When Kindness Feels Awkward vA 154
(Mariental, Namibia) - Are you packing? - Hello! - Yeah, I'm packing. Yeah. Hello! - Hello, hello. How many tires did you use? - Still the same ones. - The same? - Yes. - Did you start in Cairo? - Yes. No, in France. But... They are made for that, but that's... They... You see, they're quite used. So that's why I get more punctures now. - All right. - But they are made for a long distance.
- Are you making video clips for YouTube or what? - Yes, yes. - Three years now on the road? - Yes. - Wow! What an experience... - Yeah. - ...it's been, uh? - Yeah, it's quite an experience. Yeah. - The energy and everything it takes for you to do this. I admire your...
- Yeah, it takes a lot of... - So where is the battery? - ...energy. The battery is here, on this side. It's the battery. - Will you be able to get one in Cape Town maybe? - Yeah. In Cape Town, I should be able to get a new one. Yeah. - Okay. - Yeah, yeah. - In Cape Town... - Yeah. - ...they'll fix this. - Yeah. And Egypt. - Did you skip Sudan? - No, I went to Sudan, but before...
- Wow! - It was... - Yeah. - ...before the war. - Before the war? - Yeah, it was before the war. It was perfectly fine. It was no problem. Yeah. And in Ethiopia, I was lucky.
I was in between wars somehow. So... - You just... - So I kind of... Yeah, I was... Just when they finished the war in Tigray. Anyway, Tigray was not on my way.
That was just the end just when I entered, and the... Now there is a big trouble in the north, in Amhara, so... - But you do your homework. You're going to safety... - Yeah. - ...in wars and stuff like that. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Okay. - I stay... Yeah, I stay... I try to stay aware of the situation. - Yeah, there's a South African guy, Mansell guy. He traveled all around Africa... - Yeah. - ...on his bicycle. - Okay. - ...inside the... - Yeah. Quite some people do it actually. Yeah. - Yeah. - Yeah. - Some guys walk. Some guys ride bicycles and stuff like that. - The thing is... Yes.
I mean, for me, it's more expensive, but I make videos. So I make money on the way. But if you travel by bicycle, you don't... And you eat local food and you camp most of the time... - Yeah, yeah. - ...you barely need money. - It's not so expensive.
- You don't need money. So it's not expensive at all. - Yeah. Yeah. - So that's why in this sense, yeah, it's... It's... - Yeah. - If you don't have money, it's a good way. And you still wanna travel.
You can still do it with a bicycle somehow. - Okay. - Then you just need the visa. - All right. All the best! - Thank you! - I don't know if I'm gonna see you again.
But now from here, you'll wanna go to Mauritius. - Yeah, after... After I reach Cape Town, I'll go to Mauritius for some time. But then, I'll come back up.
- The tires last all the way from France? - Yes. Yes, everybody is surprised. I broke many other things, but... - Do you have spares? - No, I don't have spare tires. I have spare tubes, but I don't have spare tires.
Well, they are made to last. They are made for this. In Cape Town, before cycling back, I will change the tires. - Change the tires and everything you need.
- Yeah, because... You see this? The problem is now if I go... Especially here, you have thorns everywhere. - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. - If I go on dirt roads, I get punctures. Yesterday, I had three holes in my tire.
- But maintenance is still part of the game? - Of course. Yeah, it's part of the... It's part of the game. Yeah. That's the way it is. - All the best! - Thank you! - Nice trip! - Thank you! Yeah. Morning, my friends! Let's go. Bye-bye! - Safe travels! - Thank you! Bye-bye! - Bye! - Let's go, guys! So in this video, we're gonna try to go from Mariental to Keetmanshoop.
It's about 250 km from here. So it will take me three days. And first, we go to Gibeon, the place of the meteorites, 75 km from here. Let's go, guys! And here we're rejoining the main road! Yalla! We've got a mini zoo here and some ostriches. Hello! And bad luck. I have a bit of a headwind today.
Hello! - From where? - From France. - Hello! - Hello! It starts to get really empty. Beautiful rest area. And a train station in the middle of nowhere. Look at that. - Hi! - Hello! - This is a far way to go. - Ah? - Far way to go. - Far away to go? Yes. Cape Town.
- Oh, my goodness. Where are you from? - France. - France?! - Yes. - Oh my word. Why did you decide to do this? - Because I like it: traveling. - You've been traveling from where? - From France. - From France all over? - Yeah, all over... Yeah, across Europe, the Middle East, and East... - Really? - And Africa on the east side. - On this thing? - Yes.
- Oh, my goodness. All right. Where are you off to now? Keetmanshoop? - Yes. Yeah, yeah. But today, Gibeon. I don't go far today. - Okay. Then you'll go and... - Yeah. - ...sleep there, and then you'll go on. - Yeah, Gibeon, then Tses, and then Keetmanshoop. - Okay. - Okay. - Okay. - How do you say it? - What? Keetmanshoop. - Oh, Keetmanshoop. Okay. - Yes.
Are you going back then again? - Ah? Yeah. - From here to South Africa. - I'll go back... - And then from South Africa where? - I'll go via the West Coast back to Europe. Yeah. - Oh, wow! Oh, good luck to you all the way! - Thank you very much! Yeah. - All right. If you need something, it's just $20. - Okay. Thank you very much!
- Buy a cool drink or something. - Okay, I'll buy... Thank you! Oh, my God. Bye-bye! - Bye! - That's the first time, man. It's the first time someone has given me money on the road.
That's funny. Some rare people on the road. It's actually quite funny because...
Well, it's the first time someone gives me money. And I know here it's normal. I mean, I've been in Africa for a long time and, I know it's perfectly normal.
It's kind of weird. It's the first time I received money and... It's funny because in my culture... But I know... I don't mean... I know she just wanted to be nice, but in my culture, it's... F***ing hell. I would starve to death before begging for money from foreigners, man. I don't know. It's just a matter of dignity, but...
Yeah, I guess here it's another story. But it's quite funny because I know she meant a good thing. But for me, emotionally, just because of my French culture, I felt almost a little bit offended to receive money like this. Big village. This village has a train station or a train stop. Falkenhorst.
Here is Downtown Falkenhorst. Okay. For some reason, there are no more rest areas here. So I'm gonna have lunch here. Lunch in the sun.
So I've got a lot of stuff. Some droewors. Some fruits. Some vegetables: carrots and tomatoes. Some yogurt. Cashew nuts. In Namibia, they have these Bulgarian yogurts.
They're really, really good. I love Bulgarian yogurts. They have different bacteria to make the yogurt in Bulgaria. Droewors. Let's go! Just 20 km left to Gibeon. A small, beautiful village. Wow!
School bus. In the middle of nowhere, a bus stop. Hello! Hello! It's funny in Namibia, you can really see the German touch. Everything is very well organized. And here is the turn to Gibeon.
So I go to Gibeon because it's my... Basically, it's my only option to charge the batteries on the way. Hello! - Hello! - Yeah, so it's a detour of 8 km to recharge my batteries for tomorrow.
Well, my batteries. My... My only surviving battery. Welcome to Gibeon! The village down the valley. Wow! What a view, guys! Beautiful. Look at that on my left! The immensity of Namibia! So today is Sunday. So it's quite deserted in Namibia. It's funny. It's like in France or in Germany. On Sundays, everything is closed.
But I just want to show you something funny, something very interesting. So I guess that's a school. Yeah, school. And you those two lines? See .//? That's the way they write the clicks basically. So they added some letters to the Roman alphabet. That's mostly with lines, straight lines or — I don't know — like a line something to write the clicks here in southern Africa.
Because most of the languages here, especially the non-Bantu languages... Some Bantu languages do have clicks as well. Yeah, many languages have clicks. So you have to find a way... As everyone uses the Roman alphabet here, you have to find a way to write those sounds.
Look at the parking lot. That's funny. It's completely deserted. Incredible. A few kids playing football. Hello! Hello! HIV. HIV everywhere. So if you don't know, there is HIV everywhere because...
Yeah, southern Africa is the region of the world that has the highest rate of positive people. I think in South Africa, it's probably almost 25% of the population. And it's probably similar around here. - Hello, hello! Hello! - Hello! Hello, hello! Hello! - Hello! - Hello! - Hello! - Hello! - Hello! Hello! So where is my guest house now? - Big boss! Big boss! - Yes, yes, yes! - This is a nice one. - It's a nice one. Yes. - Boss! - It's a tricycle. - Tricycle? - Tricycle. Yes. - Tricycle. - We are from Gibeon. You see?
- You are from Gibeon? Yes. - Yes, yes! - Yes. - From Gibeon. - Yes, nice. Do you know where the guest house is? Hello! - Hello! - Yes, I passed it. Hello! - Hello! - Borrow me some money. - Ah? - Money. - Money? Why? Do you know where Mencia's is? - Mencia's? - Yes. Mencia's Guesthouse. - Guest house? - Yes. - Guest house?
- The guest house is here. - It's there? - Let's go, let's go. - Yeah, let's go. - Let's go, let's go. - Let's go. - Let's go. - Where is our money? - Let's go, let's go! - It's where? It's there? - Yes, the guest house is there. - Yeah, but no, I need to stay on the good road.
- Let's go. - Let's go there. - Let's go. Then we're just trying. - Let's go, let's go. - Yeah, let's go. - Follow me, follow me, follow me. - Let's go. - This is the nightclub of the town, I guess. - This is a bar. - This is the bar? - Yes. - Hey, hey! - Hello, hello, hello!
You're from Gibeon? - Yeah. - Yes. What's your tribe? You're Nama? - Yeah, yeah. - Nama? - Nama. - Nama. - Nama. - Oh, it's here? - Yeah. - Some of them. We should ride that. - Hello! - That's the guest house. - Ah? - Here, here. - Oh, it's here. Okay.
- Hello! - Hello! - Hello! Hello! Oh, f***. You have to... Oh, you got... Okay. But you have to put it together. It's the same one. It's the same one. This is a guest house, no? - Yes, this is the guest house. - Yes. Do you have rooms?
- Bye-bye! - Bye-bye! - Hello! - Hello! - I saw you on Facebook. - Oh, you saw me on Facebook. - Yes. - Everyone knows me in Namibia. - How are you? - Very good. How are you? - I'm fine. Thank you! - Good. You have electricity, no? - Yes, we do. - Fantastic. That's all I need. - Are you going to sleep over?
- Yeah, just for one night. - Just for one night. - Yeah. For one night. And then, tomorrow I go to Tses, I think. - To Tses. I'm going to Tses now. - Oh, you're going to Tses now. Okay. - Yeah, actually to Berseba. But now the trouble here, my friend. - The trouble here? - The people have checked out. This is clean.
- Yes. - So the side I pulled off because I'm driving anytime soon. - Okay. - But it's all right. We will quickly... - But this one is clean, no? - Yes, it's clean. - Yeah. So it's fine. I don't need anything.
- Because there were people in the... The cleaner is off. But I'll quickly tidy up here for you. - How much is it? - 300. - 300? Okay. Yeah, this is fine. You don't need to... - Yeah. - Yeah, this is... - This is clean. - Perfect. - You can start charging your things. I'll clean the bathroom. Even... At the end, it's a... - Fantastic. So then, I can pay already. - I'll give you change.
- Cuz you're leaving, right? Yeah, yeah. And if you can give me a receipt somehow, it would be great. - You will give me your details, sum, and... - So here is my battery charging.
My nice bed for tonight. Let's see the bathroom. Very clean. Beautiful. Very nice guest house. You see, the shower is very nice as well. Fantastic. My bags are here. And my bike is parked just here. That was my way, the first day of the way to Keetmanshoop.
And here, I arrived in a beautiful guesthouse in Gibeon. Morning, my friends! Let's go, guys. Bye-bye! Thank you! - Yeah. - Let's go. Let's see if we can find... So we are in Gibeon. Let's see if we can find some water to buy for the way today before leaving Gibeon. Hello! Hello! Is this a shop? Hello! Excuse me. Is this a shop? - Yeah, it is a shop. - Okay. It's a shop. Thank you!
Hello! Hello! - Hello, hello! - Do you have water bottles? - Ah, nothing. - You don't have water bottles. - Yeah. Just in front, there's a big shop. - This way? - Yeah, yeah, this way. - Okay. How far? - Ah, it's... Just that one.
- Oh, that one. On the right side? - Yeah, on the right side. Yeah. - Okay, great. Thank you very much! - Welcome, sir. - Bye-bye! - Bye. - Now, my right wheel is disinflated. Oh, my God. Hello! - Hello. - Hello! - Hello! - Oh, yes. Hello! - Morning! - Morning! - How are you? - How are you? - Fine. And you? - I'm good. I'm good. - Yes, I'm good. - Yes, good.
- Here. - Danki. Thank you. Have a good day! Bye-bye! - Now on your way where? - I'm going to Cape Town. Bye-bye! - Okay. - Bye! - Have a good day! - Safe trip, man! - Thank you! Bye-bye! - All right, bye! - Bye-bye! - Bye-bye! - So today, we have 98 km to a small town called Tses. - Hello! - Hello, hello, hello! - Yes, yes! - Friendly people here. Hello, hello! Yes, 98 km to Tses. Let's go to Tses! Let's go, guys!
- Hi! - Hello! - Hello! - Actually, there's something funny with my tires. I realized that on my front wheels, I can actually ride with punctures, because there is so little weight on the wheels — hello! — that the tires actually disinflate very... If it's small punctures, they disinflate very, very slowly. But yeah. So I think... I repaired my left wheel when I stayed in Mariental. But I think on the right wheel, I probably have several punctures as well. Hello, hello! Hello! - Hello! - Hello! Ah? - To where? - To Cape Town.
- Cape Town? - Yes. - Cape Town? With this bicycle? - With this bicycle, yes. And to finish what I said about receiving money yesterday.
I know some of you will say, "Yeah, but you receive money from many people on the Internet," and it's very true. Through my YouTube channel and through Patreon, I receive money from many people. But it's very different for me because this comes in exchange of a service, I...
I make videos. So it's some work. What's weird to me is receiving money in exchange for nothing. Hello! - Hello! - Hello! - Hi! - Hello! - Hello! - Hello! No more trees. So they changed the sign.
And let's stop for another lunch break in the middle of nowhere in Namibia. It's great because I have trash bins in those places. All the rest areas have this stuff. I wanna see what it is. The two guys there walking.
It's a toilet. Wow! That's what I thought. Look at that! Well, I'm not gonna film inside because I guess it's disgusting. And you have... Oh my God, the smell. Don't breathe with your nose. Well, you don't see anything. That's better probably.
- How is it? - Good, good. How is it? - Yes, fine, fine. Thank you! - Good. - Can you help? Give me a lighter? - Ah? - Borrow me your lighter. - Lighter? - Yeah, yeah. - I don't have a lighter. Sorry. - Oh, do you have a lighter? - Ah? - Do you have a...? - Lighter? I don't have it. I don't smoke. - Okay, okay. Okay, my brother.
- Sorry. - It's okay. This side there? - Yeah, I come from this side. Yeah. - Windhoek side? - Yeah. - Oh, too many kilos. - Too many kilos. Yes. - Ah, in Namibia, no, not good. Too much suffering. - Too much suffering? - Yeah, cuz we haven't got money. - Oh, yeah, yeah. Okay, yeah, yeah.
- Too much tiring. - Okay, yeah. Dried cranberries with cashew nuts and almonds and raisins. It's really good. And it's great energy for the bike. Great fuel. - Thank you very much! - You're welcome. - Yeah.
- There you go. That's all I have. - Okay then. Cashew nuts. - Okay, these ones are good. Nice. - Yeah, it's good. Yeah. - Good.
Okay. Thank you! Thank you, man! - You're welcome. - Yeah. - I always struggle to understand why so many people are hungry on this continent. This continent has such a great, fertile land, but still, people are hungry. I'm getting hungrier and hungrier with only one battery. Yeah.
I have to do battery saving almost all day long today, so... I need a lot of food. Hello! How are you? - Good, good, good. What about you? - Ah? - Good, good. What about you? - Good, good.
Good. - Where are you coming from? - France. - France?! Yo! - Yes. - Yo! - Hello! - You're not on TikTok? - Hello! - The guy on TikTok? - Yes, it's me. - Yeah. I know that. Yeah. I told him now, "Yeah, that is this guy. I saw him on You..." - Yeah, yeah. It's me. - So you're going now from Windhoek? Yeah, to... - Down to Cape Town. Yeah. - Cape Town. - Keetmanshoop, of course. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. - Yo. -Yeah.
- So it's you alone? No one with you? - No, alone. Yeah, on my own. Yeah. - Yo! - Nice. Yeah. So... And you're sleeping... Where are you gonna sleep? - Tonight Tses. - Oh, Tses. - Tses.
- There is a small... I think, in the church, you can sleep, no? - Yeah, okay. - Okay, okay, okay. - Nice, nice, nice. - Nice, nice. - Oh, you travel... - Tomorrow, I'm going to... How do you say Keetmanshoop? - Keetmanshoop. Yeah. - Keetmanshoop. - Yeah. - Okay. Yeah. - Where are you going?
- We're going to Cape Town also. - Cape Town also? - Yeah. We're also going to Cape Town. - It's faster than me I think. - Yeah. Faster than you. Yeah. - Oh, yeah. - When will you be there? Tomorrow? - Yeah, tomorrow. Yeah. - Tomorrow. Yeah. - Tomorrow. - But we're sleeping over here in Grunau. - In Grunau. - Oh, in Grunau? - Yeah. - Okay. - Yeah. And then, we... - Then tomorrow we take...
- Then tomorrow you make all the way... - Yeah. - ...to Cape Town. Yeah. - Yeah. - Yeah. And then we're going to Cape Town. Back home. - Nice. - Back home. - Back home. Yeah. - Yeah. - Nice. - Nice, nice, nice, nice. Can we take a photo with you? - Yeah, yeah.
No problem. Yeah. Ah? - Your legs? - Tired. - Oh, they must be. - Yeah, my legs are tired. Yeah. - Yeah. - France! - France! - Yes, France. - There we go. - Yeah. - Nice. - Nice. - Yeah, enjoy your ride. - Thank you very much! Yeah. - My friend. - ...safe on the road. - See you.
Good luck to you. - Be safe on the road. - Maybe see you somewhere on the way. - Be safe on the road. - Okay, enjoy. - Enjoy! - Thank you, thank you! - Okay. - You too. Have a nice ride! - Yeah. - Have a good time, guys! - Yeah. - Bye-bye! And I think that in the distance, I can see Tses already. Ah, finally. What a day! 100 km with a headwind most of the day and...
One battery is not enough. Oh, my God. More than seven hours to do 100 km. I'm dead.
2024-12-22 10:13
