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.

The riders said a fond farewell to Kenya this morning and crossed the border into Tanzania, where they will enjoy three very well deserved rest days in Arusha.  While they change gears and wind down for a while, we've posted a few recent excerpts from some of the riders' blogs.

“I checked that Orion’s belt is now upside down, just to confirm that all is as it should be and that the ‘Equator’ sign we cycled past wasn’t lying.” Jethro De Decker.
http://nextbigadventure.wordpress.com/

“We’re almost done with Kenya, which is a shame because it’s been a wonderful country.  The people have been terrific, the scenerygorgeous, the weather interesting, and the food incredible.” Dave Arman
http://davearman.wordpress.com/


“Kenya gets the full marks as far as I am concerned. I enjoyed this country and was impressed by the level of education everywhere. I was also impressed by the way they have embraced Internet and cell phones. Both are available everywhere with different operator competing and at very reasonable prices. A healthy sign for the future. I have never seen as many schools as here in Kenya. They seem to have bet on the future generation through education and I can tell you that the difference between here and Ethiopia or Sudan is obvious.”  GeraldConiel.
http://africanride.blogspot.com/

“So far, Tanzania has consisted of breathtaking green mountains guarding every direction and extremely variable road conditions. It was like an obstacle course out there today, and I was surprised to find the road to Arusha, Tanzania (a very up and coming little hotspot) in such rough
shape. We rode on a mix of potholes, corrugation, cracked roads, perfect pavement, dirt, sand and still wet newly tarred roads. As German Reuben now introduces me, “This is Erin.She hates riding on dirt and it’s the only time she will get
cranky and stop talking on the ride. Hope for some dirt today.” Erin Sprague
http://cairo2capetown.wordpress.com/


“I have set a goal to raise $15,000 for The Global Fund for Women. The Tour is almost half way done and I am less than 25% of the way towards reaching thatgoal.  I need your help.” Cat Hardee. 
http://catonabike.wordpress.com/

Help to extend the ban on elephant-slaughtering ivory trade

On another note...within days, two countries are seeking to break the worldwide ban on ivory trading -- a decision that could wipe out whole elephant populations and bring these magnificent animals closer to extinction.

But many African states and conservationists support extending the ban on elephant-slaughtering ivory trade. The decision will be made at a UN meeting in Doha starting on 13 March, and global public opinion could tip the balance!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/no_more_bloody_ivory/?fbgru_descrpt

 

The rider are safe and sound and enjoying a rest day in Nairobi today.  Tour Director, Paul McManus, share his thoughts just prior to arrival in Nairobi.

I pulled into the parking lot, just south of Nanyuki, where all the riders had gathered.  The morning was crisp and cool but the sky was clear and the rising sun promised a warm dry day. A welcome change from the week of rain.  I walked from the vehicle towards the riders. They are all gathered under the dingy road sign that marked a pivotal point in the tour. We are about to cross the Equator.

The location of the Equator crossing was anti climactic, just a dirt parking lot, surrounded by curio shops and a barely readable sign, covered by years of dirt and exhaust residue.  Despite the unimpressive surroundings the mood of the group was cheery and riders and staff alike were joking and laughing while posing beneath the signboard.

One rider, Andra, was holding a bowl of water with a small stick in it.  In the bottom of the bowl she had made a small hole so the water could drain out. Unfortunately, the water still swirled clockwise as it ran out the hole.  She would have to wait until a lot further south before the water would swirl in the other direction.  Although the halfway point of the tour, by number of days, won’t be until next week and the halfway point by distance won’t happen until a few days after that. Emotionally and mentally the Equator is an important benchmark in our journey from Cairo to Cape Town. 

After 7 days of very rough dirt, remote bush camps and rather miserable weather conditions the riders reached the paved road just 30 kms before the touristy town of Archers Post, which was itself recovering from severe flooding just one week before.  After such a tough section the riders were all in need of rest and a bit of comfort. Fortunately for them (and us) the tour delivered.  The 3 riding days that straddle the equator are relatively short and easy and our campsites, at least by tour standards, are rather posh.  For three days the riders are able to shower and buy cold drinks at camp.  You can’t imagine what a big difference these small comforts can make. 

As I write this I am sitting in the shade on the banks of the River Tana. The sun is shining, the bar has just opened and steaks are simmering on the braai. Tomorrow we are in Nairobi for a rest day and shortly there after, three rest days in Arusha.  A much needed respite from a tour that has had more than it’s share of challenges thus far. 

Paul McManus - Tour Director
 

 Flickr Photo of ugali http://www.flickr.com/photos/bitterjug/

Kenyan food is basic, no frills cuisine designed to fill you up using inexpensive (but often fresh) ingredients. Think of Kenyan food like racing on a single speed bicycle; it gets the job done, butit won’t win many stage plates.

This is an incredibly diverse country, home to nearly 50 million people representing more than 40 ethnic groups. Dishes vary from region to region and within communities but the historical influence of Arab and Indian traders is a common thread. There are shifts in the use of spice and exotic ingredients but as a general rule you’ll find the spicier, more lively and adventurous flavours on the coast, while central Kenyan food is more on the plain side.  

Staple Foods:
There are at least three main dishes eaten in just about all parts of Kenya: Ugali, Nyama Choma and Sukuma Wiki.Ugali: Easy and inexpensive to grow starches are the cornerstones of many Kenyan meals, and ugali is the staple starch of east Africa. Made from maize flour and water, the recipe for ugali is similar to the recipe for paste I made in second grade. The result is a thick, bland-tasting substance that you roll into a ball with your right hand and then use to scoop up your flavour source — typically vegetables, meats and sauces, but even fresh and fermented milk. Once you’ve mastered the ball rolling technique, the trick is to make a depression in the centre of the little ball with your thumb, and then use this little hole to scoop up bits of meat and veg. This may be easier said than done but at least you don’t have to wash any utensils when it’s over.

Nyama Choma: If Kenya has a ‘national dish’ it’s probably nyama choma; this is bbq’d meat, usually beef, goat or sheep. It’s often served with ugali and sometimes vegetables too.

Sukuma Wiki: A common vegetable stew-like dish made with leafy greens. Cabbage are the most common, but pumpkin, kale, bean, sweet potato or cassava leaves can also be used. The name sukuma wiki roughly translates to “push the week” in Swahili. It’s one of the cheapest meals you can eat. In basic terms, just think of it as a cabbage, onion and tomato stew.

Kachumbali: A fresh condiment similar to pico de gallo or salsa, Kachumbali is a minced vegetable mixture of tomatoes, onions, hot peppers, and sometimes avacado. Often served with nyama choma and ugali.

Irio:  Irio is a vegetable dish made by mashing green bananas with beans, maize and often greens or pumpkin leaves. The mixture served with beef or vegetable stew.

Githeri: This heavy, filling mixture of boiled corn and beans is often lightly fried with onion.

Chapatti: Chapatti is an Indian-style wheat flour flatbread made without yeast. Cooked on a griddle to a soft browncolour, they can be eaten ontheir own, with tea, or served at a mealwith meat and vegetables.

Tea/Chai: Chai is Kenyan tea and a dentist’s nightmare. The recipe for this cavity-maker involves boiling milk, black tea leaves and heaps of sugar together with spices like cinnamon, cloves,cardamom, black pepper and nutmeg.

FYI Most of the coffee you’ll come across is instant and a disappointment considering the country is a major producer of high quality coffee.

Street food/Snacks:

Sambusas: These are tasty little descendants of the Indian samosa. Squares of deep-fried dough are stuffed withspiced meat and occasionally vegetables. They’re eaten as a snack or appetizer and if you’re lucky, they’ll pack a satisfying crunchy-chewy punch.

Maandazi: It seems no culture is immune to the allure of the donut. Here, semi-sweet dough is deep-fried and best eaten in the morning when the dough is still puffy and appetizing. Usually partnered up with tea or coffee. Unless you enjoy the taste of cold cardboard, try to get them fresh.

Mkate Mayai: Another Kenyan snack delight, the illusive mkate mayai roughly translates from Swahili to“egg-bread.” A thin wheat flour pancake is filled with minced meat and egg then fried on a griddle.

Fruit: If you’re a fruit lover like me, you’re going to be very happy here. Depending on what’s in season, you’ll be able to eat Mangoes the size of your head and feast on avocados, pineapple,bananas, oranges, pawpaws (papayas) and pears until you burst… or become very full of fruit.

Beer/Alcohol: Drinking age is 18 – so congrats! You’re all legal! Kenyan beer is a source of national pride with “Tusker” being the biggest seller. The beer’s name and elephant head label are a tribute to the company’s founder, who was killed by an elephant during a hunting accident in 1923.

Beer etiquette: Never take your bottle out of the bar. Bottles carry deposits and this is considered theft. It’s also illegal to drink out of a bottle on the streets of many cities. As Pederson,one of our Indaba staff says, “people would think you are crazy.”

Illegal home brewing and distilling is still fairly widespread in Kenya. Most of the time it’s harmless, except in the case of  “chang’aa.” This is a potent and potentially deadly homemade alcohol that could leave you blind if it doesn’t kill you. Pass on the chang’aa.

Tipping: Tipping is not mandatory but it never hurts to toss a few extra shillings onto the bill, even in a cheap restaurant. Restaurants with a lot of tourist traffic will often add a service charge to the bill, otherwise a ten per cent tip is considered the norm.

-Allison Barnes

Greetings from your African dirt correspondent, exactly a month on from our first taste of dirt in Sudan. I'm writing from a small settlement called Laisamis, 95 kilometres from a dusty town called Marsabit, en route to Nairobi.

As we left Ethiopia, the heavy rain that had plagued the tour eased up and we were generously treated to several days of dryness. The weather changes quickly though and at 4:30am on our rest day in Marsabit riders were busily putting their rain flies on their tents. The roads in Marsabit quickly turned to mushy mud and vehicles (including our own bucky, the 'Drama Queen') were getting stuck every few hundred metres. We've not had to ride over any serious mud so far on this tour so this was shaping up to be an interesting riding challenge.

There was no real rain overnight and as the riding week began, we were told of the muddy sections that awaited us on the road. After a pretty serious downhill, I settled down for a morning of gradual descent to lunch. Soon enough the first mud arrived, vehicle tracks were carved half a foot in and any clear cut path soon vanished.

Riding over the mud was slippery and I was very glad of my previously ill-thought out decision to use fairly skinny dirt tyres. The mud attaches to your wheels quickly and within minutes it's rubbing against the inner edges of your frame and fork and collecting on top of your brake callipers, making no sound but slowing you down noticeably.

For one of the early sections, there were a hardened section on the sides of the road which was much quicker to ride along. I was riding along merrily at somewhere between 15 and 20 kmph when I caught sight of a local. He shouted and pointed straight across the road to something just metres in front of me. Slamming on my brakes and almost vaulting over my handlebars, the object he was pointing to was immediately apparent - a deep and wide crack in the earth.

Saved from this possible end to my riding day, I continued on to lunch, passing through water logged section after water logged section. The clear rain water turns brown as soon as it touches the soil and the standing water covering the depressed sections of road leaves a layer of fine grit on your skin, clothes and bicycle as you pedal through it. Bicycles were creaking for much of the day as the water washed off lube.

Visible from lunch was another water logged section of road where a truck had got stuck in a seemingly deep pothole. The cab of the truck was arched at 20 degrees to the surface of the water and it seemed that it was submerged about a metre. Normally the puddles aren't that deep, or at the very least, their surface maintains the same consistency as the road immediate before and immediately after it. Another rider Jason was standing on the other side of the puddle scraping his shoes but I took little notice of this. Feeling confident at my ability to ride such puddles, I cycled straight into this puddle, picking a line that followed the ruts on the road leading to it.

The first small puddle was fine but less than two metres into the second puddle I felt my front wheel disappear into some mysterious underwater chasm and I actually went over my handlebars this time. Luckily there was no hard impact, unluckily I was now soaked from neck down. The crew and passengers of the stuck truck broke into laughter and Jason, who hadn't seen me cycle in, was shocked to see just my head floating above the water. We stood and watched as three more riders crossed, somehow picking a line where they stayed relatively dry. One of the TDA trucks tried the same and was wedged underwater within seconds.

The afternoon featured the much promised 'extreme corrugation' and arriving to camp was a timely relief. As riders came into camp, it was pleasant to see some of the chronic complainers extolling their enjoyment of the day.


Sunil Shah powers through the tough stuff!

-written by Sunil Shah

www.geekonabicycle.co.uk

The last few days in Ethiopia felt different somehow.  The children seemed to be less aggressive and the stone throwing seemed to be isolated incidents instead of the norm. The vocabulary of the children also started improving.  From ‘you, you, you’ to the odd ‘Welcome’ or ‘How are you’ was also a welcome change.

The last two days the people started getting taller and not everyone was carrying a stick.  The quality of the roads deteriorated into a patchwork of tar with lots of potholes. 
Fortunately the only motorized traffic on the roads seem to be trucks or buses, with very few privately owned vehicles, so we were able to spread ourselves between potholes.

We have seen a lot of rain in the lastweek, and had pouring rain on the rest day at the border, which is when laundry always gets done.  So we left Moyale withplenty of wet laundry.  The best thing to do with wet laundry seems to be to wear it where the warmth of the body driesit out.  We were really worried about thewet roads for both riders and the trucks getting stuck, but fortunately the first three days in Kenya were dry. 

The first day was pretty tough on the dirt road, and then proceeded to get pogressively worse with the constant corrugations and volcanic rock and stone.  The third day was the toughest, and the riders arrived at Marsabit very ready for a days break.So now we are in Kenya where we are called Mzungus rather than Farengis, and everyone says ‘Jambo’ with huge smiles. Being a former British Colony the people speak good English on the whole, and it is much easier to be understood.  The lastthree days have really been isolated, and it’s been good to see some civilization again. 

It’s amazing to think that this road we have been riding on is the main road between Kenya andEthiopia.  It appears there are politicalreasons for the Kenyan government not to want to develop this road, as then Mombasa will become the main port for Ethiopia with the vast increase intraffic that will go with it, instead of using Djibouti as they currently are.  It will be interesting to see how many years it will take before TDA riders will be riding this lava rock road as opposed to tarred pavement.

The rain has started again as we sit here in Marsabit, and we have grave concerns about the road ahead for both cyclists
and especially trucks.  Think of us as we head for the muddy mess in the days ahead.

   --Caroline Murray.

We have just received the latest 2010 Tour d'Afrique financial report from our field staff enroute in Ethiopia. Here are a few of the entries we have just reviewed...

Feb 2       Sudanese Pounds 30            fine for having bike on roof of 4WD vehicle
Feb 2       Sudanese Pounds 20            for labour digging vehicle out of sand at Abu Dom
Feb 16     Ethiopian Birr 100                 for car wash at Blue Nile River
Feb 16     Ethiopian Birr 3500               for purchase of 8 sheep
Feb 21     Ethiopian Birr 500 .               for "mule payment"
Feb 23     Ethiopian Birr 1800               for Addis Ababa Convoy accident damage

So we sit here asking ourselves what exactly Revenue Canada and its auditors would think of these!?!

I could wax poetic about breakfast at length, if the mood and audience permitted; it’s my favourite meal of the day. And so, when we woke a few mornings ago to the cold, drizzling rain for the first time on tour, I took comfort in the inside knowledge that this would be a particularly good day for breakfast. The anticipatory buzz was palpable, sparked by rumours of a fruit salad that had begun to circulate since the previous afternoon, when every available knife and chopping board was set to the task of butchering crates of the sweet, vitamin-y goodness that is mango and pineapple. But only a select few knew the scope of what was in store on this particular morning in camp. True, there would be fruit salad, but also glee inducing-muesli, and the chocolate-hazelnut temptress of breakfast spreads that is Nutella. There is something that awakens deep inside the recesses of the brain when a jar of Nutella is cracked. Now giving a crowd of more than 60 cyclists that have been pushing themselves to their physical limits on a daily basis any one of these breakfast knee-bucklers on their own is a recipe for breakfast blitzkrieg, our seemingly jovial and considerate group reduced to a mob of multi-tool brandishing, every-cyclist-for-themselves hooligans.  Sooner or later someone would lose an eye. And so, James employs rather clever strategy to quell the impending riot and make the good stuff last. Serve all three – at once. Like a boxing match in its final round, the muesli becomes the left hook, the Nutella a right jab, and the fresh fruit salad a final dizzying flurry to the solar plexus, rendering his opponents so overwhelmed by the paradox of choice that they retreat to their previously altruistic breakfast-consumer state. At least that’s how I imagine it. And then a few days ago, like a magical fantasy lunch mirage, Janet put together a fried egg and avocado sandwich buffet. I was over the moon! No lunch bag letdown here.

One would have thought these last few days of rain would have dampened —pardon the pun — riders’ spirits. But that hasn’t necessarily been the case.  Wrinkled rain gear has emerged, unearthed from the cavernous black holes of locker and luggage storage, and soggy camaraderie flows. Paddy continues to entertain with his white “condom jacket,” which quickly becomes translucent and does little to protect him from the elements, and Martjin and Janet are adorable with their garbage bag specials (poke three holes: one for your noggin, two for your arms, and voila!). All this rain mixes with the reddish-brown earth — like chocolate cake batter — making for some muddy rides. But there’s something invigorating about getting that dirty. You can see it on their mud-spattered faces as the roll into camp. The riding has been intense at times, thanks to Ethiopia’s behemoth climbs, scarred pavement and the never-ending sea of locals, donkeys and livestock that crowd the roads as we pedal through their lives.  But the rock wounds will heal, and the unbelievably picturesque landscapes of this country will leave a permanent mark in our memories as we change our tires and prepare to say goodbye.


   -Allison Barnes

We would like to offer a little perspective on the issue of Ethiopian children throwing rocks at the cyclists during the Tour ‘d’Afrique from our Brazilian colleague, Christiano Werneck…  

“The stories and videos about the rock-throwing kids in Ethiopia caught my attention. That country has been always a part of my dream about riding in Africa, as something very different from everything I have ever seen.

A couple years ago, a small group of friends and I started a night ride. The idea was to do something different from other groups we have here in my city. It was going be for free, for everyone, and without a support car. We called it RUT's, abbreviating something like Thursday's Night Ride, and playing with the word ‘roots’ in English. Roots because we were back to the most simple way of cycling. Get together and ride. No police cars, no stopping traffic, nothing, as bicycles do not need cars or people stopping traffic to be respected. We put our advocacy to it.

I stopped going a year ago, and during that time, they had to change the meeting and starting point, and it ended up being great. A lot more people have been going. I went last Thursday night, and there were more than 80 people. It's a very unstructured thing. Each week, someone chooses a route. Anyone can be the guide.

It ended up that, because of all those factors, they have been occasionally going through some sections of the city where the other night rides never go - distant neighborhoods, slums, etc.  It's nice. Last Thursday I heard a guy saying to another: "The nice thing about this ride is that we get to go to places in the city we have never been and would never go, if it wasn't for this". Anyway, as we rode through a very infamous slum on a brand new avenue which now crosses it between two fancy neighborhoods, it rained stones at us. And as we talked about it later drinking a nice cold beer, I was told that this was not the first time nor the first place this had happened during a RUT ride. It's not common, but it has happened sometimes as the group got bigger. And to think I had gotten so excited to talk about it happening in Ethiopia - as if it was something very alien.” 

And it is also instructive to recall the wise words of our own Miles MacDonald posted in 2008…

  “Within our time in Ethiopia many cyclists have experienced the peculiarity of having stones thrown at them by children. Bizarre in one right, explainable in another. Occasionally the gap between wealthy tourist and half naked child brings such a degree of miscomprehension that stupidity ensues. Though the purpose of traveling by bicycle is to slow down and step beyond the doors of a Toyota Landcruiser; it is still too quick a mode of transportation to bridge the distance in understanding. Days, weeks or even years are necessary for a foreigner to understand the intricacies and beauties of this culture, let’s hope a few stones don’t deter any curious souls from riding a bicycle here, or from taking the time to learn.”