Off the top of my head, I can think of a few places I’d enjoy being naked: the shower, the bedroom, a sauna, a lake. But naked while riding a bicycle over a gravel road in the full sun of the Namibian desert doesn’t immediately spring to mind.  Immediately, that is.

The road to Sesriem, Namibia offered epic views: a wide indigo sky smudged with cottony white clouds, sweeping golden desert landscape the colour of wheat and honey, and mountains in shades of dark chocolate.  I was enjoying my ride at the back of the group as the sweep, alone with my thoughts and endless kilometres of sand and sky. Suddenly something caught my attention; off in the distance I could make out two figures coming toward me. By now I can usually identify riders by pedal stroke and jersey long before facial features become distinguishable. But this time, something was amiss. It looked as though the pair was wearing pale, flesh-toned body suits. As they pedaled closer I could see they were wearing little more than serious cycling tan lines, helmets, and mischievous smiles. I had heard rumblings of a resurrection of the Naked Mile, the brainchild of some fun-loving riders of TdA’s past, and it donned on me (around the time I got my first glimpse of nipple), that The Naked Mile was on!

Why?? You may ask. Why not? Is the best answer. I greeted the lady nudists with a laugh and obliged their request to photograph the morning spandex-defying adventure. Not one to miss out on the fun, I was pleased to see Andra, one of my partners in crime, at the lunch stop. We had just missed Dave A., Adam, Hilde and a handful of other brazen bare-assed bicyclists, so we thought we’d strip down for a little ride of our own (after a sandwich or two). We were joined by Pepper,* and the three of us headed down the road to strip off our bike gear in privacy (we were still feeling modest at this point). Moments after pulling off our jerseys, Henry Gold rumbled toward us in The Green Machine, one of our beastly support vehicles. Caught red-handed (and nearly braless), we seized our opportunity and promptly mooned Tour d’Afrique’s founder.  The nudity ice broken by the invigorating mooning, we disrobed and hopped on our bicycles in a fit of naked merriment and good cheer. I was riding our mechanic Chris’s bike while he was on vacation (sorry Chris), and within minutes I got a flat. We were enjoying our new found freedom so much we made it a Naked Tire Change. So there we were, baring bits and boobs on a hot strip of desert pavement, crouched over the 29-er rims , cheeks to the wind, pulling and prying and grimacing in the nude. Admittedly, this was not “good naked,” but there was no one around. Until the tour-bus convoy started. At first, we ran for cover in the roadside shrubbery, covering our unmentionables with helmets and limbs. This got old after a while and eventually we surrendered our fate, waving proudly to the hoards of amused camera-wielding tourists.

The flat fixed (quicker and more skillfully than any of us had ever done fully clothed), we cycled our mile and continued on for nearly an hour into the wild nude yonder. Who knew riding in the buff could be so blissful! We’re convinced, judging by the blasé expressions on the few drivers who rode past us without batting an eye, most assumed we had succumbed to a flesh-toned body suit craze. We could have ridden that way all day, if not for the copious amounts of sunscreen required to adequately cover our birthday suits.  I can now safely add “riding a bicycle” to my “comfortably nude” list. Somewhere near the top.

*Names have been changed to protect the nude. For some, what happens on TdA, stays on TdA!  

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

Normally rest days are a bit of a gong show.  You can never find anyone,  everyone is staying at 4 different hotels.  Then there is the obligatory bike repair, laundry and body repair that comes with rest days.  We are only just now starting to get into a rest day routine.  Some race to finish their chores on day one, others are desperately trying to dry their laundry overnight.  Chilling out in Sesriem has meant a whole pile of nothing... and it’s fabulous.  The riders are in the middle of one of the most difficult section so far.  It is 9 days of off road and you have to add to that the never ending thundershowers that seem to have followed us from Botswana.    Some riders took in the chance to go for a hot air balloon ride, others woke up at the ungodly hour of 4am to take in the desert sunrise over the Sossusvlei dunes.  Some of us just slept... and that was also spectacular.

The riding has been great fun, turning roadie Erin Sprague into a off road rider.  I had the opportunity to ride most of the day with Captain Erin and enjoying every moment of the dirt.  When the headwinds got tough as another storm rolled through we kept the dream of the Famous Solitaire Apple Crumble in our minds.  Once I arrived in Solitaire I didn’t even check into camp just went straight to the apple crumble (and the blueberry muffin and the ladyfinger and the cup of coffee). Sitting around the now showered and clean racers with my dirt spectacled face, sand covered camelback and wet bike shoes I finally had to go find my hot shower. 

The riders have been lovin’ the off road section.  There have been more animal sighting in Namibia then in the whole of Botswana!  This almost last rest day has been enjoyed by all as we face a very difficult 5 days ahead. 

 
            (photo by Jason Becker)

Driving in Africa is fun, stressful and at times exhausting.  On any given day you are just as likely to see donkeys, kudu or cows standing in or crossing the road as you are pedestrian and vehicular traffic.  Road conditions vary from smooth pavement (thank you China!) to rutted tracks and potholed tarmac.  In the first 3 countries of the Tour d’Afrique we drive on the right hand side of the road.  In the last seven we drive on the left.  Being from America I was at first worried about driving on the “wrong” side of the road but you get used to it pretty quick.  The steering column is also on the “wrong” side of the car so it feels naturals to drive on the left. 

The way drivers in Africa communicate with each other is quite different.  Horns are not just used when someone is angry or to point out that someone is doing something wrong but to say hello, indicate a pass, offer a lift etc…  Turn signals as well are used to indicate when to pass safely (right blinker on), which side to pass on and at night, the size of the vehicle approaching.  African drivers, in one sense, are some of the best drivers in the world.  They know exactly where the edges of their vehicles are and can make a pass or squeeze through a tight spot with the smallest of margins.  They drive small, two-door cars in various states of repair on rough, muddy roads that even intrepid soccer moms in the west would not take their SUVs on. 

The rural areas of Africa are often quite fun and pleasant to drive in.  Herds of cattle and goats, wandering donkeys and chickens mean you have to stay alert and watch your speed but in general traffic is light, the roads are good enough and the scenery is entertaining.  Cities are another story.  Overcrowded roads, a lack of signs and non-existent or faded road markings make driving in cities like Cairo, Addis Ababa and Nairobi stressful and dangerous.  The rules of the road often seem as non-existent as the lane markers and road signs.  Drivers weave their vehicle in and out of traffic ignoring lane markers, narrowly missing each other and playing chicken with oncoming traffic at speeds that are better suited to race tracks than roadways.   Minibuses stop every 200 meters at overcrowded bus stops and block the road. Huge transport trucks navigate the narrow streets, barely missing overhanging electric lines.  Bikes, push carts and pedestrians are everywhere, dodging cars and trucks in the ultimate game of Frogger. 


Driving in Africa is nothing if not interesting.   

De cabeça, consigo pensar em vários lugares onde me sentiria bem, nua: o chuveiro, o quarto, a sauna, um lago. Mas, pelada pedalando uma bicicleta numa estrada de cascalho no sol do deserto da Namíbia não me vem logo à cabeça. Não vem logo.

A estrada para Sesriem, na Namíbia, nos presenteou com paisagens épicas: um amplo céu de anil borrado por nuvens de algodão, paisagens douradas cor de mel e trigo, e montanhas sombreadas em chocolate escuro. Estava aproveitando minha pedalada lá atrás, “varrendo” o grupo, sozinha com meus pensamentos e quilômetros infinitos de céu e areia. De repente, algo me chamou a atenção; de longe eu podia ver duas figuras vindo em minha direção. Nessa altura do Tour, já consigo identificar as pessoas, normalmente, pelas pedaladas e camisas, bem antes que detalhes de seus rostos tornem-se distinguíveis. Nesse momento, algo estava errado. Era como se os dois estivessem vestindo roupas bem apertadas, cor da pele.

Quando se aproximaram, pude ver que não vestiam muito além que suas marcas de bronzeado, capacetes, e sorrisos travessos. Eu havia ouvido uns boatos sobre o retorno do Quilômetro Pelado, famosa em Tours passados, e de repente me ocorreu (no momento em que vi o primeiro mamilo), que o Quilômetro Pelado estava acontecendo!

Você pode se perguntar: Por quê? E por que não? É a melhor resposta! Cumprimentei as garotas nudistas com uma risada, e atendi a seus pedidos de fotografar sua aventura. Fiquei feliz ao ver Andra, uma de minhas parceiras de crime, na parada de comida. Havíamos acabado de desencontrar com Dave A., Adam, Hilde e mais um bocado de ciclistas com a bunda pelada, e pensamos em tirar a roupa para uma pedaladinha nossa (após uns sanduíches). Pepper* se juntou a nós, e seguimos, os três, estrada afora, para nos despirmos com privacidade (ainda estávamos tímidos).

Poucos momentos após tirarmos nossas blusas, Henry Gold roncou a Máquina Verde (um de nossos veículos de apoio) em nossa direção. Pegas em flagrantes, aproveitamos a oportunidade e prontamente fizemos bundinha (bunda lelê) para o fundador do Tour d’Afrique. O gelo quebrado pelo bunda lelê, montamos nas bicicletas, em um misto de alegria e bom humor. Estava pedalando a bicicleta de Chris, nosso mecânico que estava de férias (desculpe-me Chris), e rapidamente tive um pneu furado. Estávamos aproveitando tanto nossa recém descoberta liberdade, que decidimos fazer a Troca de Pneus Pelada. Então, lá estávamos, peitos e tudo mais pelados em uma tira de asfalto quente no deserto, agachados sobre as rodas aro 29, bunda para o vento, aprendendo a estar nus. Realmente, não era exatamente um “bom nu”, mas não havia ninguém por perto. Até que, o grupo de ônibus de turismo começou a passar. No começo, corremos para o matagal na beira da estrada, cobrindo nossas partes com os capacetes. Isso logo virou passado, e nos entregamos ao nosso destino, acenando orgulhosos para os bandos de surpresos turistas e suas câmeras.

Essa troca de pneus (mais rápida e cheia de técnicas que qualquer um de nós já havia feito), pedalamos nossa milha (1,6 km) e continuamos por quase uma hora. Quem diria que pedalar assim poderia ser tão sensacional? Poderíamos ter pedalado assim o dia todo, se não fosse a enorme quantidade de protetor solar necessários para proteger nossas partes.  Posso agora, seguramente, acrescentar “andar de bicicleta” para minha lista de nudismo confortável. Em uma das primeiras posições.

*Nomes foram alterados para proteger a nudez. Para alguns, o que acontece no TdA, fica no TdA!

Postado em 10 de maio de 2010, por Alisson Barnes. Tradução livre

Heading into large cities I prefer to call off the race day for safety but I wanted to throw something slightly different at our riders to try to shake off the doldrums of long flat riding days.  So on the last day of the (Lack of) Elephant Highway we had a Team Time Trial.  This took the riders from camp to the 20km mark as fast as possible with as much of their team as possible.  I was unsure how the event was going to be received and took a chance and threw all the riders  on to teams.  Some decided that racing just wasn’t for them but the remaining 43 riders took on the challenge of one of the most fun events yet (as race director I might just be a little biased)  To my surprise all (almost) all the teams rode the entire 20km together.  Sheltering some riders from the cross wind, pushing others on the back to keep them in pace.  At the last minute I choose to join team 7 “Hardy’s Angels” and we had a blast. Hardy’s panniers are awesome to draft behind.   Riding so fast with a fully belly of muesli was a bit of a challenge but we even managed to pass team number 6 four km from the finish line.  It was a shock to see that all the riders had stopped at the finish line and waited to cheer all the teams across the line.  With a difficult day of head winds ahead it was a fun way to finish a (boring) difficult section. 

Today things got weird. Rumours have been floating around for a while that some years ago one of the tour groups decided to strip down and ride their bikes naked for a mile. For any normal group of people this idea would seem to be ludicrous… but we are a band of individuals who have decided riding bikes from Cairo to Cape Town sounds like a grand vacation. Therefore, upon hearing that such an ad hoc celebration of the flesh had occurred on years prior an adventurous group of our cyclists  (myself included) decided to take it upon themselves to “gear down and go for it”.  

            After a grueling 90km uphill slog to lunch roughly 15 riders finished their lunch, did a quick gut-check and removed their shirts and shorts. 3 months and 3 weeks of living with one another has given our more adventurous riders the testicular (or ovular for that matter) wherewithal and fortitude to bare all in front of one another. It was a gritty, greasy mile of riding for those involved but having completed one of the ultimate challenges of the tour all involved are quite happy they decided to go for it.

Namibia presents the Td’A riders with a problem. After the long, flat, brush filled stretches of Botswana gave us time to contemplate going home, even look forward to it, Namibia’s ever changing landscape reminds us of how much there is of Africa that we haven’t seen, and how much remains to be explored.

 

We’re at the point where 110km in a day seems a short day- a day where we have more than enough energy & enthusiasm to go and check out the highlight of today’s campsite- The Fish River Canyon. It’s the second largest canyon in the world, and it is gorgeous.

 

Some riders have just returned from the coast, equally impressed with their vacation from a vacation.

 

That is also the beauty of the end. More people realize that this doesn’t have to be an adrenaline charged nightmare where we begin to resent our bikes (though riding through thick and thin is definitely a pleasure for some). Some are wandering off for little bits to enjoy the tranquility of Africa, or to have some crazy adventure that they can keep to themselves, without sixty eyes on them.

 

The best is that we have come into our own. Everyone’s personality is fully shining through for better or worse. Because we have spent so much time with the brutal honesty of each other, there is now a sort of liberation to make this trip what you want, with no concern for the judgment of others, if you ride slowly, alone, or even run away for a few days.

 

We’re near the end, we’re in possibly the most beautiful country we’ve seen so far, and with that comes a feeling of bliss and being in the moment. Hopefully those moments slow down a bit for the next and final week.

Today was tough. No two ways about it. The accumulated miles so far on the Namibian dirt roads have taken their toll on many of the riders – even some thought to be amongst the strongest.

 

Namibia has been in a word, beautiful. Red sand dunes, steep descents, wide open spaces, panoramic views, stunning skies at night, springbok, ostriches, oryx, and more.

 

Today, for some, the suffering and frustrations of the tough terrain outweighed the beauty that surrounded them. We have another very hard day tomorrow – 155 km all on gravel roads with patches of corrugation and soft sand. The winds today were generally cooperative, but they can also be fickle, so we will see how they blow tomorrow. Most of the roads we have been on have been pretty good gravel roads, but there have been some long stretches (like the first 70 km today) they were brutally tough. Tomorrow will also feature more climbing than we have seen in the last day and a half of riding also.

 

It will be tough, but my belief is that this is going to be a place and a time that they all look back on and remember more vividly than other stages where they arrived to camp early and had time to check their email – those luxuries are nice from time to time on this trip, but the riders will look back and remember the challenging days, the exotic days, the scenic days and the days like tomorrow. I think many will be proud to say that they helped pioneer a new and improved route for the Tour d’Afrique and the riders in 2010 will be given a refined version of the first year dirt route.

 

With tired bodies and morale a little low at camp tonight, there was only one obvious solution – Spaghetti Bolognese. One of the simpler dishes for James to prepare (and most certainly not his favourite to prepare), it is always a favourite with many riders - one that gets finished off entirely by the group. Some riders coming back for third and fourth helpings.

 

On a full stomach, at 7:30pm, most are already sound asleep, dreaming about the challenges and future memories ahead.

After a tiring long week in Botswana, we have crossed into Namibia. We were told we had 2 days of dirt from Windhoek to Sesriem; one being 147 km, and the other 155 km. Long, hot, hills, and dirt. I have to say initially many of the riders, including myself, were not looking forward to it, after a tiring week, however, yesterday has proven to be one of the best days of the tour.

 

Yesterday morning we woke up all very cold and tired after a chilly night of frost on the ground. It was our last bush camp on the tour which is actually sad; it was a great bush camp with a big bonfire to warm us up.

We all rigged up, and hit the road and it was a sensational day. The scenery was beautiful; desert-like plains with mountains jutting up all around us. The ride started with a slight climb over Spreetsghoote Pass. As you come over the pass you were struck by a beautiful view across a huge valley. This was followed by a fantastic and fast and challenging descent. We dropped 500m in a mere 4 km.

 

At about 45 km we came across Gecko Camp where we hiked up a little hill to a restaurant with any cold drinks you could imagine and a sensational view. Eventually we tore ourselves away and rode another 30 km to Solitaire where there was another restaurant famous for their apple crumble - which happens to be my favourite desert. So I stuffed myself with a game burger and apple crumble and a magnum ice cream bar on top. This time I had to be rolled out of there onto my bike and I spent the next 40 km fighting not to be sick from over-eating.

 

The riding was tough, being a mix of sand, loose rock, and it was a long day with some riders getting into camp as the sun disappeared behind the dunes. But every single kilometer was worth it; being so beautiful and such a welcome change from the riding in Botswana. Iit has definitely been voted as one of the top 5 days on the tour.

 

Today we have a rest day in Sesriem which is a small little resort/camp at the gate to the sand dunes. Most riders and staff were up at 4:30am to head to see the sunrise over the dunes. It was hard but I dragged myself out of bed. Again it was well worth it as the dunes were very, very impressive.

 

Ahead is another 5 days of long days in the dirt before our next rest day at Felix Unite Camp on the border with South Africa….