Another day, another ride.
Back on the road and heading towards to Tanzania/Malawi border. We had our normal breakfast - spreads, bread, porridge, wheatabix and muesli...but Errol had pushed the budget out and bought some cold meats and cheese too. Call it a bike expedition, more like a cycle holiday?!
It was a cool start, not cold like in Sudan and Egypt, but cooler than we are becoming accustomed to. It was also dry, with blue skies. :) We have three new riders joining us = Andy (Harriet's partner), Steph's dad, and Laura (from the UK). I met Laura struggling to out her 'easy up, easy down' tent. I couldn't work out how to fold it away so that it would fit in the circular bag, and neither could she or Tallis. In the end the tent was put in the truck twice the size it's meant to pack down to. She had a stressful start to her day, but recovered it well.
The Party Bus started out together. There was a great sound. The sound of silence. The cranks were sliding around noiselessly, smoothly and our feet were tracing uninterrupted circular rotations. The wheels rolled over the ridgeless tarmac without so much as a speed bump or pothole. It was like gliding on air. A feeling that can only be appreciated after 4 days of cycling on a pneumatic drill. The traffic was moderate. There were a few large trucks with no appreciation for personal space. Probably the worst we have come across, they would pass within what felt like inches of the pedals. All you can do it concentrate on holding your line and, if space allows, pull off the road on to the neighbouring gravel verge. I made a joke to Terry as we passed about not being hit by a truck again. Terry is completing the section of the tour he did not manage to do previously, having been knocked off his bike as they descended into Addis Ababa. He was knocked unconscious and suffered fractures, needing to be flown to hospital in Nairobi for treatment.
Shortly after mocking Terry I managed to cycle into the back of a car stopped for a pedestrian crossing. The perfect example of don't text and drive. I wasn't texting, I had looked down at my frame bag to get my camera out and heard Alistair say 'Watch' in the way he does when something approaches. I looked up, and started braking, but too late. The front wheel hit the bumper, and I went over the handlebars. My groin was impaled on the handlebar stem. I was really lucky because I was going at a low speed, I just rolled to the side and landed on the road. I laughed it off. Was more worried about the car than anything else, but when I stood up I saw that the car was so bumped and scratched that my run in didn't compare to it's previous. The car was full of people, adults, looking out the window at me, oblivious to the whole event. It's amusing how everyone responds. Alistair told me to take my time, sit down, and just make sure I was ok. David was telling me to have a drink. I was a bit shaken, following the adrenaline rush, but able to ride, and was back at the front. My groin was throbbing but other than that, me and bike were ok. Lesson learnt, don't look down when you're eyes should be on the road.
Southern Tanzania differs from our approach to Arusha. Described as the 'breadbox' of Tanzania we ascended the hill up out of Mbeya, through a patchwork of cropped fields.
Sweetcorn, avocados, potatoes, carrots, banana trees. Accompanying these patchwork hillsides were roadside vendors. I got pretty excited at the sight of carrots. Once again, most people who know me, will know my affinity for raw carrots. Particularly the circular bit in the middle (the sweet and juicy part). I pulled over by a girl with several buckets of carrots and chose two of the most appealing. She put them in a bag for me, but couldn't understand when I asked about payment. I tried to pay 200 shillings, she didn't take it. I then produced 1000 shillings (50cents), she said no change and looked in the bag. I panicked and gave her another 1000. I didn't have anything smaller. She then opened the bag again and tried to put more in. I would have loved more but the ability to transport on a bike is limited. In short, I paid $1 for two carrots! I think i made her day, and I was happy with my purchase, so that's ok.
The top of the climb was at about 29km. It was a gentle climb, there were some steep sections. We ascended about 600m over the first 30km. From there it was downhill (more or less) to the border (115km)! We did 162km today, 100miles, but I don't feel we really deserve the kudos of it, given how much 'effective' cycling we were doing. The patchwork fields gave way to whole hillsides of tea plantations.
We were passing through regions that felt alot poorer than previous settlements in Tanzania. Kids in dirty clothes, villages with less buildings, and just generally looking alot more rundown. It is ironic that a land so fertile is home to people who are so poor. We speculated that this could be due to corporate or single ownership of the plantations. Coffee and tea in Tanzania itself leaves alot to be desired. When ordering a coffee you are presented with a mug, some hot water, and a sachet of Nescafe or Africoffee. If you ask for white coffee, it is a mug of milk and an instant sachet. This dynamic of mass production but little consumption suggests that it is majority for export. Hence the locals are not benefitting, other than low paid tea leaf picking jobs, which is likely seasonal.
My largest chainring at the front was not working, in that I could shift between the smallest rings but not reach the largest. This was most unfortunate given the day. It would be nice to use the highest gears on the downhill. Alistair has trained me well, despite only being able to use the middle chain ring I was still able to keep up on the downhills. I tucked into aero, pulled my knees in and balanced on the pedals. It was great. Highly enjoyable. All the way to the border with Malawi.
The best downhill of the trip, long and smooth tar. We collected people along the way. Steph and her dad joined us too. There was one point where we kept bunny hopping a truck, and then it would overtake us, but that was the only excitement. The views were amazing, over to the left we could see Lake Malawi as we descended too.
The border crossing was pretty smooth. There were men at the border to exchange Tanzanian shillings for Malawian kwacha. New country, new exchange rate. 700 kwacha to the dollar. The money exchangers were very pushy. Not sure personal space really computed. At one point there were three of them around me, all offering the same rate. In the end I went with the least pushy one, and told the others to back off. They didn't, and proceeded to stand so close they were touching, while talking to each other.
45km to camp. By now it was hot hot hot. We had been told we could go to the next town and wait for the dinner truck to pass. We left, and cycled. There was no town. We were looking for an ATM as the one at the border had run out of money. No ATM for the whole cycle.
Once again a difference within meters of crossing the border. We simply walked through the gate to Malawi and there were kids on the street asking for money. Hands out, 'Money for food.' 'Money for school.' 'Give me money.' I haven't missed being a dollar sign on a bike. It is just draining. Green. Everything a bright green as opposed to the dark deep green in Tanzania, with clear blue skies. The road was instantly flat. Tarmac was average. Old tarmac and therefore rutted with the odd pothole. Instant change in building material to red burnt clay bricks, with tin roofs. There were people everywhere. I thought there were alot of people along the roadsides in Tanzania, but this is a new scale.
And bikes. There are people on bikes in their droves. And not just one person, usually there is someone riding pillion. Women ride sidesaddle on the back, men sit astride. Single speed, creaky bikes, with a bike stand at the back, but they go quick.
We found a coke stop. With cold drinks. Instantly surrounded by people. Mainly men, but men and women. Women don't appear oppressed in the way they were in Sudan etc. They are definitely present, and wearing colourful clothes, and variably cut t shirts.
The shop fronts and names are amusing.
The street that we stayed at the end of had no shortage of liquor stores. Atleast 5 within 5 meters. I wonder if there is an alcohol problem.
Slept ok overnight. One brief rainstorm - I went out to sort my tent and there were no clouds overhead. Forked lightening and rain, but no rainclouds?! There were also fireflies. I sat in my tent and watched them for a while before returning to bed. It is pretty hot and humid. I have taken to sleeping on top of my sleeping bag and either in/on my liner too. Short day tomorrow. Only 90km and then another rest day.
