Kentz Engineers & Constructors Cairo to Capetown Cycle Challenge
February 15th A perfect day of riding - clear skies, sun all day and with a lot of elevation the temperature remained cool. Unfortunately my day was capped off with a bad dose of diarrhea due to poor quality of food. Tomorrow is the most notorious day of cycling "the Blue Nile Gorge" it's 14kms of downhill and 24kms of uphill with a difference of 1700 meters in altitude. The bridge over the Nile is a national treasury which means you can't take a photo of the bridge (for fear of terrorism) If they catch you they will shoot you, if you get away they will shoot you again ! However this is not my greatest concern the difference in temperature and altitude is enough of a threat to scare me, hopefully I wont be too sick tomorrow. February 16th The Gorge Tight switchbacks, brutal climbing, loose gravel, dust, unfinished tarmac, potholes, quick children, uncontrollable diarrhea and zipping traffic. These were some of the treats that awaited me at the Gorge. I made it. But just about. This was the biggest test of my cycling expedition. It was about 4 hours of uphill. Steep uphill. The only interruption was the occasional coca cola stop. It was a constant battle up to the highest point of my cycling trip at 3000 meters. Of course this statistic means nothing to me as I just want the toilet and my bed. February 20th Capital City (Addis Abbaba) A bustling buzzing city, by far the most westernized place thus far. There is mock starbuck cafes and Italian restaurants - commercial entities of a western mind. I wallow in these luxuries but then am reminded of the lesser Ethiopian attributes like snail pace internet. However the city has Rasta, Muslim and Christian areas and has a pretty good nightlife too !
Bikes for Charity After a late night I am up early because the Tour D'Afrique Foundation took the opportunity to donate fifty bicycles to five NGOs operating in Ethiopia. CPAR, Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief, co-founded in 1984 by our very own Henry Gold, received the bicycles and will distribute them to local NGOs. Ten bikes will go to each of the following: - CPAR Ethiopia February 21st The Rift Valley / The Cradle of Humanity We leave Addis Abbaba bound for Moyales on the Kenya border. We are cycling through the Great Rift Valley. The most ancient fossils of human remains have been discovered in the Great Rift Valley which stretches into Kenya. It’s easy to see why : it is untouched. Everything is wild and natural from the rugged surrounding mountains, it’s scoundrel monkeys and it’s primitive inhabitants this area is the most unique place I have ever visited. The scenery is majestic and it is virgin territory for cycling. There are tribes lined up by their village on the side of the road shouting at me in their unique non-Amharic dialect. Many of these people have never seen a bicycle before - let alone seeing a spandex clad Irish man riding a Trek bike with leopard print ! As I pass by some villages there are people screaming and shouting jumping up and down. It is truly bizarre as I have never met such pure primitive people and they have never seen such a fancy looking alien attached to a 2-wheeled walking contraption. Every stop is an education. I can see how they have woven their own clothes which bear similarity to the Massai tribe of Kenya/Tanzania., however the colours are much brighter like green, orange and blue. Most tribes are pastors who follow their stock South when the rainy season starts. They believe the stock are the providers and will guide then to the best land. However the rainy season is very late this year and a lot of stock is dying due to dehydration and the heat. There is also many rivalries between neighboring tribes which is only worsened by the lack of rain. The roads in the Rift Valley are pure rock and in 7 days cycling I have had 8 punctures. Pure big rocks mean pure big saddle sores. However there are many treasures to be seen along the way. As with a lot of African historic sites, when you visit a site you can physically hold ancient manuscripts and idols.
Decisions, decisions The decision to not cycle through Kenya has been taken. I can't get insurance to cover me there as it is "politically unstable" so I can only cycle to the border then take a bus back to Addis Abbaba and fly to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania. I will then climb Kilimanjaro, visit Zanzibar for a couple of days and then start back on their bike around March 14th or so. Arbour Michu We stop off here for a rest day. There are 2 beautiful lakes with hippos, crocs and a host of other wildlife. My good friend David Pennington and I got talking to a local man James who invited us back to his house for dinner. It was an amazing experience. We ate tibs and drank coca cola it was magnificent. A real piece of Ethiopian hospitality. James mother the beloved cook is 33 years old, James is 22 years old but despite such a challenging task she seems to have done very well. She has 2 younger children is a grand mother ! I cycled down to a local bar for a drink on the way home accompanied by my friend Dave when some locals tried to take our bikes, as we sat outside with our bikes they told us what a good idea it wouold be to give them our precious bikes. We were surrounded by about 15 locals and a Kenyan who had joined us for a drink was looking for a fight with all of them. It was his birthday after all. We waited for the right time then scrambled to the sounds of smashing bottles and shouting locals. Bye-Bye-Bike I waved good-bye to my bike today with a slight smirk on my face. Happy on one hand to let my saddle sores heal and tackle the task of Kilimanjaro but on the other hand disappointed I can’t cycle through Kenya. However my bike will travel through Kenya on a trusted truck. No time to regret, a large mountain awaits me and I haven’t climbed anything higher then the hill behind Tipp town before. Time to focus… Kilimanjaro “If you’re going to take me down before the top, I’d better be bleeding out my ears” Rodney Pennington, a friend and fellow climber. Then there was the altitude. A friend of mine Rod Pennington lost it with the altitude. He wasn’t able to concentrate and when he was 2 meters away from the summit photo point this was what 38 kilometers of walking uphill was about, the arduous last 4 days of climbing without a bicycle, the peak of the mountain and our African trip ; he said “I’m going down to the tent, see you there”. I grabbed him and forced him to get in a photo. He thanked me later. Everyone in my group felt the altitude. We were all nauseous, dizzy, totally confused. Some people were getting sick. By now any thought of cava had left me. When I took someone else’s photo at the top I had to take off my gloves and my fingers are still sore as I write this. However a good 7/8 minutes was spent at the top admiring the sunrise. Well above the clouds with a glacier to my left it was probably one of the most amazing moments of my life. You want to stay there for a while enjoy a drink, more photos. But you can’t. At least I couldn’t. The altitude was crushing me. Once the adrenaline wears off and you realize how cold it is and that you have 2 days to get to ground level all you want is to get there. But for those few minutes everything is quite, any sound will travel for miles, dizzy people scuffling to the top- taking their picture, admiring the view and stumbling down on the 3 hour descent. Kili for me is a rite of passage for the inexperienced to achieve something beyond themselves and witness an unimaginable sunrise above the clouds. When we reached the office our guide told us that 40% of the people who tried to summit that day didn’t make it. Everyone in our group made it. This made our nausea seem less amateur and more authentic. To quote Rod one last time “We climbed it because it’s there”. Kilimanjaro Fast Facts
March 15th On Yer Bike Back on the bike again and as we journey out of Arusha in Tanzania the road feels exceptionally good, smooth and with a tailwind a pretty sweet day back in the saddle. However I am warned that even though we travel through the capital city of Dodoma, the roads won’t be paved again until a town called Iringa ! that’s 9 days of cycling away. The roads are corrugated and sandy. The days are roasting and the nights are cold, humid and wet. If I do any clothes washing it’s impossible to dry things out. There are lot’s of different types of monkeys on the roads but as I am not very good at describing them (they move quick) let’s just say they’re hairy ones. There is also a lot of snakes on the roads, both dead and alive. This includes the Black Mamba which one bite can kill you in less then 15 minutes. St Patricks Day with a difference I celebrated Paddys day in an unusual way this year. I drank some kindly donated whiskey, organized a game of soccer with local kids at their school and then shaved my arms and legs. Honestly, a game of soccer. Ok now to explain the shaving. I noticed in the Nubia desert of Sudan that dirt collects on my hairy legs and arms. As it is now rainy season it collects in lumps of mud, grass and other things all over me. No matter how hard you try to avoid it sometimes you have to cycle through a puddle 2 ft deep. By shaving my arms and legs all I have to do is wipe off the dirt at the end of the day and none of it sticks. Enough said on this matter. By the time I reach the town of Iringa I am craving the pavement. I am tempted to get down on my hands and knees and thank the lord for this blessing. 9 days of no pavement will scar you mentally and physically. You develop saddle sores as you travel at sometimes 10kph. The roads over the last few days have given me 9 punctures which starts to play on your mind. I think I am unlucky but at least I haven’t had the need to grab a passing bus or truck since I started my expedition in Cairo. I always make sure to carry 5 spare tire tubes on my on the road. The last few days in Tanzania are very enjoyable aside from the rain and the lush green country side with rolling hills provides an amazing backdrop for the days cycle. As we venture into Malawi the landscape changes to flat and populated. One afternoon I heard the bounce of drums in the bushes. I followed the noise and stumbled upon a field of workers who were digging up a field with their pick axes and shovels to the beat of a drum. This was amazing as they were all so precise and yet they didn't look as if they were even concentrating on the beat just smiling, letting their pick axes hit the ground as the leaders hand hit the drum. Knocked off my bike by a passing bus it's true. I was cycling down the road when a bus overtook me. The bus was also being overtaken by a minibus and there was oncoming traffic on the corner. The bus had to pass me and as it did the tail end of it hit me on hand and knocked me off my bike and I fell into the side of the bus. The minibus cut across the front of the bus and which in turn crashed into it. I was on the ground and both vehicles pulled over. I jumped up immediately looking to bust a few chops. I got both bus drivers and started shouting at them, pointing with a bit of finger wagging too. I was looking to get some sort of retribution. I was met with apologies and local nuns started apologizing on behalf of the bus drivers, promised me they would pray for me and called me Fr. This was enough to satisfy my megalomaniac needs on this impromptu power bing. By pure coincidence 2 of my travel mates - Martin and Mel were on the bus which was going to Lake Malawi. 28th March Malawi is Africa’s most populated country per square kilometer and children are everywhere. Some ask for money, others run after you shouting and jumping. We eventually arrive in Chitimba beach on Lake Malawi. Camping on the beach and enjoying a beach party. However as we leave we have a 28 kilometer climb on the bikes in the pouring rain. However the gradient isn’t so bad and waterfalls everywhere make it easy to cycle slow. As we journey to the capital city of Lilongwe we pass through Mzuzu and Kironga. The people are exceptionally friendly and apart from every vendor and barman trying to short change you it’s very enjoyable. The roads are very hilly and we are always met with headwinds making this part particularly challenging for me. I need to change my bike cassette, chain and derailleur but I can’t do this until Lilongwe as the parts are stored away on a truck until then. Also for the last 2 nights I have been waking up at 1am and throwing up a lot, combined with diarrhea it makes for tough cycling. 3rd April Malaria ? I just found out I don’t have Malaria ! I was unsure as my symptoms for the last few days - not sleeping, not eating, diarrhea, vomiting, throat and chest pains at night and muscle fatigue were all present. I was advised by several locals who have had friends die of Malaria to take a test ASAP. I went to a local test center for the price of 1000 Kwacha ($8US) it took only 10 minutes for the test to clear. In Ireland it takes 2 weeks to get the results, malaria moves quick so the usual red tape. A big relief, the nurse said I must have a viral infection. I’m taking a few different medicines but nothing really helps as I still have to cycle big distances every day so I never get a full recovery. Tomorrow I set out for Zambia 120 Kilometers away. Zambia A beautiful country. The people are amazing, generous and kind. The best thing ? they don't ask you for money. In both Malawi and Ethiopia everyone steals and asks you for money. I think it might be a side effect of all the aid they receive. Malawi and Ethiopia receive the most funding in Africa from foreign aid and so they now see us as cycling dollar bills. It makes it difficult to like and respect people who always ask you for money. The days of cycling are pretty tough and I haven't eaten in 4 days. I have been vomiting everything I eat for the first 2 days and for the last 2 days I can't bring myself to eat anything. I get nausea every time I look at food. The only things I can eat are snickers bars and power bars. The cycling is not too bad. Lots of rolling hills but good roads. The only problem is the distances - the longest day was a whopping 195kms long which fell on the height of my sickness.
The cycling is not physically difficult on the body. However my pace has dropped a lot. This has knock on effects like spending longer on the saddle. Up to 11&1/2 hours one day. This in turn makes makes my bum pimplier then a teenage pizza addicts face. However time heals all wounds. Time and shammy cream. Demons begone !As I sleep there are drums in the distance. I get up and go down to a local village. There are people dancing, drinking and singing in chants. A local woman has been possessed and the village are trying to lure the spirits out with their music. Pretty fascinating really but as I am kinda sick I pass on it. The incident with the piglet It was 6pm, I had been cycling since 7am. There are always animals on the roads in Africa but they are not pugnacious in temper. They are docile and may at worse wave their tail. That is except for the piglets. I saw a few through the day roaming around the roads. This one piglet no bigger then a Jack Russell dog, was in the middle of the road. I saw him maybe 100 meters away. As I approached he didn't move. I had a lot of speed up and didn't want to break my motion so I decided to go behind him. He backed up this was going to be a collision. At the last second I decided to change direction and go in front of him. He bolted right into my bike. All I remember is hearing a deafening SQUEAL ! Got him right in the ribs. I went flying over the bars and and grazed myself up pretty bad on the ground bounced a few times. My bicycle helmet definitely saved my bacon. My bicycle derailer hanger bent out of shape and my front brakes were broken. As for the pig ? I never saw him again. A crowd of villagers gathered around me to make sure I was ok and they sent out some kids to find the swine. After treating my cuts and grazesI got back up on the bike and pedaled on even though it was tricky as as my bike was also battered. I will know better in future - I'll bunny-hop the next piglet. Jesus Wept I pulled into a coca cola stop on the way to the capital of Lousaka. I began talking with the girl called Jane there and she began to ask about my journey. I told her what I was doing and she was really interested. There was another customer there who screamed "Jesus wept" at the task ahead of me. He then informed me that it is the shortest passage in the bible. This is valuable info for me as this is one of my dad's fondest quotes. She asked if I was doing this for myself or for a cause and I told her I was doing it for an aids charity in Ethiopia and Tanzania. Immediately her ears pricked up and she began to ask questions all about it. The work, how things are run, how people are kept interactive in communities, the counseling provided. We were having a real nice conversation and I would be lying if I said she was not very beautiful. In fact she was an amazing looking woman and working in a really nice shop. I asked her if she knew anyone with aids and she discreetly replied yes. I asked who it was, she whispered "I have aids". There was a silence for the longest time and I knew I had to fill it. Maybe it was only a second but facial reactions are a language onto themselves and that time follows no rules. "Jesus wept" I heard from my religious fellow customer. Then he asked some business related question and the conversation followed a new direction. I spoke with her about how she copes and what has changed for her and her family. Who are the people who help. It was a really positive message and it's always an eye opener. Just because you are not dealing with aids everyday because you are consumed with camping, water, food drink etc. It's always there. There's no large neon signs, so you may not know it but it can be right in front of you. This was a nice reminder of a bad situation and how people work through with a good attitude. The smoke that thunders I eventually make it into Livingstone and see Victoria Falls or Mosi Ao Tundra as the locals call it. I took the bungy jump - stoked it was an amazing drop. The waterfalls themselves are breathtaking and one of the most beautiful things I have had the fortune to witness. Of all my journey this is the most memorable moment. The spray shoots all around you on an island which faces the falls. The noise of the water falling is deafening. Tomorrow I make my way into Botswana. I am to expect flat roads and lots of desert and tailwinds. Please tailwinds. I should ask that nun in Tanzania to remember the tailwinds in her prayers tonight. If the winds aren't blowing right it will make the roads impossible as the distances to cycle are really high - up to 207kms in one day !
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