Day 16-17 | Km : 308 Riding menuju Pietermaritzburg berjarak 175 km dari Durban via 1000 hills memang memanjakan mata, suasana jalan yang tenang, mulus dan penuh kelokan ditambah pepohonan lebat dan besar dan suasana pedesaan yang tenang mengingatkan akan salah satu jalur di Sulawesi (Tanah Toraja - Palopo). Kami pun makan siang salah satu kafe di area 1000 hill yang memang tempat kumpul para rider. Hari mulai sore dan kami lanjut menuju Pietermaritzburg dimana kami sudah ditunggu teman kami disana, namanya Gregg kami jumpa disalah satu forum motor di Facebook dan Gregg host kami untuk tinggal di rumahnya. Sore itu cerah, sesampai di kediaman Gregg yang luas banget dan bisa melihat pemandangan 360 derajat dari kediamanya bikin kami melongo, bayangkan hanya duduk di teras sambil minum teh kita bisa melihat langsung binatang liar seperti zebra dan Impalla dan kawanan burung lalu lalang dengan hamparan padang rumput yang luas terlihat table mountain dari sini. Gregg mengajak kami melihat sekeliling kota, mulai dari City Hall sampai daerah urban. Dan perjalanan menuju pulang kami sempat melintas daerah offroad dan bisa melihat langsung kawanan Buffalo, Zebra, Jerapah sampai Impalla dari jarak dekat, sangat dekat di alam liar. Ini pengalaman pertama kami bisa melihat langsung kawanan hewan liar, biasanya cuma dari Kebun Binatang saja. Kembali ke rumah dan Gregg menunjukan koleksi motor BMW miliknya di garasi rumah, memang rider yang satu ini keren banget koleksinya.
Kami pun braaii (barbeque) ala Africa bareng malam itu sambil sharing pengalaman touring. Orang tua Gregg pernah berlibur ke Bali jadi sudah tidak asing dengan masakan Indonesia .Sambil bersantai Gregg merancang rute bermotor yang bagus buat referensi kami. Hari berikutnya kearah utara Pietermaritzburg kami mengunjungi Nelson Mandela Capture Site di Howick. Di dalam terdapat Apartheid Museum yang menampilkan perjuangan Nelson Mandela, lalu kami berjalan kaki ‘long walk to freedom’ menuju Monumen Nelson Mandela yang sangat artistik, untuk menikmati monumen ini kita harus berdiri di point yang tepat untuk melihat sosok wajah Nelson Mandela yang sangat dicintai warganya. Ok nantikan petualangan berikutnya! Salam adventure.
English Version :
Day 16-17 | Km: 308
Riding to Pietermaritzburg 175 km from Durban via 1000 hills does spoil the eyes, the atmosphere of the road is calm, smooth and full of curve plus large trees and quiet rural atmosphere reminiscent of one of the lanes in Sulawesi (Tanah Toraja - Palopo). We also had lunch at one of the cafes in the 1000 hill area which is indeed a place for riders to gather.
The day began late in the afternoon and we proceeded to Pietermaritzburg where we were waiting for our friend there, the name Gregg that we met at one of the motorcycle forums on Facebook and Gregg our hosts to live in his house. It was a sunny afternoon, when we arrived at Gregg's vast residence and could see the 360-degree view of his residence making us gawking, imagine just sitting on the terrace drinking tea we could see wild animals such as zebras and impalla and swarms of birds passing by meadows the wide table mountain looks from here.
Gregg invited us to look around the city, from City Hall to urban areas. And the journey to go home we had time to cross the offroad area and can see directly the herd of Buffalo, Zebra, Giraffe to Impalla from close range, very close in the wild. This is our first experience to be able to see live herds of wild animals, usually only from the Zoo. Back home and Gregg shows his BMW motorbike collection in the house garage, indeed this one rider is really cool in his collection.
We also have Braii (barbeque) together that night while sharing a touring experience. Gregg's parents had vacationed in Bali so they were no stranger to Indonesian cuisine. While relaxing Gregg designed a good motorized route for our reference.
The next day north of Pietermaritzburg we visited Nelson Mandela Capture Site at Howick. Inside there is the Apartheid Museum which displays Nelson Mandela's struggle, then we walk 'long walk to freedom' towards the very artistic Nelson Mandela Monument, to enjoy this monument we must stand at the right point to see the face of Nelson Mandela who is loved by his citizens .
Ok, look forward to the next adventure!
