Day 3 - the ride home

"I woke up Sunday morning with no way to hold my head that didn't hurt" Kris Kristofferson sang in my brain as I stumbled across to the ablution block, some brainless fool had been riding around loudly revving his engine and it was only 0530! I think that I had been asleep for a little while but I wasn't sure.
Even at that time of the day the bloody shower queue was out of the door, I managed to find a vacant wash basin and after throwing some water over my head, brushing my teeth and spraying my armpits I was good to go - I would shower at home later.

By the time that I got back to the campsite just about everyone was packing up and getting ready for the ride home.I got everything packed and loaded and rode my bike along to the CMA tent to have a quick cup of coffee with Frank but the queue there was across the road, I said "Cheers buddy" and roared out of the camp site and onto the N2 and soon I was accelerating through the early morning chill away from Mossel Bay.

As I sped south and west it was slightly misty in places but the sky directly above was clear and the cages were all moving aside to let me pass. I had some peppermints in my pocket but I couldn't get them out, I thought that one of those would really go down well but I didn't want to stop, "Albertinia 30kms" flashed past and I thought; "Yeah, petrol and coffee!" and I pressed on with renewed vigour.

Soon I was turning off the N2 into the fuel stop, there were quite a few bikers standing around and I refuelled the big red machine and then bought a cup of hot sweet coffee which went down very well indeed, we nodded to each other and looked at each other's motorbikes.

As I pulled back out onto the N2 the sun was getting higher and warmer, taking the chill out of the morning and promising a lovely day. I accelerated up through the gears, clicking the gear lever up when the engine revs sounded right without using the clutch until I was in sixth gear and really enjoying my comfortable 160kph.

I was really enjoying my ride until I passed through Riversdale and rode into incredibly thick fog which slowed me right down to 80kph in places, I had to constantly watch front and rear, I didn't want to run into anyone but I also seriously didn't want anyone coming up fast behind me! The fog lasted for almost half an hour before I descended into the valley near Swellendam and I rode out of it on the road through Suurbrak and the Tradouws Pass.This is a familiar sight; to the right a good breakfast and to the left an fantastic ride along the R62! We've done it many times. I had a great breakfast and then spent a very enjoyable twenty minutes or so travelling the wonderful 62 kilometres through to Montagu. I thought I was going fast, but two guys on superbikes who had also had breakfast in Barrydale and who left after me came flashing past! I didn't even try to keep up, I was in my own groove.

Through Montagu and Ashton I rejoined the throng of bikers on their way home, I took it a bit slower than on the way down, I found that I was by then feeling quite tired from the heavy weekend.

Ashton to Robertson and then the lovely 50km haul to Worcester, I did do this stretch at more than 160kmh and as I pulled into the "Whistlestop" it was getting hot and I was feeling distinctly tired and stiff, I wouldn't have had it any other way though.

Quite a few of my friends were there and after I had refuelled we all stood around stretching sore saddle muscles, drinking coffee and chatting about the weekend and the best route to take for the last two hours home. Two hours or one hour and forty five minutes depending on my mood!

I turned of the N1 and headed into very familiar country for the home stretch, the traffic was relatively light and I made good progress. I found a second wind and was really enjoying myself, I had to slow down through the Nuwekloof Pass because of baboons all over the road and the verges but the 17km stretch to Hermon went past in a high speed blur.

It wasn't long before I was back in my home town, it had been a fantastic weekend and it is definitely my favourite way of spending my time. I met Janet and Linda at "Juffroeshoogte" for a couple of beers and a lovely lunch and we compared stories.

The good news is that Mosselbay is hosting the Buffalo Rally in 2010, will I have to decide between football or rally?

The weekend after next is the "Slangkop" rally in Kommetjie and we are heading that way, watch this space!