Leah and Jenn's Tanzanian Adventure

Hello from gorgeous Tanzania!

When I left off last my friend Leah had arrived in Nairobi, Kenya and we were about to begin the Masai Steppe section of the Tour d'Afrique. On the first morning we set out on pavement and Leah rode an impressive 70km to lunch - her longest ride ever. I left her at the lunch truck and she caught a ride to camp. It was a tough 157km that day and we all called it Tar Day because most riders hit a brutal patch of new tarred road and we all got covered with wet tar! It was a mess - people fell on the road, ruined cycling clothes and tarred the bikes. We spent most of that evening cleaning our bikes with gasoline. Not the best start to the section but that's the way it goes around here - you never know what's going to happen.

On day 2 of the section we were still on pavement and Leah managed another morning on the bike - 60km and I rode into Arusha, Tanzania on my own. Riding with Leah was such fun. It gave me the opportunity to slow down and really take in the countryside. I really enjoyed taking photos, telling stories with my old friend and having a laugh. I was thrilled to arrive in Arusha - our half way point on the Tour and three consecutive rest days. We stayed a nice camp site - with showers, food and a bar - the perfect way to kick off the rest days and to get ready for our Tanzanian safari.

I promise to do a photo blog next week when I have access again to the Internet - but right now I will just give you a quick description of our wonderful safari. Leah and I had planned in advance to do a safari and it was a brilliant time. We opted for the safari with accommodation (instead of camping - come on I camp everyday!) and it was clearly the right choice. The three day safari included three park drives, two nights accommodation at lovely and luxury lodges (wow the views!) with meals included. We were 6 people per truck and there only 12 of us on the trip - a nice break from the usual 60 in our TDA group. There was a nice mix of people on each truck and it was just nice to socialize off the bike and have something else to talk about other than bikes and rides.

The first park drive was at a nice park close to our lodge. Within minutes of entering the park we came across three elephants less than 10 meters from our truck. I won't lie to you - I cried when the baby elephant popped out of the trees....there is something so special seeing animals like elephants in their natural habitat. Everyone threatened to tell the group about my crying but I insisted that what happens on safari stays on safari! As most of you know though - I am a big softy and all things cute and small have the tendency to bring tears to my eyes. The elephants were just hanging out and eating by the side of the road/track - they are amazing animals and I knew right then that I was going to love the safari experience. That afternoon we saw giraffes, baboons, hippos, black-faced monkeys, zebras, warthogs and much more. The drive was long enough to see lots of animals but not too long (it is hot and tiring peering out the top of a truck). By 6pm we were on our way back to the lodge for a shower, a cocktail and dinner. It felt like a holiday to me - pure luxury and I loved it.

On day two of the safari we drove to our next lodge and then spent the afternoon in the Ngorongoro Crater - probably one of the most incredible places I have ever visited in my life. The crater is like a natural zoo - the animals somehow got in and can't get out (with the exception of the elephants and a few other animal species) so it is really like The Garden of Eden. We were visiting off season so there were only a few trucks in the crater and the sheer number of animals was staggering - I have never seen anything like it in my life. If you did a 360 turn in the truck you could see wildebeest, water buffalo, pink flamingos, zebras, elephants, hyenas, ostriches, gazelles, jackals- and the list goes on! It was so exciting to see the animals but seriously a drive in the crater alone would have almost been enough for me. After a three our drive around the crater we returned to our lodge and drank beer on the deck with a crater view - so great!

On the third day we went out on a morning trip to the Tarengeri National Park for a short drive and again we had great sightings - large groups of elephants with lots of babies, families of giraffes and we spotted to cheetahs relaxing under a tree. We were treated to a nice buffet lunch with gorgeous views - the perfect end to a brilliant three days.

When we returned to Arusha we were reminded that we are in Africa to ride bikes and we were briefed on the next seven days of riding - one day on pavement followed by six days of hard off road - rocks, gravel and sand! Leah realized quickly that her bike might not fair too well on the terrain and Ted, a full-time rider going off to climb Killi kindly offered her his super, tricked out mountain bike to ride (the crew at Duke's will know the bike - the pretty much built Ted's bike - Rohloff hub, Fox forks, Cane Creek suspension seat post and Schwalbe Big Apple tires). With a bike fit for Tanzanian roads - Leah was good to go. On the first day out after the safari Leah exceeded I think her own expectations and rode the whole day - 105km. It was paved road but still - I was impressed! We arrived at the Lakeview camp - lovely views and a makeshift hilltop bar. The next day we went off road and things got tougher. Leah rode 60km to lunch - the climbs were hard I have to admit. Leah will be the first to tell you - it was hard. Stay tuned - her adventures will be in the Saturday Travel Section of the Globe & Mail in the coming weeks (I will let you know when her story is due to run.

The next day Leah rode again to lunch and she is to be commended for her great morning effort. The descents were EPIC - steep and covered with large rocks and gravel. Again - my good friend impressed me with her confidence on the bike and determination to stay upright! I think the next day was Leah's first full day on the bike off road - 92km of rocks and sand. Everyone on the tour applauded her effort and made sure she knew that they thought she was doing really well. After that Leah took a break from the bike to get a behind-the-scenes look at the TDA and she did the shopping at the local markets in Dodoma with James, our resident chef. I don't think she minded having a day off the saddle.

In total Leah rode for at least part of 8 days in Kenya and Tanzania and I loved her company on the bike. It was such a pleasure to catch up with a friend from home, talk about our friends and introduce her to life on a bike in Africa. The group took to her immediately and many riders said that they wished that she was staying on a little or a lot longer. She of course charmed everyone and I am sure that the story will be a great read!

As for me - I spent longer on the bike that ever (due to the slower rides) and I left Leah with the lunch truck it was fun to think that she would be at the camp when I finished the afternoon section. I felt protective of her when she was on the bike for sure and I was happy to say in the end that she got through it without a single puncture or fall. Leah left yesterday and I miss her already. She is off now on a Kenyan beach holiday with her husband, Patrick - some real luxury after tenting it for the Masai Steppe section. By the way - I also found her a tent to use so that she didn't have to share with me - I know at the end of a long day on the bike she was happy to have her own tent to retire to each night.

Yesterday was our ride in to Iringa - the day started with a 20km time trial - a full 20km climb on rock road in the rain = mud and rock! It was so much fun! I just love riding in Africa - even off road. My Kona Jake took quite a beating but that bike is hanging in there and I wouldn't do it differently even if I could. I don't know how I placed in the time trial but it doesn't matter much because I wasn't racing the section and really - this section was all about having fun - race or no race.

So that leaves me here in Iringa, Tanzania on my rest day - getting ready to start the next section which takes us through Malawi. It is supposed to be incredibly beautiful and we are back on pavement which will make things a little faster. The other good news it that I haven't been sick for two whole weeks! I feel so much better and I think it shows - on the bike and around the camp.

I promise to post some safari pictures as soon as I can and some pics of Leah too.

I hope that this blog posting finds you all well and happy! It is all happiness here in Tanzania.

Jx