On the open road

Wow, what a day! Todd and I had our second motorcycle lesson today. Todd found a guy named Tony on the internet and he seems like the best connection we could have made in the S. African motorcycling world. The man is a walking, talking encyclopedia of motorcycling information who is full of an overwhelming amount of enthusiasm for all things bike. As much as I tried to hide it, I was a bit nervous for the first lesson. Two wheels, open air, hard tarmac and loads of power didn't seem like the most brilliant of plans for one with a short attention span and poor balance. Rest your worries, I remain in one piece.

Day 1 started in a parking lot outside of Cape Town next to an industrial park. Beautiful, scenery...oh yea, let's not forget the major highway that was a short stones throw away. The parking lot must have been a driving school lot because there were all sorts of various vehicles learning how to maneuver around. We started on our badass 125cc Honda motorcycles, just enough power to get us started. First, we learned where everything was i.e. gas, brakes, kick stand, clutch, etc. Honestly, it all seemed rather confusing but with Tony's enthusiasm and unexplained confidence in us we mounted our bikes (from the left side, it is the only side for proper mounting of a motorcycle apparently). And off we went to practice the rather tricky start and stop all the way around the parking lot. After one turn around, Todd with his previous biking experience advanced to turning, while I had another go around the lot. A little rough at first but all seems to have worked itself out unless I am very nervous in which case, as was today, I popped a wheely and instead of a stealth start, the bike flips over onto myself. Right side on pavement seemed to be my preferred crash landing. Luckily, a 125cc bike doesn't weigh too incredibly much so I am still technically in one piece even if I cannot properly sit on my right buttock. We then advanced to shifting gears. Up the industrial rode we went to practise shifting. The sound of the revving engine and the slight grinding of gears were my first sign that I may again have hit a rough patch in my lesson. I was not to be discouraged! Off the road we went and back down the road we came. Only today did I figure out how to down shift properly. Crazy it is exactly like a car, downshift as speed decreases. It didn't quite all make sense but after our ride today, all good. Day 1 was awesome! We celebrated with beer, pizza, and huge perma-grins!

Day 2, today, double wow. Tony felt that we progressed enough to hit the open road. I was not quite as confident, so again mild apprehension lingered in me. But again, minus a couple mishaps all was brilliant. So we meet Tony at his bachelor pad outside of Cape Town. A little weird, but seeing as Tony is our new best friend, we rushed over from Stellenbosch after a short day on the farm. The plan: ride around town and get comfortable on the bike through practical road experience. We forgot that it may be cold down by the sea so Todd and I show up in T-shirts and lo and behold, cold and windy by the sea. Tony was kind enough to outfit us in gear. I borrowed a badass, sorry for the continual use of this word but nothing else seems as appropriate when talking about my new biker chick feeling, leather riding jacket full with pads and tons of pockets. Todd got a fabulous early 80's color stone washed jean jacket full on with the ballooning effect because of the tapering around the waste. Yes, I definitely looked way cooler. Yet, I was a tad envious of such an authentic piece of vintage wear. So we get our bikes, did I mention mine was black with purple and turquoise streaks, simply awesome.

As the garage door opened I began to feel a bit nervous. There ahead of me was a gigantic incline which was the only path leading to the street. Using my new found starting technique I peeled off. The start was not as poetic as I would have hoped. I made it barely half way up the incline with way too much throttle, a quick wheely, complete loss of control, and I was down. On my right side as I mentioned, stuck under the bike with less then 1 minute into lesson 2. Not the suave start I was hoping for but I rebounded like a champ and we were off again. Oh yea, Tony got the bike up the incline for me seeing as I was not up for go number 2. We rode around the neighborhood and it felt great. Everything from the first lesson seemed to come back and work fairly smoothly. Oh yea, T.I.A (this is Africa, a very common phrase here) we were on the left side of the road, so not only were we learning how to ride, it was on the wrong side of the road. We learned how to turn with caution, got a good feel for the road and then we hit the open road. Up to 70km/hr. My smile was wide, my hands were tense and my eyes were paying close attention to the road. What a great feeling! We rode through subdivisions, through town (good practice for stopping and starting and overall road awareness), along the open highway next to the sea. The smell of salt water tickled my nostrils with a gingerly passing. The scenery was beautiful. Tony took a quick right turn at one point. My speed and nerves caused me to pass the turn and come to a stop on the side of the road. I think I may have made a couple of drivers nervous. I bid my time waiting for the perfect opportunity to cross and finally I thought it had arrived. So I take off for what I hoped will be a perfect start to cross the busy road and not get hit or stall in the middle. It didn't go so smoothly. Instead, my second wheely with crash landing, again right side, occurred. This time a woman got out of her car to make sure I was all good. I managed to pick up the bike in rapid time and brush off the second round of bruising for the day. After that, I was ready for the coffee Tony had promised us.

Two cups of filtered coffee later and my stiff body was back on a bike to finish out the day. We headed back to Tony's. It was simply awesome to experience the open road. My mind kept thinking of our trip to South America. It finally seems to be a reality in my mind. Not just this hypothetical and hopeful biking excursion but an actual reality of something I am going to love. I cannot wait to ride again. Luckily, through new bf Tony, we have secured a bike for the rest of our stay here in South Africa. It will give us the experience we (I) definitely need and allow us to see more then Stellenbosch.

As I sit here typing this, I can feel my sore muscles starting to tighten. Todd has made us a yummy salad for dinner. Nothing like a garden at your disposal to get one excited to eat fresh greens all the time. My body is excited for the hot bath to come, yet dreading the soreness that I most definitely will experience tomorrow. Yet, I cannot wipe the smile from my face. Another new experience during my time in Africa. I have fallen hard for this continent and proved to myself I can do anything I put my mind to. A little over two months to go and I am so excited to see what each day holds. Tonight, I hope to dream of cruising on a motorcycle, without injury, through the vineyards of Stellenbosch.