As the days counting down to the end of our Tour d'Afrique become fewer and fewer, we have become more and more aware of the fact that our days in Africa are numbered. We have now entered Namibia and have 2 rest days in the country's beautifully modern capital, Windhoek. I have to admit to you all that the further South we go, the less and less we feel like we are really in “Africa.” If you blink your eyes, Windhoek could be Ottawa or Montreal – there are shopping malls, movie theaters, restaurants and fast food chains, tons of tourists, supermarkets and all the same amenities we have at home. It is only once we leave the city limits and that we are once again in the countryside that the feeling that we are in Africa returns. There, we are surrounded by tall grasses, as far as the eye can see, open horizons and tall mountain ranges. Namibia's landscape has so far been a big improvement over Botswana's, mainly because there is something new to look at. Having arrived in Windhoek just yesterday, we took our time relaxing and walking around the city. In our last stretch, I continued my search for an elephant, and sadly, I was disappointed. Nothing to see out there at all! I did get to see some wild dogs, apparently an endangered species, so I guess that is still pretty good. My mom promised to take me to Granby Zoo when I go home, so I don't feel so bad. There are still almost 14 days left on this tour and although we are going through more populated and developed areas, there is always the outside chance, however minute, that I may still see an elephant on the road. I think my letdown about missing out on seeing an elephant was relieved by the fact that I am supremely proud of myself for a recent accomplishment, a first (and I think, a last!) for me. Three days ago, our Tour Director announced that the following day, we would have a distance of 207 kilometers to cover from Ghanzi, Botswana to the Namibian Border town of Buitenpos! – our longest day of the Tour - We were well aware of the fact that this day was coming up sometime soon and I was horrified that it had crept up on me so fast. A friend of mine on the Tour, Paul, a funny young Irish guy, and I made a pact that I would bike the entire day and finish it. I told one of our truck drivers, Douwe (pronounced Dowa), about what we were doing and he decided to join us for the adventure. We pedaled all morning, reaching the 87-kilometer lunch stop by 10:00 am. By this point, although we had started before everyone, most people had already passed us. To give you all an idea about this, we were biking an average of 25 kilometers an hour, but the top racers are doing between 35 and 40 kms. Getting to lunch was the easy part. We were still energized, excited, having fun and strategizing for the rest of the day. Paul, my fearless leader-cum-dictator, had scheduled set break times and Douwe and I followed his rigorous and meticulous plan. After 25 kilometers, we would get a four-minute break. Paul would keep his eyes on his watch the whole time and the second time was up, we were back on the bikes. The atmosphere between the three of us was really cheerful and upbeat and even though we were pedaling, it didn't feel like too much work. After lunch, getting to the half-way point, 103 kilometers, we stopped to celebrate with a two-minute break and energy bar boost. Although we were beginning to pedal slower than before, we were still having a fun time. Reaching the 150- kilometer refreshment stop, we were doing great. We arrived there earlier than scheduled and so we got an extra bit of time to rest, almost a full half an hour! By that point, mistakenly, I believed that we had this day in the bag and that it was going to be a piece of cake the rest of the way. I mean what was another 60 kilometers after what we had just done? Any soreness I was feeling was pushed to the wayside and with the three of us getting along so well, we weren't worried at all about finishing the day. We left the refreshment stop a little before 3:00, and figured we needed at most three hours to get to the Finish flag at the Namibian border. The last 60 kilometers were by far the hardest. After already having spent more than 8 hours on the road, pedaling was exhausting. We were sweaty and tired, our legs moving of their own volition but requiring so much exertion anyway. We were getting tired and sore but spirits remained high. We took several unscheduled stops, with Paul's permission (actually, I think he was the one that suggested them because he was getting really tired too), and found cold Cokes at the most random and remote broken down, side-of-the-road stops. Nearing the 200 kilometer mark, Paul raced ahead and pulled some long grasses across the road as a makeshift marker line. The three of us had another celebration at this point and the realization that we were getting closer and closer came over us. We still had nearly 10 kilometers to go at this point (the distance turned out to be closer to 212 kilometers overall total) and so we slogged along, slowing way down. At this point, the sky was turning a beautiful deep orange and the sun was far into its descent. Our Tour Director, Randy, can't cross any border until all the riders are over in case there is any trouble and so when we finally saw him at the side of the road, we knew we were almost there. I finished the last couple of kilometers on pure euphoria at what we had just accomplished. I couldn't believe that we had reached the end. At the border post, my legs were so shaky I could barely stand, let alone remember my own name to fill out on the immigration forms. I must have stared at the form for a good 5 minutes before I could decipher what the heck I was supposed to do. We biked to the camp on the other side of the border, a mere 500 meters, and it was about 6:15. We arrived completely weary and worn out, but we had made it. People cheered and clapped and everyone was really happy for us. We arrived last, after nearly 12 hours on the road, but we DID IT! Through the pain and fatigue, I couldn't stop smiling as people came over to congratulate us. I, Ayesha Harji, biked 207 kilometers! I will (most likely if I'm smart!) never do that again, but I can now say that I have done it! I can now visualize biking from my house to Ottawa, more than 2 hours away by car! More than anyone else's reaction, I am proud of myself. There were so many times when I wanted to stop, but we did it! I feel like now, I can do anything I set my mind to. This was a challenge that can be used as a metaphor for anything else I decide sincerely that I want to do. I feel a new sense of motivation and drive, and it's wonderful!