A nasty separated shoulder injury doesn’t stop Carla White of Calgary, Alberta from cycling the tough off-road sections in Tanzania.
Carla received the One Tough Cookie Award on tour and she tells us why, “Our second last day off-road was SUPER difficult with heaps of deep sandy sections. No one likes those. A lot of people had fallen off their bikes that day and came back to camp a little more banged up. Sharita had just passed me in her truck, filled my water bottles and was heading back to give water to some of the riders still behind me. Her departing words as she drove off were ‘be careful’.
No more than ten minutes later I hit a sandy patch and launched myself off my bike and into a pile of dirt. I lay there for a while. Hot, exhausted, angry at my bike, the day and that damn sand…” read the full story here
http://www.carlabikesafrica.com/Photos by Carla White
When travelling through a country there are a few things that will determine whether you enjoy your experience or not. These include the scenery, the weather, the food, the locals, the infrastructure etc. Thus far, on this year’s trip, we have been treated to a wide range of all of these and where one country has more of one aspect, others are in the lead in another but give and take every country has had its highlights and lowlights.
Sudan’s landscapes were beautifully lunar and desolate, its people friendly but shy. Unfortunately a few cases of theft left a sour taste in the mouth for some riders. Ethiopia was spectacular, with mountain ranges, fields of gold, fruit juice and coffee and the sheer feeling of travelling through time that made this a special place. However, the continuous fear of being pelted with stones or of a donkey or a child walking in front of your bike meant many people will look back on this visit with a twinge of relief to have left the country. Kenya was beautiful with landscapes varying from desert to lush crops and traditional dress brightening up any road we passed through. The extremely tough riding on roads made for 4x4s and not bicycles meant not many people got to really experience all the beauty that surrounded them.
Enter Tanzania and it seems as though lowlights are non-existent here. Sure, we were lucky not to have any rain to speak of which meant the off road riding took place on quality hard-packed roads. Mud was at a minimum making the truck drivers, bike mechanics, medics and riders happy campers. The temperatures were hot but not unbearable and the landscapes were incredible. We travelled through lush rain forests, past sunflowers fields and maize crops, over mountains that provided us with views into eternity and went on safari in age-old craters and plains. The one thing that has stood out head and shoulders above any other country though, has been the locals. Gone are the continuous hassling because you’re a tourist, gone are the children trying to hit your head with a rock and everyone else staring at you with nothing but suspicion. Countless times riders passed through a village to be welcomed by school children lining the road and cheering them on. Locals have showed riders to the best place to have a cup of Chai or to find a cold Coke and some have even been serenaded.
Tanzania has been beautiful but it wouldn’t have been half as memorable if it wasn’t for the thousands of smiles that greeted us all along the route. All we can say is ‘Thank you Tanzania’. We will remember you forever with great fondness.
But now, on to Malawi!
-- Catharina Robbertze
From Kenya to TanzaniaWe’ve been in Tanzania for just about six days now, but for a change the majority of these days have not been spent on our bikes and in tents but in luxurious lodges and on the back of safari vehicles.
After crossing the border from Kenya – one of the easiest crossings so far – we made our way to Arusha through lush green grass fields in the shadows of Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru. The riding took place mostly on pristine pavement with just enough climbs to keep you interested in working hard and enjoying the downhills. Spectators next to the road ranged between friendly children greeting you with a “Karibu” or “Jambo” and a few uninterested zebras, ostriches and kudu.
Though we only spent one week less in Kenya than we did in Ethiopia, the Kenyan experience seem to have flown by. For some reason it is difficult to distinguish specific days and events in Kenya with the bus ride in northern Kenya and the visit to Nairobi the only things standing out. Except for that this country seems to have flown by in a blur of lava rock, heat, dust and ugali and meat.
Arriving in Tanzania it was once again apparent how a simple border crossing can be the cause of such a big chance in scenery and atmosphere… where Kenya felt much wilder, Tanzania seems touristier and well aware of the beauty they have been blessed with.
Donating bikes to Women in Action
Upon arrival in Arusha the fourth bike donation of the tour took place as 20 bikes were donated to Women in Action (WIA).
WIA started with 16 women who in 1993 wanted to address the HIV/Aids pandemic in their community and support the women and children who were most impacted by the disease. Since its creation they have helped more than 4800 individuals by providing home-based care, village and community banking facilities. They have worked tirelessly to empower the women and youth of their villages in order to educate the general community about the disease and its consequences and to protect those children who are already suffering because of it.
The bikes donated to them will mostly be used by their volunteer educators and home-based care counsellors to access their beneficiaries and provide educational programmes in the broader Arusha community.
Let’s go!
After three days of doing nothing but resting everyone is ready to hit the road again and ready to take on the second half of their epic journey. Arusha marks the official halfway mark of TdA and though these rest days were much needed everyone is itching to head further south.
Tanzania seems like an unexplored wilderness at the moment and the next eight days promises to be rough and dirty all the way to Mbeya. The rainy clouds are collecting overhead and readying to turn the waiting gravel roads into muddy paths that will certainly be the cause of much joy and grief all at once.
-- Catharina Robbertze
TDA 2011 rider Kendra Ryan took some nice photos of her time along the Masai Steppe section.
Check them out
here.
