I really want to write a deep and meaningful post about all the great lessons I have learned and the experiences I have had, but the truth of the matter is that I am just so exhausted that I can’t really think of anything to say. Even though I have finished cycling I have by no means had any time to rest. After arriving I have had to strip Herbert down and give him a full service so that he looked (and sounded) respectable for his new home and I have had to wash and clean all my kit. The biggest job though has been finding a new home for Herbert! After doing such an incredible journey I wanted him to go to somebody that would truly appreciate him, like the kids at the Huruma Orphanage did with Flashdance. After meeting as many people as possible in the short time frame that I had I finally found a young boy whom I felt will really benefit from Herbert.

Nkululeko is a 19 year old boy who dreams of becoming an Engineer one day. So passionate about his dream that he walks a 24km round trip to and from work everyday. He turns his had to pretty much anything he can on the farm were he works, so that he can help pay for his tuition fees and one day fulfill his dream. He is a very shy and quiet person and his honesty and sincerity was touching, especially when I asked him if he was good on a bike and he replied that he had never had the chance to ride on one before. In the light of this new fact I spent the afternoon giving him a few lessons and showing him the in’s and out’s of Herberts working parts so that he would take good care of him. At the end of it all when the time came for me to leave him and Herbert, he just stared at me and told me he had no idea what to say. I smiled, wished him a Merry Christmas and headed off down the road. With that Herbert has begun yet another adventure, my journey on the other hand has come to an end here. Africa has been a spectacular and unique experience but I am very much looking forward to going home and seeing Katie now.

My bus is due to arrive in a few minuets to take me to the airport and I still have some packing to do so I will write again when I get home and I have had a few moments to compose myself and my thoughts. I just want to thank Mountain Equipment, Profeet, Raleigh and Pangaea TV again for their support throughout the trip, their input has been exceptional and without them the trip would never have got off the ground. Congratulations to ‘Re-cycle‘ for all their hard work bringing bikes over to Africa and if you would like to help them in their work then please visit their website.

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!

The most basic rule to remember is that ‘knowledge is power’! You are usually most vulnerably to being conned and ‘taken for a ride’ when you arrive in a new country. Everything hits you at once; new people, new surroundings, new climate, new currency, new language, new economy…! This advice is aimed at crossing borders rather than arriving at international airports, but I suppose to a certain extent the same applies. Don’t, what ever you do, let yourself be bullied or panicked into doing anything. Most of the borders in Africa are hectic places and that’s for a very good reason, if you hot and flustered you are more likely to make mistakes, and that is what they want. Regardless of what anybody says at the border the only people who are ‘officials’ are the guys with guns (even that isn’t always the case) and the guys sitting behind the passport control desks. So don’t let anybody go through your stuff or pull you over into a quiet lay by etc. and don’t give anybody your passport or other documents no matter how convincing they might be. Some of the bigger borders have got Forex bureaus but most of the time you will be flooded with requests to change money on the black market. The people will vary in their honesty so make sure you know the exchange rate before you get anywhere near the border and be strong, they will usually try and tell you that you are crazy and that you have got the wrong exchange rate. If they can make you doubt yourself and get you panicked, they will push you into a deal you don’t want to make (and they are very good at it). Stand your ground and be prepared to walk away if necessary, they will eventually come up to the proper rate. Just be aware that there are 1001 scams just within this one topic, so to be breif, show them that you have the money but don’t give it to them (have the amount you want to change already ready in your pocket, DON’T go opening up your money belt and showing loads of cash!!!) get them to give you the correct money first, count it all in your own time and only then, when you are happy that you have the right amount in your hand, do you hand over your cash.

Personally I try to get away from the borders as fast as possible. On a bike however, especially Herbert, even at full speed ahead I can never get all that far. So my first night in a new country I try to find a place to stay were the prices are printed. The very fact that the prices are printed means that it’s probably slightly more expensive than where I would usually stay, but at least I have something to work off. Once you’re in the relative comfort of your room, get yourself together, get pen paper and go to the bar/eat house/restaurant and find somebody who, in exchange for a drink will sit with you and teach you some vital words in their language. Some of the most important and useful word are the numbers.  The better you can communicate with the people the less likely you are of ‘being taken for a ride’. Also while you are at it, ask about the general cost of everyday things that you are going to be needing/wanting. The chances are that the bank notes you now have are quite large in relative to the cost of local goods so make sure you change them as soon as possible for small denominations.

In western culture bartering is a bit of a taboo and is frowned upon in many respects, after all how many times to you go into your local supermarket, pick up a chicken that costs £3.50, go to the till and start trying to pay £1 for it? As such we are not all that good at it and when we get to a part of the world were bartering is part of everyday life we get walked all over. Again for me the ultimate bargaining weapon is knowledge! If I know how much something should cost then I at least have a chance of paying the ‘right’ (by local standards) price for it. There are a million and one ways of achieving the same goal here and I’m sure everybody has got great techniques but mine are very simple. The first way is to simply be very British about the situation and queue! Yup just queue. The great thing about Africa (and indeed quite a large proportion of developing countries) is that the concept of queuing is  not part of their culture. Subsequently people will push, barge and fight their way past you so they can get served first. As infuriating as this can be at times on this particular occasion it can be very useful as you can watch patiently and see what everybody else is paying. When your sure, you can jump in and get your lot. The other way is to find somebody completely neutral who has no vested interest in lying, to you to tell you how much something costs. Of course using this technique alone, run’s the risk of asking somebody that just felt like upping the price for his mate.

Of course just because the person in front payed XYZ for his eggs doesn’t mean for 1 second that they will offer you the same price straight out. In some countries they will use every excuse under the sun to convince you that there was a special reason why he got that price. Have faith in yourself and remember that there are no hard feeling when you bargain, if your price is too low for them they simply won’t sell it to you, so don’t feel bad fighting your corner. Sometimes you will inevitably come up against a situation were you simply can’t find a reliable reference price and you need to bargain blind. Again if you do get yourself into this situation don’t panic!!! Get them to give you their starting price, (Now this next number will depend on the country) NO matter what they say divide it by 4. They will usually let out a gasp and shake their head violently with some disapproving sound added in for good measure. The chances are that you have gone too low but seeing as you are going to have to meet them half way you need to give yourself some starting ground.

There are a few other ground rules you should be aware of; ALWAYS agree a price first for the service and NEVER pay until the service has been delivered. If you make people look you in the eye when they are quoting you a price they will find it harder to lie, if they start looking around and avoiding eye contact, you know something is up. Never ever lose your temper, no matter how bad the situation gets you have got a much better chance of resolving the situation successfully by keeping the mood light. Keep a close eye on all your stuff, your equipment is most at risk when you are distracted. If you unequivocally know the price of something (ie. Coca Cola) then just had over the money rather than askinghow much, to save any negotiating.

This is such a huge topic that I could go on forever but the long and the short of it is that knowledge is the key. And no matter what happens never lose your cool, if you feel panicked just walk away.

Crossing the border was a spectacularly enjoyable experience, no cues, no touts, nobody desperately trying to change money, no bargaining, no heated debates when they try to fleece you, no spending hours waiting for officials to clear you. I just arrived, had my passport stamped, cycled the 6km through no mans land, had my passport stamped again, changed my money with a guy who gave me the exchange rate I asked for first time and then proceeded to cycle the 50km along the sand track down to Vila de Sena. Most of the journey was spent with the local fisherman, who were all on their way down to the river to do a good days fishing. When I finally reached the mighty Zambezi River I found that the bridge for vehicles was closed for repairs and the only way of crossing was along the railway line. So following the line of locals I hauled my bike up onto the railway track and crossed the 2km bridge into Vila de Sena.

From there life became considerably less interesting as I tried to get to grips with Portuguese and the new currency (The Meticais). At first glance their currency confused me as they operate 2 separate decimal values for the same currency!!! 1000m is 25 cents (US) and $40!!! Its not so bad when you get the hang of it and you know what all the coins and notes are, but it is confusing when you start. Amazingly Portuguese is a relatively simple language to understand, I can understand quite a lot of what people are saying but I am really struggling to answer.

Once I reached Caia the dirt track ended and I was thankfully back on tarmac. Mozambique must have an incredibly low population density, as 99% of the country is simply forest! All the way through my journey, I have cycled through small villages, towns or even just stalls on the side of the roads selling food, every couple of kilometers. However, since coming into Mozambique I have pretty much just seen forest! I can cycle for a whole day and only come across 2 tiny little villages, neither of them equipped to sell anything at all. This complete absence of all contact is one of the reasons I can’t quite make my mind up about this country. The other reason is something more subtle. Although on the surface this is definitely an African country with many of the same trends, it also has a very peculiar lack of African intensity. Firstly the customary negotiation that is normally so heated and intense is almost non existent. They give one price, you give another and they usually settle for that… Life is still painfully slow but not even nearly on the same scale as any of the other countries. The people are all friendly but there is a distinct reduction in the ‘Mzungu’ shrieks that normally echo in the air long after you have cycled past people.

Anyway, I am sorry this is a short post but tiredness has overwhelmed me and I have to be up early in the morning. Will right again as soon as I can.

So what would I consider to be indispensable equipment when cycling through Africa? Well the truth is I would only say that you actually need 4 things: A bike (and I think that Herbert has proved that it can be pretty much any old bike), a set of cloths (as much to protect you from the sun as for common decency), your passport (with any relevant visas etc.) and money. Thats pretty much it. Of course there are a number of other items you can bring that will aid you on your journey but that is actually all you NEED.

The items that will make your life more comfortable and considerably easier are actually pretty limited as well. A map is a huge help and I would recommend getting a waterproof one even if its going inside a waterproof pouch. A waterproof bag that fits onto your handlebars to put everything in that you can take off easily and carry around with you. A first aid kit is an excellent idea but you can buy most basic drugs in towns and cities so don’t go OTT with a medi kit that will allow you to perform open heart surgery on the side of the road!!!! Most importantly make sure you have what you need to clean cuts and cover them up. Malaria tablets are a good idea and although they are considerably cheaper out in Africa they have a huge problem with counterfeits so be careful. A tool kit, the reason this isn’t on the essential list is because no matter where you go, no matter how small the village, somebody will have enough tools and knowhow to fix your bike. That said I give you about 5 days before they drive you completely crazy with their ‘African Way’ of fixing things so I would probably recommend taking a good multi tool with you, a few spare parts such as an extra inner tube and a pump. Incidentally something that we never found written anywhere in any of the ‘Cycling Africa guides’ before we left, was that African pumps are designed exclusively to fit to their special African valves and they wont fit on standard European valves!!! Depending on the countries your planning on cycling through, a helmet is also not a bad idea. I was torn between putting the next item in the essential list but decided that it was in fact just a very useful item and not critical for success… a bell (make it as loud as possible). Something that I never really used until reaching Malawi were water purification drops (iodine). Up until Malawi you could buy drinking water on the side of the road every few kilometers (its relatively expensive but worth it) but its a real rarity in Malawi so I would just check with somebody that has been to your destination before deciding whether to take any. A cycling computer can be both your best friend and your worst enemy but in the long run is probably a good thing. Not so you can gloat over how far you have cycled but so you can get an idea of distances between towns and villages. Unfortunately on a bad day you stare at it every 2 minuets and painfully watch the kilometers creep by.

No trip is complete without it’s luxury items. My luxury items constitute about 70% of all my equipment amazingly. This is predominantly cameras, batteries and chargers. When ever I look in other peoples equipment they have the most obscene amount of adapters to convert plugs for one country to another, which take up vast amounts of space. If space and weight is a premium, as it is on a bike, then cut out the middle men. At almost all borders you can buy plugs for that country (just the plastic housing with the relevant contacts), if you take your one off and give it to them, they will usually exchange it for the next one you need. Aside from all my electronic equipment that I use for filming, taking photos and writing posts my most useful luxury item is my ‘Panga Knife’ (It’s basically a 50cm machete). On top of acting as a generally very useful tool (for opening coconuts or cutting pineapples etc.) it is a good deterrent and protection against animals. You can pick them up pretty much anywhere for about $3 to $5.

One of the things that I have deliberated over quite considerably is my tent… To take a tent or not to take a tent? In conclusion I would have to say that there is no real need for camping equipment (tent, mattress or sleeping bag). Almost every single village and town has rest and guest houses that cost between $3 and $7. In your room you usually get a towel, a shower, a bed and a toilet. They are designed for truckers to stop at and so some are slightly on the noisy side and prostitutes are no rare sight but they are perfect for a traveler needing a rest and a wash. The reason I have started to prefer these to camping is that the room is more spacious than a tent, cooler, they have plugs and all your kit is together and out of sight. On top of this tents are usually soaking in the morning from dew, condensation or rain and if they are designed to be animal proof then they will probably weigh in excess of 10kg.

Of course it is going to depend on the purpose of your journey as to what equipment you will take and you will have to make the decision to balance up what you are going to take versus the amount of effort you will need to peddle it along. However I hope that you will see from what I have put in the indispensable list that actually you really don’t need much kit at all. Africa is pretty much designed to accommodate its own people and by extension if you can live like them it will also accommodate you.

Which brings me on nicely to why this post is called ‘2 Months and 2 Days’. Yesterday, after cycling through 4 countries for 2 months and 2 days something happened that has rekindled my dwindling faith in the Africans. Speaking exclusively from the experience of this trip I can say that the huge majority of Africans are indeed very kind, but their generosity on the other hand only extends as far as your wallet does! However after cycling a slightly longer day than I had expected, an elderly gentleman started to cycle along side me. I am joined for a few kilometers at a time by other cyclists all day long, as they go to and from neighboring villages, so that in itself was no big deal but what came next was a huge deal (to me in any case). After a lengthy discussion about the usual topics he asked me if I wanted to come and spend the night at his house. He was very quick to add that it would be his pleasure and there would be no charge. I was so taken back by the gesture of this ‘poor’ (for want of a better word) Malawian fisherman that I almost crashed Hebert right off the road.

His house was an extra 10km from were I had planned to stop for the night and so I grit my teeth and peddled on. His house was a modest, earth walled and grass roofed, traditional hut overlooking lake Malawi. The 2 dug out canoes and his fishing net lay out on the sand in front of the house as his friend prepared the gear for that nights fishing. As I understand it they only fish at night and use a lantern to attract the fish. His house had one main room about 2m by 3m (just tall enough to stand in) and 3 curtained doorways, which gave way to other rooms. The kitchen was in a separate outhouse as were the toilets and washing area. Still slightly shocked I was introduced to the family before going off to wash and get ready for dinner. During dinner we discussed a real mix of topics, I discovered that in his village it was traditional for men to have more than one wife and that he had another wife that lived the other side of the village. I was curious to hear how the two wives felt towards each other and how the whole social ladder worked. I also discovered a huge amount about fishing on the lake and how the fisherman are positive that a motorboat is the answer to making them all very wealthy!

We talked until about 21:00 before I could no longer keep my eyes open. I had really wanted to go out and film them fishing but the wind had picked up and the waves meant that they would not go out fishing until the following evening so I payed my respects and retired for the evening. My room was just long enough for my to lye down in and they had put down a blanket for me to sleep on. There was no window so without the light of my head torch it was completely black. Just before I switched the torch off, it flashed across the grass sealing and I counted 27 largish spiders getting busy for a nights hunting. Probably not everybody’s cup of tea but as long as they were eating mosquitoes then they were friends of mine.

After a slightly hot night we washed and sat down to an enormous breakfast, they didn’t want me to go hungry on my journey so they cooked enough rice to feed an army with some eggs, tomatoes and bread. We discussed a whole load more about Europe and the rest of the world before I the time came for me to pack up the bike and bid each other farewell. Despite his remarkable gesture he was in no position to feed me the amount of food he did and so I left him a contribution towards his weeks grocery bill and parted on the road side.

I am still somewhat overwhelmed that on a continent that is obsessed with money, one of the poorest of them all should break the mould and offer such a gesture of good will and generosity. To Levi, Dorothy and the whole family, I know you cannot use a computer but I was truly touched by your kindness and friendship.

Tarka has just entered Malawi and unfortunately has not been able to   find internet access as yet to put up a new post. This morning however, I read on one of our friends (Alastair Humphreys) website, an excerpt that gives a brilliant incite into what people fill their days with when cycling alone and therefore can offer some vague similarities into what Tarka will be thinking about as he and Herbert make their way South.

Aged 24, Alastair left England to cycle round the world. His journey along the length of the Earth’s three great landmasses (Africa, the Americas, Eurasia) took more than 4 years to complete, covering 60 countries, 5 continents and 46,000 miles. Alastair has written two fantastic books of his epic adventure, ‘Moods of Future Joys’ and ‘Thunder & Sunshine’, which have received excellent reviews.

Taken from: http://www.alastairhumphreys.com

People often ask me what I thought about all day when I was out riding, alone:

what do i do all day? well, many things really. in addition to the obvious, i also have a habit of thinking of a particular family member or friend and dwelling on my experiences with them. sometimes i even talk to them. i also constantly analyze and re-analyze my life and find ways, and there are many, to try to improve my general disposition and future direction. many times, i sing. i wonder why my pointer finger toe is longer than my thumb toe. i often search the side of the road for anything salvageable (the states, owing to its opulence and too often non-pedestrian lifestyle, was a venerable treasure chest - money, food, license plates, more food…). i eat. i read. i stop to scribble down ideas. i pee. i apply sunscreen. i, depending, remove or add layers of clothing. i chat with curious drivers. i repair flat tires or change out broken spokes. i listen to music. i take pictures. i write letters. i make to do lists (an unshakeable habit). i choose career paths and then quit. i re-live days of my youth, both the good and bad. i explain things to people that aren´t there and they finally understand. i think of things i should have said but didn´t. i, depending, laugh, cry, or am neutral in regards to certain memories. i try to remember where i slept seventeen nights ago. i look at the picture of my family that i have in a clear piece of plastic on top of my handlebar bag and am thankful. i look at maps and decide. i exchange fleeting pleasantries with people. i think about the future. i dwell on the past. i am surprised at the present. i remember things i´ve forgotten to do and add them to those to do lists. i grow my beard. i miss people. and, i watch the amazing scenery unfold. all in all, it makes for quite a full day.

As you will very quickly gather this is Katie writing on behalf of Tarka, as he has just returned to Africa from a fleeting visit to the UK. (Confused?)

Well, Caroline Rose (our speaking agent) had been asked by a client if Tarka could return so they could book our dual talk. Considering all that’s gone on, with the projects goals changing due to my departure, and how Tarka is so passionate about his speaking, we were delighted to except the job. In addition it was a great opportunity to see each other, as it has now been 4 weeks since I left Africa and it will be a further 3 weeks before he is home for good. 

Tarka’s journey was a fairly hectic one, flying from Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania to Nairobi in Kenya and on to Heathrow, where I picked him up. We then drove to Birmingham to give our evening talk and then the following morning we went back to Heathrow for him to fly once again to Nairobi and then on to Dar Es Salaam. He is now making his way back to where he left his bicycle before he can continue into Malawi.

On a different note, Tarka throughout the journey has had very little time for taking photos, as when he is not cycling he his predominantly filming (our primary aim of the journey). On his brief visit back to the UK he did remember to leave with me his used DV tapes and memory cards. I have started to go through some of the DV tapes and the footage is really promising. Below I have posted some of the few photos he has managed to snap, most of them are from Kili, as this seems to be the only place he has had the time to take both photos and film footage, but there are a few more from the orphanage also.

This cross section of images from Kilimanjaro show just how diverse the landscape and terrain can be within the 5 day trek, ranging from the humid rainforest’s through to the punishingly cold glaciers.

Next are some more pics from the Huruma Orphanage (including another one for Hector)

One thing you cant get away from in any language is numbers. Whether I’m asking the time, how far it is to the next village or probably most frequently, how much something costs. They all need a vague grasp on numbers.

1.Moja
2.Mbili
3.Tatu
4.Nne
5.Tano
6.Sita
7.Saba
8.Nane
9.Tisa
10.Kumi

100. Mia (Easy as thats my sisters name)
1000. Elfu Moja (2000 is Elfu Mbili and so on)

As a general rule the people of Tanzania have been incredibly friendly and so quite a considerable amount of the day is spent greeting people as I cycle past. Not only is it considerably nicer being able to greet people in their own language, but there are less English speakers in Tanzania than there are in Kenya (They also speak Swahili in Kenya although it’s a very different kind). So the basics of every greeting are:

Hello - Jambo
How are you? - Habari
(If you are speaking to somebody younger than you you can use the word Mambo which means - Hi how are you? but it should never be used to one of your elders!)
Welcome - Karibu
I’m great - Safi
Cool - Poa
No worries everything is fantastic - Sowa Sowa
Good buy - Kwa eri
Thankyou - Asante
What is your name? - Jina Lako Ninani
No Worries - Hakuna Matata

The word for ‘very’ is Sana and can be put on the end of other words ie. Karibu Sana - you are very welcome etc.

Unfortunately knowing a few words means that people assume I can speak the language well and rabble sentences off that are still a complete mystery to me. When this does happen I have to jump in with a very useful sentence:

I don’t understand! - Ona Taka Nini!

Foods are hugely important but as a general rule people only eat local produce so there is a relatively limited vocab to learn to get buy.

Banana - Endizi
Pineapple - Nanas
Mango - Embe
Coconut - Mnazi
(These make up the bulk of my diet at the moment)

Oogali is the staple food in quite a large proportion of Africa and although it takes on different names in different countries it is always the same. It is a maize paste that is probably best described as a bland version of mash potato. It’s not great to eat on it’s own but thankfully it is usually served with a sauce of either:

Vegetables - Maiza
Chicken - Kuku
Beef - Ngombe
Goat - Mbuzi

Some of the other foods that turn up that I was slightly surprised about are chips!!! For some extraordinary reason they have attributed the chip to Ireland and are always calling them ‘Irish Potatoes’. It makes me laugh that served up next to all the African fruit and Oogali is a dish they seem particularity fond of, the ‘chippi omlati’, I will let you deduce for yourselves what that might be!!!

A few other useful foods are:
Egg - Yai
Potato - Kiazi
Bread - Samaki
And probably the most important thing is water - Maji

The good news is that once you get the basics right Swahili is actually quite a simple language to learn. The bad news is that in about a week I will be crossing over into Malawi and all my hard learned Swahili will be of no use what so ever and I will have to start all over again. Oh well!!!

PS. Thank you all so much for your messages, they are much appreciated. I am slowly getting round to answering them all but my days are a little full at the moment so please be patient.

Incidentally Ben (Saunders), if you want to do some ‘real’ training you can forget racing around London on your 500g carbon fiber bike. Get yourself a rusty old bike (about 10kg) with no gears that is too small for you, load it up to the point of destruction and then ride 60km uphill with a semi flat tire into a head wind on a road with melted tar… It’s one of those moments when you should really admit defeat, get off the bike and push. But instead you get this irrational rage, refusing to give up and challenging the road to throw even more at you, in a kind of ‘is that all you’ve got?’ way!

A few days ago I developed a high fever and fearing the worst I counted my malaria tablets to make sure that I hadn’t missed any. Not being an expert on African diseases I thought it best to visit the next Malaria clinic on route at Same (pronounced Sah-may). The great news was that the malaria test came back negative, the not so great news was that it was going to take a whole day to try and work out what was the matter. After exhausting every possible option two doctors finally managed to agree that it was probably due to untreated water. Normally all the water that I drink is either bottled or iodized but when I went to the orphanage I was offered a glass of water and in a moment of empathy for the children I drank it without thinking.

I think more than anything else the prospect of the Huruma children having to drink that water day in, day out has spurred me on even more to try and help them get a water treatment facility installed. I suppose at times I am just as culpable as the next person, when I am at home I take for granted the fact that clean drinking water flows freely from every tap. The most alarming fact is that still in the 21st Century, with all our technology, the greatest majority of the worlds population still doesn’t have access to safe drinking water!!!

On a related, but not quite so serious note (well actually just as concerning but in a different way) I read a shocking statistic recently, that more Coka Cola (products) are consumed everyday around the world than water! I have to say that I was very sceptical about this at first and would appreciate it if anybody has any hard data to back this up. However having spent the last few months in Africa I am starting to believe that this might actually be true. Coka Cola products (I.e. Fanta, Sprite etc.) are consumed at a frightening rate. The cost of a bottle of coke along this trip has been between 10 and 20 pence (sterling) whilst a bottle of water has averaged out at about 50 pence (sterling)!!! I have watched people consume Coka Cola products with breakfast, dinner and every hour in between. As much as the statistic may be disturbing (if it is indeed true) you have to admire the marketing of a company that has such a global domination.

I haven’t forgotten you Hector! I know I promised you that I would take photos of insects and unusual wildlife, but by the time I have stopped the bike (anything up to about 100m without brakes) and got the camera out, most of them have run into the undergrowth. I did however manage to get a photo of this chameleon for you and I will keep trying.

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