Well I’ve decided to go ahead with my sum up of ‘cycling Africa’ before I reach Swaziland, otherwise I will have to many posts to write in the last few days. If anything spectacularly unique or different comes up I will add it on but for now I will just run through the other countries that I have covered so far with the good, the bad and the ugly.

Djibouti:
Well lets not beat around the bush, this is defiantly NOT the best country to start a cycling journey from. There are very few bikes in the country as a whole and the ones that are around have seen better days. Unless you are starting from here you are very unlikely to actually go here due to its geographical location and politics with surrounding countries. However if you do visit there are a few things you might need to know. It is a French speaking country with very very little English spoken. They use the Djibouti Franc and quite frankly their economy still baffles me now, the cost of goods and services is extremely high and yet it has a very run down African feel to it. Banks only open for a few hours a week but none of them will change any currency unless you have an account with them. The only two ways of changing money are with ‘The Ladies’ in the market square at night or in the change bureau if you can work out when it is open! Shops are only open when the owners want to open them and some big stores are only open for 1 hour a week so don’t stand outside stores expectantly for too long. The true Djiboutians are very kind and hospitable however be careful as the city is surrounded by immigrants and refugees from Somalia and they WILL throw rocks at you as you cycle past. Take a lot of water as the country is predominantly desert and a hammock and mosquito net will be fine for the night.

Ethiopia:
The stretch of road from Djibouti to Dire Dawa is very very sparse so be prepared!!! The road (dirt track) is very bad and water and food is incredibly limited. If there is one part of the journey I would recommend taking water purification tablets, this is it, you will not be able to get drinking water and the only food you will be able to get is bread. Once your onto the main road at Dire Dawa the roads throughout the whole of Ethiopia are very good quality. However if you venture onto a secondary road, the quality deteriorates exponentially, expect a 150km journey to take between 8 and 10 hours by vehicle let alone bycicle!!! Their currency is the Birr and the general cost of living is exceptionally low. Their food is some of the best in Africa, but may take a few days for your stomach to adapt to it. They have a lot of customs you should try to familiarize yourself with asap and respect. The national language is Amharic and as a rule only those who have been educated speak English. This is one of the most spectacularly diverse countries with every kind of landscape you can imagine. There are a lot of mountains so either get a bike with gears or be prepared to push! Unfortunately most of the population believe that it is the DUTY of white people (travelers in general) to give them money! Almost every single child is bought up to beg and as you get closer to the boarders the adults also do it. There is also a huge problem with forced services, people will perform jobs that you often don’t want and then demand extraordinarily large sums for their services.

Kenya:
In comparison to the Ethiopians, the Kenyans have a much better understanding of tourism and so you won’t be hassled nearly as much. As a general rule people are very friendly and despite Swahili being their national language most people speak English. Their national currency is the Shilling and compared to Ethiopia the cost of living is very high. When you cross the border at Moyale you will not be allowed to proceed by bike, the guards at the edge of town will stop you but there are armed escorts that will take you past the ‘danger zone’. Once you are passed this area you have got a 200km cycle along a very bad dirt track before you will get onto tarmac. The country is relatively flat with the exception of 2 mountain ranges. As a general rule the roads are tarmacked well enough to cycle along but they are covered in pot holes so both you and the traffic need to swerve regularly so be careful! Your entry Visa can only be paid is US Dollars, UK Sterling, EU Euro and SW Swiss Francs (they don’t accept their own currency!). On the plus side the visa is valid for 3 months and you can come in and out of Kenya as many times as you like during that time.

Tanzania:
Ah yes Tanzania… The best piece of advice I can give anybody who is looking to cycle on the main roads in Tanzania is DON’T! I have been very fortunate to have traveled a good portion of the world and I have to say that the Tanzanians (especially the bus drivers) are in close contention for being the worst drivers in the world. I heard some staggering figures regarding the annual death toll on Tanzanian roads and I can well believe it. Apart from that small deterrent it has a lot to offer. Their national language is also Swahili but it is a very different kind of Swahili to that spoken in Kenya. I believe it is a considerably more formal and traditional version, although I can’t be sure of that. In any case most people speak English so if it takes you a few days to learn the new version it isn’t the end of the world. There staple food is maize although they have some fantastic additions to their diets including the ‘chipati’. It is only served in the mornings but it makes a spectacularly good breakfast along with the local fruit. There is an impressive abundance of food stalls on the side of the roads were you can buy a huge variety of local goods and bottled water is available everywhere. The national currency is also the shilling however it does not have the same value as the Kenyan shilling. Most people are incredibly friendly however that doesn’t mean to say that they won’t take you for a ride if they get the chance. If you do choose to risk your life on the roads then you should be aware that the road between Dar Es Salaam and Mbeya is bad… not in a quality, but in a driving sense! There are almost no hard shoulders and there is a considerable drop off the road into the grass. As you start to get close to Iringa the hills start and there are an incredible amount of lorries, buses and cars that have rolled over and are on the side of the road burnt out!

Malawi:
This on the other hand is a brilliant country for cyclists. There are some serious hills to climb, most notably in and out of Mzuzu, so I would probably recommend some gears on your bike and obviously there are some serious downhills so good brakes are advisable. The people are incredibly kind, the lake is very very beautiful, the roads are in generally in excellent condition (NB. Be very careful when heading out of Mzuzu down towards Nkater Bay, the road is very steep and suddenly, on a number of occasions the tarmac stops). Despite having quite an absurd number of languages throughout the country most people speak English. Whilst accommodation is plentiful there is a considerable difference in the frequency of food stalls between here and Tanzania. You will find relatively few and the ones you do find sell mostly fish, however the biggest problem is water! Very few places sell bottled drinking water and the quality of the countries flowing water is not very good, so be sure to buy stock when ever you can. I enjoyed almost all my time in Malawi and the only thing that made life difficult were the children! There is a distinct similarity between the Malawian children and the Ethiopian children when it comes to begging. Almost every child will scream out something along the lines of ‘give me my money’ as you cycle past which dampens the whole experience slightly. Unlike many African countries, Maize is not their staple food, instead they grow a crop called ‘casava’ and although an expert in the matter would probably strongly disagree with me, I couldn’t taste much difference. The currency is the Kwatcha and the national obsession with money will mean they will take it when they can, negotiations are an intense affair however as long as you keep the mood light everybody will be smiling at the end. If you chose to cross the border down through Nsanje (highly recommended) then be aware that there is no tarmac until you reach Caia (about 120km into Mozambique).

Mozambique:
Truth be told I still can’t make my mind up about this country. It is a truly enormous place and is predominantly covered in forest. Due to land mines it is ill advised to camp outside of village boundaries and I know I said in my equipment post that you didn’t really need a tent but obviously the second I said that was the moment I was to be proved wrong! I still believe that if you had a good bike and a light load you could do without a tent but I have used it on several occasions now. Accommodation is a little on the sparse side and you should seek the permission of the village elders before setting up camp in a village. The staple food is basically bread and fruit although rice and maize are everywhere as well, and supermarkets are fairly common in the south. As I mentioned before, the currency is the Meticai and is a little confusing when you first come across it so have a good look at the notes and coins and get familiar with them. The most widely spoken language is Portuguese and very few people speak English, so make sure you have at least a basic grasp. With the exception of two stretches so far the road has been very good and flat. Drivers are good at giving you space when they overtake and everybody is very friendly. Apart from the occasional moment bartering is really not so much a part of daily life. Most people are honest about prices right out although it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. As you head further south the road becomes increasingly populated with South Africans and the sides of the roads are absolutely covered in glass from smashed beer bottles so make sure you have good tires or lots of spare inner tubes.

Swaziland: ….. still to come!