Rest Day In Dogola
After leaving the internet cafe late last night (I tried to miss the rider rush!) I walked back to camp with two other riders. By midnight the streets of Dongola were empty and we were alone in the street with barking dogs - lots of them. We armed ourselves with a couple of bricks just in case we had to defend ourselves - we are certainly not worried about the Sudanese people because they are lovely but the dogs - that is another story. Luckily, the bricks were unnecessary! We arrived back to camp and found we were locked out - everyone, including the guard, was fast asleep. We had to climb the fence of the Dongola "Zoo" to get to our tents. I am getting used to sleeping in my tent - I have been calling it my "tent house" and look forward to getting in there at night.
This morning I woke up early to join the line for a chance to send a few more emails and to get online before the riders crowd the cafe. As the sun came up a few of us went to a tiny outdoor cafe to wait for the internet place to open. I love how civilized it is - the men join each other early for coffee, tea and little donuts cooked right on the spot in hot oil. They are rolled in sugar and they are delicious. I am not sure how the men feel about having women join them in their cafes but so far they have been very friendly and welcoming. I couldn't help but notice last night that the female riders from the TDA were the only women out after dark.
So this is a rest day in Dongola and since I have already done my laundry and updated my blog I will be off to find more food and hopefully just relax after cleaning my bike. I will try to write more often so that my blogs are more organized. Also you will have to look to the archive on the left of the blog and read in reverse order since I log my blogs in chronological order but the last day will show up as most recent - make sense? Anyway - I will just hope that you are all figuring out how to read my blog.
As I have said, the Tour d'Afrique blog is good way to check out what we are up to each day as they update more regularly and there is a rider who has come prepared with a whole tent of electrics and is able to update his blog twice a day! He takes lots of photos and the are amazing. He says it is lots of work and I could never do it but if you are interested check out his blog at:
http://www.africanride.blogspot.com/
Again I will try to get pics up soon.
Until next time!
jx
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wadi Halfa to Desert Camp(s)
Day 12- 150km
Frantic morning. After two days with my bags on and off of trucks and the ferry ride I seem to have forgotten how to camp! Ahh. It is so stressful in the morning - wake up, roll up sleeping bag, roll of thermarest, put away cot, get dressed, get water, get energy drinks, get breakfast, load locker on truck, check bike...that probably doesn't sound stressful but I have to get up 45 minutes earlier than the wake up call to get it all done if I want to sit with a cup of coffee for five minutes - but I am figuring it out!
I am still feeling my achilles and rode part of the morning alone and was joined by Laura along the way. Along the way we were joined by some of the boys and another female rider and pace lined it to lunch. After lunch we found a little "coke stop" (which really is some guy selling soft drinks along the road) and we pulled in.....it was a little too soon after lunch so I set out alone and again Laura caught up to me. We rode the last 50km together talking, taking videos and just enjoying the ride. Most of us try to kick it out in the morning and head out in good time after lunch because by 11am the temperature goes up about 1 degree ever 20 minutes and by 1-2pm it is at least 33-35 degrees. Dry, dry heat. As we climbed our last hill towards the desert camp we thought we were in an oasis - there were palm trees and vegetation (we road with rock, sand and rock as our landscape all morning). We were surprised to find ourselves back on the Nile. It was quite a sight. At camp there was lovely soup waiting and I set up my tent and cleaned my bike. Local children gathered around and arrived on donkeys to watch us clean our chains and drive trains. This seems like such a calm country and the people are so friendly which is so different from the media reports we get about the rest of Sudan. I am so pleased to be here and see a totally different side to this country.
Day 13 - 150km
Two 150km days back to back is tough in the desert. But I was feeling better yesterday (on Day 13) and once again I joined the boys in one of the race groups. After lunch the pace line was all over the place 10-12 strong but with riders are of various abilities so the speed varied from 32-38km per hour down to 26km depending on who was pulling and it felt like I was riding a yo-yo so I broke from the group (and kind of broke the group rules - oops!) and pull away on my own. Two of the boys, Tim (American) and Tony chased me down and we rode together for about 8km. Those guys are fast though and with only three of us I couldn't hold their 37/38km pace so dropped off and rode the last 30km to camp alone. I didn't think I would decide to ride alone much on this trip but it was a long straight road and I knew there were riders close behind so I took the opportunity for some quiet time to reflect on the first two weeks of riding and really enjoyed the time to myself. As you can probably imagine there isn't much alone time on this trip and even in the tent I don't really feel alone in the camp. I have always kind of been a lone rider so riding alone was a nice change. As per usual James, the cook, prepared a delicious dinner and we had a bonfire that night - an attempt to keep people up after 7:30pm! It worked and everyone socialized around the camp fire. I am enjoying getting to know more people and have found a few peeps to hang out with on a regular basis - some that I ride with and others that I see only in the afternoon/evening at camp. There are some people I don't talk to and/or I don't even know their names. In such a big group that just seems to be the way it is. People have their own reasons for being here I suppose. I am feeling happier and happier to be in Sudan. Thankfully I am feeling good (no stomach problems yet - fingers crossed) and the achilles is still a pain but I am trying to deal with it.
A big hello to everyone and thanks for reading my blog. I do hope to get some photos up soon.
Day 14 - 109km
We left the desert camp today heading to Dongola and I decided to take it easy again today - that seems to be my way - one day racing, one day expedition and I think I will probably keep it that way. I checked the race results and I am still 3rd by over 7 hours behind the two lead women. That's okay it is a long race and I have no expectations at all. I am just going to try to keep on riding. The ride today into Dongola was good. We are camping at the Dongola Zoo but there are no animals there? Whatever - this is Africa - it doesn't need to make sense. We set up camp and found a hose to have a "shower" it was great to wash my hair! And I did all my laundry which leaves tomorrow free - clean bike, relax and eat food. We found a local restaurant tonight and I ate a half a chicken, loads of falafels and Sudanese sweets/cakes. I don't have to worry about dropping the pounds yet - I am eating tonnes and trying to stay strong and healthy. Sudan is a dry country so no beer but not to worry I have replaced that with coke and 7-UP!
More news when I can get online again. Until Khartoum I imagine.
Jx
Frantic morning. After two days with my bags on and off of trucks and the ferry ride I seem to have forgotten how to camp! Ahh. It is so stressful in the morning - wake up, roll up sleeping bag, roll of thermarest, put away cot, get dressed, get water, get energy drinks, get breakfast, load locker on truck, check bike...that probably doesn't sound stressful but I have to get up 45 minutes earlier than the wake up call to get it all done if I want to sit with a cup of coffee for five minutes - but I am figuring it out!
I am still feeling my achilles and rode part of the morning alone and was joined by Laura along the way. Along the way we were joined by some of the boys and another female rider and pace lined it to lunch. After lunch we found a little "coke stop" (which really is some guy selling soft drinks along the road) and we pulled in.....it was a little too soon after lunch so I set out alone and again Laura caught up to me. We rode the last 50km together talking, taking videos and just enjoying the ride. Most of us try to kick it out in the morning and head out in good time after lunch because by 11am the temperature goes up about 1 degree ever 20 minutes and by 1-2pm it is at least 33-35 degrees. Dry, dry heat. As we climbed our last hill towards the desert camp we thought we were in an oasis - there were palm trees and vegetation (we road with rock, sand and rock as our landscape all morning). We were surprised to find ourselves back on the Nile. It was quite a sight. At camp there was lovely soup waiting and I set up my tent and cleaned my bike. Local children gathered around and arrived on donkeys to watch us clean our chains and drive trains. This seems like such a calm country and the people are so friendly which is so different from the media reports we get about the rest of Sudan. I am so pleased to be here and see a totally different side to this country.
Day 13 - 150km
Two 150km days back to back is tough in the desert. But I was feeling better yesterday (on Day 13) and once again I joined the boys in one of the race groups. After lunch the pace line was all over the place 10-12 strong but with riders are of various abilities so the speed varied from 32-38km per hour down to 26km depending on who was pulling and it felt like I was riding a yo-yo so I broke from the group (and kind of broke the group rules - oops!) and pull away on my own. Two of the boys, Tim (American) and Tony chased me down and we rode together for about 8km. Those guys are fast though and with only three of us I couldn't hold their 37/38km pace so dropped off and rode the last 30km to camp alone. I didn't think I would decide to ride alone much on this trip but it was a long straight road and I knew there were riders close behind so I took the opportunity for some quiet time to reflect on the first two weeks of riding and really enjoyed the time to myself. As you can probably imagine there isn't much alone time on this trip and even in the tent I don't really feel alone in the camp. I have always kind of been a lone rider so riding alone was a nice change. As per usual James, the cook, prepared a delicious dinner and we had a bonfire that night - an attempt to keep people up after 7:30pm! It worked and everyone socialized around the camp fire. I am enjoying getting to know more people and have found a few peeps to hang out with on a regular basis - some that I ride with and others that I see only in the afternoon/evening at camp. There are some people I don't talk to and/or I don't even know their names. In such a big group that just seems to be the way it is. People have their own reasons for being here I suppose. I am feeling happier and happier to be in Sudan. Thankfully I am feeling good (no stomach problems yet - fingers crossed) and the achilles is still a pain but I am trying to deal with it.
A big hello to everyone and thanks for reading my blog. I do hope to get some photos up soon.
Day 14 - 109km
We left the desert camp today heading to Dongola and I decided to take it easy again today - that seems to be my way - one day racing, one day expedition and I think I will probably keep it that way. I checked the race results and I am still 3rd by over 7 hours behind the two lead women. That's okay it is a long race and I have no expectations at all. I am just going to try to keep on riding. The ride today into Dongola was good. We are camping at the Dongola Zoo but there are no animals there? Whatever - this is Africa - it doesn't need to make sense. We set up camp and found a hose to have a "shower" it was great to wash my hair! And I did all my laundry which leaves tomorrow free - clean bike, relax and eat food. We found a local restaurant tonight and I ate a half a chicken, loads of falafels and Sudanese sweets/cakes. I don't have to worry about dropping the pounds yet - I am eating tonnes and trying to stay strong and healthy. Sudan is a dry country so no beer but not to worry I have replaced that with coke and 7-UP!
More news when I can get online again. Until Khartoum I imagine.
Jx
Ferry Ride to Sudan
Still Day 10...
After the 17km convoy we stopped at the ferry. Our big trucks left two days earlier and were transported on a separate boat so we had a small truck carry our bags and we rode our bikes to the ferry dock. It is quite a feat organizing over 60 riders with bags and bikes. We had to identify our own bags and carry them ourselves with our bikes through an x-ray before boarding the ferry. At the ferry there were two lines of riders - those that wanted cabins on the ferry for the 18 hour ride and those who wanted to sleep on the deck. I know what you are thinking - the cabins sound nice. Not so on the ferry to Sudan - the stories of bed bugs, fleas and cockroaches were enough to send me to the deck and it turns out those stories are in fact true! Once on the ferry we sat for 6 hours while the boat was loaded with all sorts of cargo and people. The scene was chaotic and below in the seated area - men wereyelling and arguing and yelling some more in Arabic and carrying all sorts of goodies - blenders, t.v.s - you name it! We were told to stake our claim on the deck and hold onto that space for dear life. Laura and I found two small spots under one of the life boats. Enough space to put our bags and roll out our thermarest mats and our sleeping bags. I tied my camelbak and food bag to a pole because I was literally six inches for the edge and there was nothing but a two inch lip between me and the lower deck/water. It felt a litte dangerous but it meant that we would be left alone all night (some of the female TDA staff weren't so lucky!). Ever inch of that deck was cover with bodies - I have never seen anything like in my life and it was exciting. We went to sleep early and were woken up at 9pm with call to report to the "dining area" for a "medical check" (temperature check) and a passport check. Then it was back to the deck. I fell asleep without a problem - Lake Nassar was calm and the boat had a quiet hum. After all the loading chaos it was amazing to see the deck so quiet. One rider said he came up from a cabin at 11pm to see what was going on and there was nothing happening - the whole deck was asleep. At 5:15am the call the prayer woke me up and put my headphones on and stared at the stars. I have never, ever in my life seen a sky like that before - stars, stars and more stars. I stayed awake and watched the sunrise. I felt happy and alive and really excited to be in Africa. After a week of long rides, pain and adjustment to camp life - this really felt like the beginning of my trip.
Once the sun came up the ferry deck came alive - men smoking and talking and I was able to by a Sudanese SIM card for my phone for $2 (after paying $20 in Egypt!). We prepared a breakfast of granola, bananas, oranges, bread and jam. At 6:45am the ferry passed Abu Simbel (Pharoh's carved into the side of rock) - amazing to see from the water! The ferry sailed into the "port" - more like pulling up into the sand bar and docked. All the of the Sudanese passengers had to disembark before we could get our bikes and luggage off. It was well after 1pm when we climbed off that boat - a full 24 hours after boarding.
Once on land we had more customs procedures to follow - into a building to have our bikes and bags stickered before riding 5km into Wadi Halfa - the Sudanese port town. We rode out to the local soccer stadium to set up camp and were surprised to find the stadium full of people. There was some kind of ceremony going on which involved the military and gun fire which under normal circumstances might make me nervous except that all the people were cheering! We stood on the other side of a fence and watched as the ceremony ended and set up camp after the crowd had left the stadium. Despite the firing of guns - the people were immediately friendly. The children were curious but there was no yelling or rock throwing. I knew right away that I would like Sudan.
The TDA arranged to have a money changer come to camp which made getting Sudanese pounds easier (not sure where else you would do that in Wadi Halfa) and we took a tuk tuk the 3-4km into the town. Wadi Halfa has two restaurants and with over 60 people looking for dinner - we overwhelmed them both! But the staff managed and were very friendly and happy to have our business. The food was very good - chicken, potatos, and rice - simple but a nice change from the bread and jam I had been eating for the last 24 hours. After dinner a few of us sat on a bench at nearby cafe and drank ginger tea. It was brewed by the most beautiful Sudanese woman with a kettle on an open fire and jars of tea in front of her. She served tea to men on plastic lawn chairs sitting outside the cafe watching a Nick Nolte film with Arabic subtitles?! The tea was amazingly sweet and delicious and felt cleansing and medicinal. I turned to the four riders I was with and said how happy I was to be in Sudan and that this was what I came to Africa for and they all agreed. We were all looking forward to Sudan.
After the 17km convoy we stopped at the ferry. Our big trucks left two days earlier and were transported on a separate boat so we had a small truck carry our bags and we rode our bikes to the ferry dock. It is quite a feat organizing over 60 riders with bags and bikes. We had to identify our own bags and carry them ourselves with our bikes through an x-ray before boarding the ferry. At the ferry there were two lines of riders - those that wanted cabins on the ferry for the 18 hour ride and those who wanted to sleep on the deck. I know what you are thinking - the cabins sound nice. Not so on the ferry to Sudan - the stories of bed bugs, fleas and cockroaches were enough to send me to the deck and it turns out those stories are in fact true! Once on the ferry we sat for 6 hours while the boat was loaded with all sorts of cargo and people. The scene was chaotic and below in the seated area - men wereyelling and arguing and yelling some more in Arabic and carrying all sorts of goodies - blenders, t.v.s - you name it! We were told to stake our claim on the deck and hold onto that space for dear life. Laura and I found two small spots under one of the life boats. Enough space to put our bags and roll out our thermarest mats and our sleeping bags. I tied my camelbak and food bag to a pole because I was literally six inches for the edge and there was nothing but a two inch lip between me and the lower deck/water. It felt a litte dangerous but it meant that we would be left alone all night (some of the female TDA staff weren't so lucky!). Ever inch of that deck was cover with bodies - I have never seen anything like in my life and it was exciting. We went to sleep early and were woken up at 9pm with call to report to the "dining area" for a "medical check" (temperature check) and a passport check. Then it was back to the deck. I fell asleep without a problem - Lake Nassar was calm and the boat had a quiet hum. After all the loading chaos it was amazing to see the deck so quiet. One rider said he came up from a cabin at 11pm to see what was going on and there was nothing happening - the whole deck was asleep. At 5:15am the call the prayer woke me up and put my headphones on and stared at the stars. I have never, ever in my life seen a sky like that before - stars, stars and more stars. I stayed awake and watched the sunrise. I felt happy and alive and really excited to be in Africa. After a week of long rides, pain and adjustment to camp life - this really felt like the beginning of my trip.
Once the sun came up the ferry deck came alive - men smoking and talking and I was able to by a Sudanese SIM card for my phone for $2 (after paying $20 in Egypt!). We prepared a breakfast of granola, bananas, oranges, bread and jam. At 6:45am the ferry passed Abu Simbel (Pharoh's carved into the side of rock) - amazing to see from the water! The ferry sailed into the "port" - more like pulling up into the sand bar and docked. All the of the Sudanese passengers had to disembark before we could get our bikes and luggage off. It was well after 1pm when we climbed off that boat - a full 24 hours after boarding.
Once on land we had more customs procedures to follow - into a building to have our bikes and bags stickered before riding 5km into Wadi Halfa - the Sudanese port town. We rode out to the local soccer stadium to set up camp and were surprised to find the stadium full of people. There was some kind of ceremony going on which involved the military and gun fire which under normal circumstances might make me nervous except that all the people were cheering! We stood on the other side of a fence and watched as the ceremony ended and set up camp after the crowd had left the stadium. Despite the firing of guns - the people were immediately friendly. The children were curious but there was no yelling or rock throwing. I knew right away that I would like Sudan.
The TDA arranged to have a money changer come to camp which made getting Sudanese pounds easier (not sure where else you would do that in Wadi Halfa) and we took a tuk tuk the 3-4km into the town. Wadi Halfa has two restaurants and with over 60 people looking for dinner - we overwhelmed them both! But the staff managed and were very friendly and happy to have our business. The food was very good - chicken, potatos, and rice - simple but a nice change from the bread and jam I had been eating for the last 24 hours. After dinner a few of us sat on a bench at nearby cafe and drank ginger tea. It was brewed by the most beautiful Sudanese woman with a kettle on an open fire and jars of tea in front of her. She served tea to men on plastic lawn chairs sitting outside the cafe watching a Nick Nolte film with Arabic subtitles?! The tea was amazingly sweet and delicious and felt cleansing and medicinal. I turned to the four riders I was with and said how happy I was to be in Sudan and that this was what I came to Africa for and they all agreed. We were all looking forward to Sudan.
Luxor to Aswan
Day 8 - 116km - Luxor to Idfu
Sorry no photos right now (poor internet connection - hopefully more photos soon).
Day 8 started with a painful achilles. Despite wanting to race I have decided that feeling good on the bike for the next four months is my main priority and I am going to take it easy. I rode with the Little Belgian, Laura and several other riders that I have not had the opportunity to talk to yet. The morning was fun and social - very different from the race pace which includes pace lines/trains and your eyes have to stay on the back wheel of the person in front of you at all times - really not the best way for me to see Africa - at least not everyday! Lunch was at a nice spot on the Nile and in the afternoon I continued on with a small group including Laura and American Rick (who has a house in Calgary). About 15km from the next camp Laura blew a tire and I changed it on the side of the road. Normally a tire change would not be very eventful but we were joined by several curious bystanders - 6 Egyptian men stood by and watched - I guess they have probably never seen a woman change a tire! The children on this route were very aggressive - I had a young boy try to put a bamboo stick through my spokes. It is was worse for those riders who are not really fast on the bike - the kids were ready with stones for them! We are to expect much more of this in Ethiopia.
Day 9 - 110 km - Idfu to Aswan
Feeling a little better on so decided to kick it out with some of the faster boys and Laura. I am still in 3rd position in the race in the women's category but have fallen hours behind the two leaders. They are strong and go out with guns a blazin' each day. My ride is going to be decidedly different especially if I am dealing with an injury. Still I can keep up with a bunch of the boys when I give it the old college try! When I ride with the boys we cruise somewhere between 30-35km for the full distance. When we arrived at Aswan (a port town much nicer than Luxor) we were joined by the local traffice police and they escorted us through the town to our camp - so nice to have a police escort! The camp was set up at a youth hostel with a grassy campsite. Showers and toilets (you DO NOT want me to detail the state of those facilities). After showering Tony (English and super nice), Laura, Steph (Canadian) and I decided we needed a little luxury before heading to Sudan so we took a taxi to the Basma Hotel (5 star hill side hotel with a gorgeous view of the Nile and the desert) for a couple of beers and a pizza. Then we "hailed" a horse and carriage to the local market in the town where we bartered for bananas, oranges and dates and shopped for food items to take on the ferry to Sudan. Continuing on our luxury tour of Aswan we took the little ferry boat across to Elephantine Island home to the Movenpick Hotel (another 5 star hotel). We went up to the 13th floor and watched the sunset on the Nile and the lights come on in Aswan - so beautiful. Then it was into the hotel restaurant for a sampling of the all-you-can-eat buffet. I am not normally a fan of buffets but wow - it was quite something and after meals in the camps (as amazing as James our cook is!) it was great to eat some salad, fish and delicious desserts. What a treat before leaving Eygpt for Sudan.
Day 10 - 17km - Across the Aswan Dams to the Ferry for Sudan
Not many people get to cross the Aswan Dams by bicycle and it was quite a thrill to ride over the Nile. No pictures allowed on the dam so we had to take it all in as we crossed. The ride was in convoy heading to the ferry.
The ferry ride is a whole blog so I will save that for tomorrow when I have the chance to get back to the internet cafe and th time to write some more.
Sorry so brief but it is late now and I think it might be best to have a male escort back to camp tonight. More soon and hopefully pictures a week down the road - if not tomorrow.
Sorry no photos right now (poor internet connection - hopefully more photos soon).
Day 8 started with a painful achilles. Despite wanting to race I have decided that feeling good on the bike for the next four months is my main priority and I am going to take it easy. I rode with the Little Belgian, Laura and several other riders that I have not had the opportunity to talk to yet. The morning was fun and social - very different from the race pace which includes pace lines/trains and your eyes have to stay on the back wheel of the person in front of you at all times - really not the best way for me to see Africa - at least not everyday! Lunch was at a nice spot on the Nile and in the afternoon I continued on with a small group including Laura and American Rick (who has a house in Calgary). About 15km from the next camp Laura blew a tire and I changed it on the side of the road. Normally a tire change would not be very eventful but we were joined by several curious bystanders - 6 Egyptian men stood by and watched - I guess they have probably never seen a woman change a tire! The children on this route were very aggressive - I had a young boy try to put a bamboo stick through my spokes. It is was worse for those riders who are not really fast on the bike - the kids were ready with stones for them! We are to expect much more of this in Ethiopia.
Day 9 - 110 km - Idfu to Aswan
Feeling a little better on so decided to kick it out with some of the faster boys and Laura. I am still in 3rd position in the race in the women's category but have fallen hours behind the two leaders. They are strong and go out with guns a blazin' each day. My ride is going to be decidedly different especially if I am dealing with an injury. Still I can keep up with a bunch of the boys when I give it the old college try! When I ride with the boys we cruise somewhere between 30-35km for the full distance. When we arrived at Aswan (a port town much nicer than Luxor) we were joined by the local traffice police and they escorted us through the town to our camp - so nice to have a police escort! The camp was set up at a youth hostel with a grassy campsite. Showers and toilets (you DO NOT want me to detail the state of those facilities). After showering Tony (English and super nice), Laura, Steph (Canadian) and I decided we needed a little luxury before heading to Sudan so we took a taxi to the Basma Hotel (5 star hill side hotel with a gorgeous view of the Nile and the desert) for a couple of beers and a pizza. Then we "hailed" a horse and carriage to the local market in the town where we bartered for bananas, oranges and dates and shopped for food items to take on the ferry to Sudan. Continuing on our luxury tour of Aswan we took the little ferry boat across to Elephantine Island home to the Movenpick Hotel (another 5 star hotel). We went up to the 13th floor and watched the sunset on the Nile and the lights come on in Aswan - so beautiful. Then it was into the hotel restaurant for a sampling of the all-you-can-eat buffet. I am not normally a fan of buffets but wow - it was quite something and after meals in the camps (as amazing as James our cook is!) it was great to eat some salad, fish and delicious desserts. What a treat before leaving Eygpt for Sudan.
Day 10 - 17km - Across the Aswan Dams to the Ferry for Sudan
Not many people get to cross the Aswan Dams by bicycle and it was quite a thrill to ride over the Nile. No pictures allowed on the dam so we had to take it all in as we crossed. The ride was in convoy heading to the ferry.
The ferry ride is a whole blog so I will save that for tomorrow when I have the chance to get back to the internet cafe and th time to write some more.
Sorry so brief but it is late now and I think it might be best to have a male escort back to camp tonight. More soon and hopefully pictures a week down the road - if not tomorrow.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Heading to Sudan
For the next two days we will be cycling to Idfu (over 100km from Luxor) and then on to Aswan where we catch the ferry 24 hours across Lake Nasser into Sudan arriving at Wadi Halfa. We will be camping nearby and starting our rider towards Khartoum. I am not sure when I will be able to blog again but I will try in Khartoum. Until Sudan be well and I will write as soon as I can!
Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt
Today I took some time to take in the some local sights - and the Temple of Karnak was only a 15 minute walk from our hotel/campsite. Amazing ruins and hot sun. I was glad to be off the bike and walking around.The Road to Luxor
After days in the desert it was nice to pass through some villages and to see the Nile. Hundreds of children stood by the road yelling "Hello" - I have heard we should get used to that!
Riding Through Egypt - Sand, Rock and Wind!
This was my view on the ride for the first 5 days! Lots of flat road and killer head winds!
Desert Camp Day 1
I am getting faster at getting my tent up! This was my first night - after 6 days everything's already flithy!The View From Here!
I am going to try and get some photos up here so that you can see where I have been!
Day 1 - Leaving Cairo we passed by the Pyramids - I felt like I was on a movie set!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Resting in Luxor!
Day 5 - 132km
We left Safaga yesterday morning - the sun was coming up and everyone seemed happy to get heading out after a nice evening on the beach. I was just happy to see mountains and a terrain change! The climb to lunch was 40km and eight of us did the climb together making is a pretty easy ride....that was until after lunch. The group grew at lunch to 15 which seemed a bit big but when the headwind hit we were all happy to have the support. Some of the boys are calling me the leader (we all know what happens to the leader on the show Survivor...use the leader for a while and then kick them off the island!) and I quickly organized the riders into two lines pulling for a couple of km and then dropping back for the next two to pull in the wind. It was once again a torturous ride - 7 and half hours on the bike. With 40km to go I experienced a new pain - this time in my achilles tendon! This new injury will have to get sorted early or it could be a real problem. I do not know if it is the mileage or my bike. So to be safe I changed out my suspension seatpost and opted for the old school seatpost that originally belonged to Jake. Who knows?? None of us really know what will work over here. It kind of feels like you have to forget everything you know and go with how you feel and right now I feel exhausted and sore.
The camp was once again in the desert. I got to camp fairly early (some people spent over 9 hours on the bike) and there was delicious broccoli soup waiting for us upon our arrival. I was happy to get my tent up and drink a beer. Most of our desert camps are at police checks or military checks so I am getting used to guys with guns watching over me....it is nice to feel protected but not so nice to have them watching over me as I pee!
In bed by 8pm and had the best sleep I have had yet in my tent.
Day 6 - 95km
Up at 5:15am - I have to get up a half hour before everyone else because I am still a little slow getting everything packed up in the morning. At 5:45 the music starts (the wake up call for everyone else) and it sounded like polka music! Kind of funny for about 30 seconds! My achilles tendon felt terribly painful and I started out a little slower than usual. A very strong rider, Dan, was complaining of a chest cold so we decided to ride together. We are similar kind of riders - we always say we are going to take it easy and before long we were cruising at an easy 34-35km per hour. It was nice to ride in a pair instead of a train. It was a chilly start - around 10 degrees but the sun was coming up and I was happy to be back on the bike. The road to Luxor included little towns, donkey carts, and hundreds of children yelling HELLO, HELLO! all the way along the road. After days in the desert with nothing but wind and sand this was a nice change. The traffic was a little dodgy at some points but after lunch Dan and I were joined by a Brit, Sunil and American Jason and we took turns pulling into Luxor. We arrived to camp early - there were showers available and sinks to do our laundry. Tomorrow is a rest day in Luxor so I am hoping to see something ancient and rest this sore achilles.
Still holding 3rd place among the women and I will probably hang in there for a while so I will stop mentioning my race position until something new or interesting happens. My goal at the moment is to rest up and feel good on the bike without any aches or pains - but I have a feeling the pains will just move around over the course of the next four months.
More about Luxor tomorrow night I hope and pictures too!
We left Safaga yesterday morning - the sun was coming up and everyone seemed happy to get heading out after a nice evening on the beach. I was just happy to see mountains and a terrain change! The climb to lunch was 40km and eight of us did the climb together making is a pretty easy ride....that was until after lunch. The group grew at lunch to 15 which seemed a bit big but when the headwind hit we were all happy to have the support. Some of the boys are calling me the leader (we all know what happens to the leader on the show Survivor...use the leader for a while and then kick them off the island!) and I quickly organized the riders into two lines pulling for a couple of km and then dropping back for the next two to pull in the wind. It was once again a torturous ride - 7 and half hours on the bike. With 40km to go I experienced a new pain - this time in my achilles tendon! This new injury will have to get sorted early or it could be a real problem. I do not know if it is the mileage or my bike. So to be safe I changed out my suspension seatpost and opted for the old school seatpost that originally belonged to Jake. Who knows?? None of us really know what will work over here. It kind of feels like you have to forget everything you know and go with how you feel and right now I feel exhausted and sore.
The camp was once again in the desert. I got to camp fairly early (some people spent over 9 hours on the bike) and there was delicious broccoli soup waiting for us upon our arrival. I was happy to get my tent up and drink a beer. Most of our desert camps are at police checks or military checks so I am getting used to guys with guns watching over me....it is nice to feel protected but not so nice to have them watching over me as I pee!
In bed by 8pm and had the best sleep I have had yet in my tent.
Day 6 - 95km
Up at 5:15am - I have to get up a half hour before everyone else because I am still a little slow getting everything packed up in the morning. At 5:45 the music starts (the wake up call for everyone else) and it sounded like polka music! Kind of funny for about 30 seconds! My achilles tendon felt terribly painful and I started out a little slower than usual. A very strong rider, Dan, was complaining of a chest cold so we decided to ride together. We are similar kind of riders - we always say we are going to take it easy and before long we were cruising at an easy 34-35km per hour. It was nice to ride in a pair instead of a train. It was a chilly start - around 10 degrees but the sun was coming up and I was happy to be back on the bike. The road to Luxor included little towns, donkey carts, and hundreds of children yelling HELLO, HELLO! all the way along the road. After days in the desert with nothing but wind and sand this was a nice change. The traffic was a little dodgy at some points but after lunch Dan and I were joined by a Brit, Sunil and American Jason and we took turns pulling into Luxor. We arrived to camp early - there were showers available and sinks to do our laundry. Tomorrow is a rest day in Luxor so I am hoping to see something ancient and rest this sore achilles.
Still holding 3rd place among the women and I will probably hang in there for a while so I will stop mentioning my race position until something new or interesting happens. My goal at the moment is to rest up and feel good on the bike without any aches or pains - but I have a feeling the pains will just move around over the course of the next four months.
More about Luxor tomorrow night I hope and pictures too!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sitting on the beach in Safaga!
So apparently some peeps have access to the internet on the beach - damn them!!! Well I am going to take advantage of them and add one quick line to say that the sun is setting in Safaga, Egypt and the TDA riders are drinking beer, wine and generally enjoying the afternoon off. I hope that the music at the bar doesn't play all night as I lost an ear plug in my tent/sleeping bag last night! I am not too worried though because my new friend, Steph has Canadian military training and I am sure that she could take care of business if necessary! Check out her profile on the TDA website - I am not kidding this girl is hardcore. I am getting all kinds of great tips from her - including how to pee in a bottle in the tent - once in I never have to leave!
Beer o'clock at the bar. Will post again in Luxor.
Jx
Beer o'clock at the bar. Will post again in Luxor.
Jx
4 Days Done, 116 To Go!
Where do I start!?
Day 1 - 132 km riding
The first days was an early start - 4:30 am. Breakfast and then we all got on our bikes and were escorted by the police to the great pyramids for the Tour d'Afrique opening ceremony. By 9 am we left the pyramids (I felt like I was on a movie set!) and we rode another 32 km out of Cairo again escorted by the police - quite an amazing site - 75 riders on the highways of Cairo. At the end of the convey the race started and I decided to see how I felt on the bike. In the end the result was a sprint to the finish for the women and I missed the stage win by a hair - I couldn't get my e-button out fastest enough to stop the clock! It was a photo finish and I was happy enough with second place on the stage.
The camp was a desert camp - and I didn't do to badly getting my tent up the only the second time ever! When you arrive at the end of the day you set up your tent and lay out your gear and there is aways a delicious hot soup waiting for you. At 5pm we have a rider meeting telling us about the map for the next day, announcing the winners of the days stage and then dinner. At the moment it seems to be lights out by 7pm as everyone's exhausted.
Day 2 - 168 km
168 km doesn't sound that bad on paper but on the long flat (with slight inclines) desert roads of Egypt it can be torture. I have never had such a hard day of riding in my life - 8 1/2 hours on the bike (that includes a lunch stop and a stop to pee and fill up bottles). There was a head wind like I have never experienced in my life - at times in small groups of three or four we were slowed to 13km per hour. I rode most of the day with two guys and we took turns pulling at the front of the train/line but it was hard, hard, hard. Only now do I know what it might be like to spend 120 days in Africa on a bike. Still - I made it to came in 3rd place among the women and the soup was hot! I got my tent up and we had some rain in the desert - a quick dinner and then off to bed - again around 7:30 pm.
Day 3 - 141km
This day was like a dream compared to day 2 - the wind changed direction and we caught a tail wind for most of the day. We soon forgot about our aches and pains and enjoyed speeds upwards of 45km per hour and spirits were high at the lunch truck (tuna sandwiches, pb & j and bananas). We hit a wicked crosswind for about 20km but all in all it was a great day on the bike. Jake is behaving himself but I am experiencing some nasty pain behind my left knee - could be the seat post - too low or just the suspension seat post itself or the fact that I don't usually rider that many km back to back in one week. Welcome to the TDA - everyone's got aches and pains. The camp was a desert camp last night at a police check point - we are well protected by the police each night and they follow us on the road too which is reassuring.
Still 3rd among the women.
Day 4 - 92 km
This almost feels like a rest day in comparison to the other days of riding. I decided to take it easy today......no racing (the other two women are going to be after 1st and 2nd position and I am happy with 3rd right now). Today I enjoyed the mountain scenery and we arrived in Safaga at 10:30 am - a beach town on the Red Sea. My tent is pitched on the beach and I had a shower (cold water but at least it was a shower) - my first shower in 4 days. A cold beer awaits me at the beach bar so I must sign off.
Sorry no pictures - slow upload here - I will try from Luxor.
Jx
Day 1 - 132 km riding
The first days was an early start - 4:30 am. Breakfast and then we all got on our bikes and were escorted by the police to the great pyramids for the Tour d'Afrique opening ceremony. By 9 am we left the pyramids (I felt like I was on a movie set!) and we rode another 32 km out of Cairo again escorted by the police - quite an amazing site - 75 riders on the highways of Cairo. At the end of the convey the race started and I decided to see how I felt on the bike. In the end the result was a sprint to the finish for the women and I missed the stage win by a hair - I couldn't get my e-button out fastest enough to stop the clock! It was a photo finish and I was happy enough with second place on the stage.
The camp was a desert camp - and I didn't do to badly getting my tent up the only the second time ever! When you arrive at the end of the day you set up your tent and lay out your gear and there is aways a delicious hot soup waiting for you. At 5pm we have a rider meeting telling us about the map for the next day, announcing the winners of the days stage and then dinner. At the moment it seems to be lights out by 7pm as everyone's exhausted.
Day 2 - 168 km
168 km doesn't sound that bad on paper but on the long flat (with slight inclines) desert roads of Egypt it can be torture. I have never had such a hard day of riding in my life - 8 1/2 hours on the bike (that includes a lunch stop and a stop to pee and fill up bottles). There was a head wind like I have never experienced in my life - at times in small groups of three or four we were slowed to 13km per hour. I rode most of the day with two guys and we took turns pulling at the front of the train/line but it was hard, hard, hard. Only now do I know what it might be like to spend 120 days in Africa on a bike. Still - I made it to came in 3rd place among the women and the soup was hot! I got my tent up and we had some rain in the desert - a quick dinner and then off to bed - again around 7:30 pm.
Day 3 - 141km
This day was like a dream compared to day 2 - the wind changed direction and we caught a tail wind for most of the day. We soon forgot about our aches and pains and enjoyed speeds upwards of 45km per hour and spirits were high at the lunch truck (tuna sandwiches, pb & j and bananas). We hit a wicked crosswind for about 20km but all in all it was a great day on the bike. Jake is behaving himself but I am experiencing some nasty pain behind my left knee - could be the seat post - too low or just the suspension seat post itself or the fact that I don't usually rider that many km back to back in one week. Welcome to the TDA - everyone's got aches and pains. The camp was a desert camp last night at a police check point - we are well protected by the police each night and they follow us on the road too which is reassuring.
Still 3rd among the women.
Day 4 - 92 km
This almost feels like a rest day in comparison to the other days of riding. I decided to take it easy today......no racing (the other two women are going to be after 1st and 2nd position and I am happy with 3rd right now). Today I enjoyed the mountain scenery and we arrived in Safaga at 10:30 am - a beach town on the Red Sea. My tent is pitched on the beach and I had a shower (cold water but at least it was a shower) - my first shower in 4 days. A cold beer awaits me at the beach bar so I must sign off.
Sorry no pictures - slow upload here - I will try from Luxor.
Jx
Friday, January 15, 2010
Tour d' Afrique Start Day!
Greetings from Giza - yes I am still here! But not for long. After two days of rider meetings and a fun ride through the streets of Giza (followed my the local police for around 6km - I think they were bored!) out to a "little" pyramid - I am ready to ride.
The rider meetings updated us on the ins and outs of the tour - the race rules, camp updates and toliet details (seriously that part is not going to be fun - pretty much find a "private" place, dig a hole and go. Too much information? Well I think everyone here's going to know all my business - quite literally - yikes! Having said that we are all excited and the groups seems great.
At the hotel this morning the bike mechanic, Chris set up shop and we tweaked out bikes and checked for problems. I have already ripped two values out of my tubes (which isn't great because I only have 5!) so I have been practicing changing my tires to avoid problems in the future. Jake seems ready to go but I have to admit the value problem gave me a little scare and knocked my confidence a bit. I am feeling better but tire problems are most common and I would like to avoid flats as much as possible.
Tomorrow morning we are up at 4:30 am and heading to the big pyramids as a convoy with an escort for the first 38km and then we are off and on our own. Day one is 132km and then over 150km the next day....and so on. Desert camps for 4 days (no showers) and we should be in Luxor in 6 days for our first "rest" day - I have been told to think of rest days insteads as "none riding days" because there will be no resting - it will be all about laundry, eating and finding an internet connection.
I am registered as a racer (there are a lot of us) so if you are interested you can check out the Tour d'Afrique website and check my race times......but you should know that I am reluctant racer which means I will be trying to go fast but will be stopping along the way for a coffee maybe, a coke and certainly spotting for lunch. I am not in this to win but it might be fun for you all to check out our times online.
So until Luxor then. Sorry no pictures - it has been tough to get an internet connection here in Giza.
Stay tuned.....!
The rider meetings updated us on the ins and outs of the tour - the race rules, camp updates and toliet details (seriously that part is not going to be fun - pretty much find a "private" place, dig a hole and go. Too much information? Well I think everyone here's going to know all my business - quite literally - yikes! Having said that we are all excited and the groups seems great.
At the hotel this morning the bike mechanic, Chris set up shop and we tweaked out bikes and checked for problems. I have already ripped two values out of my tubes (which isn't great because I only have 5!) so I have been practicing changing my tires to avoid problems in the future. Jake seems ready to go but I have to admit the value problem gave me a little scare and knocked my confidence a bit. I am feeling better but tire problems are most common and I would like to avoid flats as much as possible.
Tomorrow morning we are up at 4:30 am and heading to the big pyramids as a convoy with an escort for the first 38km and then we are off and on our own. Day one is 132km and then over 150km the next day....and so on. Desert camps for 4 days (no showers) and we should be in Luxor in 6 days for our first "rest" day - I have been told to think of rest days insteads as "none riding days" because there will be no resting - it will be all about laundry, eating and finding an internet connection.
I am registered as a racer (there are a lot of us) so if you are interested you can check out the Tour d'Afrique website and check my race times......but you should know that I am reluctant racer which means I will be trying to go fast but will be stopping along the way for a coffee maybe, a coke and certainly spotting for lunch. I am not in this to win but it might be fun for you all to check out our times online.
So until Luxor then. Sorry no pictures - it has been tough to get an internet connection here in Giza.
Stay tuned.....!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Arrived in Cairo!
I have arrived and Jake survived the trip! I assembled my bike this morning with the help of a lovely Belgium guy and then we did the same for Paddy from Ireland. Oh Paddy's never even been on his bike before - that makes me feel a little better :-) So all's well on day 1 of my trip. Optional ride to Mastabas tomorrow so I can work out any kinks. Hope to send photos soon.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Here to Represent Duke's Cycle!
I could not have prepared for the Tour d' Afrique without the support and generosity of all the staff at Duke's Cycle in Toronto. Big shout out to Gary Duke and his amazing staff - Michael, Stewart, Amanda, Greg, Mark, Francois and Randall! I hope I will make them proud!
Jake Boxed Up For Africa
Packing for this trip is HARD! We are limited by volume and weight - everything needs to fit in a bin (50cmx65cmx85cm) and 100 pounds is the maximum. That might sound like a lot of room/weight but just remember this is 120 days and that includes my accommodation - tent, ground sheet, mattress and cot!
Once again Jake is the only one ready to make the trip!
Jake Tricked Out
JAKE IS READY TO RIDE!
My Kona Jake has been modified and upgraded by the fantastic crew at Duke's Cycle in Toronto. Stewart build a new wheel set, there's a new bottom bracket, crank, bars, Schwalbe Tires, seat, and the space-aged Cane Creek seat post.
At least Jake is ready to go!
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