On Tuesday, the 6th of October we had some unexpected guests at the Damara Mopane Lodge arriving on their bicycles. The Alpay’s are a couple that drives around the world on their bicycles experiencing all countries at their own pace and time. Due to the strong head winds, the Alpay’s were not able to make it to Khorixas and therefore landed right at the Damara Mopane doorstep.
We asked the Alpay’s a few questions about their mission and their experiences in Namibia and this is what they had to say :
For what cause are you driving all over the world with your bicycles?
Since we got married just before we started the tour, it is still our honeymoon, well a very long one we know. :-)
We both got infected by the travel bug at a early stage in life and therefore we have the desire seeing the world, the countries, and experience the culture of the people and the differences in mentality and habits.
Furthermore as we are godparents of a girl in Kenia via World Vision we like to use our around the world bicycle trip to promote this charity organization and their great work in developing countries. For doing so we have visited projects in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Bolivia, India, Vietnam and Cambodia and wrote about their work and the effects it has on the local communities in our blog. By doing so we hope to get more sponsors of World Vision on board.
How far have you travelled so far?
So far we have cycled 53000 Kilometers, on 6 kontinents. With Namibia as our 46th country.
What have your experiences in Namibia been like so far and what other places in Namibia are you planning to visit?
Namibia impressed us a lot with its natural beauty, it's diverse wildlife and it's amazing National Parks.
Apart of that we have been showered by the friendliness of local farmers who never been short of offering us any kind of help such as filling up our water bottles, giving us directions or offering us a place to stay for the night.
We are now on the way towards Swakopmund and Walvis Bay. From there we will head further south passing Solitaire and Sossusvlei. The rest of the route is not decided yet but our final destination in Africa will be Capetown which we plan to reach early December.
Could you give us a quick review of your stay at the Damara Mopane Lodge?
After a very long day of headwind (110km from Outjo) and still 25 kilometers away from Khorixas we arrived very tired at the doorstep of the Damara Mopane Lodge. We asked if they have a campground as well so we could pitch our tent. Philip, who was impressed seeing two guys cycling around and now standing in front of him, responded that there isn't a campsite but we could stay in one of the lovely Chalets instead and then enjoy the best dinner buffet we have had in Namibia so far. All that with a very friendly and attentive service staff. We would like to say a big THANKS again to Philip and his team.
If you would like to follow the Alpay’s on their tours around the world, click onto their website www.alpaysontour.com or follow their facebook page Alpays on tour. If you have questions, or would like to offer the Alpay’s your assistance in their travels, feel free to send them an email alpaysontour@hotmail.com
To check out the Damara Mopane Lodge – just follow this link.
Remember to post your #RainDanceNamibia on your Facebook page to stand a chance to win N$ 20 000.00
