I was up at 4.30am, repacking some of the stuff I had taken out of the panniers last night, making that final cup of coffee for Debbie and I, and hoping for a few moments of tranquility…. The journey began today, officially…after yesterday’s false start, there was nothing holding me back any longer… If there was something I had forgotten, then DHL would have to come into play…
Thumbs Up and Lift Off !!! No turning back today....
I lugged my kit down to the bike in a daze, my hearing was a bit fuzzy, and I felt that “thousand yard stare” on my face… I felt surrounded by cotton-wool… It was a little like an “out of body” experience… I watched myself tighten the straps that held down my duffel bag, check the locks on the panniers and top-box, punch in the co-ordinates for Nelspruit into the GPS, check my pockets for wallet, cellphone and I-pod… With an ever tightening band around my chest, I watched myself hand all my keys over to Debbie along with my remote control and security card for the main gate… It felt as though a cord had been cut, severing me from the relative comfort of the past few months…. I was adrift…
At a little after 6.00am, I eased the Big Fella into the already hectic traffic of Midrand, and made my way across to the R21, from where I would pick up the N12 and ride East for Nelspruit. I reached over the tank bag and punched the remote control to my I-pod. The haunting sounds of Enigma filled my helmet…. The first song up was “Sadness”, which kicks off with a Gregorian type chant…(A blessing of sorts, I hoped…) This song was a fitting start, as I knew that the following few days would be tinged with a measure of sadness… I had just bid farewell to Debbie, who had been a very close friend and confidante, and has stood by me and supported me through the most difficult period of my life. Our parting was a tearful and heart-wrenching one, and thoughts of what I was leaving behind filled my head as I worked the bike through the morning rush hour and onto the N12. I would also be saying my goodbyes to many of my closest friends, who were all very dear to me…
I knew from the outset of my planning that this ride would not be without it’s risks, and the dangers that accompany those risks… I fully expect the hardships and disappointments that would run side by side with the joys and euphoria that I would be seeking…
I don’t remember much of the first hour of my ride, my mind was far away, digging through the archives of my memory… Sifting through the events that had brought me to this point in my life… I vaguely remember cars flashing their lights at me as I passed, drivers grinning and waving, letting me into their lanes…. Traffic seemed to part for me as I approached from behind, cars and trucks moving to the left and right to let me through the centre… I left my hazards flashing in thanks, all the way past Oliver Tambo and onto the highway that would take me due East for the next three hours…
© GBWT 2010
Damn , this is so good !!