clock. This reliable Rotax powered
single-cylinder EFI 53 horsepower
bike, weighs only 150 kilograms, and
proved an absolute joy to ride. My
dear wife soon referred to it as my
“mistress”! I must admit to growing
very attached to this wonderful bike,
that did not let me down once, across
21,850km. The only minus is a fuel
tank of 9.5 litres. I carried an extra
14 litres in 2 x 5l fuel bladders and a
1-gallon Rotopax.
My lightweight camping, and other
gear was carried in Mosko Moto soft
panniers and an Enduristan pack
sack. It all turned out to be a perfect
combination, and I am now con-
vinced that “soft” panniers are the
answer for a trip like this.
Apart from a Carnet de Passages
for the bike, I did not arrange a single
visa before departure, counting on
getting them along the way. It gave
me a lot of flexibility as there was no
fixed time entering and exiting the
various countries I travelled.
There was no doubt, travelling solo
was for me. The freedom of being
the master of your own domain, the
challenge of finding solutions to the
various problems and situations that
arise each day are something I love.
August 3rd, 2018, I rolled down the
hill from my house on the island of
Mors, blue sky above, a mirrorlike
fjord on my left and right, 27 degrees
– a perfect day!
My thoughts were many. What if I
had to turn back? Isn´t this just some
big ego-trip? Aren´t I too old for this?
“Growing old is inevitable … grow-
ing up is optional,” a quote I’d read a
few days earlier, I kept repeating the
quote in my mind and headed south.
Copenhagen, my first stop. My
daughter Maiken had a little surprise
waiting, she presented me with a
travel companion. “Hector”, a rhino
she’d crocheted for me. All through
Africa, Hector turned out to be a real
showstopper, an icebreaker whenev-
er I stopped. It was a miracle Hector
TRAVERSE 38
survived the trip. I can´t count the
times I was asked, “Gift for me, gift
for me … ”
When you are heading for adven-
ture in Africa, traversing Europe is
not the most exciting part, more of
a transport stage. Finding a way to
start the journey on the eastern side
of Africa proved to be a bit of a chal-
lenge. I’d read several bad reports on
the way visitors were treated by the
authorities in Alexandria, Egypt when
trying to clear their vehicles. Long,
long delays, and lots of cash changing
hands to get things moving.
I decided to ship my bike from
Lavrio, Greece with Salamis Shipping
to Haifa in Israel, with me flying from
Athens to Tel Aviv. It worked perfect-
ly; I cleared the bike in Haifa within a
couple of hours.
Israel was new to me and can
highly recommend a visit. The Is-
raelis really want you to appreciate
their country and go out of their way
to make you feel at home. I visited