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Day 28 - Stage 24 - Rashid to Sudan Border (92 km)


Thursday: Our last stage ride in Sudan, and Judith and I both got the "Lunch Truck Bogeyman" off our shoulders, not an easy day, but a great day's riding (physiologically speaking of course).

Only cycled a short 1 km from camp on the dirt, before joining the main tar road to the Sudan/Ethiopian Border. However the tar road was very rough and potholed, but with our MTB tires and front suspension, our bikes could handle the constant road vibrations, and I was blessed with a smiling Judith for most of the day.

The ride went well, for the both of us, and even though the temperature was up in the high 40 degrees C again, we got to the lunch truck at 68 km, and continued on after lunch (although I could only eat the watermelon and no other solid food's) and finished the ride at the Sudan/Ethiopia Border.

However the day was not without incident for others, many of the riders had punctures (some had multiple punctures) or mechanical breakdowns. While a couple of riders fell ill during the ride. Mark (USA) fell off his bike and suffered a suspected wrist fracture. It can all be attributed to the bad road conditions, extreme heat of the last four days and general physiological condition.

We took it easy, had our first coke stop at 49Km, then a tea/coffee stop at 54Km, before stopping for lunch at 68Km. After lunch we had one last coke stop at 84Km, before completing the 92Km distance. At all of the stops we were accompanied by other riders, so it was quite festive out on the road today.

Once at camp, we had to separate our luggage into two bags each, one bag going by truck to Nairobi via Ethiopia, the other coming with us to Nairobi. Some riders have also left their bikes on the truck, but we decided to take ours with us to Nairobi, the risk of damage to our bikes just seems to be overly high.

Tomorrow (Friday), the riders and some of the TDA Management will be bused back to Khartoum (an eight hour bus ride) while the TDA vehicle's will cross into Ethiopia and make their way through Ethiopia, to Nairobi in  Kenya.

Wynand the Lunch Truck Commander, did remind me that he will be cracking his first cold beer tomorrow evening in Ethiopia, while us other peasants have to wait another two sleepies before we get our beer privileges back, thanks Wynand!!

We will be staying at the same venue in Khartoum, as we did on our first arrival there (but we will be camping not hotel-ing). Will box our bikes, before flying to Nairobi on a Kenyan  Airways flight, in the early hours of Sunday, 12th of February. 


After riders briefing, we had an unofficial Section Presentation, presented by Paul Farrow, where both Judith and Liz from "Team  RSA" received awards. 

Judith was presented with the "Pacifier Award" (a floating trophy) for kicking her bike and using unsavory language after she had taken a tumble. While Liz was presented with the "Yellow Jersey Award" for being the most persistent rider over the last 6 day section.

It was Mark's (UK) birthday today, so we got chocolate cake with sauce after supper. Mark was also the Desert Sands Section Winner (narrowly beating Muzz by 7 minutes) so all in all, he had a great day today. 

Although a bit of an anti-climax today, we are at the Ethiopian Border, but will not cross into Ethiopia, but go back to Khartoum.

More news & stories soon!

Cheers,
Mike T


British Engineering
Peter and Deborah back on tar
Basic roadside fracture mechanics (note mirror zone and hackle zone)

Muzz cycling in local attire assisting Andje with her puncture

Liz organizing water at our first Coke Stop

The ladies having some quality time

Trixie and Max - today's Sweep Rider

Austin needing some love and attention

Tea & Coffee being made

Coffee Waiter extraordinaire 

Muzz explaining things to the locals

Today's lunch stop

Lunch Truck notice board 

Arriving at the coke stop between lunch and finish 


Lister Pump is both pumping water and running an electrical generator 


Niklas keeping clean (I promised his Mother I would make sure he washed as often as possible) 

Philip has developed his own form of yoga since cycling through Sudan

Liz repacking her holiday bag oblivious to those around her

Tomorrow's bus ride briefing board

Judith receiving the " Pacifier Award" 

Liz receiving the "Yellow Jersey" for being the Sections most persistent / consistent rider




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Day 27 - Stage 23 - Abeda to Rashid (82 km)

Sunrise on day 27

Our first Baobab sighting in Africa

Its going to be another hot day today

The blog posts are still coming through thick and fast, albeit a bit behind time-wise. But hey, the best stories are always those from the past, and worth remembering, so I hope you will forgive me


Wednesday: Those riders who suffered from heat exhaustion and heat stroke yesterday, didn't ride today, just as well, as it was just as hot as it was yesterday.

We left camp and only after a short 3km ride, rode into the artisinal gold mining area of Albada, stopped a bakkie full of people to ask about the mining, fortunately it was a bunch of Exploration  Geologists. Managed to get a short explanation about the local geology and mode of gold mineralization, albeit in broken English. Then pushed on, as Judith had ridden off into the sunrise.


Judith pointing out the exploration trenches in the hill side


Michael and the Group of Exploration Geologists 

Judith had her first puncture of the tour, although it was only a slow leak we decided to replace the tube for her, with a little help from our friends of course.

Found it extremely hot again, and had to stop every 4 to 5 km to rest in the shade of a tree, if there was one available.

I was nauseous by the time we got to lunch, couldn't eat so stopped cycling and climbed into lunch truck. Judith's batteries were also flat, so she joined me. A good decision as we would never have made it in the intense Sudanese heat (and this is their Winter heat!!)

But not before we got into trouble again, a kilometer before lunch, I took Judith, Trixie and Dr. Helen (The day's sweep rider) deep into a Village looking for cold cokes. Found a great place to stop (it even had music) and we proceeded to make new friends and have a general conversation with the locals.

Unfortunately TDA Management couldn't get through to Helen on her Satellite phone, and they thought that we were lost, and they had no idea exactly where. They then asked the lunch truck personnel to try and find us, so by the time we got to the lunch truck, they had already packed up and were about to come and look for us.

We were not popular with the lunch truck guys or afternoon sweep rider... when they  then had to unpack the truck and set everything up again to feed us. Nor did we score any brownie points with TDA Management either. But hey, all's well that ends well.

Rode back to camp in the truck and stopped at another coke stop approx. 6Km from camp, bought more soft drinks - our thirst is just so relentless. I have drunk more coke/fizzy drinks these last three weeks than I have drunk in the last three years! Even Judith lies in the tent craving coke in the evenings (don't tell the children).

Arrived at camp and had our usual donkey wash, sat around relaxing until briefing & dinner, then only set up our tent in the twilight toward the end of the day (much cooler then).

Tomorrow is the last day before the Ethiopian  Border, and the road surface is supposed to be paved. Most riders changed back to slick tires from their MTB tires. We haven't, hopefully it wasn't the wrong decision - tomorrow will tell.

Cheers,
Mike T

Sudanese rural brick fields
Coke Stop deep in the Village
Judith negotiating the price of the cold drinks

You can't leave the coke stop without the obligatory photo session



After action satisfaction - Coke

Sudanese Blacksmith with metal forge 

Blacksmith with very rudimentary tools



Land Rover - Opening up Africa for others to follow

Philip getting ready for his donkey wash

The Donkey wash suppliers waiting to sell water to the riders

Riders chilling in the shade out of the hot sun


Briefing - Tomorrows last ride in the Sudan
Chef Errol busy with dinner


Chef Muli busy with the vegetarians dinner
True love is taking her out for dinner

Supper and tire changing time again
Very relaxed dinners...

Niklas waiting for the heat to subside so that he can put up his tent

Africa home of the majestic Baobab tree


Another Sudanese sunset






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Day 26 - Stage 22 - Camel Camp to Abeda Village (96 km)

Tuesady: When TDA Management say it's going to be a hot day for riding, you have to believe them, its going to be a hot hot day! Highest recorded temperature was 47 degrees Celsius - and it took its toll on the riders.



After yesterday's heat and dehydration, I made the mistake of over-hydrating. Including what I drank at breakfast, by the time I got to the lunch truck at the 52 km mark, I must of drunk at least 5-liters of fluid. 

I felt so nauseous I could only eat watermelon at lunch, and decided discretion was the better part of valor, and climbed into the lunch truck. Judith also climbed into lunch truck as she had been struggling in the heat as well.

Rode in the truck to the intermediate Refreshment Station, a new addition by TDA Management to the days riding strategy, brought on by the hot riding conditions.

Collected riders along the route as we went towards camp, they wisely abandoned due to the hot conditions. However congratulations and respect go out to all those riders who completed the day

There were a few that finished with heat exhaustion, and one serious case bordering on heat stroke (fortunately quickly treated by our very able Dr. Helen). 

On arrival at Camp, we took another Donkey wash each, waited under the shade of the vehicle awnings, while we drank a relatively cold soft drink or two, supplied by some young enterprising local and waited for the riders' briefing and dinner.

Once again, Judith and I didn't erect our tent until the sun went down, as it was just too hot to do so.

I sat around with Muzz and Andje discussing the day's ride, before going off to sleep, after a day which most of the riders agreed, had been their toughest days riding.

Cheers,
Mike T




Line up for breakfast 

Chilled breakfast before the fun began

The morning's sunrise


Tractor Taxi

Donkey Taxi

When Michael comes through the Village all the ladies come out to greet him

Another Tractor Taxi

Out on the corrugations...
Phillip in full flight

The village kids always enjoy watching the cyclists passing by

Heat exhaustion is not a pretty picture
Deborah experiencing another puncture!!
Railway Station but no more railway line!

The Great British Railway is all and gone
Goat Crossing....

First Bridgette took advantage of a shady lunch stop

Then Anmei took advantage of it

Judith enjoying the watermelon

The enterprising ladies in the lunch truck

A welcome Coke Stop 

Today's heat called for the establishment of an intermediate Refreshment Station

British Lorry Power

Waiting for the lunch truck to cross the donga (ditch)

Hooray here comes the lunch truck through the donga!

Sheltering from the heat

Cyclists arriving at Camp

Welcome to Camp!

Andrew and Linda resting up after a hard days cycling.
Andrew having joined the Sudan Tattoo Club today.

Not only do the kids take the orange tape but its become very fashionable with the adults

Wendy and Paul Farrow come arrive after a very tough days ride

Niklas making sure he keeps clean and healthy 

True love is sharing your donkey wash

Briefing - Tomorrow's ride


Charles the winner of today's very difficult stage

Bikes are also useful for hanging up your washing

Liz multi-skilling having dinner and soaking her feet 

Philip negotiating for his daily donkey wash
Sunset after a very hot and difficult day



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