Cycling From Cairo To Capetown: Tanzania
A video I got with a friends camera- try to guess what is happening 
St Patricks Day with a difference I celebrated Paddy's 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.
The roads over the last few days have given me 9 punctures which starts to play on your mind. You think you are cursed or someone doesn't like you. 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. The hair of the local ladies is gradually getting longer and less children have that white powder in their hair to prevent lice. That said Tanzania has me feeling the safest since I arrived in Africa.
One afternoon I heard the bounce of drums in the bushes near my camp. 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. African beat are a mysterious thing to witness.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. mister.This was enough to satisfy my megalomaniac needs on this impromptu power fit. By pure coincidence 2 of my travel mates - Martin and Mel were on the bus which was going to Lake Malawi.
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