The container ship carrying our battered MotoMias arrived Sunday a week ago and we had an appointment with the customs clearing agent for Wednesday. Johan Badenhorst and Stefan Sonnekus of www.voetspore.co.za was also there to pick up the three Amaroks. Tania unfotunately had to work on Wednesday and I luckily had a Nissan Livina with a towbar as test vehicle last week.
We met at the SACD container yard at 10h00 and entered the compound once Evert from Premier Freight and the custom official arrived. It was a tense moment as we waited for the seals to be broken. Would my MotoMia (hanging from the side) still be upright. Will they even be in there. Remember, we didn’t get the exit stamps in our Carnets in Alexandria, so we need the bike in SA in order for the Carnet deposit to be discharged.
As the doors swung open we were met by this forgotten scene:
We were in such a rush that day in Alex that we roughly tied the one back upright and semi-dismantled the other one. But they were here and customs were happy, so the Carnets were stamped in.
Stefan and I had to untie the Amaroks, which is quite a mission as there’s less than 10 cm space at places. I had to crawl underneath the back of the one bakkie to untie the ratchet straps attached to the rear wheels. They fired up and Stefan drove them out one by one. The mouse they gave a lift since Kenya did some serious damage, nibling through a water tank, some of the interior panels as well as gifts they bought in Egypt.
I first tried to start Tania’s bike (since it still had fuel in it – oops!), but her key had broken off in the ignition during shipping. I managed to hot-wire the bike, but the kickstart didn’t work. I then transferred some fuel to my bike which I managed to get going and rode out to the car. Some guys busy with forklift training in the parking lot kindly helped me load the bike on the trailer. I then had to pursuade the guards to let me in the container yard to fetch Tania’s bike which I managed to load using a broken pallet lying around the yard.
We are looking forward to replace the worn chains and sprockets and give them a good service. They deserve it and we’d like to get riding again. Having them back on the porch brings back memories of preparing for the trip and wandering what it might be like travelling through far off African countries on these cheap, small bikes!
Goed om weer te hoor van julle. Die fietse en julle het weereens bewys n mens hoef vandag nie duur te gaan om die lewe te geniet nie. Dankie dat ek in gedagte saam kon reis. Fanie. Namibia
Hi jul wonder Mias is terug by die huis!! Moes regtig vir jul lekker gewees het om die “ou yster- vrinne” tuis te hê. Nou weer ‘n bietjie opkikker en dan weer reg vir die pad. Jul is seker al self weer in goeie kondisie. Cheers!