Lake Malawi turned on some special views for us today as we rode out towards Mzuzu, our destination tonight. The first obstacle was to drag the riders away from the sunset and views and early morning swims... the second about 15 kms into the ride... a 1200 m climb into the hills and away form the lake. 'Hello, I have rediscovered my legs again!' seemed to be the cry from the majority of the riders. It was an awesome day of riding the 135 km stretch into Mzuzu with a tailwind and some cloud cover and the views haven’t stopped even as we all sit relaxing at the campsite.
Chris Maund devoured the hills today and had a strong ride but then again... a lot of the riders enjoyed their day. Andre Thompson, brother of Paddy who joined us from Cape Town summed up his day in the saddle as 'my legs and butt hurt but it was worth it!' Another day in the saddle, another day of sunshine and spectacular views and another kilometer through Africa; Malawi has turned on its charms as have the people and bike heaven continues!
Paradise is one word to describe our rest day here in Chitimba Beach and most of the riders commented that it was their first full, proper rest day... I mean how could you not just hang out with the lake shore just a few metres from your tent? The fact that the campsite is a few kilometres from the nearest town meant that riders could spend their day reading, sleeping, having endless swims, eating, buying souvenirs and relaxing as much as they could. Everyone needed a good rest after we enjoyed a fantastic Mustache March party last night with Marcus taking out the competition that became more of a 'dress up' parade than just a mustache competition. The prize... a red box full of goodies donated by the riders and staff.
The laundry services offered were so cheap and so efficient that many of the riders just handed over their laundry yesterday and received it back sparkling today. The lake is huge and beautiful that most spent the day making the trek back and forth for swims with the exception of the 'poker playing crew' who spent the day at a table in the bar playing some seriously good games. Tomorrow when we depart for our next major destination, Lilongwe, there are sure to be riders that will have to be carried kicking and screaming to get them to leave Chitimba Beach. I think a request will go in to have every campsite by the water from now on... it is a well rested and refreshed crew enjoying dinner tonight.
Country number six... welcome to Malawi!! We crossed the border at the small town of Songwe, enjoying a final chips and egg omelette (a delicacy of Tanzania and so tasty with pink-coloured chilli sauce) and a quick haggle with the money changers to get the best deal before crossing over into Malawi. Our campsite tonight is in a clearing that borders rice fields and as it is raining buckets at present, there is a small creek running through it. Riders are scurrying to get their tents pitched a bit better and trying to move them out of the water running through the area. Apparently, this is typical of what the rainy season is like in Malawi and it doesn’t usually finish until mid-April. As most of the riders were in camp early, a few of us got to explore a small village, some rice fields and taste a bit of the local moonshine (about 70%proof). The local village was out in force checking the camp out for the majority of the afternoon and the kids were a real delight even if the situation was a little reminiscent of Ethiopia. On the riding front…..a monster climb at the start of the day to remind you that you had legs, then rolling hills until the border. The real bonus was the thick fog that settled in, keeping the temperature down and riders in long sleeve jerseys, arm warmers and spray jackets for most of the morning. Tomorrow the tour heads towards Lake Malawi and Chitimba Beach for our first rest day in our new country.
Aaaaahhhh, beautiful wild Malawi... and a very wet Malawi that caused us to pack up a soggy, damp campsite this morning. Due to a time change everyone decided it would be fun to get up and start the day at 5am (yes, the riders have lost their minds now... it's official), that is everyone except the staff. The riders made their way through small villages to catch glimpses and then, finally, spectacular views of Lake Malawi. The ride was a pretty straightforward day of 120 km with a few climbs mixed in passing by schools housing screaming children who lined the roads in their excitement. While Tanzania was lush and green, first impressions of Malawi were similar but wilder. Nothing could beat the views of the Lake though, especially the downhill into the Chitimba Beach campsite which made it feel as though you were by the ocean. We are looking forward to our rest day tomorrow where after the usual chores, riders can swim, lie in the sun, play beach volleyball, and eat. There are people here willing to do your laundry, giving you an extra hour or two to enjoy the day off. Apparently thunderstorms will be the flavour of every night in Malawi around 11pm and this should help keep us all a bit honest with our tent pitching. Now there is a flurry of activity in the campsite as peole put the finishing touches to their creations for our ‘Moustache March’ party tonight….
Ice cream and cold ginger beer has never tasted as good as it did in Mbeya this afternoon! The name of the shop serving it escapes the brain after the first taste of the carmel, vanilla, cookies and cream flavoured ice cream enters your mouth after the 10km ride to town on a bike or in a taxi.(the bike is definitely cheaper) The threatening rain clouds stayed away for the afternoon allowing things to dry and air out after a few days of damp bush camps. The school children along the way were out in full force today lining the streets, running alongside of the cyclists as they climbed the hills, laughing and giggling at your poor attempts with Swahilli (except Douglas, Joash & Gunther) and revelling in having their photos taken. Our abode tonight is the Stockholm Arms and for once, everyone was able to sit at a table to eat dinner and drink red wine. It was a great opportunity to get a hotel room, watch some tv, relax, charge up the electronics and sleep in a bed... something the riders really look forward to. Tomorrow, after navigating the rolling hills of Tanzania and enjoying the incredibly beautiful scenery (words cannot do this justice) , we cross the border into Malawi and head towards Chitimba Beach and a rest day on Lake Malawi. That means.....a swim!!!
Day 2 of the fifth Section of the tour, Malawi Gin, and as some of those who stopped in the small towns this morning to have chai and chapatis discovered... there might no be any red wine in southern Tanzania but ther is plenty of gin and 'moonshine' named Kolongwi (scary stuff by the sheer look of it). For the riders it was much the same as yesterday with a few more big rolling hills and a very cool, damp morning that had the riders breaking out their warm gear for the start of the ride.(something they have not done since Egypt). A relaxed lunch stop, a few more villages to conquer in the form of chai, chapatis and sweet doughnuts, the enjoyment of seeing fields of sunflowers everywhere and most were in camp early again. They got to enjoy the creek down the road, the shady trees and their favourite books. As Marcus from Germany put it... 'today was nice.' The Toyota, the Bakkie and Doris stopped in a local village (for chai and chapatis) to collect more supplies, find some truck parts, film some local sights and get fuel, then hightail it to the campsite to put up the finish flag and get dinner ready in time….oh and the mandatory pot of soup and bread. As another day closes and tired, hungry riders make their way to our regular rider meeting….most are ready for another long day in the saddle, much of the same wonderful scenery as yesterday, use of internet in a local village and some hotel grounds to camp in, which is always nice. Bike heaven continues……
It's fresh, beautiful sunny day here in Iringa and the usual rest day antics are happening... bikes are being worked upon, the tandem is being worked upon again, the camping area is an array of washing lines, sleeping bag airing areas, tents, bike bits, red boxes and comatose, tired bodies that are relaxing, listening to music or sleeping. For once, you can’t see or hear the African Roots boys working on the trucks... after the week we have had, they are busy catching up on lost hours of sleep. Another week down and by far one of the toughest and longest weeks we have had since the tour began; late nights, mud, mud, mud, stuck trucks, wet everything, rain, more mud, colder temperatures, rocky, gravelly roads, awesome scenery, some more mud, more rocky roads and finally yesterday…the finish line flag, oodles of sunshine, clean grassy area to camp and the chance to sleep in today. The riders bodies are in need of a good rest after the long, hot, bumpy, muddy week they have endured however most will spend the day cruising around town, eating, checking their emails, cleaning their bikes and reorganizing their red boxes for the next 5 days. Tanzania has been an incredible experience for everyone with it’s game parks, mountains and rolling hills, lush green valleys, animals, people and villages. The Dodoma Road has been an experience that most of us are unlikely to forget including Miles and the African Roots boys; I think they breathed a collective sigh of relief when we ‘hit’ the asphalt yesterday.
Iringa is a pleasant village set in the hills, bustling today with market excitement and noise not conducive to being Sunday and a day of rest. The market was busy full of colourful materials, knick knacks and produce so Miles headed in this morning to stock up on food for the week. Apparently, there is a super butcher about 50km outside of Iringa that he uses so tomorrow the freezer will be stocked with fresh meat. We found a great wine shop so the cellar part of our red boxes is fully stocked again which will put a smile on some faces in the evening. The challenge most face each rest day is to ‘discover’ yummy cafes that will feed you full of delightful local fare or whatever you are craving at the time….sometimes you hit a jackpot like some of the riders did this morning. Sometimes you don’t…..like some of the staff this morning when we had to go and buy some coffee to go with our hot water. Still, the chapatis we had were well worth it!
So tomorrow, we head towards the Malawi border on the asphalt much to the delight of many of the riders. We’ve welcomed yet another sectional rider and bid farewell to four others. After a big meal tonight, some red wine, and a good night's sleep, everyone should be ready for another few more days of riding…..oh, and Janet will be back on the bike tomorrow! After a month off so she is very excited!
Biking in Africa hit an all time high today! I mean, could life get any better with the asphalt (there were a few potholes and bumps), a partially cloudy sky and cool temperatures that made it 'oh so pleasant' to ride 100km? Heading south from Iringa the rolling hills allowed the riders to enjoy the magnificent scenery (complete with gum trees today). The asphalt allowed everyone to have a nice quick ride and relaxing afternoon hanging out in camp or getting chapatis at the nearby village. Welcome back to Janet Alexander who, fresh from her month off the bike with a broken wrist, made a flying return to racing with a strong win in the women’s division... no one could be as excited as she was today (I mean the smile on her face said it all!). For expedition riders and racers alike, the paved roads, and the lack of bumps and corregations, made for awesome riding conditions. For the African Roots boys it meant a blissfully relaxing day without the bumps, corregations and mud that characterized their days last week. They were in camp by the early afternoon hours. So all is well here in Tanzania bike heaven!
Welcome to Iringa….the gateway to Reuha National Park, our rest day and a fond farewell to our Sectional Riders from Canada and Germany, Richard, Ruth, Donna and Trina. Yesterday we crossed over the 6000km mark which makes it official ...we are over halfway (in distance) to Cape Town. Today was the last of the dirt roads until Namibia (sometime in April/May) and while the keen mountain bikers had lumps in their throats and tears in their eyes, the guys on cyclecross bikes were saying ‘thank god and welcome to the asphalt). A day of rolling hills (or ‘undulating ups and downs’) that started with a 27km climb up through a scenic valley and some breathtaking early morning views for all riders to enjoy and a fairly smooth road that made Thor and Wimpie happy about getting the trucks through. After lunch, the road (recently graded) made for some very quick riding broken up by a couple of coke stops and then…….the asphalt. As Pierre Bataini would say ‘the sight of asphalt is beautiful’! Tomorrow is a rest day for all – well needed after 7 continuous days of tough riding and a chance to eat yummy chips and eggs omelettes, rest, clean up, allow the body to recover, sort out gear, repair bikes, get infections sorted and sleep. (sounds all too familiar but really most of the riders will spend time in the internet cafés). Today also marks the end of the Snows of Kilimanjaro section which has been won by Adrie and Eva and although we didn’t really get to see the ‘Snow on Kilimanjaro’ this will be a section most riders won’t forget.
Thrills and spills were the flavours of today’s hot stage through another beautiful part of Tanzania. The thrill part…..awesome rocky, bumpy downhills……and the spill part…..rocks that seem to enjoy grabbing at your wheel and tossing your mercilessly off your ‘trusty steed’! (aka…your bike). Camp at the moment looks like a first aid post and the betadeine, antiseptic sprays and dressings are being quickly depleted as we clean up grazes, scrapes and various other wounds. It was a day of ups and downs, rolling hills, undulating surfaces, rocky roads, scorching temperatures. The scenery made the day worthwhile; crossing Mtema Dam, passing through pockets of villages, zipping past Masai cattle herders, dodging traffic, getting out of the way of Doris and the African Routes boys on their way to camp, ice cold coke stops and stunning views from the high points along the route. Andy Cameron has been enjoying the rough bumpy roads and today had a blinding ride to win the stage while Eva cruised in not too long afterwards. Iringa is beckoning and it marks the end of the 'Snows of Kilimanjaro' stage, the impending departure of 4 sectional riders (Ruth, Trina, Donna and Ritchie) as well as a well-deserved rest day for the others.
