Monday, March 29, 2004
IRINGA, TANZANIA - The so-called "luxury" portion of the tour came to a sudden halt as we left Arusha and headed towards Dodoma and Iringa. The route via Dodoma was chosen since it is less traveled (read unpaved) and shorter than the route via Dar. Since the roads are unpaved they become nearly impassable during and after the rain. For this reason we based our daily travel distances on the weather instead of the pre-planned schedule. Luckily we were able to avoid the rain for all of the six days on unpaved roads.
Our first day of travel (from Arusha to Nanyaki) was the only paved day of the section. We were lucky to have strong tailwinds to help push us all into camp by early afternoon. The campsite was of the sort we had become accustomed to in Kenya; complete with hot showers and a bar serving refrigerated drinks. The campsite even overlooked the picturesque wildlife park of Lake Manyara. However, despite these attributes the day was quite a stress-filled one for many. Hours after all of the riders arrived at the campsite the lunch truck (which goes out to pick up the day's stragglers) had still not appeared. So while I was feeling lucky that I was able to do the laundry that I had neglected on the rest days in Arusha, half of the riders were sitting around uncomfortably in their sweaty cycling outfits since the lunch truck contained all of their clothing and camping gear. Not since the thick truck-stopping sand of Sudan had we waited anxiously for a missing truck. At 9pm when the truck finally arrived we learned that someone had stolen nurse Jillian's bag which contained her passport right out of one of the truck's windows. In the two months we had been in Africa only one person was mugged (in Nairobi) and the only other robbery was of a bicycle helmut so this news was quite unexpected. Shortly after the incident signs were posted near the scene of the crime offering a reward for the missing passport. Hours later the passport did appear. Apparently this is a "typical" way of dealing with stolen possesions in Africa.
The following days were incident free. The only tragedies were small ones such as missing a group of giraffes crossing the road or experiencing four or five flats on the road in one day. Since we were back to bush camping our campsites also provided plenty of opportunities for flats thanks to numerous thorn bushes and acacia trees. One may have been lucky enough to avoid a flat on the road but one was almost certain to wake up at least one morning with a mystery flat. Also, since the route from Arusha to Iringa passed primarily through very small villages, the selections at the stores were minimal. Despite eating some of the best mango I have eaten in my entire life I was unable to find the chilled fresh fruit juices that I loved drinking in Ethiopia and Kenya. Instead I was lucky to find soda that was cooler than the air temperature! Typically I drink one soda a year but now I found myself consuming one or two a day in an attempt to find some sort of respite from the hot humid days. If I was lucky enough to find a store that even sold biscuits I could forget about finding ones with creme in then middle or some sort of chocolate coating.
The beauty of the scenery made up for the lack of running water and fruit juices. The deep green hilly countryside was covered with acacias, baobabs, and sunflowers which were all framed by the mountains of the Rift Valley.
I even made unexpected progress with my unpaved road skills. On previous rides I had found myself counting the small number of riders behind me but recently the number of riders in front of me had grown smaller the the number of riders behind me. (Surely this will not last but I will enjoy it while it does!) One day in particular stands out as my favorite. Unfortunately I can only narrow down the location by saying that I was traveling from one bush camp to another somewhere north of Dodoma. The day itself was like a final exam since it tested all of the off-road skills that I had supposedly gained to date. There were the hills of Ethiopia, the sands of Sudan, the rocky roads of Kenya and the washboard we had experienced in all three countries. As an added bonus the morning was so foggy that it reminded me of cycling in Northern California. It was on this day that even I had to admit a love for off-road (second to pavement of course!).
I am a bit exhausted after seven days straight of cycling so luckily we have only four days until our next rest day in Chitimba, Malawi on April 3rd.
Our first day of travel (from Arusha to Nanyaki) was the only paved day of the section. We were lucky to have strong tailwinds to help push us all into camp by early afternoon. The campsite was of the sort we had become accustomed to in Kenya; complete with hot showers and a bar serving refrigerated drinks. The campsite even overlooked the picturesque wildlife park of Lake Manyara. However, despite these attributes the day was quite a stress-filled one for many. Hours after all of the riders arrived at the campsite the lunch truck (which goes out to pick up the day's stragglers) had still not appeared. So while I was feeling lucky that I was able to do the laundry that I had neglected on the rest days in Arusha, half of the riders were sitting around uncomfortably in their sweaty cycling outfits since the lunch truck contained all of their clothing and camping gear. Not since the thick truck-stopping sand of Sudan had we waited anxiously for a missing truck. At 9pm when the truck finally arrived we learned that someone had stolen nurse Jillian's bag which contained her passport right out of one of the truck's windows. In the two months we had been in Africa only one person was mugged (in Nairobi) and the only other robbery was of a bicycle helmut so this news was quite unexpected. Shortly after the incident signs were posted near the scene of the crime offering a reward for the missing passport. Hours later the passport did appear. Apparently this is a "typical" way of dealing with stolen possesions in Africa.
The following days were incident free. The only tragedies were small ones such as missing a group of giraffes crossing the road or experiencing four or five flats on the road in one day. Since we were back to bush camping our campsites also provided plenty of opportunities for flats thanks to numerous thorn bushes and acacia trees. One may have been lucky enough to avoid a flat on the road but one was almost certain to wake up at least one morning with a mystery flat. Also, since the route from Arusha to Iringa passed primarily through very small villages, the selections at the stores were minimal. Despite eating some of the best mango I have eaten in my entire life I was unable to find the chilled fresh fruit juices that I loved drinking in Ethiopia and Kenya. Instead I was lucky to find soda that was cooler than the air temperature! Typically I drink one soda a year but now I found myself consuming one or two a day in an attempt to find some sort of respite from the hot humid days. If I was lucky enough to find a store that even sold biscuits I could forget about finding ones with creme in then middle or some sort of chocolate coating.
The beauty of the scenery made up for the lack of running water and fruit juices. The deep green hilly countryside was covered with acacias, baobabs, and sunflowers which were all framed by the mountains of the Rift Valley.
I even made unexpected progress with my unpaved road skills. On previous rides I had found myself counting the small number of riders behind me but recently the number of riders in front of me had grown smaller the the number of riders behind me. (Surely this will not last but I will enjoy it while it does!) One day in particular stands out as my favorite. Unfortunately I can only narrow down the location by saying that I was traveling from one bush camp to another somewhere north of Dodoma. The day itself was like a final exam since it tested all of the off-road skills that I had supposedly gained to date. There were the hills of Ethiopia, the sands of Sudan, the rocky roads of Kenya and the washboard we had experienced in all three countries. As an added bonus the morning was so foggy that it reminded me of cycling in Northern California. It was on this day that even I had to admit a love for off-road (second to pavement of course!).
I am a bit exhausted after seven days straight of cycling so luckily we have only four days until our next rest day in Chitimba, Malawi on April 3rd.
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
The TDA has two primary organizers, Henry and Michael. Michael was with the Tour from Cairo, Egypt to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In Addis, Henry replaced Michael for what seems to be the "luxury" portion of the Tour. I use the word luxury loosely. I am not referring to five star hotels but being able to take showers on days that are not even rest days (sometimes the showers are even hot!) and visiting towns where there are actually things to buy (and sometimes there is even a tourist infrastructure!). How will we ever return to bush camp!?
However, it wouldn't be the TDA if it were not challenging. The obstacles of this section of the Tour came primarily from two days on the roads of Northern Kenya. Unpaved roads are definitely not my strength. It is amazing that I do not move backwards on the roads given the speed at which I travel! The day we rode to Marsabit the road was basically piles of uneven lava rock which were lower (more rideable) in the sections worn down by tire tracks. Staring at the lava rock attempting to figure out how on earth to traverse it was even more tiring than the actual physical effort. In the worst sections I actually had to stop every two kilometers just to let my eyes refocus on something other than rocks! Since this section of Northern Kenya is known for bandits we traveled (once again) with police escort. Typically vehicles traveling Northern Kenya are required to travel in a convoy which means the little traffic which existed on the road tended to occur in clusters. This was extremely good news for me as I spent the day weaving from one side of the road to the next completely oblivious to my surroundings. Luckily I did not miss any scenery when I was so busy staring at the roads. Each time I looked up there was a vast expense of lava rock and not much else beyond the infrequent camel and herder. I could have easily been on the surface of Mars.
I had a late start in the morning so as the last rider the security vehicle traveled behind me for the entire day. (I am convinced that by the end of this trip I will know more security personnel than anyone else on the Tour). I think the security officers were even more excited to see the lunch truck at the halfway point than I was because they assumed that I (like several other riders) would be riding the lunch truck to the campsite. However, I was determined to ride on meaning that I would be on the road for at least another four or five hours. After lunch, the road was allegedly supposed to improve after 30 or 40 kilometers so I plowed through with this consolation. The "improved" road (when it finally did appear) was first marked by a climb accented with sections of headwind and washboard. However, by this section of the Tour I had come to appreciate headwind as it was a guarantee that I wouldn't have an infinite number of flies to contend with. All through this ordeal the security vehicle begged me to get in the truck so that they could continue onto Nairobi. They were definitely not thrilled when I stopped once again to take pictures of the volcanic crater. (Finally a return to scenery!). However, the officers were excited that at this point there were only ten kilometers to the campsite. When I finally arrived at the campsite my hopes of a shower were dashed as the campsite had run out of water! Luckily there was enough water for a bucket shower. I guess this is what happens when you are the absolute last rider to an area that is experiencing a water shortage. This was definitely one of the hardest days of the Tour for me.
In contrast, several of the days after Marsabit were of the sort I dreamed of when I signed up for the tour. The roads improved (with the exception of the day when it rained for five or six hours straight leaving the roads a mess of sludge and water) and the mountainous scenery was beautiful and accented by various tribespeople in beautifully colored outfits. I really felt lucky to be able to slowly take in my surroundings from the vantage point of a bicycle. My only regret is that I was enjoying myself so much on the rolling hills that I didn't get off my bike to take pictures. Several of the days were even short! A group of us leisurely rode into Isiolo before one in the afternoon (at recovery pace after the day of rain) and we were able to stop for an afternoon lunch and even buy some souvenirs. Typically I would be annoyed to have five or six competing vendors placing bracelets on my arm in an attempt to get me to buy something while I was attempting eat lunch. However, I was too excited by the novelty of having things to buy! I slowly discarded the bracelets one by one until I settled on a couple of keepers. We arrived to a campsite where there was not only water for the showers but the water was actually hot! The two campsites following Isiolo had hot showers and swimming pools! It is almost too much to comprehend after so much time in the desert and the bush! In Sagana, I even joined the other female riders for some white water rafting after the day's ride. Kenya is definitely a country I will be returning to in the future. The ten days we have spent here are definitely not enough. There is still so much more to see.
I would like to write an update from Arusha on March 21st but since I will be spending the two rest days on safari I will probably not be able to write anything until we arrive in Iringa on March 29th.
However, it wouldn't be the TDA if it were not challenging. The obstacles of this section of the Tour came primarily from two days on the roads of Northern Kenya. Unpaved roads are definitely not my strength. It is amazing that I do not move backwards on the roads given the speed at which I travel! The day we rode to Marsabit the road was basically piles of uneven lava rock which were lower (more rideable) in the sections worn down by tire tracks. Staring at the lava rock attempting to figure out how on earth to traverse it was even more tiring than the actual physical effort. In the worst sections I actually had to stop every two kilometers just to let my eyes refocus on something other than rocks! Since this section of Northern Kenya is known for bandits we traveled (once again) with police escort. Typically vehicles traveling Northern Kenya are required to travel in a convoy which means the little traffic which existed on the road tended to occur in clusters. This was extremely good news for me as I spent the day weaving from one side of the road to the next completely oblivious to my surroundings. Luckily I did not miss any scenery when I was so busy staring at the roads. Each time I looked up there was a vast expense of lava rock and not much else beyond the infrequent camel and herder. I could have easily been on the surface of Mars.
I had a late start in the morning so as the last rider the security vehicle traveled behind me for the entire day. (I am convinced that by the end of this trip I will know more security personnel than anyone else on the Tour). I think the security officers were even more excited to see the lunch truck at the halfway point than I was because they assumed that I (like several other riders) would be riding the lunch truck to the campsite. However, I was determined to ride on meaning that I would be on the road for at least another four or five hours. After lunch, the road was allegedly supposed to improve after 30 or 40 kilometers so I plowed through with this consolation. The "improved" road (when it finally did appear) was first marked by a climb accented with sections of headwind and washboard. However, by this section of the Tour I had come to appreciate headwind as it was a guarantee that I wouldn't have an infinite number of flies to contend with. All through this ordeal the security vehicle begged me to get in the truck so that they could continue onto Nairobi. They were definitely not thrilled when I stopped once again to take pictures of the volcanic crater. (Finally a return to scenery!). However, the officers were excited that at this point there were only ten kilometers to the campsite. When I finally arrived at the campsite my hopes of a shower were dashed as the campsite had run out of water! Luckily there was enough water for a bucket shower. I guess this is what happens when you are the absolute last rider to an area that is experiencing a water shortage. This was definitely one of the hardest days of the Tour for me.
In contrast, several of the days after Marsabit were of the sort I dreamed of when I signed up for the tour. The roads improved (with the exception of the day when it rained for five or six hours straight leaving the roads a mess of sludge and water) and the mountainous scenery was beautiful and accented by various tribespeople in beautifully colored outfits. I really felt lucky to be able to slowly take in my surroundings from the vantage point of a bicycle. My only regret is that I was enjoying myself so much on the rolling hills that I didn't get off my bike to take pictures. Several of the days were even short! A group of us leisurely rode into Isiolo before one in the afternoon (at recovery pace after the day of rain) and we were able to stop for an afternoon lunch and even buy some souvenirs. Typically I would be annoyed to have five or six competing vendors placing bracelets on my arm in an attempt to get me to buy something while I was attempting eat lunch. However, I was too excited by the novelty of having things to buy! I slowly discarded the bracelets one by one until I settled on a couple of keepers. We arrived to a campsite where there was not only water for the showers but the water was actually hot! The two campsites following Isiolo had hot showers and swimming pools! It is almost too much to comprehend after so much time in the desert and the bush! In Sagana, I even joined the other female riders for some white water rafting after the day's ride. Kenya is definitely a country I will be returning to in the future. The ten days we have spent here are definitely not enough. There is still so much more to see.
I would like to write an update from Arusha on March 21st but since I will be spending the two rest days on safari I will probably not be able to write anything until we arrive in Iringa on March 29th.
