MOSSEL BAY NEWS- Two men, travelling the world on their motorcycles, have chosen Mossel Bay as one of their destinations.
Daniel Cabrera (34), originally from Colombia, and Juanillo Oton (41) from Spain stayed in Dana Bay this week after local residents, Twana Roets and her husband Gert Brink, met them at an outdoor warehouse in Cape Town.
Twana says they saw the bikers taking pictures with staff members at the warehouse last week and she photobombed the occasion.
The couple started talking to Daniel and Juanillo and invited them to Mossel Bay.
Daniel rides a Honda Africa Twin and Juanillo a Yamaha T7. This is Daniel’s second world tour and Juanillo’s first. It is, however, the first time for both of them in South Africa.
Juanillo’s inspiration came from a movie, Long Way Down, in which Ewan McGregor travels on a motorcycle to South Africa.
Daniel Cabrera
He started his world tour in 2022 and he has been to Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia, among others.
Juanillo then sent his Yamaha to Chile and he also travelled through Vietnam and Uruguay. He has been travelling solo for most of the time and even visited Prudhoe Bay in Alaska. When he can't reach a country by road, he ships his motorcycle or flies it over.
Juanillo OtonSouth Africa
The two of them met a year ago in a small town in South America.
“We met on 17 January 2023. I had been touring for a month and Juanillo for much longer. We just enjoyed each other's energy. But he was heading North and I was heading South, so we parted ways,” says Daniel.
Both men shipped their bikes to Cape Town to continue their tour. “I was looking on Instagram before my flight and I saw Juanillo talking about South Africa."
It was pure coincidence that both of them landed in Cape Town on 21 January. “We decided to travel through South Africa together.”
They do mostly off-road and travel without a plan. Daniel says: “We have no plan. If you plan too much it’s going to be stressful to fulfil it. We make sure our bikes are okay, that we have food and water and we are fine to go.”
Their tip for anyone who would like to travel in the same way is to always get accommodation before it gets dark. “We camp a lot.”
Juanillo Oton in Dana Bay
The duo says their travels have gone smoothly so far. Daniel did, however, break his hand and Juanillo had to be escorted by police for about 1 000km while travelling between Iran and Pakistan. He also ended up in a Pakistani hospital after he drank water from a river and got sick.
Mossel Bay
Juanillo has used 7 416 litres of fuel since he started his tour. Juanillo owns two companies in Spain and works remotely while he travels. His wife, Ola, is managing the businesses while he is gone.
Juanillo Oton and his beautiful wife, Ola with their daughter, Patricia.
Juanillo and Ola met years ago and they both love motorcycles.
Daniel posts videos of his travels on YouTube and Instagram. Businesses promote their products on his channel and he gets a fee. He also works online with an real estate company overseas, where he earns commission.
For two men who have seen the world, what did they enjoy about Mossel Bay the most? "The people are so friendly.
We pictured South Africa very differently. It looks a lot like some of the northern countries of Europe. It is really a nice place. We thought it was going to be only dirt roads with lots of mosquitos and wooden houses."
Daniel says: "South Africa is more advanced and prettier than a lot of countries in America."
By the time of going to print, Juanillo had left Mossel Bay and was heading towards Namibia. He will travel to Angola, Congo and to Nigeria, whereafter he will head to Spain, where he will finish his tour.
Daniel is still in Mossel Bay for another week and will spend some more time in South Africa before he continues his journey.
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