The African Adventure, Stages 81 to 83

Windhoek to Sesriem, Stages 81 to 83
Three days cycling on dirt roads, 331km, 2100m of climbs !!
What can I say, Namibia has come good, finally after the flat boring scenery of Botswana and early Namibia we’ve finally got the views and scenery that Kat and Ciaran have been talking about, and it’s fantastic !!
Day 1, Windhoek to Weissenfels
114km, 1300m of climbs, 103km on dirt roads !!
I left Windhoek with Gus, we were away early and headed out on the 11km of paved roads heading for the hills and the dirt roads. The route seems to take a long loop around Windhoek before turning left up into the hills, the first part of the hill was paved but soon enough the pavement ends and were now on dirt roads. The dirt was hard packed and quite firm for the majority of the ride and only occasionally did it turn into soft sand. Gus and I made reasonable progress, we stopped quite often to take photos
Lunch was at 65km, some great fruit at lunch today, lovely juicy melon and sweet oranges, always a bonus when the fruit is good
Another 50km to go to camp and the day was starting to warm up, we needed lots of fluid to keep going so it was great to see Ciaran out in the Hilux with the water tank !!
More great scenery in the latter part of the day but also the wind started to pick up a bit, it’s never from behind these days
Camp was at Weissenfels Guest Farm and Horse Stud, Naomi had taken a day off so had managed to get us a room, very nice rooms and quite reasonable prices.
The highlight of the day though was the stage results from the ride into Windhoek, both male and female winners were From New Zealand, Anne for the girls and Vince for the guys, both very popular winners and well deserved !!
Day 2, Weissenfels to Solitaire
124km, 577m of climbs and all on dirt roads !!
Kat had mentioned that there was a fantastic view on this ride, up over the Spreetshoogte pass, first though was the small matter of a 62km ride to lunch, amazing scenery slowed us right down as did the dirt roads !, after lunch we started the pass, a long steady climb, not steep at all and occasionally nice rolling hills ip until the final climb and the view we’d been promised !!!
Wow, wow, wow !!! , it seemed that the view went on forever but if you looked closely it stooped at a mountain range way of in the distance, the enormity of the space was incredible, it made you feel so small !
We stopped and took lots of photos, non of which will be able to convey the awe inspiring sight but we’ll try !! We did the usual, bike above your head photos and the pointing at the view photo before finally setting of on the ultimate downhill ride !!
The ride down was steep, very steep, so steep in fact that lorries, trailers and caravans are not permitted. Since last year a lot of the downhill has been block paved with reinforced concrete sections to stop the blocks sliding. This made for a much safer and ultimately faster descent !! It really was a fantastic experience hurtling down at such a speed although I fear that I used my brakes so much that the rims heated up so much that I ended up with a flat tyre…..a small price to pay for such a great descent !!
Gus, Eerin, Naomi and myself still had 40+km to go and we were hot, tired and thirsty, thanks again to Ciaran who was patrolling the route in the Hilux, handing out water, rehydration salts and energy bars to anyone that needed them. So we plodded on, still inspired by the view but tired now and ready for camp, Solitaire, it finally came into view just as we turned right, there it was a little oasis in the middle of no where. No rooms were available so out with the tents, into the showers then straight to the German bakery and the best chocolate brownie this side of the Atlantic !! Washed down with a cold beer or two and all of a sudden I’d forgotten about the tough day….beer what a great way to relax
Day 3, Solitaire to Sesriem
83km, 294m of climbs, all on dirt roads.
Today has significance for two reasons, firstly it’s the last time trial, this time it’s a 30km individual time trial, and secondly this is the section where in the past the riders have taken part in the “naked mile” !!
So firstly the time trial, 15km ride out of camp to warm up, clock in and off you go on the 30km time trial to lunch. Needless to say that I wasn’t taking this very seriously, firstly there’s such great scenery I just had to stop and take photos and secondly I’m never likely to win a time trial so why beat myself up over 30km when I’ve still got 40km after lunch to do !!
I clocked in at the time trial with Naomi but only for our statistics though and off we went, a gentle pace with lots of stopping until we got 4km from lunch !
I stripped of my shorts and t shirt and Naomi put on her costume and off we cycled to lunch, there are photos available to prove my naked mile and they will be on Facebook as soon as Wi Fi allows
So after lunch it was back to being fully dressed, Gus and myself left Naomi at lunch with the girls as they were preparing for their naked mile and didn’t want to many men around, understandable really !!
Gus and I arrived at camp at 11.00am and went straight for beer and ice-cream, next was time to put up tents, shower and sort laundry before heading back to the bar. We’d not been there long when Naomi came in with Anne, Anne was completely naked and Naomi had only put her bra on just before entering camp !!, fair play to both of them for being great sports.
The award for the naked mile has to go to Ali from Brazil though, he cycled the 83km from one camp to the next, brilliant
And for the girls, Din, who cycled completely naked from lunch all the way into camp, 40km….fantastic effort
Well that’s the first three days off road, a rest day now in Sesriem and perhaps a trip out into the dessert to see sunrise over the huge red sand dunes….looking forward to that

The African Adventure, Stages 76 to 80, Maun to Windhoek

Maun to Windhoek, Stages 76 to 80
825km, 2140m of climbs, paved roads.
So an average of 100miles a day for the next five days, more boring scenery in Botswana then on our third cycling day we will cross into Namibia, our TDA leader Ciaran reckons this is his favourite country, we’ll see !!
Day 1, 157km, 219m of climbs, paved roads !
I left Maun on my own but after about 20km I was passed by Maurice, Rebecca and Omar, I joined them and we made a good team. The road was fairly flat (see boring) but there was a stiff headwind. We took two minute turns on the front, this gives everyone a short rest and actually increases your overall speed significantly.
We worked well together and made lunch in good time, a quick sandwich saw us back on our bikes and still working well together. Our stop for the night would be a Bush Camp, no facilities here then !!
The wind kept up all day and the unrelenting tedium of flat roads and boring scenery finally ended as we reached camp, despite the lack of facilities it was actually a nice camp site, loads of space, decent ground to camp on and we’d made it in good time to be able to relax.
Day 2, 140km, 298m of climbs, paved roads.
Destination Ghanzi, we weren’t sure what our camp would be as Ciaran wasn’t happy with last years and is on the lookout for a new site, we’ve just been told to look for the flagging tape !!
More flat boring roads, more headwind, nothing much to look at again so it’s head down and pedal !!
To make things more interesting today we’ve been set a challenge, we’ve split into teams and over 40km we have to estimate our slowest riders time, I was with, Alex B, Rebecca, Omar and Maurice. We estimated our time word be 1hr 36mins and 36secs, we had a 30km warm up ride then the 40km time trial to lunch, results were given at rider meeting !!
We did quite well and eventually came joint third, we were 3mins to slow !!
The only other thing of note was a large road sign, it pointed the way to Namibia and South Africa, it really is getting close now !!
Our camp turned out to be a safari lodge, very nice with excellent, showers, rooms, bar and food, the only issue was the 3.5km long drive that was deep sand. Most of us couldn’t ride it and ended up pushing our bikes all the way to camp, I knew Naomi wouldn’t be pleased so I got us a room and waited for her to turn up
Naomi turned up, her sense of humour slightly dented but as she said there was little choice and Ciaran did his best, knowing that the following day was the 207km day he’d also sorted out getting all the bikes and riders ferried to the main road in the morning !!
Day 3, 207km, 323m of climbs, paved roads and a border crossing !!
The big day has finally arrived, our longest day mileage wise on the entire tour, 207km, this will only be the second time l have done this distance and the first on a heavy touring bike !!
I actually walked to the road, the morning was cold and as I stood around waiting to get my bike loaded onto the truck I was getting getting very cold so I walked, on my way to the road my hands were so cold that it brought tears to my eyes. I tried every trick I knew to warm up my fingers and eventually I made it to the road and set of
Again it was a fairly flat course and after about 35km we turned west and finally we had tail winds that propelled us to lunch at 80km. After lunch we still had fair winds even if we had nothing’s look at !! We took advantage of the winds and pedalled on to the rest stop at 145km, only 62km left and now the wind wasn’t playing fair. The wind kept gusting in all directions and wen it hit you in the face it almost stopped you dead. Over the last 40km I was getting quite fidgety on my bike and just tried to get to camp as soon as possible but first the small matter of customs !! Yes folks were in a new country again, this time were in Namibia, it was a quick and painless exit from Botswana and into Namibia and it was also free !! Just 1km after the border and you arrive at camp, I can finally get of my bike, I made camp at 3.30 about an hour sooner than I’d expected.
Camp was great, proper grass to pitch tents on, ATM, beer, crisps and snacks in the camp shop, all very civilised !!
I think that every rider in the tour actually cycled this day and completed the whole day, brilliant !!
Day 4, 162km, 441m of climbing, all paved roads !!
Well what a tedious day, well at least until lunch anyway, 85km of scenery that just looks the same. Straight roads, slight headwind and just pedal until lunch !! After lunch we had the town of Gobabis to look forward to, ATM, Wimpy, beer, Spar shop….all mod cons, I stopped for cash and a coke before heading out for the last 50km, a slight hill on the way out added some views to the afternoon but other than that it was business as usual.
I did get a puncture with about 20km to go and was happy to see Gus, Rebecca and Rob, they stopped to help before we all cycled to camp together
Camp was one of our last bush camps and to celebrate the crew made a burning man bonfire after dinner, camp songs followed but I was tired and in my tent already !!
Day 5, 159km, 861m of climbs, all paved roads !
Did a mention I was tired, well I was so I caught the truck to lunch and started there. I think to be honest the morning ride was yet again flat and boring whereas the afternoon ride was undulating with some great views and a terrific downhill roller coaster of a ride into Windhoek.
I road most of the way with Rebecca and Omar and we stopped only for the occasional photo as there were no coke stops !!
I’d just stopped in a lay bye to wait for them after a quite long hill when a car pulled into the same lay bye. One of our riders, Bas, got out and ran over to say hello and give me a tip for a great restaurant in Windhoek
Bas was on his way hometown attend a funeral, sad times but hopefully he’ll be back for the ride into Capetown !!
In Windhoek we stayed at the Arrebusch Lodge, I was fortunate to get there early and nabbed a room for Naomi and myself. Great rooms, very clean, not huge but everything worked !!
The following day was a rest day so it was time to sort washing, email etc, and all the other jobs that build up !!
We did however get the chance to go to the restaurant that Bas mentioned, it was called Nice, it’s a hotel and catering student restaurant and there were eight of us that went, the place itself is beautiful, the staff were attentive although perhaps a little timid still but they’ll get more confident with time. The menu and subsequent food were a delight, inventive food well cooked and together with some excellent wine it turned out to be a great evening
The next day was all about shopping, when we finally arrive in Capetown there will be a riders party so most people took the opportunity to shop for party gear as most of us only have cycling or camp kit with them !!
Back to the Lodge in the afternoon for some relaxation and a very nice meal in the restaurant, a huge steak for me with a very good pepper sauce, getting spoilt the further south we go.
And so to bed, more tough days before our next rest day at Sesriem !!

The African Adventure, Stages 68 to 75, Lusaka to Maun

Lusaka to Maun, Stages 68 to 75
Three days cycling, two rest days in Victoria Falls, then five more cycling days. A total of 1206km, 4000m of climbing all on paved roads and to be honest it was really boring scenery !!
Out of Lusaka we had 158km to go, our destination was a soccer field, not great but it would have to do ! The first 30km through the town was very busy with traffic and unfortunately one of our riders had an accident with a local cyclist. The local ended up with a broken arm and our guy, Jan, had a broken collar bone and dislocated shoulder. We never saw him again as he was taken back to Lusaka hospital and all his kit and bike were taken to him the following morning, as soon as he could, he flew home. It was such a shock to everyone as he was a very popular guy and never got to say goodbye !
To be honest we were all dazed after the accident and the rest of the day was just a blur. The camp was as we expected, basic, no toilets or showers so it was back to digging your own hole again
Day two, 183km and 777m of climbs, another tough day, as I said before the scenery was tedious, just the same thing all day, trees !! Even the climb didn’t have a good view although it did brake up the monotony
The camp was called Ruze Chalets, despite trying very hard to get there early so I could get a room, I was to late and therefore pitched my tent. Plenty of space and at least there were toilets and showers this time !
The bar was also good, beer for only 5 kwatcha, a bargain, we supped a few of them and after the day we had we deserved them !!
Day three, my legs are feeling the pace and today we have 150km and 500m of climbs, it doesn’t get any easier
Tonight we’ll be in Victoria Falls, so looking forward to that and two rest days, my legs, especially my knees are in need of a rest !!
To be honest the day was ok, I made lunch fairly early and then cruised in the afternoon, the hardest part was getting through the town and out to the hotel and camp ground, I picked up a couple who’d started from lunch just before the town and we navigated our way through together. We finally arrived at the Waterfront Hotel and Camp at about 1.30, a good day !!
Naomi and I had reserved a room in advance and despite having trouble finding reception at first, I was soon in my room and even better, in the shower !!
When Naomi arrived I was in the bar, my third beer I think ! Any way TDA were just about to donate another 50 bikes, this time to local schools. Having bikes available makes it easier for kids who live far away to get to school on time. The kids even put on a short play about how having bikes affect there lives, they were brilliant
Rest day 1, there’s so much to do in Victoria Falls and no shortage of ways of relieving you of your hard earned money, top of the list was white water rafting but the river was to high so this wasn’t available !!
Next up is to go and see the Falls, the guide book says its better from the Zimbabwe side so Naomi, Inge, Katie and myself got a taxi to the bridge, got a visa in our passports and then walked across the bridge to Zimbabwe
Now what do you think they’ve got on the bridge ? Yep it’s a bungee jump, 111m over the river with the falls behind you, how could I resist !! Within twenty minutes I’d signed up, was strapped in and standing on the edge waiting for the final countdown, it wasn’t until this point that I was finally nervous, I’ve done six jumps before but this was the big one. Maybe I’m getting older and wiser but as I stood there waiting to jump, I finally questioned why I was doing this !
I took a deep breath and dived out into this huge void and within a few seconds the bungee had me recoiling back up, now I remember why I do this, because its scary, because it makes you feel alive and because I can !!
Jump complete, video and photos paid for, we continued to the park entrance and the falls, a quick stop for coffee and cake first, excellent food and great service
Next stop the falls, there’s a two kilometre path that takes you pretty close to the edge, the falls are opposite at all times and they are incredible, I knew they’d be good but this was beyond everything I could of hoped. Within seconds we were soaked, the spray falls like rain here and everything is lush and green. The water thunders as it cascades over the falls, it’s almost deafening, fortunately the sun was shining so we were wet but warm, our clothes stuck to our bodies as we desperately tried to keep our cameras and passports dry !!
I must have taken hundreds of photos, many to be deleted later. When we’d finished we headed back to the cafe for lunch as the prices were reasonable and the food looked good, it also tasted good, fortunately !
Next stop was the town of Victoria Falls, this is actually on the Zimbabwe side, Livingstone is on the Zambian side. We walked into town, had a look round this heavily tourist orientated town, stopped for a beer and icecream then headed back to the hotel .
Rest day 2, we’d bit the bullet here and splashed out on micro light flights, basically for $160 you get a pilot, two bucket seats, a cloth wing and a fairly powerful engine !
Naomi, Eerin and a guy called Mike all went together, we each took a ticket and waited our turn, Eerin was first up followed by Mike. I was next to go, I was strapped into the seat, helmet and coms on and with a quick “all set” to Grant the pilot we were of. The micro light sped down the runway and in about 100m we were airborne, we banked left and climbed into the bright blue sky, the falls were over to our right and you could see the spray / mist and a myriad of rainbows. We turned towards the falls, lining up with the ravine they fall into, just then Grant mentioned that it would get bumpy, to be honest I thought it was great fun and put my arms out like a big kid flying
We banked right now heading back down the river, Grant pointed out pods of hippos, there were quite a few, they tend to stay on the sand banks so they can put there heads up to breathe.
Next we banked hard right and lined up for the landing, again Grant said it could be rough but with over 4500 flights he was up to the task. On landing he did put the micro light straight into the hanger as he said the conditions were now to windy to fly !!
I made it back in time to see Naomi land, her pilot had no qualms about flying in the wind !!
I should have mentioned that Naomi doesn’t like heights, so the idea of her up in a micro light in strong winds is almost unthinkable !!
She arrived back almost dumb struck, terrified, bless her though she held herself together long enough to collect the photos and get back to the hotel before she went to pieces, but pieces is what happened !! It took the rest of the day for her to get over it, I’m proud of her for actually doing it and not asking the pilot to land immediately !!
The rest of the day was all about food, beer and rest, we rested most of the day then took a taxi to a very posh hotel for a Royal High Tea, basically you pay $20 each and you get a glass of sparkling wine, then drink as much tea or coffee as up you like, the choice of both was overwhelming !! And also eat as many cakes and pastries, both savoury and sweet, as you like. The surroundings were beautiful and very posh, the staff were courteous and friendly and the cakes and pastries were to die for, all in all, a brilliant afternoon.
We then went to dinner with about 16 other people, it was Inge’s last day so this was her fair well meal, the food was good and the company even better but as per usual we hit the sack early as we had plenty of miles to cover the next day
Riding day 4, 81km, 450m of climbs, destination Kasane in Botswana !
Yep we cross another border and cycle into yet another country and to do this we get to take a very short ferry ride, the border is literally on the other side. It was a very quick process and we were quickly on our way for the last 10km to camp. It’s so good to get to camp and find a bar and swimming pool, first things first though, a quick trip to town and the ATM !!
Riding day 5, Kasane to a Road Camp !, 172km, 571m of climbs, on paved roads !!
I left first, quite glad I did because after about 7km I came across two elephants on the verge. I stopped about 70m away to take photos then waited until they started to move away. As they turned to go back into the bush I crept forward slowly but one of the elephants turned towards me so again I stopped and withdrew until it was completely safe to continue !!
After about 5km, I was stopped by a car coming towards me. The driver explained that there was a heard of elephants further on. I proceeded cautiously until I saw them, they were on the righthand verge, about a dozen of them. I took photos then I clapped my hands just once but hard, the result sounded like a rifle shot and the elephants turned and walked away, phew !!
The last 20km or so was on some very bad roads, they were building a new road to our left so we were sharing what was left of the old road with some very large construction trucks, lots of dust and noise ad some very close calls !!
Finally we made camp, literally in a lay bye, not a great camp but tree was nothing else !!
Riding day 6, Road Camp to Nata, 146km, 488m of climbs, paved roads
Naomi took a day of here, the 172km day had tired her out, I road the whole day and again saw a few elephants, just as well because the scenery was boring, I struggled after lunch but was saved by Jared, an 18year old lad from Canada, he road in front all afternoon and sheltered me from the headwinds, we stopped for coke about 10km from camp and as we were about to leave we met Rob so we all cycled in together.
Another great camp, swimming pool, great showers, bar, food and rooms, the rooms were expensive so we camped instead and used the facilities. The TDA crew had organised a quiz in the evening and I’m happy to say that the team Naomi and myself were on came joint first
Riding day 7, Nata to Bush Camp, 185km, 200m of climbs, on paved roads !
The started badly as one of our riders had an accident less than 10km from camp, he was struck by a truck and the resulting fall meant that for the second year running he would not complete the tour due to a broken hip !!
After that it was a day of headwinds for the riders, Naomi and I had organised a trip with Darrel in his safari jeep, we were hoping to be shown some wildlife but due to Klaus’s accident we couldn’t as his vehicle was now needed as a water carrier. The Hilux normally does this but it was taking Klaus to hospital !
We arrived at camp early and set up our tents, it was yet another basic camp, no showers or toilets and lots of thorns. I don’t think we missed much in terms of scenery during the day and it also helped Jared as the bike he was due to ride had a flat tyre, he used mine for the day and seemed to get on with “Kylie” just fine
Riding day 8, Bush Camp to Maun, 133km, 241m of climbs on paved roads.
Destination The Sedia Hotel in Maun, first though the small matter of a 70km race to lunch. Naomi decided that she’d have a go at this as the shorter distance might suit her. We left together, me in front trying to spare her from the wind and keeping the pace high, sadly after about 44km one of the other female riders passed us and Naomi knew that it was all over. We still tried hard until lunch and I think Naomi eventually came third, not to shabby on a heavy touring bike
We cycled together for the rest of the day, mostly into a strong headwind with nothing much to look at, in fact the scenery was so bad we ended up taking photos of dung beetles and crickets instead
Finally we were in sight of the hotel and fortunately there was a small shopping area with an ATM, we stopped and got drinks and money before heading to the hotel, we were fortunate to have arrived quite early as we managed to get a room, a rest day tomorrow, it’s been a tough week with long miles and strong headwinds. We’ve also lost a rider and this really makes you think just how crazy this trip really is.
Oh well, time to sort laundry, blogs, email, Facebook, bike maintenance and shopping and if there’s time left we’ll relax and chill out !!

The African Adventure, Stages 63 to 67, Lillongwe to Lusaka

Lilongwe to Lusaka, Stages 63 to 67
728km, 5 days riding, 5000m of climbing !!
So an average of 145km a day with some good climbs and thankfully all on paved roads !!
The first days destination was a place called Chipata and a great camp spot called Mama Rula’s Camp, we found out when we arrived that it had great showers, toilets, bar and swimming pool….perfect for the tired cyclist
152km, 852m of climbing and a border crossing into Zambia, we all made sure we had passports, money and yellow fever documents before setting off !!
The directions were simple, pretty much a straight line south following a main road out of Lilongwe, a couple of turns before lunch at 80km added a little interest. A fairly large group formed behind the would be racers, no race today so they weren’t going full bore and I was able to hang on to the rear wheels and get dragged to lunch. We arrived in about 2.5 hrs, a quick stop saw me straight out and heading for the border at 122km !
Quiet roads and fairly minimal hills were spoilt slightly by a head wind but I still made good time to the border and had no trouble getting my visa into Zambia !
It’s amazing how the feel of a country changes the minute you get through the border, it’s only a line in the sand but it feels so different !
30km to Chipata on good roads and I was there by 12.45, I was happy to find the bar and swimming pool and used both !!
The evening saw the usual, rider meeting, dinner etc before an early night ready for the 176km ride to Petauke !!
176km is our longest ride day yet and with 1288m of climbs this would be a tough day. The route was dead straight and to be honest there wasn’t much to look at either. The only diversion would be the town of Katete about 12km after lunch, two of our group are raising money for a charity that has a base hear and we were all invited to stop and find our more. The charity is called Colalife and the charity make use of Coke Colas delivery network to piggy back medical supplies to poorer parts of Africa, such a great idea !
Once again I cycled hard and was at lunch, 80km, by 9.05….what I didn’t expect was to see the racers all sitting there still !
It turned out that there was a full blown riot in Katete, a young girl had been murdered a couple of weeks earlier and the locals weren’t happy with the way it had been investigated, don’t quote name on this as its just what we’ve heard !!
Anyway we weren’t allowed to cycle into Katete for at least two hours and by the time we were allowed to go we were one huge group with a police guard, shots were fired above the crowd to disperse them as we cycled up the Main Street, all very dramatic I’m sure but we were aching to get going !!
Finally after following the police for ages they pulled out of the way and we were once again under way, another 90km to go before camp at Chimwemwe Lodge in Petauke. I was fired up and raised my game, I was on my own again for most of the ride but still made camp at 3.10, ten minutes longer than I would have liked but it was a tough day.
Naomi had ridden the bus from lunch and had got us a room, so welcome, hot shower, proper bed and a bar with cold beer…not to many though as we’ve another 172km tomorrow !!
Destination Luanga and a place called Bridge Camp, 172km and 1350m of climbing, this is a mandatory race day, that means its tough so we were all ready for a long day !!
Lunch at 80km again means another 92km after lunch, seems the wrong way round to me, I’d rather have 80km after lunch and 92km before lunch..oh well !
I left early and on my own again, I quickly found a rhythm and with the great scenery keeping my mind occupied I soon arrived at lunch at 9.15. It was a tough morning but we still had a fair few hills to climb yet. As we neared the gorge and the Zambezi river I stopped to take photos of the river and bridge, Ali and Lizzie also stopped just behind me, I left before them for the descent onto the bridge and was over it before they’d got onto it, I asked the security if I could take photos and to my surprise they said yes. As Lizzie and Ali cycled over I managed to get some great shots of them with the bridge behind them ;/)
There was one last climb before a long descent down a duet road to the camp. Again the facilities were great, showers with hot water, toilets and a bar, although the beer was very expensive !!
Some of our group went on a boat trip to see crocodiles and hippos, we spotted them get out of the boat as it landed on Mozambique soil, naughty people, not a visa among them
They arrived back tipsy but hadn’t seen a single croc or hippo, still at least they’d had some beers and enjoyed the ride
Day four and this time 124km and 1631m of climbing, last year this was the mandatory day so again we knew it would be tough ! It started with the long slog back up the dirt road to get to the main road, the sun was just coming up when I left so some good shots of sunset over the river !!
Back on the main road we turned left and again for the next 124km it’s a straight line south !!
A long climb came almost immediately and I settled in for a hard day, the scenery was not so good as we were in the trees now and the views were not so good , still lunch is only 62km away so I set myself a goal of 9.30, a challenge with all the hills. I made my target with less than a minute to spare, I found out that Naomi has left from lunch with a few others, this gave me something to chase so I had a quick lunch, filled my bottles and went after them.
After two hours of hard graft I saw them but my bottles were empty, just then Ciaran came by in the Hilux, I flagged him down and filled up, he said I only had 44km to go. The chase was on and in about 10km I’d passed them only to stop at the next coke stop as they came in I was just leaving, they said there was only 30km left, I wanted to make it in an hour but failed, 1hr 10mins was the best I could do !
A school playing field was our camp spot, no showered but at least there were toilets even if they were primitive !!
It’s almost like a day off, 104km and only 850m of climbing, I don’t think the racers even stooped for lunch, they were done in about 2hrs 45mins !!
I was slightly slower although I was at lunch by 8.40 and away by 9.00. It was a great ride, made even better by the knowledge that the next day was a day off !!
I made camp by 10.40, I pulled out my wet tent to dry and went in search of a cold beer before sitting by the pool with my feet in the cool water !!
Naomi arrived about lunch time and she’d arranged with a friend of hers in Lusaka that we’d meet them at a hotel and go back to there’s for dinner. Now Kevin and Sylvie were leaving us and a few of us went to see them off at the Rhapsody Bay at the shopping mall, they finally arrived as we were leaving, the hotel was across the road !!
Our hosts were Duncan and Jill and there daughter Emily, Jill’s sister Alison was also there so it made a good group, the food was good and plentiful as was the beer. The best bit was being able to use the washing machine and the Wi Fi though
We left them at lunch the following day, bags full of clean washing and over 500 photos uploaded to Facebook, I was happy but hungry, we ended up in a fish and chip restaurant. We each had a family platter with extra chips and a beer each, what a pair of pigs, but it was so good.
The rest of the day was pretty much chill time, I had a massage which was very good and then it was time for bed. Another tough week looms large, more long days to come before Capetown !!

The African Adventure, Stages 57 to 62, Mbeya to Lilongwe

Mbeya to Lilongwe
Stages 57 to 62, about 750km, 6277m climbing and all on paved roads !
The road out of Mbeya is all up hill, we knew this as just looking around Mbeya you can see that your in a punch bowl ! We knew it would be a tough day, over 1000m to climb and in humid conditions. I was determined to cycle so I took plenty of painkillers and joined my fellow riders. It became obvious to me that the pain in my ribs and shoulder would not be dulled by mere ibuprofen and I spent most of the day riding with one arm, not an easy task on the uphill sections but as I say I was determined.
I finally made lunch and took more painkillers, this time from Luke the medic, much better than ibuprofen I filled my water bottles after my lunch and headed of towards the Malawian border another 35km away, the scenery was still fabulous as it had been all morning and the ride was a pleasure. My ribs and shoulder were feeling better with the new painkillers and I arrived to perhaps the swiftest border crossing yet. A small form and $50 and it was all over, I changed some cash and set off for camp. I have to say that the last section to camp was flat and boring, I was glad to make camp and even happier to get a room, as was Naomi when she arrived.
Camp was by lake Malawi and yes there was a bar, it was Ali Costa’s birthday so the bar was full and we had a great evening although many of us were still in bed by 8.00
The following day we followed the lake to a resort called Lake Chitimba, 90km on flat boring roads with a head wind, not a great day but it was a great camp and another rest day. More good food, more relaxing, more laundry, more beer but alas no Wi Fi !! We all said that we could easily have stayed at lake Chitimba especially if we’d got a room, it was a very nice place to be.
The next stage was also a tough day, 135km, 1700m climbing, we’d arrive in Mzuzu !
We left camp in some of the wettest weather of the trip so far and after 16km we started the climb, it seemed to go up for ever but in fact was only about 10km. From the camp to the summit was also an individual time trial, not that I was taking this seriously, I was with Bas and Thijs and we were quite happy taking photos and mucking about
After the summit we enjoyed a brief downhill before settling into rolling hills and a head wind, by this time I had the pleasure of cycling with John Faulkner and we coasted into lunch together although I left before him and cycled the rest of the way on my own.
I arrived in Mzuzu to find Naomi had taken the lunch truck and cycled a half day, bless her she sorted a room, it was only 1.30 so I’d got most of the afternoon to chill and relax I needed the rest as my ribs and shoulder were still hurting, I proper bed is always appreciated at this point !
The next morning saw more foul weather as I set of for Luviri, another tough day with 124km and nearly 2000m of climbing, and the weather wasn’t helping either. By the time I got to lunch I was spent, my ribs and shoulder hurt and I was cold, so cold that I was shivering. I stopped for a long time to refuel but couldn’t shake the chill and in the end I took the lunch truck to camp !!
Camp was on another soccer field, we’ve had a few of these camps as its generally the only space big enough for us all to camp
I didn’t feel much better in the morning despite a reasonable nights sleep, I took the lunch truck and started the next day from there.
Destination the Kasunga Lodge, 107km away and about 500m of climbing, lunch was at 61km so I only had 46km to cycle. I set of and would you believe it but the racers swept past me at about the 100km mark and beat me to camp. I had a 61km start and they still beat me, incredible !!
Naomi had also set out her stall this day, she was on a charge and raced straight through lunch trying to gain a stage win as the fastest girl. She arrived in about 4hrs 10mins, very impressive but when she arrived another female cyclist called Suzanne had already arrived, now it would depend on how long it took them, only Kat the race organiser had the answer. We found out at the rider meeting that Suzanne had beaten Naomi by 24seconds, although disappointed I was very proud of her when she sort out Suzanne and congratulated her on the win, she was genuinely pleased for her
After another good rest and more painkillers from Luke I was ready for the next stage, the 130km with 1000m of climbing that would see us arrive in Lilongwe and two rest days
Naomi was still tired after her efforts the pevious day, she would take the bus to lunch while Gus, Eerin, Inge and myself set off into the headwind. It was slow going to lunch but we were cheered on by large numbers of kids lining the route, they were mostly cheering us although occasionally you’d here shouts of “money”, we ignored these shouts and enjoyed the cheers instead !!
Arriving at lunch we discovered that Naomi had gone on the dinner truck and would see us at camp. I left lunch with Sandy and Trish and enjoyed there company for the 50 or so km until camp, we battled the hills and headwinds and shared the work until finally the downhill into Lilongwe and the Mabuya Camp.
Arriving at the camp I found Naomi stretched out in the sun enjoying the warmth and a soda. I grabbed a beer and quickly joined her while we waited for Gus, Eerin and Inge to arrive. We had rooms booked for Gus, Naomi and myself and therefore would share a taxi to the hotel.
The hotel although very nice was chosen as it boasted Wi Fi, sadly although it does have Wi Fi it is about as much use as a chocolate teapot, also breakfast fits neatly into the same definition. Complaining about such things just gets a shrug and it’s to late to do much about it…..frustrated now !!!
The two rest days are spent as most are, laundry, bike maintenance and then it would be blogs, Facebook, emails etc and most important of all FOOD !!
We eat, oh boy do we eat, we eat places empty, Chitimba beach ran out of food and we were only there for a day !! We all eat so much but we need it and if its not proper meals then its soda, crisps, peanuts, biscuits, chocolate…..anything we can get our hands on !! 6000 calories a day on average and most people are still losing weight !!
So were rested, fed, jobs all done, bikes ready for the next stage !!
I guess we’ll find out how tough that will be at tomorrow mornings rider meeting, rumour has it that the shortest day is 150km and most are over 170km….gulp !!
Oh well if it was easy everyone would want to do it, I only hope I’m ready and able myself

The African Adventure, Stages 49 to 56, Arusha to Mbeya

Arusha to Mbeya, Stages 49 to 56
900+km, 7500m climbing and 5 of the days on dirt road !!
One of the toughest sections of the entire trip and I started it on the dinner truck, still got this sodding rash so not riding yet !!
The first three days out of Arusha were on paved roads and with fair winds and fabulous scenery it would have been a great ride, I watched enviously from the truck as we swept passed ready to set up each new camp. I heard story after story from each rider describing there day and became more and more determined to get back on my bike. By the fifth day I was ready to try and ride, I decided to start from lunch and ride to camp, a distance of about 60km on dirt road. The ride to lunch was interesting as the storm the night before had reduced to road to no more than a mud bath, the road was slick with thick mud and caused several vehicles to slide straight of the road. It was only the expert driving of Noah and the four wheel drive ability of the truck that actually got us to lunch.
We helped set up before unloading the bikes from the roof, I wasn’t alone in starting from lunch ! A few checks, fill the water bottles, thank the crew for lunch and for the first time in a long time I was finally cycling !! I set of with Naomi but she realised fairly early on that I was chomping at the bit and let me go I cycled fairly hard and thoroughly enjoyed the rolling dirt road, fortunately it was far less muddy than the road to lunch and that allowed me to maintain a good speed, I barrelled down hills and slogged up the other side, sweat pouring of me and a huge smile on my face. I was however relieved to make camp as my rash was still a little sore and despite only cycling 60km I was out of practice and it was starting to hurt !!
I made the decision to cycle the route from lunch the following day and was looking forward to doing so, again I wasn’t alone in this decision so the lunch truck was fairly full on the way to lunch.
I set off again feeling even better than the day before and for me I set a fairly good pace, the road was mainly hard packed dirt and sand and it was a much flatter route than the previous day. I was enjoying being back on my bike and being part of the tour again……then disaster struck… My front wheel hit soft sand only 3km from camp, it turned sharply and dug in causing me to be catapulted over the handlebars. I landed heavily on my shoulder and ribs, I lay there winded while I assessed my self. I finally got up but realised that I’d done myself some damage, my right shoulder and ribs were very painful. I managed to pick my bike up with my left arm and started walking. I guy appeared from out of a field and took my bike from me, he had seen me fall and apologised
Bless him he felt responsible for me in his country, he pushed my bike for as far as he was going and wished me well. I made camp on foot and by them the shoulder and ribs were really painful. I waited for our trucks to arrive, our medics would arrive with them and I would then get some treatment. When the truck arrived there was another rider with his arm in a sling, he’d had the same problem as me…suspected broken collarbone !!
I was checked out and they though I’d got a separated AC joint and bruised ribs, I was given painkillers and a sling…..no riding again !!
Erecting my tent would have been difficult without the help of other riders, Ben especially
The morning saw me back on the dinner truck, watching from the window again, this was not how I envisioned seeing Africa
We arrived at Makongolosi and then the fun began, the truck was to tall for the electric cables so the crew had to dig a new driveway into the school playing field, it took a while and several attempts to get the truck in but finally it was in, most riders then jumped in to help set up camp and prepare soup and dinner. I think they set a record for setting up camp, I unfortunately had to sit and watch, very frustrating !!
The following day myself and the other injured rider were driven to Mbeya in the Hilux with Nix, one of our medics, we were going to get and X-ray at the hospital. The route would be the same for the riders, 111km and over 2000m of climbing on unmade road, it was a tough trip in a car so we knew it would be brutal for the riders.
I had my X-ray and fortunately I’d not broken anything, still very painful but the other rider had a broken collarbone, he was told it would take up to six weeks to mend properly, he’s now gone home and will join us much later !!
We got to the hotel to wait for Eerin, Naomi, Gus and others…people were arriving very tired and it was getting late and starting to get dark when finally Naomi arrived with Inge, it was just after 7.00pm, they’d been out for nearly 12 hours and despite being tired they were very happy and justifiably proud to have completed one of the toughest days on this tour !!
Rest day tomorrow and boy do they all deserve a rest, the last eight days have been very tough and there are some tired bodies.
I hope that my injury will allow me to ride out of Mbeya, fingers crossed !!

The African Adventure, Stage 48, Nagana to Arusha

Stage 48, Nagana to Arusha
118km, 1154m ascending !!
Today we cross into Tanzania, in some respects were very excited but also disappointed to have cycled so little in Kenya especially as it looks so beautiful !!
Well I’ve still got my rash despite all the creams I’m using so I’m riding the bus and helping out where I can, still trying to enjoy the trip and take photos as I go! The truck is packed quickly and we drive the 4km to the border, first stop is Kenyan immigration to get stamped out….a fairly quick and painless process
Next stop is a short walk away at Tanzanian emigration to get our entry visa and stamp, a small form to fill in, hand over $50 and your in
Back in the truck for the 68km to lunch, the driver has his foot down trying to beat the racers, we manage but only just. Noah and his lunch crew are on the case and we manage to grad a bite to eat before the first riders arrive.
Off we go again, the scenery is incredible, the land is fertile and it’s getting more humid now, the rivers have water in them which we’ve not seen much off until now !!
Our camp is at a place called Masai Camp, it’s a great place to be, showers, restaurant, good grass under your tent and a bar with cold beer !!
As I got in early I managed to organise a room for Naomi and myself and then set about organising a safari for Naomi, Gus, Eerin and myself. The receptionist informed me that there was a new rider who was also looking to do a safari, a guy called Rob from Victoria in Canada. I met him and we hit it off so our party became five, an all inclusive trip with one nights accomodation and food came to $320, I booked it and waited for my friends to arrive.
Gus arrived first at about 2.30, Eerin came in a bit later and finally Naomi arrived at about 5.00pm, it was raining when she arrived and she was delighted to find that I’d sorted a room, no putting up a tent in the rain for her !!
When Naomi arrived I was attending a presentation of 30 bicycles, they are donated by TDA to various good causes, this is the first donation on this trip but I’m assured that there will be more. It felt good to to know that part of what we pay for this trip goes to pay for these bikes and that they are so well received
Dinner was at a local place, we went out with John Faulkner and the Kenyan riders, good chicken and Kenyan sausage, different but very tasty !!
An early night as we need to be ready for the trip at 7.30am, can’t wait !!

Rest Days in Arusha !!
Arusha is safari central in Tanzania, Tarangire National Park, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti are all pretty much on the doorstep so you’d be a fool not to book one !!
As I said in my previous blog, I’d arrived early in Arusha so had the opportunity to organise a safari for my friends and myself. The campsite has an office on site so I wandered in and asked for there help, I asked for two days, one night all inclusive safari to Ngorongoro Crater. They were very efficient and soon had all the details for me, pick up at 8.00am, drive to Tarangire and spend the day there, leave about 4.00pm and drive to hotel about 20km from Ngorongoro, dinner, accomodation, breakfast then drive to the crater, spend most of the day there, drive back to Arusha for about 7.00pm. They even provided packed lunches which were very good and mineral water on both days !!
Our driver and guide, Wilson, who is from the Masai tribe was brilliant, punctual, informative and generally very helpful !!
We arrived at Tarangire at about 10.30, we had no idea what to expect or what we might see. After all safaris are a bit of a lottery, you can pay a lot of money and be very disappointed or you can spend very little like us and be very very lucky. We fell into to lucky category, our expectations were low so when we saw our first Zebra we were excited already !! Imagine how we then felt after seeing a Giraffe with calf, Elephants with calf, lions, eight of them to be precise !! We also saw Warthogs, numerous exotic birds, I can’t remember there names but they were very colourful !!
Added to the already impressive list are, Black Faced Monkeys, Baboons, Ostriches, Ibex, Mongoose, Chameleon, Dik Dik ( a very small antelope ), Hyrex !! I’m sure I’ve forgotten something but I think you get the idea that we had a great day !!
We arrived at our hotel, The Bougainvillea at about 6.00pm, our initial impressions were very good and once inside they only got better. The rooms were spacious, well appointed and incredibly clean. There was a swimming pool and Internet available. The bar was stocked with plenty of cold beer and we were soon showered and relaxing in the lounge. Dinner was at 8.00pm and the menu was Tomato soup, Roast Pork and Lemon Meringue Pie, the waiters kept bringing more food when your plate was empty so nobody went hungry !!
Breakfast was also a massive meal with cereals, fruit, eggs, bacon, toast and lots of coffee…..brilliant !!
We were picked up at 7.30am by Wilson and started the drive to Ngorongoro, the first 20km took us to the gate on paved roads but after that it was all off road and up hill over the rim and down to the crater floor. It’s like one of those adventure films where they fall through the waterfall into a lost world. As we climbed up to the rim there were large black clouds above us but every now and again you get glimpses into the crater where you could see the sunlight shining of the lake !!
As we descended into the the crater the valley floor opens up to you, the lake in the middle is shining under the early morning sun and the Flamingos are already visible such are there numbers !! You can see herds of animals on the lush valley floor even from such a long way off, Zebra, Antelope and Wilderbeast are all in huge numbers !! When you get to the valley floor it almost overloads your senses, animals everywhere, you can’t quite believe just how many there are and they don’t seem to care about the vehicles being there !!
Again we were very lucky and saw just about everything you could hope to see, all apart from Leopards and Cheetahs !!
I think the highlight of the day was the male Lion that approached the vehicle and came within six feet, I was hanging out of the window with my camera in hand, the lion came so quickly that I had to get back in so fast I couldn’t pan out fast enough !!
Other highlights included seeing Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, baby Hyena, Lions hunting Zebra and very cute baby Zebra. There were also Grants and Thompsons Gazelles, Eland, more Warthogs and loads of birds, there names escape me again !!
Our lunch was overlooking a very picturesque lake with basking Hippopotamus, things really were very special, it was a shame to leave !!
The drive back to Arusha took a long time due to heavy traffic, our driver Wilson worked long and hard for the two days and never complained once about the traffic or how long it took !!
Back at camp we met up again after a hot shower and headed out for dinner, good food but a very long wait for it !!
We had one more day off and spent it doing laundry, bike maintenance and changing tyres (more off road coming), and writing blogs !!
My rash persists so I’m resigned to being on the bus for a while, it’s not how I planned on seeing Africa but at least I still get to see it !!
I’m still hopeful of finding a remedy but in the meantime I’m trying to keep smiling and being helpful as possible, karma should be on my side