8 days on the road to Mbeya Western Tanzania. Mud, sand, rocks, rain, we had it all.

 If you ever wanted to know what's it's like to ride 8 days, 900kms and not have shower, well I hope you like my story of the last 8 days.

19^th March 2011. Arusha to Magugu Bush Camp. 145kms.

After enjoying some time off the bike it was time to commence the next leg of the journey south to Cape Town.  A lot of the cyclists had come back from their safaris last night with some amazing stories of seeing so many creatures.  Lions, elephants, giraffes, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater had it all.  Now it was time to do some serious cyclng.

The started off well except it was all uphill to the 75km lunch stop.  The scenery was again spectacular with fields that spread out for miles, with beautiful green fields, full of corn and maize.  The children were out in force calling out to us, and they are so friendly. 

This part of the journey takes the cyclists to a totally different part of Africa.  We are going off road for 700kms after today.  After lunch we rolled on with a nice tailwind passing a couple of villages and stopping for the occasional drink.  At the last stop of the day, one of the guys allowed one of the locals to ride his bike.  This guy was amazed when he got off the bike, the only thing was he didn’t know how to apply the brakes.  The rest of the trip was on nice smooth pavement all the way to the 145km finish line.  You always know when you’ve reached the finish, one, the finish flag, and two, the amount of locals standing around outside the rope surrounding the trucks.

I put up Tent Hilton again and cleaned myself down.  I went over to the shops across the road and had a nice drink with Andrea and Rodney.  Later on we went for a walk of the markets and found a bike shop which had everything for the local rider but not for the quality of our bikes. 

The next shop we ventured into was a clothing shop which had some nice pieces of cloth.  After some intense bargaining I bought a double piece which can be cut down to make 2 tablecloths when I get home.  The lady started at 10,000 Tanzanian shillings but after some heated bargaining I got it down to 7000.  Bargain.

Back to the circus ground and changed the tires for the bad road which starts tomorrow.  We’ve told the road is all clay and if it rains it will be hell.  So I’ve put on my biggest tires and hopefully they give me good traction in the mud and rain.

An early night tonight because tomorrow could be really hard.

20^th March 2011. Magugu Bush Camp via Babati to Summit Hotel, Katesh.  95kms

The first part of the road was on pavement.  The dirt is to start at the 23km mark.  Sure as can be, we hit the dirt just as it started to rain, no pour down.  The road kept going up and up for the next 20kms.  We had to pick our line with great care, as the road was becoming muddy and we were sliding everywhere.  It was so difficult to ride in a straight line, up the hills.  People were falling off going up and going down the hills.   It was a hard push going up the 20km mountain and it took about 2 hours to climb.

By the time we reached the lunch truck the 2 large trucks were still behind us.  We sat around for ½ an hour eating chicken, lettuce, tomato sandwiches and trying to stay out of the rain.  The water was now streaming down the hills and the mud was everywhere.  I don’t think there was a part of my body that wasn’t covered in mud.

I rode with Peter Lamond again today and he was just as dirty as myself.  The scenery again was even more spectacular than yesterday.  The villages at the top of these mountains were so beautiful set against a backdrop of blue and grey clouds, green fields, and of course the rain pouring down.

For the next 3 hours we just went up and down hills in rain, mud and sludge. We did stop for the afternoon tea.  We stopped at this one place for milk tea and a donut.  It’s amazing how nice a little tea and donut can be when you’re drenched to the skin.  Like usual we had a heap of people around us, but none were offensive like some have been in the past.

Back on the bike in the pouring rain, picking our line, splashing mud everywhere until we reached the finish line and the sign, ‘Summit Hotel’.  We rode up this hill and found the hotel and that no rooms were available.

I just put up my tent, had a nice shower and kept warm.  There were still a heap of cyclists out on the road yet to come in.  At around 5pm the rest of cyclists came in, all drenched and dirty, some came in on the truck to finish their day.

I think dinner will be late due to the time everyone arrived in camp.  To finish the day I should highlight that we are travelling through a new section for tour d Afrique, over the mountains from Arusha to Mbeya.  This is real Africa at its best.  Small villages, beautiful people, and plenty of green fields to follow us on our way.

Tomorrow is a 125km day of the same stuff.

21^st March 2011. 125kms. Summit Hotel, Katesh, to Puma Camp via Singida.

The rain stopped at around 9pm last night but the noise continued on for much longer with the music from the hotel.  My cycle gear was saturated and there was little hope it would dry overnight.  I still hung the gear out just in case the sun decided to come out at around 2am and do a job on my gear.  NOT.

Sometimes you have to keep your mouth shut on this trip.  Example, when you hear some dickhead arguing at 4am, well that wakes me, and it really shows a lack of respect for those cyclists who want to sleep in to a more suitable hour.  On this point we have a cyclist who I don’t know at this stage who has his/her alarm go off at 4.30am.  Now that says a lot about an individual who needs 1&1/2 hours to get ready for a 6am breakfast. There’s also John the French guy who packs his tent at 5am.  I wonder whether they know or need assistance in the art of getting ready in 30minutes.  Perhaps I should volunteer my expertise in how easy it is to get dressed, pack your tent away and be ready at 6am for the breakfast call.

So I finally got on the bike at 6.50am with Peter again.  I really enjoy riding with Peter because we are of similar ability. Back to the mud roads which had slightly dried out overnight.  Still there was heaps of water and slush everywhere to try and get through.  Some of the puddles you could have drowned in.  The roads in some places were just a downright bog.  Our bikes were caked in mud on every piece of gear.  The bike was starting to miss gears, jumping from one gear to the other.  It was a real pain in the ass when trying to get traction in the mud and then the gear would slip.

We were joined by Luke later in the morning and I rode with him till the lunch break and Peter rode with Liam.  In some sections we would ride on the new smooth sandy road waiting to be tarred, to the side of the road which was slippery and wet.  It was just impossible to pick the best route to take.  We switched all morning until we came across some new tarred road. The trucks still had to use the side road as the new road was completed, but the cyclists could get away with it.

On our way to lunch we came across Kristian who was taking some photos of some Masai women.  I joined in and took some amazing photos.  Kristian gave one of them a choc bar, and she had no idea how to unwrap it or eat it.  We pushed onto lunch reaching the 72km mark at 11am.  It took us over 4hours to complete the 72km stretch.  I was hungry and hanging out for a heap of food.

Back on the bikes again after a 15min break and we were cruising along on the smooth road for the rest of the day.  We stopped and took some amazing photos of the valley below, of houses, of kids, and anything that caught our eye.

We rolled into the town of Singida and stopped for a nice milk coffee and a donut.  This is something I really enjoy each day, a chance to sit down and relax as the days riding was about 20kms from finishing.  No sooner had we devoured our food it was time to stop again to have our bikes washed to try and remove the 20kgs of mud caked on every component of my bike.  They did a great job and with a little bargaining, because in this part of the world you bargain for everything, and got myself and Luke’s bike washed for 3000 Tanzanian shillings.  Now that’s a bargain.

It was time to push onto camp as the clouds were now closing in and we were desperate to get to camp, put up our tents and try and dry out all our wet stuff from yesterday.  The rain decided to hold off and now I have dirty clothes to wear tomorrow, but at least there dry.

I forgot to mention that when I was changing gears today I hit a bump and my gear lever fell to pieces on the road.  I didn’t worry as I bought a new set with me.  So after a  built Tent Hilton again it was time to see the mechanic to put my new set of levers on the bike.  All done now and that should make me a lot faster.

Time for dinner have a read and fall asleep for a good night.  Not sure on how far tomorrow, and really it doesn’t matter because it has to be done.  Today I had a fantastic day of riding in an amazing part of Tanzania.

22^nd March 2011. Puma Camp to Game Post  no.1 Manyoni district. Tanzania. 107kms

Firstly before I get into the days riding perhaps I should describe the rain last night during dinner.  It pissed down as aussies say. From 6pm to 5.20am it poured down and you wouldn’t believe it, my tent was perfectly dry.  Some people got drenched.  Life sucks sometimes.

I packed up tent Hilton again and got ready for the day ahead.  The first 60kms was beautiful paved road, probably 6 months old.  I was going to start with Peter but somehow when he was checking in, he took off leaving me and Luke stranded.  We waited for about 10 minutes and worked out he must have left already thinking we were already up the road.  Luke and I took off and worked really hard to catch Peter and Hendry.  We actually got on our bikes at 7.10am.  We reached the lunch stop of 60kms at 9.10am.  Not bad on the silver bullet.

It was from the 60km mark to the 107km we had to ride on dirt, mud, sandy roads.  No more tar until we reach Mbeya some 485kms away.  Now this is going to be tough on the old legs.  After lunch I left Luke and decided to ride the rest of the day with Peter Lamond.  It was just magic the scenery, the greenery, the beautiful people every km of the way.  We stopped after lunch for the mandatory coke stop and had a super milk tea and some biscuits.  Like usual it doesn’t take long before another 15 cyclists have arrived and we’re now taking over the small grocery store, eating them out of house and home.

Time to get back on the bike and finish the day nice and early.  We pressed on at a good pace arriving in camp at 12.10pm.  We had completed 107kms for the day and felt pretty good. Still no sighting of animals at this stage.

The rest of the afternoon was just hanging around the campsite and chatting with the cyclists as they arrived in camp.  I went to tent Hilton to read the rest of my book called ‘disgrace’.  It’s written by a South African guy and it’s a fabulous book.  I should finish reading it by tonight. 

I might be struggling to finish the book as I fell asleep for the first time in the afternoon, I was so tired.  Something both Josh and I could do when we rode through Africa is smell the rain coming.  Seriously, you can smell it.

The rains were coming and by 3pm the heavens opened up and the rain was now belting down.  I headed for tent Hilton, picked up the book again and stayed dry.

Rider meeting was called around 5.50pm for the briefing on what was going to happen tomorrow.  The coke stops, the terrain, the possibility of animals on the way, when to turn and where camp will be at the end of the day.

Tonight for dinner we had a terrific meal of steak which tasted superb with vegies and desert because Bob Tindle was 66 yesterday.  As soon as dinner was over it was back to the book and finish it.  I finally read the last page at 8.30pm with my eyes hanging out of my head.

We have a longer day tomorrow so hopefully I get a good nights sleep. 

PS: the book was terrific.

23^rd March 2011. Game Post 1 to Game Post 2.  117kms The road to Mbeya.

Today is day 5 of the 8 day stretch and I’m not sure whether I’m getting more fatigued or just tired due to lack of sleep. I did get about 9 hours sleep, so I should feel better than I do.

So at 7am it was on the bike with Peter Lamond and hit the dirt road once again for another amazing journey through the dirt roads on our way to Mbeya.  Just to ride out in the wilderness is what this ride is all about.  We just keep turning those pedals along dirt, mud, sand, deep sand, deep mud and spectacular scenery to help us along the way.

For the first 30kms we just cruised along at a leisurely pace because it’s my goal and certainly Peter’s to get to Mbeya with riding each day and not getting on the truck.  We stopped at this lovely little shop which was a small room not big enough to put a bed in.  This lady was rolling chapattis and cooking them in front of us.  She had a huge line up of starving cyclists waiting to be served, Peter and I decided to eat one of the donut breads and a cup of milk tea/chai.  I’ve said it so many times in my life, but I do love sitting in small villages and just being watched by them and me watching and talking to the locals.  We have not had one bad incident with the locals since we left Arusha along the dirt road to Mbeya.  They are so friendly.

Each day as we cycle along the dirt road the children and parents are out on the sides of the roads welcoming us to their small village.  They never ask for anything in return. 

We continued onto lunch and arrived at the 60km mark at 10.10am. By 10.30am Peter and I were back on the road for the final 57kms.  The road in parts was so hard to ride through.  With really deep sand that threw your bike in all directions, to mud that sprayed everywhere on the bike an on myself, it was getting very tiring by the end of the day.

We stopped again in the afternoon to buy some water and some biscuits.  The stop happened to be about 3kms away from the end of the day Game Post No.2.  We just rolled down the hill into camp at 2pm.

We had a fantastic day and took plenty of stops and met heaps of the locals.  This is what cycling through Africa should be like, not racing through without taking a photo and hoping to relive the memory in 30 years time.

Again it’s put up that smelly tent, get some soup, wait for the heavens to open up, eat some dinner, get my clothes ready for tomorrow, listen to the rider briefing, go to bed, do some reading and go to sleep by 8pm. 

Now that’s living, NO, that’s what happens when you decide to ride a bicycle from Cairo to
Cape town.  3 more days to go before the rest day.  Can’t wait.

24^th March 2011. Game Post No.2 to bush camp. 128kms.

Today Luke is going to ride with me and Peter.  Like usual we’re usually the last to leave camp at 7am.  I set a rule with Peter, ‘I’m not leaving before 7’.  I can’t see the reason why I need to get to camp and wait around for 4 hours to have dinner. 

So off we go out of camp setting a good pace.  I felt pretty good today considering I didn’t have a great sleep last night.  Peter and I did some good work and Luke is just a powerhouse.  He rides with us when he feels like going slow for the day.

The road was hard gravel for the first 60km to lunch mixed with sandy spots that took you by surprise when you’re hurtling down the mountain to the valley below.  I’ve certainly got fasting following the wheel in front of me down the mountains.  You just to have faith in the guy in front of you and hope he doesn’t ride you into a ditch, because if he does, you’re in deep trouble.

The sides of the road were covered with trees on either side and it was real difficult to see any animals if there were any.  At one stage a huge baboon crossed in front of us, not a care in the world about the stupid cyclists that had invaded his land.

We dropped Peter about 5 kms out from lunch and just pushed it along to see how we were feeling.  I’m sure I’m getting stronger each day. We arrived at lunch at 9.30am.  Hung around eating our avocado and egg sandwiches and headed off to the next coke stop at 87kms.  We once again get stuck into it along the beautiful green tree lined gravel road.  The road was an orangey reddish colour and as you rounded each corner or crested a hill and looked down the road it was just fabulous each time to see a beautiful picture before us.

Luke left us after the coke stop because he wanted to get to camp and also was kind enough to keep us company for the first 87kms of the day.  Peter and I just rolled along until the sky’s decided to open up on us just at the most inappropriate time.  It was where the workers were patching the gravel road with sand and clay.  Well, riding at 3-4kph, through mud and soft sand, spinning wheels and sliding all over the road was just horrendous.  We busted our gut to keep the bike going forward and also trying to keep the bike upright. 

Just before the mud section about 3kms out from the coke stop we came across this huge tree that had just fallen onto the road.  The tree was about 1metre in diameter and there was no way the lunch truck was going to get to camp tonight unless it has a chain saw in it.

After the mud/sandy section the road wasn’t too bad for the rest of the day.  I arrived to camp on my own at 1.30pm.  It was a beautiful sunny ride today and one that will be remembered with the top 5 rides of the tour.

Once we got tent Hilton erected we went for a walk across the road to a couple of small shacks in the village where we’re staying.  Peter and I went and spoke with some of the local ladies and I got a chance to nurse the baby.  She is so beautiful.  I hope the photos do justice to the family.  We continued on our merry walk of the village and met up with some of the cyclists who found this young man who was cooking chips.  I ordered 2 plates and some coke and we sat down and had a nice afternoon snack before our 6pm dinner call.

It was just magic sitting down with these ladies and having a good laugh with them.  Of the 3 ladies. 1 had 7 children, that’s the one who owns the baby I was nursing, the other had 4, and the young one who was making the clothes, well she had 2.

It was time to go back to the tent and type out the day’s blog.  I felt good today and tomorrow is another long day.  Hopefully the roads tomorrow are as good as the ones today, minus the muddy/sandy section that cracked many people.

Well it good night from yet another bush camp about 230kms away from Mbeya, Tanzania.       

25^th March 2011. Bush Camp to school ground camp yard, Mangalosi. 125km

Today was supposed to be a nice leisurely ride because tomorrow is the hardest day of the 8 for this section.

So it was off again at 7am with Peter for a ride through the forests of western Tanzania, along beautiful dirt roads surrounded by trees as far as the eyes can see.  The roads changed in the morning to sand, mud, and nice compact gravel.  At times we could get some good speed and on others it was basically a crawl.

After the morning coffee stop which consisted of milk tea and chapattis, it was back on the bike for the remaining 20kms to the lunch break.  Although we weren’t travelling that fast my legs were getting tired after the long week we have just encountered.

Again it appeared that we were doing more climbing than going down.  Every time we went down a nice hill, we were met with another longer climb at the bottom.  By the time we arrived at the 62km lunch stop, we were both glad to sit down and have a rest.  I think I starting to sound like an old man at 50.

Well it was time to go again and head for the finish line at 125kms in this small town about 115kms away from Mbeya, the town of our next rest day.

For the next 60kms the roads didn’t change, with absolutely spectacular long dirt roads with trees giving us plenty of shade from the midday sun.  At times it was getting really hot.

I should mention that early on in the ride today we came across a bus that was bogged on the side of the road.  We took some photos of the cyclists making their way pass the bus in the mud slipping and sliding all the way.  One of the locals asked for money because we were taking photos, but Peter told them exactly what he thought about the whole idea.  Needless to say it costs nothing to take photos of our own cyclists.  We stayed on to see whether our trucks could pass the bus.  Yes, with expert driving we will have access to our tents and clothing tonight.

We arrived at camp at 2.30pm feeling rather tired.  Made a call to Graciella and Matt as they hadn’t heard from me in over 3 days because there’s no reception in this part of Africa.  I reassured everyone that I was still above ground and that we had 7 weeks left of riding before we reach Cape Town.

Peter and I got our tents up and went for a walk up to the centre of town.  I couldn’t help myself and purchased another nice piece of cloth and some water for tonight.  I have to get all my gear dried from yesterdays rain and also my clean gear for tomorrow.  When you read the term ‘Mando’, that means Mandatory day for the racers.  Well I’m going to get out nice and early tomorrow and go as hard as I can.  I’m not going to overdo it, but I want to get into town nice and early so I can make sure I get a room at the hotel with Luke.

Well its now 5.20pm in Tanzania and the kids are crowded around our campsite on their playground.  We have to pay close attention to all our gear, because if you give them a chance they will knock your gear off faster than you can imagine.

So until tomorrow evening, looking forward to finishing in the top ten tomorrow.

26^th March 2011. Mangalosi to Mbeya.  Over the 2961 metre Mbeya Range. 112kms, Mando Day. 

typing out the daily blog, in some remote village in Tanzania.

Viv and Peter Lamond of South Africa.  Two excellent riding companions.

These are the types of roads we've had to ride on for the past 900kms

Luke standing at the top of the mountain yesterday.  That has to be up there with the hardest climbs of my life

A bus bogged doesn't stop us in the mud.  We were covered in it by the end of the day.

I wonder if I'd be allowed to take this gorgeous baby home with me.

5^th Place.

Well what a day, woke up at 5.15am for the huge Mando Day which involved the massive climb of 2961 metre climb of the Mbeya Range.  I wanted to have a good ride today so I left at 6.40am with Peter Lamond. I’d told Peter during the week that I planned to give the day a real go.  I dropped Peter on the first hill out of town and kept going.

The road kept going up and up all day to the lunch stop at 56kms.  I was first to the lunch stop and was closely followed by Jorg and one of the Tanzanian mountain bike riders.  I quickly filled up my bottles and took some PVM health bars and some bananas and we were off up the highest trunk road in all of Tanzania.

I started the climb in 3^rd place and kept climbing this amazing mountain to the 97km mark.  To say I was smashed, shattered, stuffed, would be an understatement.  I kept my rhythm together for all of the climb.  As I climbed the mountain the view looking down into the valley and behind me checking out the country I had just climbed over was just breathtaking.  Who would ever thought I could ride 8 days, over 900kms and finish the section with a Mando Day, one of the hardest stages on tour and come 5^th.

I had a great day and was more than elated to ride into the hotel carpark in 5^th place.  The ride down the mountain into the township of Mbeya was just a nightmare.  The gravel, large rocks embedded into the road which could bump you off at any time and put you either in hospital or on a plane back home to Australia was pretty scary. I think I shook every bone in my body to the max down that mountain into town.  I’m quite amazed the bike has held up to the bashing I’ve given it these last 8 days.

Luke and I have taken up residence in the Rift Valley Hotel just down the road from where the cyclists are staying at the Mbeya Hotel.  We went up into town for some food, and I don’t really recognise much of the place from 7 years ago when Josh and stayed in the place.  I will check out the Mbeya Peak Hotel where we actually stayed when we did the trip in 2004. 

Tonight we’re going back into town to have some dinner and then back to the Mbeya Hotel  because there’s a function for the Egyptian guys that are leaving the tour and also Bastion’s partner will be heading back to Europe tomorrow morning.

My legs are stuffed and I’m exhausted.  I should sleep like a bear tonight and won’t have to put up with a smelly tent or zippers being opened and shut during the night because 1 or 80 cyclists need to go to the toilet.

Tomorrow it’s a rest day after 900kms of riding in sand, mud, rain, wind, gravel, deep sand & gravel, rocks, boulders, big boulders, ruts, corrugations, slipping and sliding all the way to our rest day, and without a shower.  Yep, that’s living.