdam – if we decide to continue with the plan to ship the bikes from there. We have in the meanwhile started asking around about the cost of flying the bikes from Spain or Portugal. Still waiting for answers. It will be expensive. But 3000km of petrol, toll fees, accommodation and food, in Euro, will also be expensive. Plus, the cold weather in our summer riding clothes already has us shivering, let alone if it's ten degrees colder. And wet.
 
We find accommodation a bit outside Agadir along the sea. It's the playground of European surfers. All that still reminds us of the Africa we travelled through is the small motorcycles ridden without helmets. There are a thousand times fewer of them here, and they more or less follow the rules, but the message remains the same: Enjoy the freedom of Africa. What could go wrong?

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