The Tour d’Afrique cycle tour and expedition has left behind Botswana and it has entered Namibia; the second last country along its route from Cairo to Cape Town.

During its 7 riding days in Botswana, the tour’s cyclists racked up more kilometers than in any other country along the tour’s route.  The group of nearly 100 cyclists from across the world covered 1150km during the 7 days.  In Botswana, the tour also clocked its longest cycling day, which consisted of 207km.

“With little noticeable elevation change, the kilometers roll by quicker than ever before,” says South African born, Ryan Paetzold. “The greatest challenge is watching the same scenery go by day after day.  It’s like Sudan but with trees.  We have been lucky enough to have tail winds most days, but the few days that came with a cross- or headwind, quickly makes 150km feel more like 200km.”

After passing through Maun, and spending a rest day next to the Okavango River, the worlds largest inland delta, cyclists took boats and flights to the delta where they saw herds of elephants and hippos. 

“With more riders than Tour d’Afrique has ever seen, our first night out of Livingstone marked the longest dinner line up we yet,” says Cristiano Werneck Assistant Tour Director. “Twelve new sectional riders joined us from Livingstone until Windhoek, proving this to be the most popular section on tour.  From life in the office back home, to riding 150km on Tour D’Afrique is no easy jump for anyone, yet all are holding up strong as any.  Amongst the sectionals we have a relay team from Australia.”

The Canadian, Paul Wolfe, is still in first place and Dennis Kipphart is currently in second place.  Tori Fahey from Canada still holds the lead in the woman’s race.

The biking mad nation of Holland won another international cycling race in Botswana when “Men in Black” spanked the field in the 40 km Team Time Trial on the 2011 Tour d’Afrique. Consisting of Bram Klaassen, Bram Arets, Bastiaan van Meeteren and Hendry van der Wiel, “Men in Black” completed the course, which was run in ideal conditions, in 56 minutes at an average speed of 42.9 km/h. Tieing for 2nd in 1:01 were the USA and Canadian Teams.  

Complete Team Trial Results:

1.    Men in Black (Holland) 0:56
2.    Canadian Bacon (Canada) 1:01
2.    Oil (USA) 1:01
4.    Deutsche Bahn (Germany) 1:03
5.    Danish Delight (Denmark) 1:06
6.    God Save the Queen (Commonwealth) 1:07
7.    Sharita’s Nightmare (Ram, James, Aman, Chris P) 1:08
8.    The Fine Print (Australia) 1:13
9.     Aged Aussie Beef (international) 1:14

Feeling as a child that every other family vacation must be way cooler than yours, is evidently a feeling which escapes none.  Growing up in Entlebush, in the foothills of the Alps, Mathias Hediger spend years of his childhood trudging his way through yet another family mountaineering trip with his two brothers and sister.  The foundation of what is now central to his livelihood and lifestyle,was learnt from his father, a talented mountaineer with numerous first ascents.  Whether he could realize it at the time, this was the beginning of a life in the mountains.

After finishing school, Mathias spent two years learning carpentry and apprenticing in his father's wood-working shop until he had to serve his time in the Swiss Army.  Having the mountaineering background that he did, Mathias was quickly pulled aside as a mountain specialist.  Spending more time with the mountain guides hired to train him got him thinking that maybe that this might be the job for him. 

Wasting no time in following that dream, Mathais headed straight for Andermalt, one of Switzerlands biggest resorts to become first, a ski instructor, and then a mountain guide.  Guiding and teaching in the Alps for a number of years, his work came to take him overseas.  First to Norway, Sweden, and then to the USA, India and New Zealand.  New Zealand turned out to be more of an adventure than planned. The snow turned out to be insufficient that season so Mathias headed out to sea.  Finding himself working on a fishing boat headed for the Antarctic was just the beginning of his ocean bound adventures.

Upon returning home to find he would have to wait a year before beginning his paramedic school, he wasn’t about to sit around and wait.  Within 24 hours of hearing this news, he was on his way. Mathias spent the next two months, co-captaining a 2 month, 2 man sailing trip, his co-captain was a paraplegic.  The trip had to end slightly short due to medical reasons with his sailing partner but Mathais continued to work and play on classic yachts until it was eventually time to head home.

Keeping Mathias in one place was never never an easy task however. Where was he within 2 weeks of finishing his 4 years of paramedic school?  Working for the largest, private air rescue company in Namibia. 

Now back at home in Luzern, between running his own private mountain guiding business and working as a paramedic, Mathias also works for Air Zermatt helicopter rescue company operating in south western Switzerland.  There he works not only on mountain rescues but also teaches these skills as a part of a Diploma in Emergency Mountain Medicine.

Here on tour we’re not sure what we’d do without him.  If we’re lucky enough to not need stitches from the ride, he’ll have us in stitches laughing in no time.  Managing the tour's medical needs, both big and small, working endlessly at times to put us all back together, you will still be hard pressed to find him without a smile on his face. 

If there’s anyone getting voted off this island, it is most certainly not this ducky.

Officially the pontoon ferry across the Zambezi River at Kazungula, about 75 km west of Victoria Falls, that the Tour d’Afrique takes each year, is the crossing between the Zambia and Botswana borders. In fact the midstream point of this sometimes treacherous ride marks the only spot in the world where 4 countries meet, namely Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In doing so a ferry passenger “visits” all 4 countries as the ferry struggles and smokes from one side to the other during the 10 minute crossing. At one point the boat does an upstream push towards an island that is in Namibia before drifting downstream to the other side. Moreover the landing on the Botswana side happens on a spur that is actually Zimbabwean soil – the Zimbabwe border fence just happens to have been moved very slightly east so that once off the boat traffic can proceed unhindered over the last 400 yards to Botswana border control.  

This legacy from the colonial scramble for Africa has had a very colorful history. For the past 60 years the four countries have laboured to reach agreement over the construction of a bridge. Given the relatively limited width and depth of the river this would not require a particularly challenging engineering design. But they continue to fail, most recently because Zimbabwean President Mugabe insists on huge payments for use of “his water.”  

During the Zimbabwean War of Independence, the “rebel” ZANU-PF fighters used the ferry to smuggle arms into then Southern Rhodesia. In response the Prime Minister of the pariah Rhodesian state, Ian Smith, had his air force bomb and sink one of the ferries in mid-stream, in order to discourage this practice. More recently, in 2006, a ferry flipped while carrying a brand new Volvo semi trailer cattle truck, which incidentally was built in South Africa by the father of TdA Tour Leader Sharita. 16 people died, trapped under the wreckage while other clung to the banisters on the top side and didn’t even get wet. Until recently one could still see the wreck of this boat and the truck on the Zambian shore.  

There are up to 3 pontoon boats in operation today, one that carries passengers, cars, regional buses, as well as tourists on excursions from Vic Falls to Chobe National Park. For these customers the wait to cross is typically no more than an hour. The other somewhat larger pontoons, 1 of which is often out of service, slowly shuttle one of the literally hundreds of transport trucks lined up on either side across the Zambezi. Google “Kazungula ferry” and you’ll find that this crossing is now best known for being the major bottleneck in the southern African transport network. One of the reasons for this again involves the notorious Zimbabwean regime of Robert Mugabe. Many trucks travelling between South Africa and the copper mine belt of northern Zambia and the DRC’s Katanga province used to cross at two Zambia/Zimbabwe borders – the bridges at Vic Falls and Siavonga . But when Mugabe raised the tariffs on trucks transiting through Zimbabwe by astronomically, the trucking companies decided it was cheaper to pay their drivers to wait as long as several days at Kazungula and avoid Zimbabwe altogether.   All we can say is wow … and good luck to all who clamber aboard. This is indeed a most fascinating and funky ferry.  


   --  Written by Brian Hoeniger with Consultation from Tjisse Kamstra (Owner, Livingstone Safari Lodge)

Down to the Final Four – that is last four countries of the Tour d’Afrique and at this point, there is so much to tell you, and not sure where to start……….?!?!??!?!  

At the beginning of the tour, and what seems like an absolute age ago, there was a whole lot of pain, sickness, suffering and punishment. The word “miserable” became a catch phrase of this trip as it was used so often. Now as we travel south, it was all worthwhile - this part of the tour is sensory overload, sights, sounds, places to see, absolute fun, lots of laughs and everyday I am having ohhhhhhmigawwwwwwwwwwwwd experiences!!! And all from the seat of my bicycle…!  

Last blog we were on our way out of Malawi (minus the Madonna sightings!) and heading towards the Zambian border. Before I left, a couple of the South African contingent of the tour, Michelle and Andre, invited four of us to have dinner with the South African High Commissioner to Malawi. The High Commissioner didn’t know them, but had become aware of their fundraising efforts. Not knowing what I was in for I gratefully accepted the invitation. We were picked up in the biggest blackest (I mean REALLY black!) chauffer driven BMW…complete with the South African flags on each corner of the vehicle. These blew in the wind as we were whisked through the city of Lilongwe – nothing like a fast moving vehicle and a couple of flags to feel VERY important!  We arrived at this very razzy restaurant that was of course run by South Africans, and had an exquisite dinner with the High Commissioner and her husband. Hubby was no slouch – he was the previous South African Ambassador to Iran. They met long ago as members of the South African Parliament. When he was fulfilling his Ambassadorial roles, she played the role of “spouse” and mother and now that he had retired, it was her time to shine. They laughed about the “payback” and he was wonderfully supportive. It was a great story, love it! Anyway, amazingly interesting couple who were very open, generous, interested and warm. The following day, the TDA Foundation donated 70 bicycles to charities in Malawi and the High Commissioner was so supportive of what we are doing that she cleared her diary and came and added a whole lotta star power to the event! Fantastic!   Just before we crossed the border the following day, a group of us broke the ride up by calling into an orphanage which was en route. I got a huge kick out of the warm response we received. The children and staff were chuffed that we were so interested to meet and see what they were up to. We hadn’t made an appointment, we showed up on our bikes and they were so welcoming. They sang and danced for us – a wonderful experience I will always remember.

We crossed the border into Zambia and the capital of Lusaka provided much excitement to the group…… this was our first real sign of Western influences. There were shopping malls, movie theatres, fast food chains in abundance and things that we take for granted back home were absolutely coveted! Not unusual to come across a bunch of riders onto their fourth or fifth milkshake, all consumed in one sitting…..!! Haha!

We then made our way towards Victoria Falls, known as Mosi-oa-Tunya in the Kosolo language - “The Smoke that Thunders”. For me, this was been one of the absolute highlights of the tour so far and lived up to its name.  The Zambezi River at this time of year is flowing really rapidly. The huge volumes of water create a mist that shoots up towards the sky and creates the most magnificent sight and spectacle. Not only was there huge anticipation, but we also had two rest days rather than the usual one…Ahhhh! There was so much to do and see in the town of Livingstone. Top of the list for me (and probably of little surprise!) was the helicopter flight over the Falls – well, this did not disappoint and was absolutely knock your socks off, brilliant!!! I loved it!!

With a group of other riders, I traveled over the border to Zimbabwe to stay at a safari lodge that is run by &Beyond (formerly C&C Africa). This company is privately owned by the Rothschild family and has a number of private game parks throughout Africa.  It provides guests with the most exquisite, personalized and amazing African experience. Their modus operandi focuses on ecotourism, animal conservation and giving back to the local community. It was an absolute treat to stay there…the elephants popped by my villa at four in the afternoon and the hippo’s came and grazed on my front lawn at night!!! This was their home and I was just lucky enough to witness it!! The days were filled with safari game drives that I can never ever get enough of…!

We then headed east towards Kasane and Chobe National Park. Again an absolute viewing bonanza for African wildlife. What made this different though is that we did a river safari down the Chobe River. Here we able to see the animals come to the river at sunset. Not only are the African sunsets brilliant, but the interaction of the animals with the waiting crocodiles was something that I had not witnessed before…

Next stop Botswana. When describing Botswana the tour books usually start with something like….. “Botswana is an arid country, drought prone in most areas…..” Just as we experienced in Eqypt and Kenya, when the TDA comes to town that is all mucked up….we experienced seven days of torrential rain and even hail. NOT fair! This section of the tour has the longest days and distances….roads are dead straight and mind numbingly flat and the scenery is not exciting. Our average day is about 180kms of nothing-ness. We skirted around the Kalahari desert, so the vegetation was similar to that in Australia - low shrubs, dust and dirt….blah!

The highlight was when we reached Maun and saw the Okavango Delta…Holy smoke it was HUGE! We chartered a plane and did the Delta from the air – we felt it would be he only way to get a true feeling of the size – from here the animal viewing was prime time also!

This week was really special too, as the oldest rider on tour had his 71^st birthday! Yep, correct 71…good going huh? His name is Bill Nelems and he is a Canadian man who was born in South Africa. He is passionate about everything that he does, passionate about Africa and passionate about life! He is a leader in the medical field and was the first doctor in Canada to do a lung transplant. He now places his time and energy into an NGO that he started that educates and trains local doctors and nurses in the Western Provence of Zambia. It has had extraordinary success with the myriad of health issues that affect this very poor country, so much so that the government has requested that the program be rolled out to other areas of Zambia.

Anyway, Bill decided that he was going to fundraise for the NGO by doing the Tour d’Afrique…and it just happened to coincide with his birthday! The day of his birthday he rode the whole 208kms and crossed the border of Botswana to Namibia. At the border post, the immigration officials were so blown away with what he was doing (and his age!) that they broke into spontaneous song! He has so many wonderful and interesting stories about his time spent in Africa and I have learnt so much about the health issues that riddle and affect this huge continent.  His history lessons are always dead set entertaining too! He is really an amazing man who is sharp as a whip, quick witted, loves young people, funny and has boundless energy. I have loved getting to know Bill and he has inspired me in so many ways – but to ride your bike across Africa on your 71^st birthday?? WOW!

We are now in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia and the feeling on the tour is a little mixed. There is this HUGGGGE excitement that in just over two weeks we will be in Cape Town, be seeing loved ones and the tour will be over. But then the other side is that it will be sad when this whole experience and the adventure is over. We have spent 24/7 with the other cyclists for the last three and half months. We have seen each others good sides and we have seen the flaws, there has been many fun times, lots of laughs and there has been fights……all to be expected when we have lived in each others pockets for so long. Life long friendships have formed and relationships have blossomed, but in three weeks time it will all be over and we will have all gone our separate ways… back to the different pockets of the globe and will never again get the opportunity to be together as a group again. In some ways this is very sad. In other ways, that is life and we realise that we have been so incredibly lucky to have had such an amazing experience and one that we will cherish fondly for the rest of our lives!  

Onto Cape Town we ride….!



   --- Annalise Thompson

Às  5:00 da manhã estava escuro e frio, e chovia forte sobre as mais de 70 barracas espalhadas pelo terreno arenoso. À medida  que os ciclistas lentamente surgiam de seus lares de nylon, a escuridão foi sendo enfeitada pelo brilho das lanternas de cabeça, como vaga-lumes na mata. O dia seria o mais longo de todo o Tour, 207 kms pela Botsuana até a cidade fronteiriça de Buentempos, já na Namíbia. A etapa de hoje foi a 80ª das 94 do tour, e apesar de ser a mais longa, historicamente não seria das mais difíceis, mas as condições climáticas pela manhã estavam prestes a mudar isso.

A cozinha estava alagada, apesar da tentativa de Gerts de cavar um dreno em seu redor para escorrer a água. Todos tiveram que entrar na lama para tomar seu café da manhã (pequeno almoço). Foram feitas algumas tentativas para tentar tornar a situação mais leve,  mas ninguém estava com humor para brincadeiras.  Duzentos e sete quilômetros em uma tempestade gelada não era motivo para risadas. Finalmente amanheceu, e  o céu negro ficou cinza com nuvens de chuva. A forte chuva    cedera lugar a um constante chuvisco. Mesmo após o fim do café (pequeno almoço), os ciclistas   ainda estava agrupados em volta dos caminhões, sob a tenda, adiando o inevitável. Um a um, foram pegando suas bicicletas e dando início ao longo dia de pedal.

Por sorte, por volta do almoço a chuva já havia parado e o humor dos ciclistas já estava melhorando à medida em que se secavam. No início da tarde já havia sol e o vento era favorável, nas costas dos ciclistas. Todos que chegaram na parada de refresco que organizamos no km 150 parecia estar bem. Alguns dos ciclistas que lideram a prova nem mesmo pararam, apenas acenaram e seguiram para o acampamento (os mais velozes chegaram ao acampamento a 1 da tarde, enquanto o último não alcançou a fronteira antes das 6 e meia da noite).

Por falta de sorte, apesar de estar ensolarado na parada de refresco, o tempo bom não duraria muito. No km 160 começou a chover novamente. A chuva ficou mais forte e começou a chover granizo. As condições tornaram-se péssimas, mas surpreendentemente, ninguém desistiu. Todos os participantes que começaram o dia de pedal, terminaram. Parece que quanto piores as condições, mais determinados eles ficam. Quando eu os ultrapassava no caminho entre a parada de refresco e o acampamento, eu parava para verificar se alguém queria uma carona. Sorrindo e rindo de quão ridículas eram as condições climáticas, cada um deles recusou a carona e seguiu. Cheguei ao acampamento e encontrei uma lagoa de lama. Estava tudo molhado e, mais uma vez, havia uma pequena enxurrada passando por nossa cozinha. Mas a comida estava pronta (macarrão com filé) e o humor estava ótimo.

Pouco antes do jantar, saí para verificar como estavam os dois últimos ciclistas que ainda não haviam chegado. Já estava quase anoitecendo, e a chuva não havia dado trégua desde a última vez que os vira, duas horas antes. Encontrei-os a 10 km do acampamento, e eles pedalaram até a fronteira e depois até o acampamento, chegando no exato momento em que os últimos raios de sol desapareciam no horizonte. Assim, completamos o mais longo dia do Tour d'Afrique.

Postada em 29 de abril de 2010 por Paul McManus
Tradução livre.
 

At 5:00 am it was cold and dark, heaving rains poured down on the 70 plus tents strewn over the sandy ground.  As riders slowly emerged from their nylon cocoons the darkness was dotted with pinpoints of light from their headlamps like fireflies in the bush.  Today would be the longest day of the tour, 207 kms through Botswana to the Namibia Border town of Buentempos.  Today was stage 80 out of 94 total stages on tour and though it was the longest, historically, it is not one of the hardest.  The mornings weather conditions were bound to change that.  

The kitchen was flooded despite Gerts attempt to dig a trench around it to channel the water.  Everyone slogged thru the mud to get their breakfast.  A few attempts were made to make light of the situation but no one was in the mood for jokes.  Two hundred and seven kilometers thru a cold rainstorm was no laughing matter.  Finally dawn began to break. the dark sky was now grey with rain clouds.  The heavy rains had relented and turned into a steady drizzle.  Breakfast was over but riders still huddled around the trucks, under the tarps, delaying the inevitable.  One by one they picked up their bikes and began the long days ride. 

Fortunately, by lunch the rain had stopped and the mood of the riders had improved as it dried out.  By noon it would be sunny and winds would be favorable blowing at the backs of the cyclists.  Everyone who arrived at the refresh stop we set up at 150 kms seemed to be in good spirits.  Some of the lead racers didn’t even stop - just a wave hello and on to camp.  The fast guys would be in by one o’clock.  The last rider wouldn’t reach the border until six thirty, a full 12 hrs on the bike.
 
Unfortunately while it was sunny at the refresh stop the good weather would not last.  At the 160 km point it began to rain again.  Then it began to rain harder.  Then it got cold and began to hail, truly miserable conditions.  Amazingly no one quit.  Every rider who started the day would finish.  The tougher the conditions the more they resolved to finish the day.  As I passed riders on the way from the refresh point to camp I stopped to make sure they didn’t want a ride into camp.  Smiling and laughing at the ridiculousness of the weather conditions each rider refused the ride and continued on.  I arrived in camp to find a mud pit.  Everything was soaked and once again a small stream was running thru our kitchen.  But the food was ready (T-bones and Pasta!) and the mood was good. 

Shortly before dinner I headed out to check on our last two riders.  It was getting close to dark and the rain had not let up since I had seen them two hours ago.  I found them 10 kms from camp, They rode the to the border and then two camp, arriving just as the last rays of the sun disappeared on the horizon.  The longest day on the Tour d’Afrique completed. 

If the Tour d'Afrique were a crate of oranges, right about now we'd be the squishy one in the bottom of the cardboard box, the one covered in a musty-smelling damp green mould the colour of oxidized copper that causes you to recoil in disgust when your fingers meet its slimy flesh. Yep. It's been a rainy week to live in a tent.

We're still a day away from reaching Windhoek, the end of the "Elephant Highway" section that began in Zambia's Victoria Falls. Many of the riders are eager to dry out in a hotel room (with the exception of those rare Every F**king Night in a Tent people...Dave Arman, you are a legend). It's been raining every day since Maun, Botswana, chilling the air and permeating every piece of our clothing with bone-chilling moisture.

Yesterday's 207km ride crossing the border from Botswana into Namibia was the longest of the tour, and for many, the longest distance they'd  travelled in a single day on a bicycle. Our resident surgeon, Canadian rider Bill Nelems, finished the day with a smile and a sense of accomplishment, having successfully completed the longest ride of his life on his 71st birthday. Way to go Bill!

But the never-ending deluge of rain isn't all bad; we'll all appreciate that first hot shower in Windhoek that much more. And if this rain keeps up, the upcoming dirt roads in Namibia are sure to be a mud-lover's paradise for the mountain bikers. Besides, the sound of rain drops tends to drown out the nightly fart symphony nicely.

After a quick ride from Livingston, Zambia into Botswana many riders took in the opportunity to enjoy a safari cruise down the Chobe River.  An afternoon in the hot Botswana heart took its toll on the riders and many took the first part of the river cruise as an opportunity to nap.  (ahem Sunil and Paddy)  Once the animals arrived everyone was wide awake!  After cruising past a GIANT lizard and crocodile we were lucky to spot a lion chasing down an impala, all from the safe confines of our river boat.  As we cruised along we were treated to many families of hippos soaking up the late afternoon sun, elephants getting their drinks of water before nightfall and crocodiles waiting for the cover of darkness.  Sadly for this giraffe lover it would be days in Botswana before I spotted my first giraffe.  The cruise brought us back to camp just after enjoying a spectacular sunset on the Chobe River.  Fortunately for us interim Chef Allison had held dinner for us.  (a rider favourite spaghetti bolognaise!)  Everyone tucked into their tents with visions of lions and elephants in their dreams

   -- Kelsey Wiens

A couple of days ago Andra, one of our perennially positive and infinitely inspiring riders,  approached me as I puttered about in our sweaty camp kitchen just outside of Nata, Botswana. I'd been filling in for our chef, James, who has been on vacation this week. It was a hot day, and I was searching the truck's various bins and crates for spices and oils to flavour the night's feast of T-Bone steaks, braai'd to perfection by Ronel, our South African braai aficionado. Andra popped by the kitchen, blissed-out as ever, fresh-faced and glowing after a long ride through Elephant country, and asked if she could borrow my netbook to type up a blog she'd been thinking about. I hurriedly fetched my computer, the screen filmed in dust from the Sudanese desert, it's keys gummed with Egyptian falafel and Kenyan ugali (they are desperately in need of a flossing), and promptly forgot about it.

This morning, as I bounced around bleary-eyed in the back of the Landcruiser as we flagged the route to our rest day camp in Maun, my dirty maroon duffel bag suddenly landed on my foot.  It was then that I remembered the computer, and the blog, tucked inside. I unbuckled my seatbelt and dragged the bag over to my filthy, thorn-scabbed feet, reached open the zipper and unfolded the laptop. I was a bit grouchy, having not had enough coffee, and feeling pretty disgusting in my dirty clothes caked in miscellaneous cooking smears, saturated in the stench of 10kg of onion and curry from last night's dinner. I'd been wearing the same pair of pants for three days and was feeling tired and gross, having just pulled a giant thorn out of a festering foot wound. And then I read Andra's blog. Suddenly the wafting stench and festering wounds weren't such a big deal. And I felt better. I appreciated where I was in this moment. And I hope you will too.

-Allison Barnes

55 WAYS TO  LIVE JUICY ON THE TDA (By Andra Nadeau Jakobson)

1 - Say “hello” to cows as you pass them by
2 - Enjoy the company of a butterfly flying alongside you for a few meters
3 - Visit farms and learn learn learn how your favorite fruits grow
4 -  Visit orphanages too
5 - And trees
6 - Sing loudly down descents the soundtrack to your life
7 - Have wild daydreams
8 - Go for a walk after dinner to digest and see what comes your way… a moving gust of wind, curious children, beautiful singing in a church, a patch of corn field to walk through…
9 - Play with children at coke stops
10 - Lie in the desert sand under the globe of stars in Egypt
11 - At the top of a mountain, look back at where you have come from, the distant mountains of yesterday
12 - Sink deeply into the moment
13 - Embrace the nocturnal symphony of crickets and farts
14 - Go back for seconds to succulently taste the gourmet feast you devoured on the first round
15 - Take an entire day to ride to camp and delight in
every light the sun generously shines as it boldly rises, strongly
makes its way across the sky, and then softly goes to bed
16 - Make friends with wild abandon
17 - Play with a chameleon you meet on the road
18 - Learn to say “hello” and “thank you” in every language
encountered
19 -When you’re sick and exhausted, remember that you wont feel like this forever
20 - Do whatever feels most natural right now
21 - Forget about time, live with the sun
22 - Imagine yourself a hardcore professional cyclist and gun it for an entire long day, discovering a new limit into the impossible
23 - Revel in how delicious soap smells after you haven’t showered for a week
24 - Always go toward the beautiful singing
25 - Discuss witchcraft with a Zambian barman
26 -Throw your arms up in the air and imagine yourself flying as the air rushes through your fingertips on a big descent
27 - Discover how another rider’s day was completely different from yours
28 - Listen, listen, listen to your body
29 - Float away your worries in Lake Malawi
30 - Have a cozy nap before dinner
31 - Devour books
32 - Have a loud and righteous venting session
33 - Ask questions
34 - Ride as many matatus as possible
35 - When you’ve had 6 flats and a slow leak and it starts to rain
torrentially, laugh
36 - If something breaks or is lost, let it go with a smile
37- Every once in a while remind yourself of where you are
38 - Feel accomplished and at home every time you spot the finish flag
39 - Share life stories along a ride with a fellow rider
40 - Lie naked in your tent and air out
41 - Ditch the underpants
42 - Ride through a sunflower field on a dirt single track in
Tanzania
43 - Create a tasty concoction to spice up your porridge
44- Make up songs and poems and blog entries along your ride
45 - Dance your way to your bike after lunch
46 - Have a debate over the meaning of rock throwing in Ethiopia
47 - Giggle and shake hands again and again when sign language fails
48 - Have strong sugary tea with gentle Sudanese men in the middle of nowhere
49 - Watch the moon rise
50 - Just be with a giraffe
51 - Marvel at the strength and wisdom of a 2000 year old Baobab tree
52 - When you don’t think the view could become more stunning,  get ready to be astounded
53 - Spice up your tan lines with a different riding shirt
54 - Return the wave of a woman carrying a load with a broad smile
55-  Believe in right now, forever.