After all the flat, fast roads in Botswana going off road again in Namibia was a real change and this late in the tour we were all tired and worried about the off road conditions. As it happened, some of the gravel roads in Namibia were among some the best unpaved roads on the tour. In my previous blog I said that you should go to Namibia and I really mean it. I can't say enough about the landscape - desert, canyons, mountains and Namibia is well known for its dunes. I enjoyed racing here but also took the time to stop and really take in the fantastic scenery.
Some people were surprised by the temperatures in Namibia - just because it is Africa doesn't mean it is always hot! It is winter in Namibia and that means that the nights are cold - dipping down to around 3 or 4 degrees. It did still get warm in the days - somewhere in the high 20s, early 30s but pleasant when it wasn't raining.
By the time we reached Namibia some people had had it - they were tired of camping and elected to pay for accommodation whenever possible and others were sick of their bikes and were totally over the long, off road rides. I have to say that it was not true for me. I still slept in my tent, I still loved riding my bike and I couldn't get enough of Namibia. Don't get me wrong - there were tough days and I was tired - more tired than I have ever been in my life - but I was at the point where life in a tent, sitting on a camp chair in the afternoon and riding for most of the day had become "normal". I was still loving the Tour d' Afrique!
Highlights in Namibia included the gorgeous views - everywhere, stopping in Solitare for the best blueberry muffin and apple pie in all of Africa, eating wild game - kudu, impala, oryx and springbok, racing off road and chasing Big Dan for over 20km, Fish River Canyon and the silence - Namibian desert roads are quiet with very little traffic except for the odd tour bus or overlander truck. Speaking of which quiet roads in Namibia - that place is perfect for the Naked Mile. On the TDA there is a tradition called the Naked Mile - riders take off all their clothes and ride for the equivalent of a mile down the desert road.
My friend Steph and I talked one day about the Naked Mile and how no one had done it yet. We weren't sure how it was organized, if at all and we weren't keen on stripping down in front of a group so we decided to just do it - right then and there in the middle of nowhere Namibia. Now there are lots of things to consider when removing your clothes in a desert - Question: Where do you put your clothes? Answer: the side of the road. Question: What do you do with your backpack once your clothes are off? Answer: Put it back on your back. Question: How is the saddle going to feel without a chamois? Answer: You have to find that out for yourself!
The Naked Mile was a opportunity to let it all hang out, literally but it also was a great opportunity to laugh - really laugh at each other and at ourselves. At the end of almost four months on the road we all deserved to be silly and have some fun and sometimes we just needed a good laugh. Not that we weren't silly at other times on the tour but there is something so ridiculous about taking all your clothes off and riding naked down a desert road. On our little adventure that day we came across the TDA staff member riding sweep (the last riders on the road) and her first response was "Oh my, what a lovely surprise!". Later that day she and two other riders would strip down and do the same thing. There are photos of that day on the road but I will only include a tasteful self portrait here!
The Naked Mile isn't a sanctioned TDA activity because how can they really encourage naked riding but it is a wonderful tradition. By the end of that day about 6 women and a whole bunch of guys got it all out on the bike. NYC bike courier Dave apparently rode 20km that day in all his naked glory - I forgot to ask if he applied sunscreen.....
No comments:
Post a Comment