Fanny has just finished an off road course with Leon and Wayne at Country Trax this weekend and Leon took us both out for an off road ride in the mountains near Paarl and Wellington to give Fanny some extra training and guidance .

I can’t begin to say how grateful we are to Leon and Country Trax as Fanny rapidly improves her riding skill and confidence. Both Leon and I can safely say she is ready to take on the trip.  Its a meteoric improvement and all credit to Fanny and Country Trax Off Road Driving Academy.  I remain brilliant and un-recognized… still waiting for KTM factory to invite me to ride for them in next years Dakar.

However, we are still in Cape Town and STILL waiting for the Carne de Passage to arrive. South Africa is geographically a stunningly beautiful country, with a lovely climate… but sadly meritocracy and efficiency is something of a dead art.  My bank – First National Bank whom we are waiting for moves at the pace of a melting glacier (albeit a pre global warming glacier) and it takes an army of stunned sloths ( who all really hate one another, but pretend to be rainbow like in joyful social cohesion ) to fill in forms and tick off compliance boxes in a disgruntled manner during their 4.5 hour working day before they clamber into their expensive bakkies and try and knock down motorcycles and the great unwashed as they race home to pop the corks before 4.30 pm. That’s Monday to Thursday of course, because on Friday work finishes at 12.30pm.  But not before charging bank fees like a wounded rhino… and hence the cycle of discontent and dissatisfaction continues.  Africa… !!??  BUT… it is so beautiful.

On the positive side we were very graciously received by the consuls (Ms Li and Mr Li)  at the new and rather posh Chinese consulate in Newlands, Cape Town. They are not only preparing a diplomatic letter for us for our trip, but pointed us in the direction of the best Chinese restaurants in town and so Fanny and I have had our “fix” of chilly, nutrition and flavour for a week or so. Not to say there isn’t nutrition in South African red wine and Mrs Balls chutney…

Does anyone know how to say “get a move on”/ “kuai dian r”   in Afrikaans or Xhosa… ?