Karongo to Chitimba Bay (91km)

Malawi

Day 72 - Mar 25 - Stage 50

Saturday: It rained all night, but fortunately in the morning it cleared up. Starting to cycle in the rain is just not high on my list of happy moments!

We started riding and went straight into Town to draw more money at the ATM and to get a Malawi Sim card and data. Judith was lucky, I was not so fortunate (no micro-sim cards in stock) so I was still offline.

Cycled to lunch, just before lunch, Judith had her tire come off the rim.  Fortunately she was riding with Leo the Sweep Rider who is also our Bike Mechanic. He could assist her and fixed the puncture and placed the tire back onto the rim.

We were both not in a happy space, mentally or physically, so we climbed into the lunch truck, to get to Chitimba Beach for our two day rest period.

Driving towards Chitimba Beach in the truck, we came across an accident, a car had left the road at speed and had overturned. The locals had pulled the survivors onto the verge of the road and there were quite a few injured bodies lying on the road. Wynand and I got out of the truck (I was riding in the cab with him) to see if we could offer assistance, but there was nothing we could do, other than to organize for an Ambulance to come from Karonga.

There was a badly injured little girl, who I thought wouldn't make it, subsequently I became rather emotional on the remainder of the drive into Camp. I know nobody gets off this planet alive, but children shouldn't have to leave so early!

Stopped along the way to buy some accessories for the planned evening's Fancy Dress Party, and even managed to get a Malawian micro-sim card.

Finally arrived at Chitimba Beach Camp, after a very tough and mentally draining fortnight of riding. It is going to be a great two days rest.


The Fancy Dress Party was well attended, with some of the riders going to great extremes with their costumes. I went as a Zambian Soccer Player, while Judith went as a "Message" (Playfully mocking the American & Canadian Riders).  Her T-shirt read, "In America they call it 'Survivor', in Africa we call it Camping!".

Cheers,
Mike T 

Riders discussing the merits of a Coke Stop

Malawi Gin Distilling Company

Fishing Village on Lake Malawi

Village on the way to Chitimba Beach

Welcome to Chitimba Beach

Chitimba Beach Rules

Judith making new friends...

Judith discussing the Malawian political situation with Berndt

Relaxing on arrival at Chitimba Beach

Judith's Fancy Dress outfit

The Treloar's Snr all dressed-up and ready to party

Chef Errol preparing the evening's roast beef dinner

Tallis & Muli preparing the evenings vegetables 

Liz and Marie the Two Tsetse Fly's won the "Best Dressed" award

Niklas flanked by the two Maasai Farrows

Rupert the winner in the "African Section"

_

Soccer Field to School at Biti Manayanga (128km)

Tanzania

Day 67 - March 20 - Stage 46

Monday: Our good luck on the Seven Day Section finally broke, and on day five of seven, the rains caught up to us and turned our simple lives upside down.

Sometimes you have to take a detour to keep dry and mud free
Today was a wet day!

I rode with Judith up to lunch truck, she then stopped and took the lunch truck to camp. I continued and after lunch rode with Liz to Camp.  We were caught in heavy rain twice while out on the road. Not even my rain jacket could keep me dry.  The rain just gets in everywhere, it drenches your clothes, shoes and your hydration pack.

Approximately three kilometers from the end, Liz had a puncture, she had no spare tube (my spare tube was too big for her tire) so we walked the last 3km into camp.

Meanwhile back at the Camp, Judith was busy putting up the tent when the heavens opened up without any warning, everything became wet, Judith, our tent and our daily bags were soaked!

Later it stopped raining long enough to get the tent dry, however none of our clothes would dry out, we would have to put wet cycling clothes on in the morning!

We had Briefing followed by supper, then it started raining hard again, so we had to pack up our bags with wet clothes in our tent. 

We went to sleep with the sound of pouring rain, knowing we were going to start cycling in wet clothes come the morning.

Cheers,
Mike T

Stunning Tanzanian sunrise

Still encountering bee hives hanging in the trees

Busy Lunch Truck stop

The Rivers are flowing strongly from the ongoing rain

Land Rover opening up Africa so that the others can follow

Briefing Board for tomorrow's ride

_

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

_

Day 11 - Stage 10 - Desert Camp to Abu Simbel (150 km)

Monday: Start of a typical morning in the Egyptian Desert...

Get up and take "Doug" for some quality time out into the still-dark desert surroundings. Away from the still-snoring or stirring tented camp. With only the Milky Way high up in the sky and the odd camper's headlamp shinning here and there in the clustered tents, (we are getting used to packing up our bags & tent and preparing for the ride, by the light of our headlamps).

Julian checking his bike at sunrise

Early morning camp lights as the riders stir, a few moments before sunrise

Just before breakfast, I discovered my bikes front wheel needed air, grabbed the foot-pump, only to realize I needed to change the tube. So while everyone was having a leisurely breakfast I was fixing my puncture. It has been good going, my first puncture and over 1 000 km cycled. Unfortunately my breakfast was very rushed indeed!

The first Coke Stop was at 50 km into the ride, and we stopped (we don't normally stop between the Start and Lunch) but I needed something salty and something to give me a sugar rush, so crisps and soft-drink it was.

First Coke stop of the day

Riders discussing their day's ride so far

Andy feeling good and sharing his laughter

Roasted chicken crisps and Fanta Apple what more can a man ask for?

The Desert scenery is beginning to change as we approach Abu Simbel

Lunch was at the 80 km mark, again at some random bus stop, close to a new housing development the Egyptian Government is building, but uninhabited at present.

It was Judith's first 150 km distance and she cycled well, we finished it at an average riding speed of 24 km/hr. However, with 5km to go I hit the brick wall, and pulled up for a Coke stop only 1km from the finish, I just had to get my sugar level up. One Pepsi (no Coke) later and the problem was solved, but not before we were joined by two police cars and the TDA 4x4 bakkie (utility vehicle). Quite an audience to watch Bridgette, Judith and I drinking soft-drinks!

New housing development constructed by the Egyptian Government the Desert (still to be occupied)

Today's Lunch Stop at the 80km mark

Lunch Truck time

Canal transporting water from Lake Nasser 

Time for a short recovery break at the Canal

Welcome to Abu Simbel

On arrival in Abu Simbel, we booked into the 'Eskaleh Nubian Ecolodge', being one of the last riders to finish on the day, our choice of rooms was limited, so we decided to take the Honeymoon Suite! One thing about this Tour, sometimes things don't go as well as planned, but then again, don't sweat the small stuff.

Of course, after the Mandatory (Mando) 'Team Carbo Load' meeting, the length of today's race, the heat and any other irritating nuisances were soon forgotten - life is great!

Andje & Judith enjoying the Tilapia 

Alex showing us the correct way to eat Tilapia

Only coke available with dinner... 

Eating out at a local Egyptian Restaurant 

The Chef busy cooking up our Tilapia and chicken

Dinner was in town, we joined a group of the riders, walked into town and sat down at one of the local restaurant's (eating house). Food was either Chicken or Fish, I chose fish, and had the best Tilapia I had ever tasted, and that includes the delicious Tilapia I have previously eaten in Uganda.

On the way back from Town, we stopped at one of the  local pavement Coffee Houses and had tea with the three local Egyptian Cyclists who had been cycling with us all the way from Cairo. They will be leaving us tomorrow, and going back to Cairo by bus.

Tomorrow is our second rest day, after today's ride, bring it on!

Cheers,

Mike T

Charles and the Treloars having late night tea at a street cafe with our Egyptian Cyclists

_