Aids in Botswana 2002

When Josh and I did our bicycle trip in 2003/04 through Africa, Josh came across a huge poster which gave all sorts of stats on health issues facing the people of Botswana.  This poster was actually hanging up on the toilet wall of the train station in a small town called Lobatse.  This was one of our more interesing lunch stops.

Lobatse is not the type of place you would stop at on your way to the delta.

The interesting thing about this poster is;

'8 years later, the problem is worse'.



Rodney Sanders.

This is Mr Rodney Sanders wearing team colours.

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be posting photos of some of the members of

 'Team Rambor' from Tour D' Afrique 2011.   

Well nothing has happenend much this week other than work.  I did get a place on the Research Ethics Committee at the University of Wollongong for 2 years recently.  Now that will be interesting.

I've got another 2 people interested in the tour, and now it will all come down to who will commit on the 1st January 2012.  In the case of going over the 20 riders this tour will cater for, priority goes to those who have already nominated over the past couple of months. 

I've had a couple of people request further information on the charity side of the ride. Firstly I intend to raise money for the Guide Dogs and eXsight Tandems.  If cyclists either from overseas or Australia wish to raise funds for their own charity then that is fine.  I'm giving you an option just in case you find it difficult to find a worthwhile charity.

It's now raining in Wollongong the nicest town on earth.  So come on over and have a party in 2012.

Safe riding and watch out for those dogs.

Terry.

The perfect 'old bag'.

Although the bag has seen better days, this is the type of bag recommended for the tour.  I took this one along on the Cairo to Capetown trip and it survived quite well.  I'll be taking it again in 2012 West To East Tour.

I purchased the bag on ebay (Australia) for about $40 AUS.  It suppose to be a 70 litre size bag.  Roughly 90cm X 45cm.  This bag is big enough for the tent, sleeping bag, roll out mat and all the gear you need for 33 days.  You don't need to bring the kitchen sink with you as we're already bringing one with us. 

The weight limit for this tour is 30kgs per cyclist.  This does not include your bike as you'll be riding it EVERY day, with exception of a rest day here and there.

A bag like this will make it easy for the staff to unload and load the vehicles.  If you have any dietary requests, let me know so we can cater for them.  I can't cook to save my life, so all requests will be promptly forwarded onto the chef.  Mr Daniel.

Not long to 'D' day.  So safe riding and stay tuned.

Regards Terry

Tour update: 7th November 2011.

Good morning from the land downunder.  Well this week I got the design of the jerseys sent to me and just to give you a slight look, 2 of the logos are above.  The clothing is amazing and the designer did it all for free.  It pays to know people in right places.

The 2 charities we will be supporting on this trip are the Guide Dogs and eXsight tandems. Exsight tandems is the charity I rode for in Africa early this year, supporting visually impaired people.  Now to put you out of your misery, I have 13 riders ready to take part in this walk in the park holiday and we need 15 to get the circus on the road. 

There will be all sorts of competitions during the holiday and you will be required to participate.  I'm not going to get you to dress up ladies clothing, although I know a couple of guys who do fancy themselves in a dress.  I'm still pushing as hard as I can to get to 15 starters and then we're full steam ahead.

Until next week, safe riding.

Terry



Internet access on Tour.

For those techno geeks who want to stay intouch with the world whilst on tour, I've done some research and came up with the best option whilst travelling across Australia.  Now I'm not a supporter of Telstra nor are they a sponsor of the tour.  Perhaps I should hit them for a small donation to the charity for this update.
  
Telstra Pre-Paid Mobile Broadband offers the following;

• Up to twice as fast as our previous Pre-Paid Mobile Wi-Fi in selected areas
• Portable Wi-Fi hotspot
• Connects up to 5 Wi-Fi enabled devices
• Rechargeable battery
• Windows and Mac compatible
• Active battery life of up to 240 minutes
• OLED display and external antenna port (antenna sold separately)
• Next G® network coverage - so you can get online in more places
• Add up to 32GB MicroSD card to use as an external storage device (sold separately).

Typical download speeds in capital cities and selected regional and rural areas are from 550kbps to 8Mbps. In other areas, speeds will be less. If multiple users access the device, the typical speed range per user may be reduced. Speeds may also vary due to distance from the base station, location conditions, user numbers, hardware and software configuration.  

Now if anyone wishes to purchase the modem and 90day 5 gig offer, I can buy them for you and deliver them to you in Perth a couple of days prior to the start of the tour.  The cost is $129 AUS.   The internet access which the tour will be utilising to update the website each night is not available for participants.  You will have access to internet along the way in major towns, but having your own will be a bonus.  You can come on tour with nothing other than your bike.  Perhaps this tour is the best way to leave the world behind for a couple of weeks and enjoy one hell of a party.  Don't forget you will be expected to participate in all activities, especially if you want to be fed.

Safe ridng
Terry.