Back to business as usual on TDA. We welcome ten new sectional riders as well as several new staff. Everyone’s effort getting the tour kicked off this morning from Arusha was appreciated and made for a smooth start to the second half of our journey across Africa. The great spirits people seemed to be in this morning was particularly impressive seeing as the loud music from the Masai Camp bar kept most people up until around 4am this morning.
On the road today, it is immediately clear that the climate and conditions in Tanzania are a big contrast to Ethiopia. The most obvious difference is the lushness of the area with the grass plains and acacia tree’s being well watered by the clockwork rain shower during afternoons. The route today was on relatively good pavement following a largely flat section of the Masai Steppe for the first half of the day then up and down some rolling hills for the second half with no major elevation gains or losses. According to one of the racers, the racing pack continued at the same pace as they left off before the break which was fast and challenging but good spirited. Other than that, most people’s reception from the local Masai people along the route seemed to be great with people commenting on the welcoming dialogue they exchanged. The new sectional riders are integrating well into the already established group of riders—plus it is refreshing to have some new faces around camp.
As the sun goes down on the first day of a new start the atmosphere in camp is relaxed and everyone seems in good spirits and looking forward to the road ahead.
We awoke to a refreshingly cool morning in the cow grazed field. Everyone seemed pleased at the prospect of a relatively short day ahead of them, especially those who were still suffering from a bit of National Food induced diarrhea. The reason for the short day of 60km was that we would be arriving in Bahir Dar for our second rest day in Ethiopia where we had plans for a little party to keep spirits up.
On the road, most people seemed to take it easy and enjoy the opportunity for a couple cokes and espressos along the way. The scenery was once again welcomingly distracting with gently rolling grassy hills, scattered trees, villages and a few burnt out tanks—a solemn reminder of some Ethiopian history.
Bahir Dar itself was a generally busy town but had a uniquely relaxed atmosphere, probably due to the proximity of Lake Tana which was a stones throw away from Bahir Dar’s main road. The hotel we stayed at reflected the town’s relaxed atmosphere and catered for everyone’s needs, from neat rooms to camping on the second story balcony overlooking the lake.
In the afternoon after we had all settled in to the hotel and everyone was out looking for an outfit to wear to the evening’s party. The party’s theme was the letter P, meaning you had to dress up as something starting with the letter P. It was great to see everyone putting in a good effort and using their imagination to make for some decent entertainment later that evening. Everyone was at the party, from Pimps to Pantomimes. It was great to see some personalities emerging on the dance floor as the evening progressed. The winners for the best dressed included a nearly naked pigmy and a colorful prostitute. All in all, a good bit of fun to raise spirits before heading off on the road again.
This morning we awoke to a bustle of people shuffling around rugs and sleeping mats on the top deck of the Lake Nasser Ferry. Some riders enjoyed the comfort of “first class†cabins, whilst others snuggled on deck with locals and an assortment of kitchen appliances and Hostess Twinkies destined for Sudan. Shortly after stretching and rolling up our sleeping mats, we cruised past the temple of Abu Simbel, a welcoming distraction and signaling our approach to Wadi Halfa..
Below deck, everyone was preparing themselves for Sudan customs which we knew could be laborious. However, everything proceeded smoothly and after a bit of waiting we had docked at Wadi Halfa and officials were processing passports with random African efficiency. Exiting the ship was a blur as we offloaded our gear and bikes from the ferry only to wrestle bags aboard a waiting flatbed.
After our bags were “checked†by a customs official, we were officially in Sudan. The feared process was actually a breeze. From the dock, it was a short ride into town where we settled into a soccer stadium for the night and met our support truck from South Africa. The day went rather smoothly, with one exception...the ferry containing our trucks hadn’t arrived. So for now it’s a waiting game. I think it’s fair to say everyone has been pleasantly surprised by Sudan, so spending some extra time in the small, but interesting town of Wadi Halfa will be an unexpected treat.
We left desert camp number three and continued our route along the coast of the Red Sea. The riders enjoyed a third day of a cool tailwind and relatively flat open roads. The distance today being only 100km, some riders went past the lunch stop by 9am and arrived at camp before 11am. Other riders decided to take it easy and stop for a coke along the way while a couple others took a slight detour and added 10km to their day.
Altogether, it is another good day to be on the road for most riders. Especially considering that camp tonight is on a beautiful beach in a town called Safaga where riders can do a bit of shopping, surf the net, get in a shower. So for now, spirits are high and everyone is enjoying a bit of unexpected relaxation.
