Log

Charley Boorman Log- Day 1

In which Charley begins his South African adventure!

Twelve hours overnight from London, we touch down in Cape Town, the first stop on our grand tour of South Africa. It’s a country of huge contrasts and astounding beauty, but it has to be said we’re not off to the best of starts.

We left Great Britain in the middle of an unseasonably wet Summer and appear to have brought the English rain with us. I’m told Cape Town will show you four seasons in one day and this is rain as only South Africa can supply it: Wild, dramatic – and over as soon as it’s begun. Still, the unpredictable weather means some of what we’re planning to do here may already be jeopardized.

Worse still, during the flight I developed crippling toothache. Needless to say, it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Not only are we struggling with against elements and their effect on our schedule, but now I have to find a dentist in a hurry.

I have some minor work on my teeth and I’m still feeling sore when I return to our apartments and some good news: BMW have delivered the bikes we will be using on our travels and they look superb. With a little tinkering, we’ll be ready to set off.

We have a day of interviews and press launches ahead of us. It gets repetitive but the sheer warmth of the welcome we’ve received from everyone we’ve met has made up for it.

Still, as we explore our options for the next few days – abseiling off a nearly 4000-foot tall mountain, surfing with the local children and even swimming with Great White Sharks, I’m itching to get back on the road.