Holistic Systems

This photo was taken as a series of shots and then stitched together using the open source Hugin photo stitching software. The storm hit me a minute or so after I took the photos.

(click for a larger version)

Some more Tour d’Afrique videos from lonely planet. The Lonely Planet team shared a video camera throughout the trip, so I’m looking forward to Lonely Planet publishing videos of the other sections in due course. Will post them as they become available.

Sudan to Ethiopia

Ethiopia to Kenya

Lonely Planet (the travel guide book company ) sent a relay team of riders to take part in the Tour d’Afrique. Here is a great video they made about the first section of the tour from Cairo to Khartoum.

I’ve been home now for just over 24 hours. I am surprised at how quickly I have adjusted and everything has become “normal”. I was expecting arriving home to be a surreal experience, but it wasn’t. Everything is just the same as it ever was.

It’s going to take a while to think through everything that’s happened over the last few months. In some ways it would already be easy to believe the whole trip “was just a dream” – a dream from which I woke up 20 kilos lighter and with 5 years supply of bicycle spares…

Right now, I’m not sure what exactly I’ve learned from the trip. Africa is not at all like I expected – it’s much, much cooler and despite the relative poverty is a much happier place than I would have imagined. I’m not sure how much I have changed and in what ways – I think that will become clearer over the next few weeks and months.

Already I’m looking forward to getting on my bike again

I’m currently reading the excellent blog of another rider, John Davies who at 71 was the oldest rider on the trip and an inspiration. John’s blog has lots of photos which give a good idea of what it was actually like in the countries we passed through.

It is done !

We arrived in Capetown yesterday to a warm welcome from the city. We stopped for lunch 30Km from the city and were joined by the mayor, the childrens national cycling team and some reporters and TV crew. After some photos and interviews we set off with a police escort for the final 30Km to the Capetown Waterfront.

Capetown is a beautiful city. Everything is surprisingly clean and tidy and layed out nicely. We cycled along a long beach front with golf courses, jet skiers, parascenders and people flying model aeroplanes to the side of the road. It’s easy to see why people want to live here.

We were prepared for a slow 15Kph convoy which would have taken two hours to reach the finish line but in practice we made much better time and got to the Waterfront finish in just over an hour. We were all relived and delighted to have made it.

The city gave us a very warm welcome. Our police escort sped us through red lights, a “Huey” helicopter buzzed overhead and a TV crew filmed the final part of our journey. Electronic road signs had been programmed to display “Welcome to Tour d’Afrique riders” as we passed. At the finish line there was a huge crowd cheering as we swept into a secure area to leave our bikes, meet our friends and family, grab coffee and cake and then on to an awards ceremony and presentation by the city mayor.

Having cycled 92Km that day, standing around in the sun for 1.5 hours for the awards ceremony became a bit tedious but both the major and the Tour d’Afrique evidently wanted to use the occaission to generate some good “PR”. Considering all they have done for us, I didn’t really mind going along with the plan.

After the ceremony there was champagne and a buffet served in the VIP tent before we collected our bikes, checked into the hotel and unpacked our lockers for the last time. All very surreal having spent such a long time with a fixed and quite simple routine.

In the evening the Tour took over Marcos restaurant in Capetown for dinner and an awards ceremony. The highlight of the evening was a slide show put together by Eric, the TDA communications officer. The slide show was a collection of photographs taken by riders during the tour set to appropriate music. It was a great reminder for the riders and staff of what we’ve been through and for the 100 or so other guests it was a brief taste of our epic journey.

I am very happy to have completed the Tour d’Afrique but also sad that this is the end. The people I’ve lived and travelled with for the last 4 months are truly an awesome bunch. All of them will be missed.

It’s now Wednesday 13th May and I’ve had a few fairly hectic days in Capetown. I’m hiring a car today and plan to drive for a few days along the “Garden Route” in South Africa. I’ll be back in the UK on the 18th and will write some more about the trip as I get time.

My will to struggle through headwinds, over “rolling hills” and long distances has completely left me. Capetown is almost in sight and I just want into get to the end and stop cycling, camping and eating peanut butter sandwhiches.

You may think I’m weak (I really don’t care) but I’ve ridden the truck a fair bit in the last couple of weeks. If the distance is long, I’ve ridden the truck for half a day or if there are hills or a headwind it’s the truck for me. I’ve really had enough of grueling days and I just want to enjoy the remaining part of the Tour.

Obviously, I want to ride the last day into Capetown and enjoy it. If I’m not careful I could find myself not being able to face getting on a bike for the last day. I can feel a cold bubbling under the surface and that my body is getting generally run down. I can’t see any point in suffering just to proove something that I don’t care about prooving.

So, this has actually been a very pleasant few days. I’ve cycled when I felt like it and enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I’ve stopped at cafes for cappuccino and cake and milkshake and fruit juice and chips and everything. I’m making the most of it because in a few days time my food intake will have to drop by about two thirds or I will balloon rapidly.

Day 114 – Felix Unite to Springbok
135Km. Really quite a tough day. 1750 metres of climbing. The border crossing into South Africa is after about 10Km. It takes about 10 minutes to complete necessary forms and goes without hitch. After the border there is a steady climb up a gentle (ish) slope for 60Km to the lunch truck. Along with most of the other riders I stop at a very nice roadside cafe about 20Km from the border for 2 cappuccinos and a toasted sandwhich.

I arrive fairly late at lunch having spent a long time at the cafe drinking coffee. At the lunch we have a couple of challenges for the “Battle of the Nations 2” competition that the staff have organised for us. First is the “rolling” competition” which involves coasting down a hill and rolling along the flat for a far as possible. Despite “tucking” as much as possible I don’t get anywhere near the leaders distances. I later discover that by swerving vigorously from side to side it’s actually possible to impart some propulsive force and maintain a reasonable speed whilst peddaling. This is what the winners of the rolling competion have done. Hardly in the spirit of fair competition, but hey this is the Battle of the Nations.

The second challenge is the wheelie competition. It’s been many years since I’ve wheelied a bicycle but I’m glad to say I won this challenge by a significant margin with a distance of 67 “Ernsts’ foot lengths” compared to the nearest competitor (Tom) with a distance of 23 “Ernsts’ foot lengths”.

Having spent about an hour on the coasting and wheelie challenges it’s getting quite late and I have to work quite hard to compete the remaining 65Km in the afternoon before dark. There are some really quite mentally challenging rolling hills and it also starts to get quite cold as the sun gets lower in the sky. Towards the end of the ride I’m starting to suffer “accute sense of humour loss” as Springbok seems to keep getting further and further away. At one point I’m sure there are only 5Km to left to go when a road sign indicates that it’s more like 10Km. Devastating !

I eventually arrive at camp cold, hungry and very tired just after sunset and just before dinner. Strangely this has been one of the most tiring days of the Tour. I don’t tell anyone but I almost fainted in the queue for dinner !

Day 115 – Springbok to Garies
112km paved road. This should have a been an easy day but I just got really sick of cycling early on.

I woke up to find that I had a puncture overnight which needed to be fixed in the cold before I got started. This really wasn’t a problem. The route crossed 3 lines of mountains and the day involved plenty of steep climbs and rolling hills. As I got to the top of each hill the next hill would be revealed. Sometime I could see several hills stretching out to the horizon. Mentally, this was very challenging and by the time I arrived at lunch I’d had enough. I was very happy to take the truck to lunch after camp and then hit the local convenience store for a disgraceful amount of soft drinks, ice cream, crisps and coffee.

Day 116 – Garies to Vanrynsdorp
148Km good paved road. A really pleasant day, mainly because I rode the truck all day. I did consider taking the truck to lunch to avoid the intolerable rolling hills. Then I remembered the unpleasant headwinds which start in the afternoons and decide to truck it all day.

Got to camp early in the morning, had a nice hot shower and then went to a cafe with some of my fellow “truck bunnies” and stuffed myself on “Bunnie Chow” (curry in a bread roll), milkshake, 2 coffees and 2 fruit juices and an ice cream all for 8 US$. Very civilised. Then back to camp for more coffee and beer before dinner.

Had a great fun quiz to decide the winner of the “Battle of the Nations 2” which saw the British team win by 1 point !

Strangely, I’m looking forward to cycling tomorrow. I’m actually excited about it infact ! Starting to feel very sad about having to say goodbye to everybody at the end of the Tour.

Day 117 – Vanrynsdorp to Elandsbaai
112Km mixed paved road and corrugated off road.

Started the day very enthusiastically setting a fast pace between 30 and 40Kph without much effort. Stopped at a Wimpy for breakfast at around 25K. Also spent a bit of time looking for an internet cafe and also a gift for my “secret friend”.

I spent so much time in the town that I didn’t make it to the lunch truck in time and got picked up by the lunch truck around 1:30. Since a strong headwind was picking up and the road was extremely corrugated I decided to conserve my reserves of enthusiam by riding the truck after lunch.

In the evening we had the secret friend presentation where we each gave a small gift to a randomly chosen person. Tragically, the best gift I could find was a bottle of energy drink called “Bomba” in a hand-grenade shaped bottle. The secret friend thing was great fun but an upsetting reminder of how much I will miss this great bunch of people.

We were camped on the beach and surf was up.

Day 118 – Elandsbaai to Yzerfontein
148Km. Woke up with slight sore throat and with a bit of a cold coming on. Was planning to ride a half day today but decided to take the truck all day rather than risk making the cold any worse.

Got to camp early and put up my totally worn out tent for the last time. Feeling very excited about almost being in Cape Town. Returning to normal life is going to be the weirdest part of the trip as life with the TDA has become “normal” over the last 4 months. I’ve had butterflies in my stomach for the last few days whenever I think of getting to the end. I think many other people on the Tour are similarly excited.

Tomorrow is the last day. A relatively short 112Km and we’ll be there !

Well here I am on the final rest day of the tour at a small town called Felix Unite in Namibia, very close to the border with South Africa. Tomorrow we will start the final section of 780 kilometres in 6 riding days.

The scenery in Namibia is absolutely stunning: wide open grassy plains surrounded by mountains.

The section from Sesriem to Felix Unite has been long and tough: 5 days off road riding with riding days of 132Km, 151Km, 126Km, 110Km, 175Km respectively.

This off road section is new for the tour this year and the consensus amongst the riders is that the TDA organisers have seriously underestimated the difficulty of the route. The off road surface was supposed to have been hard packed dirt which would have been as good as tarmac for riding on. The reality is that the road consisted of loose gravel and sand which has made for some extremely challenging riding.

At this stage of the tour everyone is mentally and physically exhausted and these shockingly hard days have come as an unpleasant suprise. Many riders have opted to take the trucks rather than ride whole days. The daily distances have been outrageous but much respect goes to those riders who have completed them all anyway. Continued respect to the 10 remaining EFI riders who have maintained the mental and physical discipline to cycle “Every F*cking Inch” so far.

I’ve utterly had enough of being on a bicycle for 10+ hours per day and have opted for the truck a few times. I have been suffering from a cough and a mild stomach upset which have not helped my energy levels. I know that I can complete the distances but my rationale is that it is better to enjoy what is left of the tour rather than turn it into an ordeal. I want to arrive in Capetown fit and well rather than having run my body into the ground for no good reason.

I’m incredibly excited about finishing the tour and getting back home. It will be a long time before I take washing machines, hot showers and sleeping in a real bed for granted.

Day 108 – Sesriem to Betta
132 Km on dirt / gravel roads. An incredibly tough day. The temperature was hot, the road surface covered with deep sand, gravel and corrugations. Not quite as bad as northern Kenya but very reminiscent. The worst part were the awful flies that would continuously buzz and circle around my face. As one fly was swatted away, another would take it’s place.

Despite the stunning scenery I’m not feeling at all enthusiastic about riding and my mood deteriorated all morning. At 60Km the lunch truck came past and I stopped and jumped on. Slept all the way to camp.

Feeling very fatigued and not sure how I will make it to the end.

Day 109 – Betta to Konikep
151Km dirt / gravel road. Woke up with dodgy stomach and really not feeling like riding 150Km. Rode the truck all day.

The closer we get to Capetown, the more daunting the remaining distance seems to be.

Day 110 – Konikep to Seeheim
126Km dirt road. More stunning scenery. Still not feeling too good. Wonder if I’m going down with a cold. I’ve had a slight cough for a few days which seems to be getting worse.

At lunchtime I almost got on the truck but ended up having a great afternoons riding with Jay, one of the new sectional riders. Very tired by the time we arrived in camp.

At camp, the dutch riders have organised a surprise celebration in honour of Queen Beatrixes official birthday. I joined in with the spirit of the occaission by drinking more than a fair amount of the traditional
Dutch orange liqueur.

Day 111 – Seeheim to Hobos
110Km on dirt road. Stunning scenery but riding quite slowly. I think my cold is catching up with me. It seems that I’ve been forgetting to take my vitamin tablets which may be part of the problem.

Just didn’t feel like riding in the afternoon so jumped on the truck.

At camp, the TDA organised one of the support trucks to take us all to the nearby “Fish River Canyon” viewpoint. Fish River Canyon is apparently the 2nd deepest canyon in the world. It’s pretty impressive but is apparently nothing in comparison to the Grand Canyon.

Day 112 – Hobos to Felix Unite
175Km on partly dirt and partly paved roads.

I woke up utterly not feeling like riding 175Km. Feeling a bit guilty I considered the possibility of riding a half day and then a quarter day. I quickly realised I didn’t want to ride even 10Km and got my bike loaded onto one of the trucks.

Spent the day reading a book on the truck. Some of the riders rode a “naked mile”. Ie stripped off completely naked apart from cycle helmet and shoes. A couple of the girls really got into the spirit of it and rode a naked 10Km followed by a topless 30Km.

Day 113 – Rest day in Felix Unite
We’re camped at the Felix Unite safari lodge. It’s very nice, quiet and by a river that forms the border with South Africa. Almost everyone  is very excited about getting to Capetown.