Day 43-54 | Km 8163 | Namibia Namibia menjadi negara ke-4 petualangan Wheel Story season 5. Negara dengan jumlah populasi sekitar 2,4 juta jiwa menawarkan keindahan alam yang sangat mempesona. Setiba di Windhoek ibu kota Namibia, kami disambut oleh Duta Besar bersama staff di kantor KBRI di Windhoek. Kami juga sempat diwawancara media lokal di Windhoek. Dan dari sini petualangan Namibia dimulai. Perjalanan pertama kami lewati jalan gravel (C26) mengarah ke Barat Daya, ban motor saya sengaja dikempesin untuk mendapat traksi dan kontrol motor lebih baik di jalan gravel. kami lewati daerah peternakan di gurun, lama kelamaan jalan gravel menjadi berpasir tebal setelah masuk ke jalan distrik (D1265) kontrol motor menjadi lebih rumit, harus konsentrasi penuh dan jaga keseimbangan. Disana kami lewati Spreetshoogte Pass sekitar 2005 mdpl dengan pemandangan gurun yang indah namun udara kering dan oksigen yang tipis membuat cepat lelah kalau terlalu banyak bergerak. Dan 220 km kemudian kami tiba di Solitaire, kota kecil yang menarik. Disana tempat stop para tourist dan overlander karena terdapat pom bensin dan restaurant. Setelah makan siang kami lnjut ke Sesriem sekitar 80 km dari Solitaire. Masih dengan kondisi jalan gravel pintu masuk Namib Naukluft National Park. Disanalah Sossuvlei dimana daratan garam dan tanah liat dikelilingi oleh bukit pasir berwarna merah yang terletak dibagian selatan gurun Namib. Namun sayang sekali motor tidak diijinkan masuk sekitar 40 km menuju Sossuvlei dan kita harus menyewa paket tour bersama mobil 4x4 dan tergolong mahal. Hari sudah sore dan kami pun riding kembali ke Solitaire untuk kemping. Keesokan paginya angin digurun bertiup kencang namun hari begitu cerah, angun samping bertiup kencang membuat kita harus sedikit miring menjaga keseimbangan motor ditambah jalanan gravel yang kadang berpasir tebal dan kadang bebatuan tajam membuat saya harus ekstra waspada. Dalam perjalanan menuju Walvis Bay saya berhenti tepat di ‘Tropic of Capricorn’ merupakan garis lintang paling selatan dimana matahari bisa berada di zenith. Banyak turis berhenti untuk mengabadikan moment ini. Dan tak jauh darisana mengarah ke utara melewati formasi baru yang indah di Kuiseb Pass berasa seperti berasa di planet lain. Total jarak dari Solitaire hingga Walvis Bay lewat jalur ini (C14) sekitar 230 km gravel namun 100 km terakhir menjadi sangat bosan yang terlihat hanya padang pasir berwarna putih yang silau terkena paparan sinar matahari bikin mata cepat capek ditambah fatamorgana membuat kita lebih ekstra hati-hati sesekali motor oleng karena roda menghantam gundukan pasir dan korugasi yang tak pernah habis, belum lagi ketika disalib atau berpapasan dengan mobil membuat pandangan terhalang karena debu tebal berterbangan dan sesekali saya harus berhenti sampai pandangan kembali bersih dan lanjut gas. Dengan medan ini bisa saya rasakan endurance oli Castrol Power 1 yang tetap memberikan akselerasi dan juga menjaga mesin disetiap kondisi jalan. Hingga di Walvis Bay hari sudah sore, melihat pasang pasir berwarna emas terkena sinar matahari sore memang menjadi daya tarik tersendiri. Saya gas terus hingga Swakopmund karena kebetulan penginapan yang kami book ada disana. Kota ini sepi namun udara sangat dingin dan berkabut. Sebelum matahari terbenam motor sudah saya parkir di garasi dan menutup setiap cela diruangan karena angin dingin yang menusuk. Hari berikutnya kami mengunjungi Cape Cross sekitar 140 km utara Swakopmund. Uniknya melewati jalan garam yang padat serasa jalan aspal padahal berasa di gurun dengan pemandangan laut Atlantic sepanjang jalur Skeleton Coast. Di Cape Cross terdapat koloni anjing laut. Kita bisa berdiri sangat dekat dengan mereka walaupun bau amis dari badan anjing laut ini bikin gak tahan. Sekitar 1 jam berada disana kami pun kembali ke Swakopmund. Dan perjalanan sebelum kembali ke Windhoek melewati jalan raya (B2) kami mampir dan memutuskan kemping di Spitzkoppe dimana terdapat gunung batu berusia 120 juta tahun ditengah gurun dengan pemandangan spektakuler membuat betah berasa disini. Malam hari kita bisa menikmati Milkyway karena langit di Namibia yang tergolong bersih tanpa polusi. Namibia memang surganya para adventurer sejati! Salam Adventure.
English Version :
Day 43-54 | Km 8163 | Namibia
Namibia is the 4th country in the adventure Wheel Story season 5. A country with a population of around 2.4 million offers natural beauty that is very fascinating. Arriving in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, we were welcomed by the Ambassador along with the staff at the Indonesian Embassy in Windhoek. We also briefly interviewed local media in Windhoek.
And from here Namibia's adventure begins. Our first trip passed the gravel road (C26) to the Southwest, my motorbike tires were intentionally deflated to get traction and better motor control on gravel road. we passed the farm area in the desert, over time the gravel road became thick sand after entering the district road (D1265) motor control became more complicated, had to be fully concentrated and maintain balance. There we passed Spreetshoogte Pass around 2005 masl with beautiful desert views but dry air and thin oxygen make it tired quickly if you move too much. And 220 km later we arrived at Solitaire, a charming little town. There is a place to stop the tourists and overlanders because there are gas stations and restaurants. After lunch we went to Sesriem about 80 km from Solitaire. Still with gravel road conditions entrance to the Namib Naukluft National Park. That's where Sossuvlei where salt and clay land is surrounded by red sand dunes located in the southern part of the Namib desert. But unfortunately the motorbike is not allowed to enter about 40 km to Sossuvlei and we have to rent a tour package with 4x4 cars and it is quite expensive. It was late afternoon and we were riding back to Solitaire for camping.
The next morning the wind was blown hard but the day was so bright, waking up beside blowing hard made us have to tilt slightly to maintain the balance of the motorbike plus gravel roads which sometimes had thick sand and sometimes sharp rocks made me have to be extra vigilant. On the way to Walvis Bay I stopped right on the 'Tropic of Capricorn' is the southernmost latitude where the sun can be in the zenith. Many tourists stop to capture this moment. And not far from where heading north through the beautiful new formation on Kuiseb Pass feels like feeling on another planet. The total distance from Solitaire to Walvis Bay through this route (C14) is around 230 km gravel but the last 100 km becomes very bored which shows only white deserts that are dazzled by sun exposure making tired eyes fast plus a mirage makes us more extra careful occasionally the motor shook because the wheels hit the sandbar and the correlation that never ran out, not to mention when being crossed or passing a car made the view blocked because thick dust flew and occasionally I had to stop until the view returned clean and further gas. With this field I can feel the endurance of Castrol Power 1 oil which still provides acceleration and also keeps the engine in every road condition. Until Walvis Bay was late in the afternoon, seeing the golden sand tides exposed to the afternoon sun was indeed an attraction. I continued to gas until Swakopmund because we happened to be staying there. The city was quiet but the air was very cold and misty. Before sunset the motorbike I parked in the garage and closed every blemish in the room because of the cold stabbing wind.
The next day we visited Cape Cross about 140 km north of Swakopmund. Uniquely over a dense salt road it feels asphalt when it feels in the desert with views of the Atlantic sea along the Skeleton Coast. There is a seal colony on Cape Cross. We can stand very close to them even though the fishy smell from the seal's body is not resistant. About an hour there we returned to Swakopmund.
And the trip before returning to Windhoek on the highway (B2) we stopped and decided to camp at Spitzkoppe where there are 120 million year old rock mountains in the middle of the desert with spectacular views making it feel at home here. At night we can enjoy Milkyway because the sky in Namibia is relatively clean without pollution. Namibia is a paradise for true adventurers!
