A Few More Memories

Just arrived in Tanzania

The start on Day One -all looking clean and fresh!

This lady was 96 and still very much in charge!

Sometimes any rock worked would do!

Our tent was on the right - definitely only room for two people bags had to stay outside!

The cloth worn by the Maasai warriors

Ngorongoro Crater

Our leaders Steph and Sam - both amazing.

Day Six - Weru Weru Lodge

Saturday and most of the group were going home today, a few were heading to Zanzibar for a break by the beach and we were staying at the hotel in Moshi for a wind down day before starting home tomorrow morning.

It was a slow morning, a few tired and heavy headed people did surface for breakfast but it was a little subdued.  It was a very strange feeling today as we all felt a little odd not getting on our bikes! Most of us had been planning this trip for about a year and now it was over, it was a weird feeling, what did we do with our weekends now?  Thoughts were turning to the next trip we might do!

The bus came to take them to the airport at midday and after some loud and tearful farewells silence fell on the hotel!!  Andrew, Christine and Ashlyn were still trying to sort out their plans so we had a snack lunch with them before spending a few hours by the pool going over the last few days.  

It really has been an incredible five days, if feels much longer than that having packed so much into each day and trying to take in what we saw when we were able to take our eyes off the few yards of road in front of us sure that we would not crash into some pothole!

We have met some amazing people with all different reasons for doing the ride and the experience will stay with us for a long, long time.

The map below shows our route - follow the red line from right to left.

Perfect end to the day.

They even gave us medals!

Day Five - The Final leg to Ngorongoro Crater

SUCCESS - Challenge Completed!

Up and suitcases ready for breakfast at 6am!  Our 6.30 start ended up nearer 7 as there were some punctures even before we had started!  We only(!) had 38km to cycle today and most of it on Tarmac but the ups just seemed to get harder and the downs shorter but WE DID IT! 360 kilometres completed and the challenge conquered so chuffed with ourselves.

The scenery was even more stunning and green as we travelled right through the centre of the Rift Valley. The fruit trees, farms and Maasai towns all along the route gave us something to look at when we could take our eyes off the road! Again most of the locals had big smiles as we passed and the little children alternated between saying Jambo (hello) and asking for "dollar" as they ran down to the edge of the road to see us all pass.

Everyone got everyone else up each climb and the final climb to the first Ngorongoro gate was quite emotional  - watching everyone cross the line and complete the challenge for their particular charity.   The group range in age from 19 to 64 and all of us finished and most with a smile, some through a few tears!  

After everyone had taken all the photos, cried and congratulated each other we were all going on a safari into the Crater itself. We managed a quick change of clothes, got a picnic lunch box, found a truck and then headed up to the rim of the crater with amazing views down to the rain forest of the Rift Valley on one side and the Ngorongoro Crater on the other.  What an incredible sight!  50km across, a huge lake in the middle with salt water and the greener areas where the water has come down from the rim in rivers and the land is quite lush at the base of these.

We saw wildebeest, buffalo, gazelles, crane, warthogs and lions and hippos.  It was fantastic but sadly I did not get to see an elephant which was a shame although I did see a herd through a telescope from a viewing point on the rim so I shall make do with that.

We had a five hour journey back to Weru Weru hotel which was much longer than planned but amazing to drive over the roads we had cycled and we were even more impressed with ourselves!!  Dinner was rather late but it did not stop the party and celebrations.  Everyone really let their hair down and relaxed.  We all analysed the ride and reminisced over the bruises and had a few drinks to take any pain away!  It feels strange to think we are not getting on the bikes again tomorrow and that we won't all be together again for a water break!  We finally had to say goodnight at 1am but the others carried on I gather until about 5!!

What a great day and a great trip - bring on the next challenge!

Day Four - Roika Campsite, Tarangire to Lake Manyara Hotel, Lake Manyara National Park

The first person woke at around 5 o'clock this morning and that basically means that the rest of the camp are awake pretty quickly after that!!  The plan was to leave at 7.15 again so up, dressed and packed and breakfast as the sun was rising!

The plan today was 66km and we were going to keep going through so we could get to the hotel for a late lunch and relaxing afternoon. The start was the way we came in last night and we hadn't enjoyed part of that very much then so weren't keen to do it again, but off we set with tired legs and tired bikes.  It was the day of the punctures, it was constant - every few minutes you would pass someone else on the side of the road waiting for the repair crew to come past and fix it!!  The area was flat and dusty again unti we reached this waterhole which was lovely and then after that it became a little greener and healthy looking.

We were getting too chuffed with ourselves that all was right with our bikes and then ended up having four punctures between us in about as many kilometres, serves us right!  The terrain was either very rocky or sandy but relatively hard this time.  It was hard and in places just endless but we did see some Zebra which really brightened my day.

It was going well, really hot again around 35 degrees so lots of water breaks to ensure we were hydrated and to keep us all together a each stage.  The end of the ride was a 3km climb up to the hotel and that was one climb I don't want to have to do again in a hurry.  It was so steep and so hot, but we both made it and all the cheering at the top from the other guys was great. Time for quick group shot then the final 2km or so to the actual hotel.

Wow what a place! I almost felt guilty but then again after what had gone before we all felt we deserved it!! Our late lunch was really tea as we did not get their until 4 but it was very welcome whatever the time.

The rooms were stunning and the views over the lake spectacular.  After enjoying a long soak in a wonderfully warm bath, we went for a wander around the beautiful gardens to see if we could spot some animals apart from the baboons around the hotel itself - nothing close but I did spot giraffe in the far distance.

We had a lovely dinner before an early night as starting at 6.30 tomorrow.

68km

Day Two - Olpopongi to Arusha

OMG what an incredible day!  Well I can say that now that it is all over! We started our day at 7.15 and cycled 20km on sand, some of which was about 4 inches deep and almost impossible to get through without walking! Then we had 15km uphill on an extremely rough track - all of this took about three hours which was much longer than planned! After a break for lunch we then hit the Tarmac which we would now be on for about 45km but the first 15 km were up a long and steep hill (with no flat breathing parts) and really tested us all after our morning!

By the time we set off for the last 30km which were downhill and flat and therefore actually really rather fun and meant we could lift our heads up and look at the scenery, the sun was sinking fast and the chances of reaching the campsite before dark looked very unlikely but that didn't stop them.   To cut a long story short it ended up that about half the group, after navigating our way through potholes and rocks on what we thought was the path to the camp, ended up cycling on a main road for half an hour in the pitch black with no lights following one of our support vehicles to show us the way. Pretty scary really but we made it and can laugh about it now!

The whole day was cycling around Mt Meru trying to spot wild animals but basically there were only gots, cows and a rabbit! I did finally spot a few gazelle in the distance when we had stopped for lunch. The area is stunning and the farms really cute. Most of the locals remained entertained by us but a few were less thrilled with our presence!

As I said an amazing day but not one I wish to repeat again too soon!

82km

Day Three - The Tembo Club, Arusha to The Roika Campsite, Tarangire National Park

Up early again, even earlier than asked due to the tent having no soundproofing!  They were taking no chances today and kept telling us the route, how long it should take and what we would do if it got dark before we reached our destination (they wanted no repeat of yesterday!)

After 82km yesterday we had 98km today but most was on Tarmac and although there were hills they went down as well as up so should have been an easier day! Started off really well and we raced along eating up the miles on the nice roads but sadly the Tanzanians had decided to resurface an awful lot of their highways and their idea of a diversion was onto an absolutely horrendous mix of gravel, sand, broken Tarmac and potholes. It also added on about 5 more kilometres so we ended up doing 104 today!

The scenery again was fantastic, bustling towns, pretty farms and huge expanses of nothing but scrub and dust - it is the dry season of course!  I looked hard for any wild animal but still only cows and goats!  Tonight we stayed at the Roika campsite in Tangire National Park and the route in was both bumpy and sandy but fun.  Lots of elephant dung in evidence but sadly no sighting of an elephant itself!  The tents were up so we grabbed ours and then found there was a pool so we had a quick dip to cool off! The showers were really quite posh tonight - hot water and shower head so I actually managed to clean my hair tonight - bliss!

Sitting having a G&T before supper and then to bed and hope that no animals come skulking around the tents later!  We were entertained at dinner by a few of the Maasai tribe who were there to protect us from animals in the night, showing us their various tribal dances and getting some of the younger people to join in.  It was a good day!

104km

Day One : Moshi to Olpopongi

We all gathered at the front of the hotel at 7 to set off at 7.15 and amazingly everyone was there on time.  After the obligatory photo of the group in front of the banner we started on our way. 

It was fantastic, we started on a rough track for about a kilometer then we hit Tarmac. We rode on the main road around the base of Kilimanjaro waiting for the clouds to clear so we could see the peak, we glimpsed it briefly before the clouds came back! The Tarmac then suddenly disappeared and we were back on rough track cycling through towns, past children heading to school and appeared to be a real source of entertainment to the crowds of people starting their day!

We had some long hills, dusty flat trails and some deep sand traps (which did catch a few of the riders out but luckily no serious injuries). 

Our camp for the night was in the Maasai area of Olpopongi which was a cultural village set up to show visitors what Maasai life is like. We ended up sleeping in a genuine mud hut with Lee and Kate which was very nice as the tents looked awfully small!  Roasted goat for dinner around a lovely campfire before heading off for a relatively early night, that's if we can find our way in the dark! Beautiful clear starry sky - absolutely stunning.

Bikes ready!

Well we have had our briefing and met our local crew who will be leading, following and cycling with us.  We have picked out our bikes and added any saddles and pedals that we brought with us and have left them at the front of the hotel for our 7.15am start tomorrow. Definitely going to need an early night tonight thankfully dinner is at 6.30!!

There are 50 of us in the group and all seem very nice and chatty and Martin has commented that the girls certainly do outnumber the boys on this occasion!  A few of them will certainly be up the front and a fair number of people have done quite a few of these challenges before, apparently it gets addictive - I will hold off commenting until we have finished this ride :)

Pictures missing from last post

Tanzania we are here!

That was a long journey!  First leg 6.5 hours to Doha in Qatar, a swift change planes and 7 hours to Kilimanjaro with an hours stop in Dar Es Salaam on the way! We are all a little tired and hot and now heading to our hotel for the first night and get our bikes!

We are staying at the Weru Weru River Lodge (I think the river is dry as there is no water to be seen) which is lovely and has amount Kilimanjaro as a backdrop - currently the mountain is not visible through the clouds but the local guide says it should clear around 3 pm.  

Showered and fed and now resting before our bike briefing.  

We are off!

Packed and ready to go! How do we seem to have so much!

Butterflies but excited .........

Easy run to the airport and checked in ok. Now having a cup of tea looking for 48 other people with bike helmets!!!  

Off to the plane now, hopefully the next post will be from Africa x

Map of our Route

I noticed on the last post that the map did not come out so I am trying again.   (I did preview it and it seemed to work so fingers crossed!)

Did the shopping so the fridge is full, wrote the list of things they need to remember and I got my nails done and hair cut today so I am now ready to go!!!!  

Tried out the Gel saddle cover we invested in and it definitely made the cycling a little more comfortable so I have packed those ready for Monday.




(PS. for those who are interested, Kevin is ok but needs to be fairly inactive for about 3-4 weeks to try and heal the leg as much as is possible.  We are keeping him restricted to the spare room and limiting his running and jumping as much as is physically possible, which if you knew him is not going to be an easy task - it is going to be a very long month!)

Where we are heading!

Martin was busy on Google Maps trying to get something to show roughly where we are headed and I think this is it!  Ngorongoro is the shaded part to the left of Karatu which does not look far from Arusha as the crow flies but obviously we must be taking the long way round!!

The route roughly is:

Starting in Moshi heading round Kilimanjaro and Mt Meru which is in the Arusha National Park and ending up in the Olpopongi Maasai Village. Then through many Maasai villages towards Mt Meru on towards Tarangire National Park which has the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti. Then to Lake Manyara with views of the Rift Valley and then the final climb to the Ngorongoro Gate.  If we get any better maps we will post them!

Should be plenty to see that's for sure.

We made it into the local paper!

3 days to the Off

We had our last Rabies Shot yesterday, finished taking the Typhoid pills and start the Malarone this evening so should be covered for most diseases!

Trying to get organised in a nice calm, controlled way and Kevin (the kitten) falls off a table and hurts his already dodgy leg! I left him at the vets this morning for an X-ray and we may have to restrain him for about four weeks in a room with nothing he can climb on - we don't have one of those easily available so trying to clear the spare room - calm and controlled is going out the window!! I think I would prefer them to bandage it again like last time rather than restrict him, he has way too much energy!!!  Anyway this blog is not about him so I will move on!

Actually I think we are pretty much packed just paperwork to sort out and electronics to charge up.  I don't know what connections we will have when we are camping so I will try and update this as often as I can but not sure how regular that will be - also this is my first ever blog so hope I can get it to work when I am away from this computer.

We have checked the weather and it looks like it will be in the high 20s/low 30s all week with a gentle wind and a low chance of rain - must remember to pack the sun cream otherwise our faces will be a very lovely red by the end of the ride.

Our Training

Just thought I would add a few pictures of our training.  This one was when we had finished the British Heart Foundation Harbour Ride around Portsmouth.  Great fun and our second medal!!!



















We do own other shirts honest!  This was at the end of 62 miles around the New Forest - that was really hard but we did get a medal for our efforts!!!

We had a weekend in the Peak District organised by the Group who have arranged this trip and we met a few people who are going to Tanzania with us which was great.  The weekend was a challenge in itself but we really enjoyed it and as that was early on in the year it gave us a good idea of how much work was needed.

Just a week ago we headed off to Corsica for a week of fairly hard riding to test our ability to cycle for five days in a row.  Even though we did not cycle as far each day as we are going to have to in Africa we did get back on the bike each morning and were both quite impressed with the fact that we could!  Corsica also gave us a chance to cycle in the heat - not that we had had too bad a summer back here of course - but a couple of days it was in the high 20s and we certainly needed to drink a lot to replace the sweat dripping off us by the time we reached the top of the mountain.

I think I am getting to like this biking lark!

Last year I felt Martin and I needed a challenge - must have been trying to avoid the mid life crisis - and also thought raising some money would be a good idea so I came across a 350km bike ride in Tanzania for October 2013 that we could take part in and raise money on behalf of the Cancer Polio Research Fund.  When I first spoke to them they said that it was a ride anyone could do as long as they did a bit of training so I thought ok, we have a year we can do this.  

We bought some gear so we could try and look the part and we started training!  Our first ride was around 20km and it was hard but we kept going!  Well a year later and over 2500 km cycled we are as ready as we are going to be.

The time has gone way too fast and it is incredible to think we are off in 4 days.