It was quite a trip, a watershed in our lives. Too many things to remember. Crazy times. Left Arnhem, Holland, for Venice, Italy, in January, in freezing cold, down to -20C near Bamberg, Germany, during the day that is. Before take-off, had to free up frozen cables with a hair dryer. One morning, the Norton felt like having no compression, maybe because of cold oil (thick for Africa) keeping a valve open? In Alexandria, some official attached Egyption numberplates to our bikes using hammer, punch and steel wire. South of Cairo, in dusk and blinded by headlights of oncoming truck, crashed the Norton into steel drums blocking of a road section. All repairable. We were told there was no petrol in Sudan, so had extra plastic jerrycans on the bikes, filled them up completely in Aswan, only to have it confiscated at arrival in Wadi Halfa, Sudan. Crazy when you think back, with all that petrol on deck and fellow passengers cooking their meal next to us. A year or so later, the same boat went up in flames. First bit was impossible in the desert sand, so hitched a train, bikes were handlifted in using piles of sacks to build a ramp. Had to actually sit on the bikes until Shendi as there were no lugs in the steel floored wagons to attach the bikes to. Our bikes were not well suited, but then again, what to think of 2 French guys with 50cc Mobylettes fitted with soap boxes for their luggage on their way to Djibouti, or Hans from Germany on a Hercules 2000 wankel carrying along a spare engine in his sidecar, or the hefty American guy on a Honda 250 street bike with his Thai girlfriend on the back. Friendly Sudanese like the Mobil agent in Kosti offering us lunch and petrol. Lack of food in the south, just an egg in a day, snakes where we camped near Malakal. North of Kampala, Uganda, the Norton stopped, bent exhaust valve due to crappy petrol, got towed into town by the Hercules. Got all fixed there. It was in the frightfull days of our friend Milton Obote, successor of Idi Amin. Before Kampala, north of Gulu, my girlfriend was almost shot of her BSA as she mistakenly rode on past a road block. A scary and intimidating interrogation at the local police office followed. Slipping and sliding on a wet track in Kenya, the mud under the mudguards blocking the wheels. My girlfriend had stomach problems, at one point on this road she couldn't hold it any longer, dropped her pants with one hand and holding the bike upright with the other. The lift we gave to a pregnant woman on a steep, rocky track with tight corners, man, was I scared she would fall off as no more weight on the front wheel. Putting up tent next to hippo filled Lake Baringo. Ali Baba's campsite at Diani Beach where strange but potent ganja soup was brewed. Despite having arranged for a visa, after 2 failed attempts, we had to bribe ourselves, not proud of it, across the border into Tanzania. Were not allowed to take the bikes into Ngorongoro Park, had to hitch to a lodge but did not mind after encountering the first water buffaloes. Back to Arusha, stopped about 6 times for fixing a flat tyre in the burning heat, due to this instant repair no-good stuff inside, in the end the Norton was thrown on a lorry. The bikes were shipped to NZ from Dar es Salaam, we carried on into Asia, to Pakistan. It was August then. Flew on to the north, Kyber Pass, Chitral, visited the Kalash tribe, all unthinkable nowadays, harrowing bus ride back to Peshawar. By coïncidence, on the Pakistan-Indian border, we came across the Dutch guy travelling the world with a Goldwing towing a trailer which served as his bed as well. Carried on from Calcutta via Bangkok and Singapore and arrived in Auckland in September. Lived in NZ happily for 4 years. The Norton got stolen there however (NZ not godzone after all), the b*st*rds, so many memories were in that bike, really pissed me off as I had it from new, bought it in 77 from money saved after 2 years working on ships, the factory had already closed by then, but for me it had to be the 850 Norton! Been in love / addiction ever since. So returned to the Low Lands less the Norton, but with a Son instead. Sorry for not cutting a long story short.
