Sunday, 5 March: The start of the next Section, which will see us cycling a total of 703km with 7'532m of accent and & 7'687m of descent, it's not going to be an easy Section!
After a two day rest period, we left the City of Kigali, Africa's cleanest and neatest City. All the riders who had taken time off to see the Mountain Gorillas were all in agreement, that it was one of the greatest highlights of their tour so far.
We started on a mean cobblestoned hill, I was the first to leave, which allowed me to walk up the hill, then to wait for Judith to catch me up, discretion is the better part of valor!
We cycled through the morning rush hour traffic, fortunately we were trying to get out of the City while most people were trying to get in. To their credit, all of the robots (traffic lights) worked, and major intersections were manned by Traffic Policemen, a real pleasure for a change.
The day's ride consisted mainly of long down hills and long corresponding uphills, because it was a relatively short distance, lunch was at the end of the ride, in Camp.
Generally the locals were friendly, and shouted greetings or encouragement to us at regular intervals. We cycled a lot of the way with Liz, who ensured we had two coke stops in quick succession, I wonder if a person can overdose on cola?
Judith also managed to do some retail therapy along the way, and bought herself a new pair of slip slops, which Liz graciously carried for her in her backpack.
During the ride, my new rear wheel behaved itself, and it seems as if my first major mechanical failure has finally been sorted out.
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| Riding the cobblestone road |
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| Local Rwandan cyclist |
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Kyle not feeling well and waiting for pick-up assistance
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We camped at the Woman's Opportunity Center, which specializes in providing skills training to local woman. This included skills such as brick making, sewing, beading, weaving and pottery in order to generate income. While basic English lessons and business skills are also provided.
It looked like it was going to rain, so we pitched the tent inside one of the classrooms, quite a mean feat, since the tent only just fitted, but at least we would sleep dry in the event of rain.
There was a Coffee Shop on the premises and it was well frequented by the riders, especially since they offered real cappuccinos. While the Gift shop alongside the Coffee Shop did some brisk sales, the multi-coloured long pants on offer, seemed to be a big crowd-pleaser.
Charles went into Kayonza Town and brought me back two Rwandan beers I hadn't tasted yet, to ensure I stayed on course for EFDB (Every Flippin Different Beer)
Tomorrow we cycle to the Rwanda/Tanzania Border, and enter our next African Country.
Cheers,
Mike T
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| Welcome to Kayonza |
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| Women's Opportunity Centre (WOC) |
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| The WOC Classrooms |
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| All the riders who camped pitched their tents in the Centre's grounds... |
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| ...except the Treloar's who camped inside the classroom! |
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| The multi-colored long pants proved very popular with a number of riders |
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| Gatanu Beer - One of those which Charles so kindly bought for me in Town |
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| Riders' Briefing with an attentive audience |
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| Briefing Board. Tomorrow's ride... Stage 37 |
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| Members of Team Carbo-Load getting in some practice |
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