This is a note to my comrades and friends:

We all experienced something that will bind us together with an invisible bond. “We completed the rally together”.

Now that the fat lady has sung and the chaos has come to an end, we get a chance to reflect on all that we have learned, experienced and been through. To say that the trip had its ups and downs would be an understatement. Our team went through moments of ecstasy that could be compared to the peaks of the Himalayas, and went through low times that could only be quantified by the depths of the deepest ocean.

However, it is the lows that make the good times feel as amazing as they were. Before I carry on with this piece, I must commend each of my team mates for their continuous optimistic outlook, and a will to carry on. I believe a lesser bunch of men would have packed up and left the rally on day 4. Visions of the crew surrounding the motor with more banter than mechanical knowledge are etched into my head for a life time. What a bunch of hooligans we truly are.

With Otto at rest underneath the lights in Johannesburg, reality has been quick to set in. I miss having you all around me, I miss the sheer comedic whit of my fellow companions, but most of all I miss the feeling of adventure and being free. This reality check has been brought on by more than the fact that my facial growth has been trimmed, and more than the realisation of the constant admin that my computer screen brings. We all shared together a time in our lives where opportunities and experiences were almost boundless. We really made the most of each opportunity, 22 hour long hauls on the road, 30 minute drinking sessions and endless ribbing. We lived it to the full, just ask PFR HQ.

I cannot wait until Saturday where we will again reminisce on each event. What makes me more excited is the image of us many years down the line, beer in hand seated around a familiar camp fire laughing about those days we were stuck in Tsumeb, or speaking in awe about each majestic African Sunset we were blessed enough to witness. No other place puts on a greater show than our home continent.

“Some of us are cave dwellers and some of us are loose footed.” –Lemon Jelly

C.J.P Ball