photo of Stockholm Hotel campsite in Mbeya, 2008

With a decent internet connection in Mbeya last night, the rider blogs were being updated faster than we could read them. Here's a sampling...

I Wear Zip-off Pants by Catherine Hardee
Otherwise I wear spandex. I’ve tried to convince myself that bike shorts don’t look “that” bad. And that having a big padded seat doesn’t make me look like I’m wearing an adult diaper. I don’t find myself that convincing.
http://catonabike.wordpress.com/

Flowing Waters and Streams by Paul Porter (audio blog)
http://paulporter.cfans.umn.edu/?p=1658

Mbeya, Tanzania by Tim Thomas
These trucks are not robots, so the people who operate them are really the ones who are our lifeline. Although there have been a couple of times when one of the trucks has not been at its expected rendezvous, there has always been an effective back-up plan.
http://www.thisisafrica2010.com/2010/03/mbeya-tanzania.html

Big wheels keep on turning by Rick Wasfy
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM cold beer is something usually only available on rest days so I thought it was worth the chance to have one.  It was great, but as cold beer does, it made me pretty hungry.
http://rickwasfy.wordpress.com/

I’ll admit I don’t get religion and I know little of the Muslim faith but when it comes to aural harmony lets talk about the impact of the ‘Call to Prayer’ .... throughout northern Africa we have been ‘hounded’ by this expression of religious devotion. Writers of literature would have it described in romantic lilting tones creating images of harmony but my experience has been a little different.
 
Usually ‘The Call’ would commence sometime between 4 & 5 am or about an hour before these 60 or so very tired riders would be ready to rise ( that’s of course if they have survived the continuous dogs barking or the bray or an anguished donkey or 3) and then would continue for as far as i can tell for as long as it suited the ‘caller’ to ‘call’..... but these guys can be pretty sneaky, they go on fulfilling their duty for quite some time and every now and then they go quiet and just about the time you drop your guard, lower your stress levels to normal & relax or even consider that you might get the opportunity to return to sleep, guess what .. the reprise followed shortly thereafter by the riders moan !!  It seemed that every where TDA thought it a good place to camp ‘the “Mus’ thought it a good idea to attempt with gusto our conversion.  I even considered that in this era of electronic communication the SMS Call to Prayer might be an option.

My new experience tells me that differing techniques are applied to the ‘Call to Prayer’ .... among which we have the ‘Auctioneer’, the horse ‘Race Caller’, the ‘Drone’, the ‘Dyslexic’, the ‘Donald Trump’ & the ‘Egotist’.

The ‘Auctioneer’ .. usually begins by checking the mic to ensure function, this can be a few quick bangs or the rapid expulsion of air immediately followed by his opening statement. The sounds then come in shirt rapid bursts, the intensity builds until breath fails at which time he takes a short break and repeats ad nauseam.

The ‘Race Caller’ .. can to the uninitiated sound somewhat like the Auctioneer but this man is calling the worlds longest horse race and he simply cannot afford the luxury of taking a breath. Rapid, intense and ongoing .... 70 minutes later and still we have no winner but that remains no deterrent to this enthusiastic communicator!!

The ‘Drone’ .. not happy to be up at all, would much rather have joined the riders in a quiet morning sleep in but bored as he is there is still a job to do and it will be executed with all the genuine disinterest and predawn distain he can muster. No inflection, no tonal variation, no colour. ‘Call’ is what is required and ‘Call’ is all he will do. Bored but not conceding.

 The ‘Tourettes suffering Dyslexic’ .. the manner of delivery suggests that this ‘caller’ just has to be reading from a script. Clearly every day cannot be his first day on the job and one figures he has to be familiar with the content, but the delivery ? ... somehow it just doesn’t seem to come out the same way no matter how many times he repeats himself and repeat he does (of a manner). Between you and I this is the caller i get the clearest visualisation of.


The ‘Donald Trump’ .. it’s my microphone and ‘hell’ I can do whatever i like !! 5 minutes or 2 hours. Hum a little, sing a bit, chant occasionally, take a break and grab a coffee, gargle, practice a little foreign language, leave it to the background vocals of those gathered  .. whatever he likes, he has the mic and he has the power !!

The ‘Egotist’ .. These guys come into their own whenever we have mosques within sound range of each other. This can apply with as few as two or simply as many as you like. Techniques employed by the Egotist might in include the ‘up early jump start’ of the equally cagey contrasting “oh sorry i didn’t check my watch” ‘late to finish’ method, also volume can be well used to advantage in these exchanges. Any of the above outlines techniques can be employed in this the most fiercely contested of all the ‘call to Prayer’ exchanges. Each appears to be driven by the need to be heard over and above, longer and louder than all the other rivals .......... why ?? .... just because !!

And as entertaining as all this was there was one thing I most often found myself in a quandary about and that was the following ..... if you have been calling them to prayer for about an hour and if they are still not there way i see it, they probably aren’t coming !!
 
......... so give them the day off and please let the riders have a well deserved extra 60 minutes sleep.

Wayne Woodward

see more at www.wayneandpatrick.org

Like most good stories this one needs a disclaimer: I’m fine mom, I’m in camp safe and sound, nothing to worry about here. So, I was feeling pretty good this morning. The day was supposed to be fairly short and the gods of shuffle seemed to be shining on me (lots of Pigface, NOFX and Optimus Rhyme).

So I’m flying along when I discovered that there was a bit of a cock up with the instructions for the day. Everyone thought we were supposed to go right at a fork in the road when we were really supposed to go left. This meant that all the really fast racers who are always way ahead of me had gone the wrong way. They had already learned of the mistake and were turning around to go the correct way. Since I’m slower than them I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to go the wrong way. Suddenly, I think I’m in the lead, and I’m feeling strong. Maybe today is the day for that stage win that I had largely resigned myself to never seeing. Since there’s alot of free time to daydream when riding a bike long distances I began to think about my upcoming win. I’m not even halfway to lunch yet and already I’m counting my chickens. I figured I’d need to skip lunch to even stand a chance of doing this. “I’m too sexy for lunch!”, that’s what I’ll yell as I barrel by.

The road is a miserable dirt/gravel nightmare, but that’s why I got themountain bike. Occasionally there’s a nice little single track beside the road(it’s just a little path that the locals walk/bike on that is so much smootherthan the actual street). Whenever possible I hop on there and start really moving. In addition to being easier to ride on it’s also cooler. I get to go into the little villages we pass by, sometimes a little too closely. I feel like I’m about to ride into someone’s house every now and again. The one drawback to riding the single track is the thorns. Inch long daggers that can find the weak spot in any tire line the sides of the track. Big surprise, Iwind up with a flat. While I’m fixing it people start passing me. I get thefront tire back on only to discover that the rear one also has a puncture. So I take that one off and discover that it has three holes in it (how the hell did that one not go flat first?). I put 3 patches on it, by now most of the people riding have passed me. Guess what, the front one went flat again. Any thoughts of finishing in the top 20 are out the window. I put two more patches on the front tire and think I’m ready to go. I’m riding along, about 2km till lunch when the back tire goes flat once again. Maybe I can get DFL (Dead Fuckin’ Last) instead. I decide to just walk my bike the rest of the way to lunch, eat some food, and then deal with my latest problem.

At lunch my friend, Cat, is telling me about her contact problems and how she won’t be riding the rest of the day. Since I ran outta spare tubes ages ago, and getting my bike back in working order seems virtually impossible we agree to swap bikes for the rest of the day. Cat’s bike is like riding a big fluffy tank. It’s got a big cushy seat, 29er wheels, ergonomic handgrips (with aerobars), and I’m pretty certain there’s a pillow for your head somewhere on it. It also weighs roughly a ton,the trunk (of course there’s a trunk) has everything in it I could possiblyneed and quite a few things I can’t even figure out a use for, but might comein handy. So I head out determined to finish the day, all thoughts of racing are gone, especially since the really fast racers are probably already in camp.

I’m riding along on a single track that seems really awesome, it’s clear of thorns and smooth as can be. It does seem to be getting further and further from the road though. I keep going on it. I’m making great time; who cares if I don’t know where I’m going? The track takes me through cornfields, sunflower patches and villages. It’s beautiful. Then midway through another cornfield it abruptly ends. It has to continue on the other side of the field, why wouldn’t it? So I kinda pick my way through and around the corn to the end of the patch.
The path is nowhere to be seen, but I know roughly where the road is so it shouldn’t be too difficult to connect back up with it. The idea of backtracking to where my single track ended doesn’t even enter my mind. The only logical way to go is forward, the fact that there’s no longer a path is just a minor
hindrance. I am now walking Cat’s bike through fields of wildflowers and melon patches. That’s when I come to my first impenetrable thorn bush. It seems to continue for a good 100 yards in either direction. No problem, I know which way the road is supposed to be, I should be able to go in roughly that direction and get around this. I do eventually get around it, but then find another one to deal with. It looks like I’m going to have to climb over the impenetrable thorn bush (ITB). If someone ever recommends that you climb over an ITB punch
them in the nose, because it’s an insanely bad idea, especially if you are pushing the heaviest bike known to man.

Now I’m bleeding profusely, but I’m on the other side of the ITB, should be smooth sailing back to the road. I walk a ways further, through another sunflower patch and there’s giant thorn trees to deal with. I manage after several different tries to get around them only to discover yet more ITBs. I’m starting to get a little nervous now. I still know where the road should be but how one gets to it is beginning to worry me. Also getting back to my nice easy single track no longer seems like a possibility. So I wander some more looking for some way through and discover bike tracks. I follow them for a while till I realize that they’re my tracks and I’m going in circles. Fuck! I am truly beginning to freak out a bit now.
I’m not getting out of this one without some assistance. I shout, “jambo!” at the top of my lungs.  Jambo is Swahili
for hello (it’s also just a wonderful thing to shout, next time you’re lost I would highly recommend giving it a try, you’ll still be lost, but you’ll feel better). I yell it a few more times while wandering before I hear a very faint 'jambo' in reply. I run through thickets and over brambles in my haste to see
another human. I find a farmer, my savior, and ask him if he knows where the road is. He doesn’t speak any English and I’ve exhausted my supply of Swahili with my greeting. In a horrendously bad game of charades I try to make him
understand that I’m lost and need to find the road. I was mistaken before he does know one word in English, “money!”. “Sure, I’ll pay you when we get to the road”. And we’re off. He races through tiny paths that I never would have noticed on my own while I struggle to keep up pushing Cat’s bike. Eventually he realizes that I’m lagging behind and he pushes the bike. I’m still having a hard time keeping up, what do they put in the water here to make guys so fast?I follow him through 3 different cornfields, a wildflower field or two, and a sunflower patch before we get to a village. My guide shouts out something in Swahili which I think roughly translates as, “look at the idiot I found in my cornfield”. All the people in town dutifully come out of their homes to stare at me. With a rather sheepish grin I wave at them. We go through two more small villages and repeat the process. Any time I try to engage eero in conversation he looks at me for a while before repeating his entire repertoire of English, “money”. Apparantly chit chat costs extra. We walk for 40 minutes to an hour before arriving at the road. I’m not certain if it actually should have taken that long or if he figured that I would pay more for a longer trip. Either way I gladly pay him, I’m even tempted to kiss him or the road. I can’t figure out which I’ll catch nastier diseases from so I elect to keep my lips to myself. I bid my guide a fond farewell and ride off.
 
I come to a town a ways up the road and see Knut, Hilda, and Gerald at a coke store. I enjoy a mirinda while telling them of my mornings debacle. They’ve also had problems with flats which is why they’re so far behind everyone else. They thought they were the last people of the day and were quite surprised to see me pull up. We ride off to camp together and get there without too much more difficulty. I finally pull in
at 4:30 several hours after most people have arrived (there was a time this morning that I actually thought I might win this race). Now all I have to do is; fix my bike, set up my tent, tend to my wounds, and eat dinner. All so I can do something incredibly similar tomorrow. Why did I decide to ride across Africa again?

Dave Arman

Jethro De Decker kisses the dirt goodbye.... for a while.

‘The Maasai Steppe’ section is from Nairobi, Kenya to Iringa, Tanzania.  With three bonus days of rest in Arusha, Tanzania in the middle to enjoy safaris, rest by the pool or get some extra carbohydrates in (read: beer).  This is the section to flirt with the dirt.  It was a spectacular section both in views and challenge.  For those with solid forks it was a challenging section at times.  The ride from Arusha to Iringa is almost completely on dirt.  The 26’ers enjoyed every inch of the section.  Section winner Jethro De Decker at one point had an over 2 hour lead on his competitors.   Riding in the support bakkie (North American reader should understand that bakkie is a South African word for truck) I had to skip lunch, break speed limits and leave  camp early just to stay ahead of him.

Despite losing the 120km Mando Day and time bonus to ‘The Flying Dutchman’ after Franz Smit came out of retirement for the day, Jethro managed to hold onto the lead.   Fellow South African racer Simon Francis made De Decker suffer on the 99km day following the Mando Day. “I was going to have a chill day and take photos but then he went flying past me like I was standing still so I decided to make him suffer up the hill; then I felt so good I decided to make him work for it for the day.” 

Jethro finished the section with a visit from his fellow dirt loving parents.  (As I type this all 5 De Decker family members are on bikes today). This dirt loving boy was so sad to leave the dirt behind he kissed the dirt as fellow riders Erin Sprague and Dave Armani kissed the pavement.  Congratulations Jethro.

The ‘Malawi Gin’ section will take us from Tanzania to Malawi and unfortunately for Jethro, it’s nothing but pavement.

-TdA Race Directress Kelsey Wiens

Assistant Tour Directors, Allison Barnes and Kelsey Wiens, caught up with a few of the riders to get an overview of their impressions of the tour at the half way mark. 

Many of the riders are fundraising for some awesome causes and would be grateful for support.

Dana Farrell

“Because of the length of the tour and the many hours spent on the bicycle, I have the opportunity to reflect on what a truly amazing opportunity this is -- to travel though such diverse cultures, landscapes, and countries.”    Dana is riding to raise money for melanoma research, awareness and education through the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation .

Anke ten Brummelhuis

“The tour has been one of many contrasts: going through the biggest cities and the tiniest villages, cruising through the desert heat, tackling the mountains - which I really loved. The intensity of Ethiopia, coupled with the extreme elevation, made it the toughest country so far. It has been exciting to see so many local people cycling – using their own bikes as a means of transportation, especially in Ethiopia. It has really inspired me to continue with my fundraising project and reconfirmed that bicycles really can be part of the solution.”  Anke is riding to raise funds for MozamBIKE Project in Maputo.

Eric Olverson

“For me it got going quite slowly, but as we get further south, and as the group members start to relax with each other more, I’m really starting to enjoy it. The pressures of Ethiopia, both physical and mental, were a drain on everybody and contributed greatly, in my opinion, to the many sicknesses suffered by the group. Good health seems to be returning though for myself; I feel very good.  My main goal is to raise sufficient funds to make Thamsanqa self-sufficient for a few years and to expand their operation. It is my hope that people will realize that the cause has much merit and that I am not just a crazy old man.” 
 
Gisela Gartmair

“The tour has been great so far. At the beginning it was a little bit hard because it was winter back home and I was not really fit. But now I’m feeling better and enjoying the different landscapes.  My goal now is to keep EFI as long as I can and be one of the three fastest women; top five overall would also be great.” Gisela is raising money for the Tour d’Afrique Foundation and Hilfe für Kwale District e.V – a relief organization in eastern Kenya. 

Hartmut Boegel

"Each country has its highlights and its difficult days.  Cycling through the Dinder National Park in Sudan and the lava rock roads in Northern Kenya were tough, but those are the days that you remember the most because they are the most challenging and rewarding.”  Hartmut is raising funds to support the UNICEF ‘Schools for Africa’ project. 

Jason Becker

“I was expecting bush camps, limited resources and limited amenities. The riding has been fast, fun and very challenging. It’s been a mix of everything and I’m loving it.” Jason is fundraising for a non profit - Project Rwanda.

Peter Pizer

“Time is going so fast, which is sad. I've met lots of good people on the tour and off and everything just keeps getting better.” Peter is raising funds for the Pizer Cancer Survivor Foundation. pizer.foundation@gmail.com

Stephanie Sleen

“It’s great. I love it. It’s exactly what I signed up for. Hard days, easy days - a mix of everything.  It’s just what I was expecting and what I wanted.It’s crazy how different each country is and the new challenge that each country brings. That’s been one of the surprises. Every time we cross a border it’s a complete change.”  Stepanie is fund raising for The Sun Catchers Projects.

Sunil Shah

“It’s hard but it’s fun! I kind of wish I’d done a bit more research on bike choices before I started, but you just have to make do.”   Sunil is raising funds to assist in the building of a new Montessori teachers training college in Tanzania.

Wayne Woodward and Patrick Cantwell

"It’s been great. It  really took a turn in Kenya. The people and the landscapes are so exotic and open and friendly. We’ve been tested by extremes and everything is fabulous. I loved the physical challenges of northern Kenya and the cultures that are being uncovered  and presented to us.”

“The tour is sensational so far. Northern Kenya was the toughest part of the tour but it also had the best riding day of the tour so far -  great dirt tracks, amazing scenery and lots of fantastic interaction with the local villagers. Some days have been very challenging, especially on the corrugated roads. But this is what we came to do. After the challenges of Ethiopia, the stone-throwing children especially, the tour is  now becoming exactly what I hoped it would be. It’s just amazing. The scenery is out of this world.”

Wayne and Patrick are raising funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia as well as for the Tour d'Afrique Foundation. 

Rick Wasfy
“The beginning of the tour was very challenging since I hadn’t ridden a bicycle significantly before the tour. I feel like I overcame some injuries in the beginning and by Sudan I was happy and healthy on the bike and could feel myself getting better every day. Ethiopia brought new challenges with mountains on top of mountains on top of mountains. Riding your bike up a wall while dodging rock-flinging children was tough,  but behind every rock was a smiling face and a wave which was always heart-warming to see.  Northern Kenya has probably been my biggest challenge of the tour so far but I’m very excited that I’ve ridden every day since arriving in Kenya and even managed an 11th place finish that I’m super excited about. With the skill of the other riders here it’s something that I’m really proud of. The bike is holding up well. The food is amazing and I always wake up at 3am hungry no matter how much I eat so I keep a packet of biscuits next to my sleeping bag. The people and staff are wonderful – there’s always a smiling face and it really makes it worthwhile. “ Rick is fundraising for the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Jethro De Decker

“In Cairo we where a diverse group that had signed up for an inconceivable challenge. Having now survived the deserts of the North, the mountains of Ethiopia, the lava rock plains and rains of Kenya and crossed the Equator into the Southern Hemisphere, we are now the TDA 2010. “

Best wishes to all the TDA heros and heroines on the second half.

We're doing a lot of sweating these days. The air in Tanzania is so thick with humidity it feels like being locked in a giant greenhouse (complete with lush green flora). The sweat comes in the absence of movement ─ just breathing is enough to get the beads percolating through the pores on our upper lips. Add 100 km on a bike to that mix and you've got yourself a recipe for a band of clammy, energy-sapped cyclists dying for a faucet, a hose, a bucket – anything – to rinse off the film of sweaty red dust they've accumulated after a scorching hot day on the road. Shower to Shower is a popular brand of antiperspirant sold in these parts; clearly, it doesn't know what it's up against.

But the face-melting humidity isn't the only challenge Tanzania is throwing our way; this is puncture country. Thanks to an aptly named low-lying shrub known as, “Devil's Thorn,” if you weren't good at changing flats before this section, you are now. As the last riders rolled (or walked depending on their luck) into camp yesterday, clouds blotted out the sun, showering our sweaty faces with a cool, light rain and a brief break from the oppressive heat. And then, a real rainbow appeared. A rainbow so perfect it put all other rainbows to shame, arcing over us in a thick kaleidoscope band of shimmering colour; Andra was particularly delighted (she's a rainbow-appreciating sort of gal). Our bush camp was the talk of the town (or this particular patch of thorny land), and locals were understandably curious, settling in for an evening at the TdA theatre. James delivered another rousing rider meal to finish the day, and we washed down a crowd-pleaser of a coconut milk curry with warm beer (tangy Mrs. Balls chutney gets an honourable mention. Thank you, Mrs. Balls).
 
Sleep continues to be a challenge for those unaccustomed to sauna temperature slumber, but odds are tonight will be better. This is a real bush camp, perched on a mountain surrounded by trees. The thick blanket of humidity has loosened it's grasp, and knee-high grass blows in the soft, cooling wind. Tomorrow we ride our last day of dirt for a long while. *sniff*

Riding along a rocky, remote dirt "road" in Tanzania this afternoon I suddenly grasped the relevance of the old adage to "keep one's friends close and one's enemies closer."  From the windswept sand of Egypt to the lush savannah of Tanzania riders on the Tour d'Afrique have encountered and battled various "enemies" along the way. For Dutch Marcel, the enemy has been his thirty plus flat tires; for Canadian Jenn, the enemy has been a potent and recurring stomach bug; for American Adam, the enemy has been finding a decent haircut in Africa. For me, my most formidable African nemesis has been...THE DIRT.

Like a few other riders on the Tour I came to Africa with a road and triathlon background and have very little experience riding the rough stuff.  I knew I would struggle on the Tour's gnarly and legendary offroad sections, but I hoped the dirt and I could at least be friends.  Our friendship got off to a rocky (so to speak) start on our first offroad day of the Tour in Southern Sudan.  As I stared at cracked lava rocks, rutted corrugation and deep sand, and the dirt stared back at my skinny tires and lack of front suspension, I realized that opposites do not attract.

Through Southern Sudan and sections of Northern Kenya I cursed my nemesis...the dirt.  The dirt threw me off my bike, drained my mental concentration and resulted in my longest and most tiring days.  I realized I would rather ride Ethiopia's hills or Botswana's big mileage on repeat than ride ten kilometers on dirt but nevertheless faced six straight days of dirt this week, enroute to Iringa, Tanzania.  My second day on the Tanzanian dirt took me over 11 hours to finish 99 kilometers and I rolled into camp exhausted, as the setting sun extinguished both the long day, and seemingly the endurance of my spirit.

Today, on a dirt path somewhere between Arusha and Dodoma, Tanzania, a small African miracle happened.  As my cyclocross bike and I jumped and swerved over potholes, thick gravel and rocky sand...I realized I was...smiling.  Was I actually having fun engaging with my enemy, the dirt? As we rode up, down and through some of the most beautifully remote and anonymous Tanzanian mountain passes, I realized that only dirt roads enable once in a lifetime encounters with curious local Maasai and breathtaking off the beaten track scenery.  This past week has truly shown us the heart of Africa.

As we have ridden through Northern Kenya and Tanzania we have seen paving machines preparing to annihilate the remnants of dirt roads probably before next year’s tour.  Normally a mortal blow to my enemy would indicate a victory but the extinction of dirt road in Africa makes me sad.  The Tour d’Afrique challenges riders in profound ways and I have felt both the greatest exhaustion and greatest sense of satisfaction crawling into my tent at night after a “dirt day.”  Pushing ourselves to the next level, overcoming difficulty and realizing that we are stronger than we think we are, are what this epic expedition is all about.



I must endure, hate and love three more days of dirt until our next rest day in Iringa.  I will be smiling the whole way, and associating my former nemesis the dirt with the Swahili word “rafiki,” which means friend.

by Erin Sprague, USA



photos of Tanzanian roads by Randy Pielsticker, 2008

The riders are now getting ready to depart Arusha, Tanzania, after the 3 day “safari” break which marks the mid-way point of the Tour. The latest race results, through Stage 47, have been posted and these include:

Section 3 “Meltdown Madness” Final Standings
Men
1.        Frans Smit, Netherlands -  65:16
2.        Stuart Briggs, Australia -  66:51
3.        Tim Thomas, USA - 68:35
Women
1.        Gisela Gartmair, Germany - 71:45
2.        Juliana Austin-Olsen, Canada -  77:23
3.        Lynne Wolfson, Canada -  87:59  

Overall Standings (excluding Grace Days)
Men
1.        Frans Smit, Netherlands -  208:10
2.        Stuart Briggs, Australia - 214:59
3.        Tim Thomas, USA - 224:49
Women
1.        Gisela Gartmair, Germany - 227:17
2.        Juliana Austin-Olsen, Canada - 234:42
3.        Jennifer Crake, Canada - 296:43  

The overall, sectional and stage by stage results can always be viewed here: http://www.tourdafrique.com/races/tourdafrique/race-results/2010/overall#t  

Overview:
 
Tanzanian food will seem very similar to Kenya – simple and filling with ubiquitous mounds of ugali continuing to play a starring role. And while it’s true that a lot of Tanzanian cuisine is typical to what you’ll find throughout all of East Africa, there are subtle regional differences.
 
The left hand rule still applies…and food coma-inducing dishes slathered in oil and salt feature prominently; starchy fillers like corn, rice, millet and sorghum join beans, over-cooked vegetables (mboga) and occasionally grilled meat (nyama choma) once again.
 
Bananas (ndizi) and their starchy green relative the plantain are a huge part of the diet. Plantains are almost like a potato here, and can be grilled, boiled, mashed up or deep-fried.
 
Like Kenya, the diet features varying degrees of Indian and Arab influence, particularly on the coast where coconut milk and exotic spices get more play. In most large cities excellent Indian food and restaurants are common.
 
Agriculture is the foundation of the Tanzanian economy, employing about 80 per cent of the country. About 70 percent of crops are cultivated by hand with nothing more than a hoe! Stunning fields of golden sunflowers are a major export and one of the most important oilseed crops in Tanzania. Sunflowers are prized for their adaptability to a variety of environments. The edible oil is used for cooking, while the leftover “cake” is used for livestock feed.
 
Pregnant women in Tanzania are said to practice geophagy (gee-off-ah-gee) – which in the plainest of terms, means they eat dirt. Soil or clay is considered a dietary supplement and is craved by many expectant mothers. The dirt is either purchased from drug stores or carefully harvested from natural sources.
 
Staple Foods:
 
Aside from Ugali and Nyama Choma…white rice or Wali is more common here than in Kenya.
 
Corn/Mahindi: Whether ground into flavourless ugali paste, roasted on charcoal and eaten off the cob, or mixed into side dishes and stews in its kernel form, corn is a cheap and important food staple.
 
Maharage: Maharage are red kidney beans, often cooked with onions, garlic and oil.
 
Cassava: The cassava root is a carbohydrate powerhouse and has become an important staple in the Tanzanian diet. Mouth-drying grilled cassava root is a common street food. The green leaves can be eaten too.
 
Mchicha: Mchicha is a popular curried delight combining spinach, peanuts and coconut into a creamy side dish.
 
Pilau: Pilau combines white basmati rice with fragrant spices like cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, pepper and cloves. Pilau is especially popular on the coast and at community celebrations.
 
Uji: A nutritious breakfast porridge made with millet.

Chai: Chai is the hot beverage of choice once again, loaded with sugar and sipped with a side of chapati. Despite large coffee plantations on the lower slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, you may struggle to find a decent cup of coffee in Tanzania. Instant disappointment is served in most restaurants.
 
For banana and plantain enthusiasts, you’ve hit the jackpot. Here are a few notable dishes springing forth from the loins of the banana tree (which is actually a herb…but that’s another story):
 
Mtori: One of the many Tanzanian plantain dishes. This time mashing them up with cooked beef.
 
Ndizi na Nyama: meat and plantain stew made with coconut milk and tomatoes.
 
Ndizi Kaanga:  Fried bananas or plantains.
 
Street Foods/Snacks:
 
Chapati, samosas, maandazi donuts and roasted cobs of corn make another appearance along with some distinctly Tanzania street grub.
 
Chips & Chips Mahai: Chips Mayai translates to “chip-eggs” in Swahili and is served at nearly every food stand in Tanzania. Chips are thrown into a shallow frying pan, drenched with beaten eggs and tomatoes and served up like a deliciously greasy, gut-busting frittata
 
Kitumbua/Vitumbua: Tasty fried rice cakes, eaten warm with Chai. The cakes are made with rice, yeast, coconut and cardamom and can be made in special pan with six to seven shallow holes. (Kitumbua and vitumbua is the same thing – “Vi” is plural in Swahili, while “Ki” is singular).
 
Fruit:
 
Tanzania’s markets are bursting with fruit goodness: coconut, bananas, watermelon, guava, avocado, mangoes, pawpaws/papaya, citrus fruits, passion fruit, tree tomatoes/tamarillo, and custard apples/sweetsops/sugar apples.
 
Beer/Alcohol:
 
Beer drinking is popular in Tanzania. Locally produced brands include the pale blond Kilimanjaro Beer, Kibo Gold and Serengeti Lager.
 
Konyagi:  Konyagi is a Tanzanian specialty. A 35% clear alcohol spirit made from sugarcane. It’s not vodka; it’s not gin. I’m not entirely sure what it is but its makers claim it “Embodies the carefree, fun-loving nature of all Tanzanians and is truly “The Spirit of the Nation.” Sold.
 
Afrikoko: A Tanzanian-made liquor made with chocolate and coconuts.
 
Mbege: For centuries Tanzania’s Chagga people have been making Mbege - a traditional homemade beer made from bananas and millet.
 
Tipping: Tipping etiquette varies depending on where you are eating, but aside from Safari experiences tipping is not expected in small local restaurants and food stands, and in rural areas. But in major cities and tourist areas tips are expected. High-end restaurants will include a service charge on the bill; otherwise ten percent is a good rule of thumb.
 

Today is the first day of the three day break in Arusha. Many riders have now spent their first day seeing the amazing wildlife inside the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Hopefully having taken better photos than the one above.

This halfway stop on the tour is a chance for staff and riders to take a deep breath and stop thinking about their bikes and the challenges ahead - at least for a brief moment. And there are challenges ahead.

The rough roads and potential for more rain through Tanzania, the heat and humidity in Malawi and Zambia, the long days in Botswana, the dunes and the dirt in Namibia, and the home stretch into Cape Town.

Here's some further reading...

Tim Thomas' latest entry from Arusha on injuries, Obama, and Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Alexander Shanny's post from last year recapping her journey into the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater.

Erik Dobrovolsky's post from last year recounting the events of a challenging day just a few days south of Arusha.

Stay tuned, there is more adventures to come.