Date: July 20th, 2010
Distance: 111km
Country: Tanzania
Rode out of Dar today. It does feel great to be back on the road. The wind in your hair. The open space. The sense of total freedom. The trucks zipping by... Okay, not the trucks. But the rest of it I like.
Out of the city, the terrain becomes a little bit hilly. After Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, the barely seem like hills at all. More like a bit of decoration. No trouble at all. After about 50km, the road becomes dead flat for a while. I don't know what kind of valley it was, but I was really able to crank it across that.
In the afternoon, I saw another cyclist. Actually, he saw me. Daniel, is from Israel. I guess he started in Zimbabwe, and is heading north. The thing is, he didn't think of biking until he was in Africa. The bike, and basically everything on it was scrounged up somewhere in Africa. (I guess his first bike was an old Indian single speed. The current one he found in Mozambique.) So his rig is a bit funky. Still, I am quite impressed with everything he put together. The front bags were made by a local tailor somewhere. Just getting the guy to understand what he wanted must have been a chore. They look pretty good though. Plus, it is always great to see another cyclist on tour. It really brightened my afternoon. Daniel, if you are reading, have a great trip. Stay safe, and let me know how you are doing.
The last couple of hours in the day did tend to drag. There really wasn't anything for the last 25km. I was hoping for a late afternoon Coke to get me going. No such luck.
When I got to Chanlinze, I found a lodge to stay out. The lady there was nice enough and showed me a couple of nice rooms for 10,000 shillings. I asked for anything smaller, but she said there wasn't anything. When I went to sign in though, I notice a couple of other people had only paid 5,000 shillings. I asked to see one of those rooms. They were smaller, not quite as nice and with a shared bathroom. For me, that is perfect. I don't need nothing fancy, just a bed to lay my head on.
-Dravis
Friday, July 23, 2010
Dodoma to Dar es Salaam - Day 335
Date: July 19th, 2010
Distance: Cheating by bus.
Country: Tanzania
So I spent the night fitfully sleeping on that little pad on the bus. At least I was only sharing it with one guy. I am not sure where the third guy stayed. He showed up later, when the bus got moving.
I actually did fall asleep for a bit in the morning. Sadly, I missed my turn. But the time I woke up we were almost at Dar es Salaam. So I figured I would head into town, and see what that was like. I would bike back out tomorrow.
Not much to say about the city. It is another big African city. I did meet a guy there, Rahim, who helped me look for a place to stay. There are a couple of catholic missions in town. Sadly, both were booked up. Well, one of them had an extra room, they had just lost the key. Eventually I did find something nice and cheap. Acutally, it wasn't all that nice. It was clean though.
While I was in town, I checked on ferry schedules. I have been saving Zanzibar as a sort of treat to myself. Before the trip ends I am going to try and spend a day or two there.
-Dravis
Distance: Cheating by bus.
Country: Tanzania
So I spent the night fitfully sleeping on that little pad on the bus. At least I was only sharing it with one guy. I am not sure where the third guy stayed. He showed up later, when the bus got moving.
I actually did fall asleep for a bit in the morning. Sadly, I missed my turn. But the time I woke up we were almost at Dar es Salaam. So I figured I would head into town, and see what that was like. I would bike back out tomorrow.
Not much to say about the city. It is another big African city. I did meet a guy there, Rahim, who helped me look for a place to stay. There are a couple of catholic missions in town. Sadly, both were booked up. Well, one of them had an extra room, they had just lost the key. Eventually I did find something nice and cheap. Acutally, it wasn't all that nice. It was clean though.
While I was in town, I checked on ferry schedules. I have been saving Zanzibar as a sort of treat to myself. Before the trip ends I am going to try and spend a day or two there.
-Dravis
Kigoma to Dodoma - Day 334
Date: July 18th, 2010
Distance: Cheating by bus.
Country: Tanzania
Finally got on the bus this morning. I has been an unpleasant ride, but at least I am out of Kigoma.
We stopped in Dodoma. I am not sure why, but hopefully the driver is getting some rest. He drives like a maniac. Apparently when they moved the ticket to today, the failed to mention that there were no seats left. So I am stuck on a little pad next to the driver, and I have to share it with two other guys. Life on the road I guess.
-Dravis
Distance: Cheating by bus.
Country: Tanzania
Finally got on the bus this morning. I has been an unpleasant ride, but at least I am out of Kigoma.
We stopped in Dodoma. I am not sure why, but hopefully the driver is getting some rest. He drives like a maniac. Apparently when they moved the ticket to today, the failed to mention that there were no seats left. So I am stuck on a little pad next to the driver, and I have to share it with two other guys. Life on the road I guess.
-Dravis
Kigoma - Day 333
Date: July 17th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: Sitting Still - R.E.M.
This morning repeated much of yesterday. I got up, checked out of my hotel, and went to the bus office early. I just wanted to make sure the bus left from the same place. When I got there, they told me that the bus had already left. Apparently, when they told me it was at 11:30 in the morning, they were using Swahili time. That is 6 hours off. So really they had meant 5:30 in the morning. I have no idea what the logic was behind telling a foreigner who speaks no Swahili the time in Swahili. Thanks guys.
So I am stuck here one more day. Tomorrow is Sunday. I would take the train, but it leaves much later, and takes longer. Plus there are only 3rd class tickets available. There is no way I am getting stuck on a wooden bench for two days. Miserable failure.
There was one bright spot in the day. I saw a guy riding around town on a touring bike. Eventually I found the guy and had some tea. It turns out, Yuka is from Finland. I think he has come all the way from Indonesia on the bike, and it has taken three and a half years. His next move is to head along the lake down to Mpanda. As he said, there is no road but a little track. He also invited me to come with him and have "adventures". I am sure that would be quite a trip. Me, I have a ticket home, and I am not going to miss that flight.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: Sitting Still - R.E.M.
This morning repeated much of yesterday. I got up, checked out of my hotel, and went to the bus office early. I just wanted to make sure the bus left from the same place. When I got there, they told me that the bus had already left. Apparently, when they told me it was at 11:30 in the morning, they were using Swahili time. That is 6 hours off. So really they had meant 5:30 in the morning. I have no idea what the logic was behind telling a foreigner who speaks no Swahili the time in Swahili. Thanks guys.
So I am stuck here one more day. Tomorrow is Sunday. I would take the train, but it leaves much later, and takes longer. Plus there are only 3rd class tickets available. There is no way I am getting stuck on a wooden bench for two days. Miserable failure.
There was one bright spot in the day. I saw a guy riding around town on a touring bike. Eventually I found the guy and had some tea. It turns out, Yuka is from Finland. I think he has come all the way from Indonesia on the bike, and it has taken three and a half years. His next move is to head along the lake down to Mpanda. As he said, there is no road but a little track. He also invited me to come with him and have "adventures". I am sure that would be quite a trip. Me, I have a ticket home, and I am not going to miss that flight.
-Dravis
Kigoma - Day 332
Date: July 16th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: Hanginaround - Counting Crows
So I have basically been stuck in Kigoma the last three days. It is a nice town, the people are friendly, and there is nothing to do. There are only a couple of reasons to come here. If you are waiting for the boat to take you south to Zambia, or if you want to take the train east to Dar es Salaam. Past that, there isn't much to do but wait.
I was hoping to take the train to Dodoma, the capital. It is supposed to be amazing. There is no direct road to Dodoma. So the train cuts across vast empty spaces in the interior. I was thinking that I might be able to see some wildlife along the way. Acording to the locals, the line was completed in 1903. A throwback to the colonial period when train travel was the best way.
When I checked online, the train was running three times a week. That is no longer the case. It now runs only on Sundays. Urgh. I was going to wait for the train when I remembered you could take a bus. The road goes north over rough roads for about 300km before heading east towards the coast. So it was at least possible.
I purchased a ticket yesterday, and the bus was set to leave at 5:30 this morning. I was up before dawn and got myself to the bus yard. Trying to get the bike on the bus turned into a real hassle. I have seen a fully grown cow on top of a bus, don't tell me you can't fit one stupid bike on it. They guys kept telling me to wait, and that there was no space. Every time I tried to show them, they walked away. Then they unloaded a number of large bags of cargo (filled with little fish, like sardines, from Lake Tanganyika). I tried to get my bike on in the space left open, but again I was told to wait. Then the bus drove off, leaving me in the dust and darkness.
I went and checked back into my hotel. Later I went back to the bus company and complained about it. They said they could get me on the next bus, but that wasn't until Sunday. I was in no mood to wait, so I got a refund and went to another company. I purchased another ticket for 11:30 AM tomorrow. I guess it was the same price for Dar es Salaam as Dodoma, so I got the ticket all the way there. Since I missed a day, I will probably get off at the turn off to the highway north.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: Hanginaround - Counting Crows
So I have basically been stuck in Kigoma the last three days. It is a nice town, the people are friendly, and there is nothing to do. There are only a couple of reasons to come here. If you are waiting for the boat to take you south to Zambia, or if you want to take the train east to Dar es Salaam. Past that, there isn't much to do but wait.
I was hoping to take the train to Dodoma, the capital. It is supposed to be amazing. There is no direct road to Dodoma. So the train cuts across vast empty spaces in the interior. I was thinking that I might be able to see some wildlife along the way. Acording to the locals, the line was completed in 1903. A throwback to the colonial period when train travel was the best way.
When I checked online, the train was running three times a week. That is no longer the case. It now runs only on Sundays. Urgh. I was going to wait for the train when I remembered you could take a bus. The road goes north over rough roads for about 300km before heading east towards the coast. So it was at least possible.
I purchased a ticket yesterday, and the bus was set to leave at 5:30 this morning. I was up before dawn and got myself to the bus yard. Trying to get the bike on the bus turned into a real hassle. I have seen a fully grown cow on top of a bus, don't tell me you can't fit one stupid bike on it. They guys kept telling me to wait, and that there was no space. Every time I tried to show them, they walked away. Then they unloaded a number of large bags of cargo (filled with little fish, like sardines, from Lake Tanganyika). I tried to get my bike on in the space left open, but again I was told to wait. Then the bus drove off, leaving me in the dust and darkness.
I went and checked back into my hotel. Later I went back to the bus company and complained about it. They said they could get me on the next bus, but that wasn't until Sunday. I was in no mood to wait, so I got a refund and went to another company. I purchased another ticket for 11:30 AM tomorrow. I guess it was the same price for Dar es Salaam as Dodoma, so I got the ticket all the way there. Since I missed a day, I will probably get off at the turn off to the highway north.
-Dravis
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Mabara to Kigoma - Day 328
Date: July 12th, 2010
Distance: 85km
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: The Wanderer - U2
I am back on dirt roads for the time being. I am not excited about that. I am still up in the hills as well. I thought that would mean more downhills, but I am just riding from one ridge to the next. I got checked out of Burundi and into Tanzania. Country 29.
On the Tanzania side they are in the process of paving the road. Not that it helps me much. It is still just a dirt road, but now it has big dump trucks on it.
I was starting to go downhill a bit more. I really hate going downhill on dirt roads. I feel like I burn off most of my hard earned potential energy as excess break heat. In some section they had rolled the dirt out flat. I could zoom right over that like a paved road. Most of it was either gravel or dust. The dust is the worst. If you start skidding out you have to fight the urge to use your breaks. Instead you have to loosen up and hope that will keep the wheel from sinking in and turning. On the really steep sections that was quite nerve wracking.
About 15km from Kigoma the road becomes paved. That was perfect. I could really scream down the hills from there. I got into town just before sunset.
-Dravis
Distance: 85km
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: The Wanderer - U2
I am back on dirt roads for the time being. I am not excited about that. I am still up in the hills as well. I thought that would mean more downhills, but I am just riding from one ridge to the next. I got checked out of Burundi and into Tanzania. Country 29.
On the Tanzania side they are in the process of paving the road. Not that it helps me much. It is still just a dirt road, but now it has big dump trucks on it.
I was starting to go downhill a bit more. I really hate going downhill on dirt roads. I feel like I burn off most of my hard earned potential energy as excess break heat. In some section they had rolled the dirt out flat. I could zoom right over that like a paved road. Most of it was either gravel or dust. The dust is the worst. If you start skidding out you have to fight the urge to use your breaks. Instead you have to loosen up and hope that will keep the wheel from sinking in and turning. On the really steep sections that was quite nerve wracking.
About 15km from Kigoma the road becomes paved. That was perfect. I could really scream down the hills from there. I got into town just before sunset.
-Dravis
Rumonge to Mabara - Day 327
Date: July 11th, 2010
Distance: 74km
Country: Burundi
Song of the Day: Around the World - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The morning started out with some nice cruising along the lake. The road here is generally pretty good. There are a few sections where the pavement is torn up, but for the most part it is great. I am still hitting a headwind, but what can you expect, right?
Lake Tanganyika was looking really great today. I still couldn't see the far side of i
t. The water was just dazzling in the sunlight. Right at the shoreline it was clear. Then it went to the turquoise of pack ice. Finally it ended up at the dark blue of deep water. It is Africa's deepest lake after all. I also took the opportunity to take a swim in the lake. Man it felt great to swim in those clear waters.
I stopped for lunch in the town of Nyanza. There was a mom in there with a small baby. In Africa, babies are passed around more freely than joints at Matthew McConaughey's house. So I got to hold the little guy for a bit. Cute kid.
I also stopped for some banana juice. Still more ways for the people to use up all the bananas they have. It is hard to find, but really refreshing. Just look for the ladies with plastic buckets and little plastic cups. You can get a cup for $.05 or so. You might have to accept that it isn't the most sanitary though. There was a dead bee floating in the bucket. Still, I figured a bee is better than flies.
After Nyanza, it was awful. Actually, the first 12km out of town weren't so bad. Just a little up hill. That was followed by 8km of brutal uphill. At least it was paved. I had to push my bike at least half of that distance. Still, I made it to the top and felt good for that.
I found a place to stay in Mabara but they said they didn't have a TV. I really wanted to see the world cup final. I ended up wandering around the town for quite a while. Usually to shouts of "Mzungu, Mzungu". I was really glad when it got dark and people couldn't see me as well. I did pick up and erzats guide. He was just a guy who wanted to help, but he hadn't a clue what I wanted, and didn't really understand english. Basically it was a guy following me around and pointing out things I could buy. Finally I got him to leave and I was able to find a restaurant where I could eat in peace.
Later I did find a place that had the football match on. It was Spain vs. The Netherlands. I didn't really think it was all that exciting. Neither team seemed to be playing that well either. After the regular time was up, I decided to head back to the guest house. When I got back they had pulled a TV from somewhere and were watching the game. So I watched the overtime. Again, I didn't think they were playing that great. Spain did get a goal in right at then end of overtime. So they won the match 1-0.
-Dravis
Distance: 74km
Country: Burundi
Song of the Day: Around the World - Red Hot Chili Peppers
The morning started out with some nice cruising along the lake. The road here is generally pretty good. There are a few sections where the pavement is torn up, but for the most part it is great. I am still hitting a headwind, but what can you expect, right?
Lake Tanganyika was looking really great today. I still couldn't see the far side of i
t. The water was just dazzling in the sunlight. Right at the shoreline it was clear. Then it went to the turquoise of pack ice. Finally it ended up at the dark blue of deep water. It is Africa's deepest lake after all. I also took the opportunity to take a swim in the lake. Man it felt great to swim in those clear waters.
I stopped for lunch in the town of Nyanza. There was a mom in there with a small baby. In Africa, babies are passed around more freely than joints at Matthew McConaughey's house. So I got to hold the little guy for a bit. Cute kid.I also stopped for some banana juice. Still more ways for the people to use up all the bananas they have. It is hard to find, but really refreshing. Just look for the ladies with plastic buckets and little plastic cups. You can get a cup for $.05 or so. You might have to accept that it isn't the most sanitary though. There was a dead bee floating in the bucket. Still, I figured a bee is better than flies.
After Nyanza, it was awful. Actually, the first 12km out of town weren't so bad. Just a little up hill. That was followed by 8km of brutal uphill. At least it was paved. I had to push my bike at least half of that distance. Still, I made it to the top and felt good for that.
I found a place to stay in Mabara but they said they didn't have a TV. I really wanted to see the world cup final. I ended up wandering around the town for quite a while. Usually to shouts of "Mzungu, Mzungu". I was really glad when it got dark and people couldn't see me as well. I did pick up and erzats guide. He was just a guy who wanted to help, but he hadn't a clue what I wanted, and didn't really understand english. Basically it was a guy following me around and pointing out things I could buy. Finally I got him to leave and I was able to find a restaurant where I could eat in peace.
Later I did find a place that had the football match on. It was Spain vs. The Netherlands. I didn't really think it was all that exciting. Neither team seemed to be playing that well either. After the regular time was up, I decided to head back to the guest house. When I got back they had pulled a TV from somewhere and were watching the game. So I watched the overtime. Again, I didn't think they were playing that great. Spain did get a goal in right at then end of overtime. So they won the match 1-0.
-Dravis
Bujumbura to Rumonge - Day 326
Date: July 10th, 2010
Distance: 76km
Country: Burundi
Song of the Day: Machinehead - Bush
Back on the road today. I am making good time heading south despite the headwind. The road along Lake Tanganyika is a lot more flat than the hills I have been used to. Actually, the road runs in a narrow band between the shoreline of th
e lake and the hills to the east. The far side of the lake is lost over the horizon. From my vantage point it almost appears like a large inland sea. The few villages I have passed seem to support the local fishing fleet. Each one is built around a small natural harbor, which is filled with wooden ships.
When I got to Rumonge, I found a place to sleep and watch the world cup. It is only the 3rd place finish, but between Germany and Uraguay. It was a good game, with Germany winning 3-2.
-Dravis
Distance: 76km
Country: Burundi
Song of the Day: Machinehead - Bush
Back on the road today. I am making good time heading south despite the headwind. The road along Lake Tanganyika is a lot more flat than the hills I have been used to. Actually, the road runs in a narrow band between the shoreline of th
e lake and the hills to the east. The far side of the lake is lost over the horizon. From my vantage point it almost appears like a large inland sea. The few villages I have passed seem to support the local fishing fleet. Each one is built around a small natural harbor, which is filled with wooden ships.When I got to Rumonge, I found a place to sleep and watch the world cup. It is only the 3rd place finish, but between Germany and Uraguay. It was a good game, with Germany winning 3-2.
-Dravis
Bujumbura - Day 325
Date: July 9th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Burundi
I did some more exploring of Bujumbura today. I went to the market. That was a wild experiment. The main market in the city is covered by a metal roof. Underneath it are a warren of tiny shops and stalls. People are push too. If you stop to let someone else pass, the person behind you will likely shove you out of the way. I guess you leave your courtesy at home.
After a little while, and some bargaining, I did manage to get a new pair of sunglasses. This would be pair number six. They just don't last that long. Or maybe I just treat them too hard. Life on the road I guess.
There really isn't much else to do here. I took a nap in the afternoon. That really isn't the best use of my time. After seeing the market, I didn't have any ideas of fun stuff. I guess that means it is time to hit the road again.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Burundi
I did some more exploring of Bujumbura today. I went to the market. That was a wild experiment. The main market in the city is covered by a metal roof. Underneath it are a warren of tiny shops and stalls. People are push too. If you stop to let someone else pass, the person behind you will likely shove you out of the way. I guess you leave your courtesy at home.
After a little while, and some bargaining, I did manage to get a new pair of sunglasses. This would be pair number six. They just don't last that long. Or maybe I just treat them too hard. Life on the road I guess.
There really isn't much else to do here. I took a nap in the afternoon. That really isn't the best use of my time. After seeing the market, I didn't have any ideas of fun stuff. I guess that means it is time to hit the road again.
-Dravis
Friday, July 9, 2010
Kayanza to Bujumbura - Day 324
Date: July 8th, 2010
Distance: 98km
Country: Burundi
Song of the Day: Love and Memories - O.A.R.
I knew it was going to be a long day, and I was mostly right. The morning started with a nice down-hill. From there it was up and over a couple of ridge-lines. I don't know that Burundi is less hilly than Rwanda. It does seem to have more smaller hills though. I am not sure if that is better.
I did grab onto a couple more trucks today to get a pull up some steep hills. I haven't seen that anywhere else I can think of, but it is common here. So much so that some of the trucks tie thorny sticks to the back to prevent people from grabbing on. There must be dissent among the drivers on that point though. The drivers for trucks I was holding onto always seemed to encourage me.
After Bugarama, it was all downhill though. Over 30 kilometers of screaming down the roads. I saw a couple of kids wipe out. It pays to have good breaks. I stopped, but they actually looked okay. No broken bones. Still, crashing when going really fast is the thing that scares me the most. Not bandits. Not lions. Not rebels. Not trucks. It is the hills. Going over 50kph, if something goes wrong it can be all over in an instant. Maybe that is why I keep hearing "courage" from people as I pass.
Once in Bujumbura, I found a place to stay. The city itself looks like most of the other ones I have been to. As in, not much to get excited about. There aren't really any attractions to see or places to visit. Still, I am in Bujumbura. I couldn't have found it on a map six months ago. I am so glad to have gotten the chance to travel like this.
-Dravis
Distance: 98km
Country: Burundi
Song of the Day: Love and Memories - O.A.R.
I knew it was going to be a long day, and I was mostly right. The morning started with a nice down-hill. From there it was up and over a couple of ridge-lines. I don't know that Burundi is less hilly than Rwanda. It does seem to have more smaller hills though. I am not sure if that is better.
I did grab onto a couple more trucks today to get a pull up some steep hills. I haven't seen that anywhere else I can think of, but it is common here. So much so that some of the trucks tie thorny sticks to the back to prevent people from grabbing on. There must be dissent among the drivers on that point though. The drivers for trucks I was holding onto always seemed to encourage me.
After Bugarama, it was all downhill though. Over 30 kilometers of screaming down the roads. I saw a couple of kids wipe out. It pays to have good breaks. I stopped, but they actually looked okay. No broken bones. Still, crashing when going really fast is the thing that scares me the most. Not bandits. Not lions. Not rebels. Not trucks. It is the hills. Going over 50kph, if something goes wrong it can be all over in an instant. Maybe that is why I keep hearing "courage" from people as I pass.Once in Bujumbura, I found a place to stay. The city itself looks like most of the other ones I have been to. As in, not much to get excited about. There aren't really any attractions to see or places to visit. Still, I am in Bujumbura. I couldn't have found it on a map six months ago. I am so glad to have gotten the chance to travel like this.
-Dravis
Butare to Kayanza - Day 323
Date: July 7th, 2010
Distance: 55km
Country: Burundi
I left Butare in the morning and headed for the border. Nothing too bad. Mostly down hill. The border was a few kilometers farther than the sign said. I guess I should be used to lying signs by now though.
Crossing the border was pretty easy. No real problems on either side. I did try and ask if I could have gotten the visa for Burundi at the border. When I asked how much the visa was, the immigration officer said $20. I was shocked that you could get it there, then the guy said no, you couldn't get a visa there, only in Bujumbura. So I still have no idea what the visa rules are like. Oh well.
The road in Burundi is quite hilly. I was hoping it would be less so than in Rwanda,
but no. Going up one hill I grabbed a truck, literally. It was only going about 10kph, and as it passed I could see another cyclist holding on. I gave that a whirl. It actually isn't as easy as it looks. All the pressure of pulling the entire bike is on just your finger tips. I don't think it was taking that much less energy. It was a new and interesting experience though. The truck also had a few hop-ons while I was there. I guess that really happens here. Eventually I couldn't hold on any more, so I let go. Another cyclist took my place. By that point there were four bikes being dragged by the truck. Quite amusing.
I got to Kayanza and had a bit to eat. I was hoping to go a little further, but I couldn't get any straight answer about where the next town was. I did hear from a couple of people that it was too far to bike to the next town. I really didn't want to be caught out at night here. So I just found a place in town to stay.
What I didn't find was a place to watch the game. Germany was playing Spain in the World Cup. I was hoping to watch it. Everything was closed though. D'oh. I guess they were all somewhere else watching the game...
-Dravis
Distance: 55km
Country: Burundi
I left Butare in the morning and headed for the border. Nothing too bad. Mostly down hill. The border was a few kilometers farther than the sign said. I guess I should be used to lying signs by now though.
Crossing the border was pretty easy. No real problems on either side. I did try and ask if I could have gotten the visa for Burundi at the border. When I asked how much the visa was, the immigration officer said $20. I was shocked that you could get it there, then the guy said no, you couldn't get a visa there, only in Bujumbura. So I still have no idea what the visa rules are like. Oh well.
The road in Burundi is quite hilly. I was hoping it would be less so than in Rwanda,
but no. Going up one hill I grabbed a truck, literally. It was only going about 10kph, and as it passed I could see another cyclist holding on. I gave that a whirl. It actually isn't as easy as it looks. All the pressure of pulling the entire bike is on just your finger tips. I don't think it was taking that much less energy. It was a new and interesting experience though. The truck also had a few hop-ons while I was there. I guess that really happens here. Eventually I couldn't hold on any more, so I let go. Another cyclist took my place. By that point there were four bikes being dragged by the truck. Quite amusing.I got to Kayanza and had a bit to eat. I was hoping to go a little further, but I couldn't get any straight answer about where the next town was. I did hear from a couple of people that it was too far to bike to the next town. I really didn't want to be caught out at night here. So I just found a place in town to stay.
What I didn't find was a place to watch the game. Germany was playing Spain in the World Cup. I was hoping to watch it. Everything was closed though. D'oh. I guess they were all somewhere else watching the game...
-Dravis
Kigali to Butare - Day 322
Date: July 6th, 2010
Distance: 66km (Plus a ride on a truck.)
Country: Rwanda
Song of the Day: Talk - Coldpay
This morning I had to find the embassy for Burundi. It took most of the morning just to find it. Frustrating. Still I got there and was able to get my visa, though it took a while.
From there I headed out of the city. I did catch a truck going back to Giterama though. I already rode the same route into the city. I saw no need to do it again. They did also take me a fair bit of the way to Butare though. I can't say I really mind though. I was exhausted from the weekend. I was actually falling asleep in the truck. The stop at the embassy had also taken up a lot of time. So I never would have gotten to Butare without it.
Once I was in Butare, I found a place to stay and some food. I tried to watch the World Cup match (Netherlands vs. Uraguay) but I just couldn't stay awake for it.
-Dravi
Distance: 66km (Plus a ride on a truck.)
Country: Rwanda
Song of the Day: Talk - Coldpay
This morning I had to find the embassy for Burundi. It took most of the morning just to find it. Frustrating. Still I got there and was able to get my visa, though it took a while.
From there I headed out of the city. I did catch a truck going back to Giterama though. I already rode the same route into the city. I saw no need to do it again. They did also take me a fair bit of the way to Butare though. I can't say I really mind though. I was exhausted from the weekend. I was actually falling asleep in the truck. The stop at the embassy had also taken up a lot of time. So I never would have gotten to Butare without it.
Once I was in Butare, I found a place to stay and some food. I tried to watch the World Cup match (Netherlands vs. Uraguay) but I just couldn't stay awake for it.
-Dravi
Kibungo to Kigali - Day 321
Date: July 5th, 2010
Distance: (Travel by bus.)
Country: Rwanda
Song of the Day: Three Day Weekend - Blackhappy
Woke up and Trude and I left back to Kigali. She was heading all the way back to Gisenyi. Trude, thanks for everything. Best of luck! Let me know when you climb Nyiragongo. I hope you have a great time.
Once back in Kigali, I took a little while to wander the city. I also got onto the internet for a bit. I guess I have to get a visa for Burundi. It was too late to get the visa when I found out though. Whoops. I guess that is another task for tomorrow.
I
n the evening I met up with Albert again. I showed him how to do a few things one his computer. I really do like using my IT skills. After that he had to go back to his place and get stuff ready for his sister's wedding. Albert, thank you so much. It was great hanging out. Let me know if you ever make it to America.
-Dravis
Distance: (Travel by bus.)
Country: Rwanda
Song of the Day: Three Day Weekend - Blackhappy
Woke up and Trude and I left back to Kigali. She was heading all the way back to Gisenyi. Trude, thanks for everything. Best of luck! Let me know when you climb Nyiragongo. I hope you have a great time.
Once back in Kigali, I took a little while to wander the city. I also got onto the internet for a bit. I guess I have to get a visa for Burundi. It was too late to get the visa when I found out though. Whoops. I guess that is another task for tomorrow.
I
n the evening I met up with Albert again. I showed him how to do a few things one his computer. I really do like using my IT skills. After that he had to go back to his place and get stuff ready for his sister's wedding. Albert, thank you so much. It was great hanging out. Let me know if you ever make it to America.-Dravis
Rwamagana to Kibungo - Day 320
Date: July 4th, 2010
Distance: (Travel by bus.)
Country: Rwanda
Song of the Day: Just Watch the Fireworks - Jimmy Eat World
The group of us left Jenny's place and got on a mutatu going to Kibungo. When we got there, the goat had already been slaughtered and roasted. No gory pictures for you. We did get there in time for food though. For me, the next few hours were a combination of conversation and consumption.
There were a bunch of really cool people there. A lot of Peace Corps volunteers, but a few who worked for other NGOs. One girl brought her parents, who were actually lots of fun to talk to. There were even a couple of Brits there. I should have razzed them more with "Down with the British" kind of stuff, but I forgot. I think there were over 30 people there.
In the evening we played a few party games. Pictionary was lots of fun, but terribly difficult. We had words like "translucent", "Magna Carta", and "ambivalent". That made it a low scoring game. No complaints for me though. It was funny to see what people would come up with for the words.
Once people started going to bed, there was a land rush for a place on the floor. It was every person for themselves to try and grab some concrete and a blanket. I guess that is what happens when you cram 30 people into a house.
Despite not having fireworks, the evening was quite fun.
-Dravis
Distance: (Travel by bus.)
Country: Rwanda
Song of the Day: Just Watch the Fireworks - Jimmy Eat World
The group of us left Jenny's place and got on a mutatu going to Kibungo. When we got there, the goat had already been slaughtered and roasted. No gory pictures for you. We did get there in time for food though. For me, the next few hours were a combination of conversation and consumption.
There were a bunch of really cool people there. A lot of Peace Corps volunteers, but a few who worked for other NGOs. One girl brought her parents, who were actually lots of fun to talk to. There were even a couple of Brits there. I should have razzed them more with "Down with the British" kind of stuff, but I forgot. I think there were over 30 people there.
In the evening we played a few party games. Pictionary was lots of fun, but terribly difficult. We had words like "translucent", "Magna Carta", and "ambivalent". That made it a low scoring game. No complaints for me though. It was funny to see what people would come up with for the words.
Once people started going to bed, there was a land rush for a place on the floor. It was every person for themselves to try and grab some concrete and a blanket. I guess that is what happens when you cram 30 people into a house.
Despite not having fireworks, the evening was quite fun.
-Dravis
Kigali to Rwamagana - Day 319
Date: July 3rd, 2010
Distance: (Travel by bus.)
Country: Rwanda
Song of the Day: Polar Opposites - Modest Mouse
In the morning I woke up and Albert showed me around the city a bit. I was also looking for some new biking gloves to replace the ones I have lost. We ended up over at the used clothing market. They didn't have any biking gloves, but they did (for some bizarre reason) have weight lifting gloves. Similar functions between the two, as both are meant for holding onto bars. I had to do some bargaining, but eventually I got a new pair.
From there Albert and I took a mutatu back to Andrew's house. This is probably as
good a place to talk about the mutatus here. These are public transport, like gele-geles or tro-tros that I have been used to. They are just Mazda or Toyota mini-buses that they cram 20+ people into. Most are white with a yellow stripe along the side. A few have great custom paint jobs. Unlike Senegal where the gele-geles were painted in bright colors and patterns, the ones here are decorated with a kind of theme. My favorite 
was the "Prison Break" mutatu. A close second was the Spiderman one. They are mostly about American hip-hop stars, though. Like "Chris Brawn(sic)" or "Rick Ross", which they pronounce "Lick Loss".
That brings me to another topic here. The sound of an "L" and "R" are interchangable here. So Kigali is often said as "Kigari" or even "Chigari". Apparently this makes TV or radio discussions of the upcoming elections quite amusing.
From Kigali I took a bus out to Rwamagana. I know I could have biked it, but I wanted to give my legs a rest. Plus I would have had to bike back as well to head to Burundi. It made more sense to take a bus. I left my bike at Andrew's house and headed out.
In Rwamagana, I met up with Trude again. She had invited me to a goat roast for the 4th. Before that she, and a few others, were staying at their friend Jenny's house in Rwamagana. When I got there, they hadn't quite finished off the mozzarella sticks. They were also working on a fruit salad that turned out great, and some home-made marshmallows that didn't. Still the food was good. We played some cards in the evening, and had a really good time.
-Dravis
Distance: (Travel by bus.)
Country: Rwanda
Song of the Day: Polar Opposites - Modest Mouse
In the morning I woke up and Albert showed me around the city a bit. I was also looking for some new biking gloves to replace the ones I have lost. We ended up over at the used clothing market. They didn't have any biking gloves, but they did (for some bizarre reason) have weight lifting gloves. Similar functions between the two, as both are meant for holding onto bars. I had to do some bargaining, but eventually I got a new pair.
From there Albert and I took a mutatu back to Andrew's house. This is probably as
good a place to talk about the mutatus here. These are public transport, like gele-geles or tro-tros that I have been used to. They are just Mazda or Toyota mini-buses that they cram 20+ people into. Most are white with a yellow stripe along the side. A few have great custom paint jobs. Unlike Senegal where the gele-geles were painted in bright colors and patterns, the ones here are decorated with a kind of theme. My favorite 
was the "Prison Break" mutatu. A close second was the Spiderman one. They are mostly about American hip-hop stars, though. Like "Chris Brawn(sic)" or "Rick Ross", which they pronounce "Lick Loss".That brings me to another topic here. The sound of an "L" and "R" are interchangable here. So Kigali is often said as "Kigari" or even "Chigari". Apparently this makes TV or radio discussions of the upcoming elections quite amusing.
From Kigali I took a bus out to Rwamagana. I know I could have biked it, but I wanted to give my legs a rest. Plus I would have had to bike back as well to head to Burundi. It made more sense to take a bus. I left my bike at Andrew's house and headed out.
In Rwamagana, I met up with Trude again. She had invited me to a goat roast for the 4th. Before that she, and a few others, were staying at their friend Jenny's house in Rwamagana. When I got there, they hadn't quite finished off the mozzarella sticks. They were also working on a fruit salad that turned out great, and some home-made marshmallows that didn't. Still the food was good. We played some cards in the evening, and had a really good time.
-Dravis
Kanogo to Kigali - Day 318
Date: July 2nd, 2010
Distance: 88km
Country: Rwanda
Packed up the tent and got on the road early. The first ten
minutes was brilliant. I was screaming downhill in the crisp morning air. Sadly, that didn't last. I spent the next 20km, and the remainder of the morning, climbing up and over a range of hills. That was tough, just grinding out the miles. Plus my legs are still a bit sore.
The afternoon I took the turn and headed west to Kigali. The road was still up and down a lot, but no major climbs. I was thankful for that.
I got into town and got in touch with Albert. He is a friend of Elie, who I met in Senegal. Albert met me near the center of town. We had a soda and watched the World Cup for a bit. I also got to talk to Albert for a bit. He is a cool guy. I guess he was orphaned during the genocide, but he still has one brother and one sister.
His sister is apparently getting married next week. I was asking about the wedding ceremony here. Apparently part of the wedding ceremony is the dowry negotiation. The dowry here actually makes sense to me. First, the man (or his family) pays the woman's family. Traditionally it was paid in cows, but now it is usually just money. It makes sense as a way to ensure the woman is going to be taken care of. Plus the money is usually spent to provide things for the new home just like in the west. People get wedding presents to make sure the new couple is well appointed for domestic life. In this case, since there are no old men left in Albert's family to negotiate, apparently they "rented" them. Old man rental, now that is a little bit different from back home. It is good to know that they are keeping traditions alive despite everything that has happened.
After the game, we headed over to the house of Albert's friend Andrew. They let me put my bike in a spare bedroom. From there we headed out to watch the World Cup. Ghana vs. Uruguay. When Ghana scored the first goal, it seemed like the city, probably the country and continent erupted in cheers. Ghana had come to embody the hopes for an African team to make it to the finals. I could just imagine people all over the continent, in huts, houses and tents, watching generator powered TVs or listening on battery powered radios cheering at the same moment. Sadly Ghana lost in a penalty shootout after overtime. It was rather disappointing as I thought Ghana really did play the better game.
-Dravis
Distance: 88km
Country: Rwanda
Packed up the tent and got on the road early. The first ten
minutes was brilliant. I was screaming downhill in the crisp morning air. Sadly, that didn't last. I spent the next 20km, and the remainder of the morning, climbing up and over a range of hills. That was tough, just grinding out the miles. Plus my legs are still a bit sore.The afternoon I took the turn and headed west to Kigali. The road was still up and down a lot, but no major climbs. I was thankful for that.
I got into town and got in touch with Albert. He is a friend of Elie, who I met in Senegal. Albert met me near the center of town. We had a soda and watched the World Cup for a bit. I also got to talk to Albert for a bit. He is a cool guy. I guess he was orphaned during the genocide, but he still has one brother and one sister.
His sister is apparently getting married next week. I was asking about the wedding ceremony here. Apparently part of the wedding ceremony is the dowry negotiation. The dowry here actually makes sense to me. First, the man (or his family) pays the woman's family. Traditionally it was paid in cows, but now it is usually just money. It makes sense as a way to ensure the woman is going to be taken care of. Plus the money is usually spent to provide things for the new home just like in the west. People get wedding presents to make sure the new couple is well appointed for domestic life. In this case, since there are no old men left in Albert's family to negotiate, apparently they "rented" them. Old man rental, now that is a little bit different from back home. It is good to know that they are keeping traditions alive despite everything that has happened.
After the game, we headed over to the house of Albert's friend Andrew. They let me put my bike in a spare bedroom. From there we headed out to watch the World Cup. Ghana vs. Uruguay. When Ghana scored the first goal, it seemed like the city, probably the country and continent erupted in cheers. Ghana had come to embody the hopes for an African team to make it to the finals. I could just imagine people all over the continent, in huts, houses and tents, watching generator powered TVs or listening on battery powered radios cheering at the same moment. Sadly Ghana lost in a penalty shootout after overtime. It was rather disappointing as I thought Ghana really did play the better game.
-Dravis
Monday, July 5, 2010
Gisenyi to Kanogo - Day 317
Date: July 1st, 2010
Distance: 78km
Country: Rwanda
I woke up and my legs were just killing me. I could hardly walk. Still, I did need to get down the road today. So that is what I did.
First I did take a truck. Maybe it is cheating, but I already did the section of road down to Gisenyi. I have an extreme aversion to doing the same thing twice. Especially when that thing include GIANT HILLS. So I hopped on a truck, and they even bought me a couple of Sambusas. (These are fried triangle pastries stuffed with stuff. In Uganda it was usually peas. Here in Rwanda they are filled with spicey meat. Yum.) They weren't going all the way to the turn with Guiterama though, so I did have to bike a bit. When I asked how far to the turn of, everyone said 3 kilometers. They were off by a factor of 6. It was acutally about 18 kilometers further. I forgot you can't ask people here about distances.
I turned my bike south, and from there the road got worse. The initial section was paved but often in poor condition. Then it was under construction. It should be quite nice in a couple of years. Rwanda is also know as The Land of a Thousand Hills for a reason. I went over two giant ridges during the day. That was not helping my legs feel better.
The kids seem to be less annoying here. They still do chase after me. It is a strange compulsion that seems to draw them to me. Their eyes turn glassy and they begin to run alongside without appearing to think about that decision at all. I am like the Pied Biker. I think if I were to go slow enough I would have a constant following of children.
It did get dark before I got to Guitarama. So I ended up asking for a place to stay in the small town of Kanogo. There wasn't any lodge there, but the people told me to ask at the Secretariat. I guess this is like the mayor's office. The chief of staff there said I could camp out side the office for the night. He even invited me to eat with him, his wife and their son. I guess this is unusual for Rwandans, but it was quite nice. They were wonderful people.
Their son had a cast over his right leg all the way up and wrapping around his waist. I didn't get a clear understanding of why he had it, but I think it was to correct some condition in that leg. Still the little boy seemed happy as a clam, despite the cast. He sat with me and drew some (what I was told were) airplanes on a piece of paper. Kids everywhere are the same.
-Dravis
Distance: 78km
Country: Rwanda
I woke up and my legs were just killing me. I could hardly walk. Still, I did need to get down the road today. So that is what I did.
First I did take a truck. Maybe it is cheating, but I already did the section of road down to Gisenyi. I have an extreme aversion to doing the same thing twice. Especially when that thing include GIANT HILLS. So I hopped on a truck, and they even bought me a couple of Sambusas. (These are fried triangle pastries stuffed with stuff. In Uganda it was usually peas. Here in Rwanda they are filled with spicey meat. Yum.) They weren't going all the way to the turn with Guiterama though, so I did have to bike a bit. When I asked how far to the turn of, everyone said 3 kilometers. They were off by a factor of 6. It was acutally about 18 kilometers further. I forgot you can't ask people here about distances.
I turned my bike south, and from there the road got worse. The initial section was paved but often in poor condition. Then it was under construction. It should be quite nice in a couple of years. Rwanda is also know as The Land of a Thousand Hills for a reason. I went over two giant ridges during the day. That was not helping my legs feel better.
The kids seem to be less annoying here. They still do chase after me. It is a strange compulsion that seems to draw them to me. Their eyes turn glassy and they begin to run alongside without appearing to think about that decision at all. I am like the Pied Biker. I think if I were to go slow enough I would have a constant following of children.
It did get dark before I got to Guitarama. So I ended up asking for a place to stay in the small town of Kanogo. There wasn't any lodge there, but the people told me to ask at the Secretariat. I guess this is like the mayor's office. The chief of staff there said I could camp out side the office for the night. He even invited me to eat with him, his wife and their son. I guess this is unusual for Rwandans, but it was quite nice. They were wonderful people.
Their son had a cast over his right leg all the way up and wrapping around his waist. I didn't get a clear understanding of why he had it, but I think it was to correct some condition in that leg. Still the little boy seemed happy as a clam, despite the cast. He sat with me and drew some (what I was told were) airplanes on a piece of paper. Kids everywhere are the same.
-Dravis
Nyiragongo to Gisenyi - Day 316
Date: June 30th, 2010
Altitude: 3,470m
Country: Rwanda
Song of the Day: Lake of Fire - Nirvana
I had one of the worst nights of my life up on the volcano. Even with my long-johns and wool shirt I was cold. Beyond that I am coming to think that I actually broke my rib going over Rohija, not just bruised it. My wrist sprain feels fine now, but my rib still hurts about the same. Maybe it was the thin atmosphere, or maybe it was sleeping on a little pad, but every time I moved that rib was killing me.
I got up and had the food I brought for breakfast. The Congolese kids were nice and gave me a cheese sandwich and some warm tea. On a cold morning, that tea really helped. I also got my first look at the volcano crater in the daylight. The clouds had passed and you could see right down into it. It is still more impressive at night when the orange glow against the darkness is so captivating. Getting to see the details of the crate was quite impressive though. It was probably 400 meters down to the bottom. The lava lake itself was contained in a little ring of solid rock a meter or two higher than the bottom of the crater. It was kind of like a very h
ot above ground swimming pool. We couldn't stay that long though, and frankly after the night I had, I was looking forward to getting off the mountain.
The trip down wasn't really any better than the hike up. Because of the loose rocks you were constantly on guard for falling on your ass. I saw two backpacks that were dropped and go rolling down the mountain. You couldn't enjoy the view either. I was spending most of my time just picking a path.
I was happy to get back to the ranger's camp at the bottom. I was met by my guide and we heading back into Goma. I did get a better view of the town. I saw and area where in 2002 a river of lava from the volcano had flowed into the town. The rock had been cleared from the road but you could still see the lava flows on either side of it. I saw even more of the UN camps as well. They all seemed to be made the same way. A ring of shipping containers draped in lots of razor wire. Ever hundred meters or so was a guard tower. (I didn't take any pictures because nothing says "don't film here" like a Uruguayan man in a blue helmet with a machine gun.)
M
y guide did take me to a place for lunch. The DRC was celebrating 50 years since independence. So almost everyone was decked out in fabric commemorating that. The lady who ran the restaurant had a particularly nice ensemble.
I got back to Rwanda, and was happy to get back. I headed to Trude's place and took a nap. I was dead.
-Dravis
Altitude: 3,470m
Country: Rwanda
Song of the Day: Lake of Fire - Nirvana
I had one of the worst nights of my life up on the volcano. Even with my long-johns and wool shirt I was cold. Beyond that I am coming to think that I actually broke my rib going over Rohija, not just bruised it. My wrist sprain feels fine now, but my rib still hurts about the same. Maybe it was the thin atmosphere, or maybe it was sleeping on a little pad, but every time I moved that rib was killing me.
I got up and had the food I brought for breakfast. The Congolese kids were nice and gave me a cheese sandwich and some warm tea. On a cold morning, that tea really helped. I also got my first look at the volcano crater in the daylight. The clouds had passed and you could see right down into it. It is still more impressive at night when the orange glow against the darkness is so captivating. Getting to see the details of the crate was quite impressive though. It was probably 400 meters down to the bottom. The lava lake itself was contained in a little ring of solid rock a meter or two higher than the bottom of the crater. It was kind of like a very h
ot above ground swimming pool. We couldn't stay that long though, and frankly after the night I had, I was looking forward to getting off the mountain.The trip down wasn't really any better than the hike up. Because of the loose rocks you were constantly on guard for falling on your ass. I saw two backpacks that were dropped and go rolling down the mountain. You couldn't enjoy the view either. I was spending most of my time just picking a path.
I was happy to get back to the ranger's camp at the bottom. I was met by my guide and we heading back into Goma. I did get a better view of the town. I saw and area where in 2002 a river of lava from the volcano had flowed into the town. The rock had been cleared from the road but you could still see the lava flows on either side of it. I saw even more of the UN camps as well. They all seemed to be made the same way. A ring of shipping containers draped in lots of razor wire. Ever hundred meters or so was a guard tower. (I didn't take any pictures because nothing says "don't film here" like a Uruguayan man in a blue helmet with a machine gun.)
M
y guide did take me to a place for lunch. The DRC was celebrating 50 years since independence. So almost everyone was decked out in fabric commemorating that. The lady who ran the restaurant had a particularly nice ensemble.I got back to Rwanda, and was happy to get back. I headed to Trude's place and took a nap. I was dead.
-Dravis
Gisenyi to Nyiragongo - Day 315
Date: June 29th, 2010
Altitude: 3,470m (11,385ft)
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Song of the Day: Volcano - The Presidents of the United States of America
I left most of my stuff (bike) at Trude's place and headed to the grand barrier. This is the entrance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It goes right into Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province. I guess that is the one where all the rebel activity is. Still, when you want to climb an active volcano, rebels are the least of your worries.
I was met by my guide though and things seemed to go pretty smoothly. (There was one hiccup where I forgot my Yellow Fever card. So I had to run back and get that.) Getting checked out of Rwanda was easy and professional. Getting into DRC was anything but. I didn't get any hassles for bribes, but the lady working there was worse than any postal worker I have ever seen. It was a level of laziness and contempt I have not seen in the government workers in my own country. Well done, madame. (I must admit I haven't worked with any welfare agency, though.) First she sat there doing her hair while we waited. After five minutes my guide asked if she could hurry it along. I didn't understand what she was saying, but she apparently had some snide comments for him in Swahili. So we waited. Then she took my passport and demanded the $35 visa fee. I handed her two $20 bills. Apparently my money wasn't clean enough though. I wanted to explain that it was money, and the value is not based on appearance, but I figured it wouldn't go over well. So I handed her a crisp new $100. That was too much and she didn't have change. To get to Goma you need pretty money, and exact change. My guide hunted up someone to give me change. We went back to immigration, and the lady was out. No one else could let me into the country either. We had to wait for 10 minutes, for no reason. Finally it all got worked out and I was let in.
From there we raced off to the park. The rangers set of at 10:00 AM, and it was 9:40. So we were in a bit of a hurry. I got the quick tour of Goma, though. Much dirtier than Rwanda, but nothing terrible or sinister about the place. Well, it was also dominated by various UN camps. So that was a little weird.
We arrived at the Park and had to wait around for about an hour. I would be heading up the mountain with a group of local volunteers. They were installing a trash can at the top. (I wasn't sure who was going to take the trash down the mountain, but I would let them figure that out.) One of their members was late. Once everyone arrived we set off to conquer Nyiragongo.
The first hour or so was just a pleasant hike to the base of the volcano. It was a good dirt trail, and nothing too steep. After that, things just kept getting harder. The trail switched to loose volcanic rock. We passed through a gap between the lower cone and the main crater. From there it was through a section of mountain jungle. Lots of mud and rocks. The final push to the top was brutal. It was about on at least a 45 degree slope. Over loose rocks and moss. The clouds that were being blown over kept everything damp and slippery. I did make it without falling though. I think I am in pretty good shape but even so it was a tough climb. Then again, I was carrying all the gear I would need (tent, sleeping bag, food, etc.).
Once at the top I took a quick look down into the crater. There was a disappointing view of the lava. The crater was filled with clouds or smoke. Occasionally you could make out a bit of orange where the lava was. Not much to see. So I set up my tent
and started cooking dinner. It was supposed to be better at night anyway. For dinner I had some pasta and sauce and a can of veggies. I did forget to bring my spoon though, so I had to carve one on the way up. I think it turned out pretty well.
By the time I was finished with dinner it was dark and the clouds had started to clear.
Before too long we had a great view down into the volcano. You could really make out the lava lake. It is an egg shaped area near the center of the crater. The crust was broken into rivers of orange light. In places you could see the lava bubbling out like a giant stew. It was quite mesmerizing to watch things slowly change.
I also showed the Congolese kids I was with how to take a good picture of yourself with the lava in the background.
What you will need:
Shine the flashlight in your face and take a picture. The light from the flashlight
should be enough that your face will come out clearly, but it won't wash out the lava in the background. I hope you like it. Everyone up on the mountain was excited when I showed them how to do it.
After that it had gotten late and was getting cold, so I went to bed.
-Dravis
Altitude: 3,470m (11,385ft)
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Song of the Day: Volcano - The Presidents of the United States of America
I left most of my stuff (bike) at Trude's place and headed to the grand barrier. This is the entrance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It goes right into Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province. I guess that is the one where all the rebel activity is. Still, when you want to climb an active volcano, rebels are the least of your worries.
I was met by my guide though and things seemed to go pretty smoothly. (There was one hiccup where I forgot my Yellow Fever card. So I had to run back and get that.) Getting checked out of Rwanda was easy and professional. Getting into DRC was anything but. I didn't get any hassles for bribes, but the lady working there was worse than any postal worker I have ever seen. It was a level of laziness and contempt I have not seen in the government workers in my own country. Well done, madame. (I must admit I haven't worked with any welfare agency, though.) First she sat there doing her hair while we waited. After five minutes my guide asked if she could hurry it along. I didn't understand what she was saying, but she apparently had some snide comments for him in Swahili. So we waited. Then she took my passport and demanded the $35 visa fee. I handed her two $20 bills. Apparently my money wasn't clean enough though. I wanted to explain that it was money, and the value is not based on appearance, but I figured it wouldn't go over well. So I handed her a crisp new $100. That was too much and she didn't have change. To get to Goma you need pretty money, and exact change. My guide hunted up someone to give me change. We went back to immigration, and the lady was out. No one else could let me into the country either. We had to wait for 10 minutes, for no reason. Finally it all got worked out and I was let in.
From there we raced off to the park. The rangers set of at 10:00 AM, and it was 9:40. So we were in a bit of a hurry. I got the quick tour of Goma, though. Much dirtier than Rwanda, but nothing terrible or sinister about the place. Well, it was also dominated by various UN camps. So that was a little weird.
We arrived at the Park and had to wait around for about an hour. I would be heading up the mountain with a group of local volunteers. They were installing a trash can at the top. (I wasn't sure who was going to take the trash down the mountain, but I would let them figure that out.) One of their members was late. Once everyone arrived we set off to conquer Nyiragongo.
The first hour or so was just a pleasant hike to the base of the volcano. It was a good dirt trail, and nothing too steep. After that, things just kept getting harder. The trail switched to loose volcanic rock. We passed through a gap between the lower cone and the main crater. From there it was through a section of mountain jungle. Lots of mud and rocks. The final push to the top was brutal. It was about on at least a 45 degree slope. Over loose rocks and moss. The clouds that were being blown over kept everything damp and slippery. I did make it without falling though. I think I am in pretty good shape but even so it was a tough climb. Then again, I was carrying all the gear I would need (tent, sleeping bag, food, etc.).
Once at the top I took a quick look down into the crater. There was a disappointing view of the lava. The crater was filled with clouds or smoke. Occasionally you could make out a bit of orange where the lava was. Not much to see. So I set up my tent
and started cooking dinner. It was supposed to be better at night anyway. For dinner I had some pasta and sauce and a can of veggies. I did forget to bring my spoon though, so I had to carve one on the way up. I think it turned out pretty well.By the time I was finished with dinner it was dark and the clouds had started to clear.
Before too long we had a great view down into the volcano. You could really make out the lava lake. It is an egg shaped area near the center of the crater. The crust was broken into rivers of orange light. In places you could see the lava bubbling out like a giant stew. It was quite mesmerizing to watch things slowly change.I also showed the Congolese kids I was with how to take a good picture of yourself with the lava in the background.
What you will need:
- Camera with the flash off.
- A good flashlight.
- One active volcano.
Shine the flashlight in your face and take a picture. The light from the flashlight
should be enough that your face will come out clearly, but it won't wash out the lava in the background. I hope you like it. Everyone up on the mountain was excited when I showed them how to do it.After that it had gotten late and was getting cold, so I went to bed.
-Dravis
Gisenyi - Day 314
Date: June 28th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Rwanda
I spent the day arranging to climb the nearby volcano Nyiragongo. This is probably the most "touristic" thing I have done on the whole trip. By that I mean, expensive. I had to pay $200 just get a pass to climb the thing. It did get all arranged though. So tomorrow I will head out and take on the 3,470m active volcano.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Rwanda
I spent the day arranging to climb the nearby volcano Nyiragongo. This is probably the most "touristic" thing I have done on the whole trip. By that I mean, expensive. I had to pay $200 just get a pass to climb the thing. It did get all arranged though. So tomorrow I will head out and take on the 3,470m active volcano.
-Dravis
Gisenyi - Day 313
Date: June 27th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Rwanda
Woke up this morning and Trude took Ian and I down to show us the market. From there Ian had to leave back to his site. But Trude showed me around the rest of the town. We walked over to the border between Rwanda and DRC. The nice part of Gisenyi is along that border. It is strange to see the nice houses end and metal shacks begin just pas a little piece of string.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Rwanda
Woke up this morning and Trude took Ian and I down to show us the market. From there Ian had to leave back to his site. But Trude showed me around the rest of the town. We walked over to the border between Rwanda and DRC. The nice part of Gisenyi is along that border. It is strange to see the nice houses end and metal shacks begin just pas a little piece of string.
-Dravis
Kisoro to Gisenyi - Day 312
Date: June 26th, 2010
Distance: 103km
Country: Rwanda
I left Kisoro and began battling more dusty roads and a strong headwind. It was only 10km or so to the border, but it wasn't all that fun. At the border I didn't have any real problems though. Everything was efficient and organized. I thought I got away without paying for a visa, but it turns out that as an American you don't need to pay anything. Yay. So I am now in Rwanda, country 25.
At least on the Rwanda side the roads were paved. I was still heading against the wind, but the good roads make everything so much easier. I stopped in Ruhengeri for some lunch and got in touch with Trude, another girl I met on couch surfing. She offered me a place to stay and even invited me to watch some world cup action (U.S. vs. Ghana).
The road out of Ruhengeri was quite steep. I spent the next four hours climbing over a series of hills. It was pretty though. It did provide for some excellent vistas.
I have noticed that the people here aren't amazingly friendly. It isn't that they are hostile, they just aren't that nearly as welcoming as the people I met in west Africa. Anytime I stopped a crowd would gather, but no-one would say hello. They would just stare silently at whatever I was doing. The children aren't any better either. They chase after you asking for money. One little boy ran up with a big smile on his face and threw a rock at me. Then he and his friends laughed about it. Thanks kids. I did give up the idea of stick beatings for children though. (I am still open to that idea for white tourists who give kids money.) For a while I pondered using a tazer on a few of them, but decided that the cost of doing so would be prohibitive. I finally settled on pepper spray. It would be cheap, non-leathal, able to hit multiple targets and provide a satisfying negative reinforcement for bad behavior. Then again, maybe I am using too much time to think about it...
The last 20km into Gisenyi was amazing. All the work I had done climbing the hills finally paid off. I was screaming down the road. Keeping up with the cars ahead of me most of the time. It only took about 40 minutes too. For those of you who aren't good at maths, that is an average speed of 30kph. I am not looking forward to doing the reverse though...
In Gisenyi I met up with Trude and her friend Ian. We walked around the city for a bit before heading back to Trude's place. We met her roommate, Portia there. All four of us ended up over at the house of one of Trude's co-workers for some dinner and to watch the World Cup. After the match Ian, Trude and I sat up late talking.
-Dravis
Distance: 103km
Country: Rwanda
I left Kisoro and began battling more dusty roads and a strong headwind. It was only 10km or so to the border, but it wasn't all that fun. At the border I didn't have any real problems though. Everything was efficient and organized. I thought I got away without paying for a visa, but it turns out that as an American you don't need to pay anything. Yay. So I am now in Rwanda, country 25.
At least on the Rwanda side the roads were paved. I was still heading against the wind, but the good roads make everything so much easier. I stopped in Ruhengeri for some lunch and got in touch with Trude, another girl I met on couch surfing. She offered me a place to stay and even invited me to watch some world cup action (U.S. vs. Ghana).
The road out of Ruhengeri was quite steep. I spent the next four hours climbing over a series of hills. It was pretty though. It did provide for some excellent vistas.
I have noticed that the people here aren't amazingly friendly. It isn't that they are hostile, they just aren't that nearly as welcoming as the people I met in west Africa. Anytime I stopped a crowd would gather, but no-one would say hello. They would just stare silently at whatever I was doing. The children aren't any better either. They chase after you asking for money. One little boy ran up with a big smile on his face and threw a rock at me. Then he and his friends laughed about it. Thanks kids. I did give up the idea of stick beatings for children though. (I am still open to that idea for white tourists who give kids money.) For a while I pondered using a tazer on a few of them, but decided that the cost of doing so would be prohibitive. I finally settled on pepper spray. It would be cheap, non-leathal, able to hit multiple targets and provide a satisfying negative reinforcement for bad behavior. Then again, maybe I am using too much time to think about it...
The last 20km into Gisenyi was amazing. All the work I had done climbing the hills finally paid off. I was screaming down the road. Keeping up with the cars ahead of me most of the time. It only took about 40 minutes too. For those of you who aren't good at maths, that is an average speed of 30kph. I am not looking forward to doing the reverse though...
In Gisenyi I met up with Trude and her friend Ian. We walked around the city for a bit before heading back to Trude's place. We met her roommate, Portia there. All four of us ended up over at the house of one of Trude's co-workers for some dinner and to watch the World Cup. After the match Ian, Trude and I sat up late talking.
-Dravis
Buhoma to Kisoro - Day 311
Date: June 25th, 2010
Distance: 64km
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: Chills - Ben Lee
I met up with Evelyn in the morning and we went to the UWA office. I guess she
works with many of the people there, so she knew who to talk to. At first everyone was a bit dubious about my traveling through the park on a bike. They were worried that some of the sections might be too steep. I wasn't that worried. I figured if the worst came to it I could just take the bike and bags up in stages. It would take a while, but I would get there. Finally they said I could do it but I needed an escort. I didn't really want an escort as he wouldn't have a bike. They insisted though. I also had to pay almost $50 for it. Yesh. It was the route I wanted to take though. Plus, I hate going back over routes I have already passed. So I decided to go for it.
I said goodbye to Evelyn and set off with my escort. The first 9km weren't all that bad. I wasn't going very fast. I did ride for most of it. In the easy sections I would get ahead of the escort, but he would catch up in the hard parts. It would have been much faster without the panniers. They kept catching on rocks and branches. It didn't help much that I couldn't really lift with my left wrist. It was feeling better, but not that good.
We passed a rickety bridge over a river and from there on out things got much worse. The next 4km was hell on earth. It wasn't the steep terrain that was so bad, it was the narrow trail. I couldn't push the bike with all the bags on it because they kept getting stuck on everything. Often the trail was so deeply rutted it was like a sharp grove in the ground. I spent a while pushing just the bike. Then bringing the panniers. Then getting the bike again. Eventually my escort and two locals who were passing took pity on me and carried the panniers while I pushed the bike. It wasn't easy, but I did it. I made it through Bwindi Impenetrable Park (mostly) on a bicycle.
That wasn't the end of it though. I had assumed the town on the other side of the park, Nkuringo, would have been right there. Not so, it was 10km further down the dirt road. A steep rocky road. I think I pushed the bike at least 8km of that. Some parts were so steep and the road was so gravelly that I was having a hard time just pushing the bike up it. Not much fun at all.
Finally I got to Nkuringo an took a break for lunch. I had the worst posho and sauce to date. They didn't even have a Coke. I had to settle for a Mirinda "Fruity", which tastes like grape and vomit. Needless to say I was kind of happy to be leaving Nkuringo.
Outside of town, things didn't actually get any better. T
here was still one more big hill to go. Once I finally pushed my bike to the top I was rewarded with one of the best views of the trip. I could see down of the mountains I had been climbing into the valleys below. More fields terraced onto any conceivable surface. I could see both Congo (DRC) and Rwanda from that vantage. In the background, hardly discernible against the sky loomed three giant mountains. Their shape belied their nature as volcanoes. I am not sure if that made all the work worth it, but it was quite a view.
The road down wasn't that much more pleasant. Yes, I was going downhill which is easier. Over the rocky roads I couldn't really build up any speed. I really didn't want to crash again. Plus the children here are worse than the ones going into the park. Their vocabulary is apparently better. They were now chasing me and yelling such gems as the confusing "Give me my pen" or the far to personal "Do you have a penis?" Ah, youth.
It did get dark before I got to Kisoro. Again, I don't like riding at night, but you do what you have to. When I got there I found some food and a place to stay. I also saw a internet cafe and I wanted to check e-mail real quick. They didn't know how to get my laptop onto their network. I had to work out how their network was setup myself. I guess this impressed them because after I was finished checking e-mail they asked me to show them how to configure networks. It was kinda fun to help use my IT skills again. I also ended up showing them how to create a blog (for free!) which they were amazed with.
-Dravis
Distance: 64km
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: Chills - Ben Lee
I met up with Evelyn in the morning and we went to the UWA office. I guess she
works with many of the people there, so she knew who to talk to. At first everyone was a bit dubious about my traveling through the park on a bike. They were worried that some of the sections might be too steep. I wasn't that worried. I figured if the worst came to it I could just take the bike and bags up in stages. It would take a while, but I would get there. Finally they said I could do it but I needed an escort. I didn't really want an escort as he wouldn't have a bike. They insisted though. I also had to pay almost $50 for it. Yesh. It was the route I wanted to take though. Plus, I hate going back over routes I have already passed. So I decided to go for it.I said goodbye to Evelyn and set off with my escort. The first 9km weren't all that bad. I wasn't going very fast. I did ride for most of it. In the easy sections I would get ahead of the escort, but he would catch up in the hard parts. It would have been much faster without the panniers. They kept catching on rocks and branches. It didn't help much that I couldn't really lift with my left wrist. It was feeling better, but not that good.
We passed a rickety bridge over a river and from there on out things got much worse. The next 4km was hell on earth. It wasn't the steep terrain that was so bad, it was the narrow trail. I couldn't push the bike with all the bags on it because they kept getting stuck on everything. Often the trail was so deeply rutted it was like a sharp grove in the ground. I spent a while pushing just the bike. Then bringing the panniers. Then getting the bike again. Eventually my escort and two locals who were passing took pity on me and carried the panniers while I pushed the bike. It wasn't easy, but I did it. I made it through Bwindi Impenetrable Park (mostly) on a bicycle.
That wasn't the end of it though. I had assumed the town on the other side of the park, Nkuringo, would have been right there. Not so, it was 10km further down the dirt road. A steep rocky road. I think I pushed the bike at least 8km of that. Some parts were so steep and the road was so gravelly that I was having a hard time just pushing the bike up it. Not much fun at all.
Finally I got to Nkuringo an took a break for lunch. I had the worst posho and sauce to date. They didn't even have a Coke. I had to settle for a Mirinda "Fruity", which tastes like grape and vomit. Needless to say I was kind of happy to be leaving Nkuringo.
Outside of town, things didn't actually get any better. T
here was still one more big hill to go. Once I finally pushed my bike to the top I was rewarded with one of the best views of the trip. I could see down of the mountains I had been climbing into the valleys below. More fields terraced onto any conceivable surface. I could see both Congo (DRC) and Rwanda from that vantage. In the background, hardly discernible against the sky loomed three giant mountains. Their shape belied their nature as volcanoes. I am not sure if that made all the work worth it, but it was quite a view.The road down wasn't that much more pleasant. Yes, I was going downhill which is easier. Over the rocky roads I couldn't really build up any speed. I really didn't want to crash again. Plus the children here are worse than the ones going into the park. Their vocabulary is apparently better. They were now chasing me and yelling such gems as the confusing "Give me my pen" or the far to personal "Do you have a penis?" Ah, youth.
It did get dark before I got to Kisoro. Again, I don't like riding at night, but you do what you have to. When I got there I found some food and a place to stay. I also saw a internet cafe and I wanted to check e-mail real quick. They didn't know how to get my laptop onto their network. I had to work out how their network was setup myself. I guess this impressed them because after I was finished checking e-mail they asked me to show them how to configure networks. It was kinda fun to help use my IT skills again. I also ended up showing them how to create a blog (for free!) which they were amazed with.
-Dravis
Buhoma - Day 310
Date: June 24th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: Butterflies and Hurricanes - Muse
I woke up today and my wrist was actually feeling a lot better. I didn't want to try riding around on it, but I figured another day and I would be good to go. So I decided to actually enjoy the park for a bit.
I spent the morning walking around the park. No, I didn't see any gorillas. There were lots of birds though. My favorite thing was all the colorful insect life around. You can't go around without being surrounded by butterflies. They come in all sorts of amazing colors. Big ones t
hat range in color from blue to violet. Little yellow and white ones that flutter to fast to get a picture. Plus tons of medium sized orange and black ones.
In the afternoon I went and saw a performance by the local orphanage. The kids were singing and dancing to loud drumming. At points I thought the kids drummer were actually trying to put holes in the drum heads with their sticks. It was very cute to see. I didn't really understand any of the singing, but it was quite nice.
Since my hand was feeling better, the next part was to figure out how to get out of Buhoma. I was told to go talk to Evelyn, a lady I had met the day before. She works for the Batwa Development Program. It was started to help the local Batwa people who were kicked out of their ancestral land when Bwindi became a UNESCO site in the 90s. Beside that though she also helps to run Ride for a Woman. A program that rents tourists mountain bikes and the profits go to help women in the community. So I wanted to talk with her about riding through the park. She said she didn't know all the rules, but would go with me the following day to the Ugandan Wildlife Authority office to work it out.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: Butterflies and Hurricanes - Muse
I woke up today and my wrist was actually feeling a lot better. I didn't want to try riding around on it, but I figured another day and I would be good to go. So I decided to actually enjoy the park for a bit.
I spent the morning walking around the park. No, I didn't see any gorillas. There were lots of birds though. My favorite thing was all the colorful insect life around. You can't go around without being surrounded by butterflies. They come in all sorts of amazing colors. Big ones t
hat range in color from blue to violet. Little yellow and white ones that flutter to fast to get a picture. Plus tons of medium sized orange and black ones.In the afternoon I went and saw a performance by the local orphanage. The kids were singing and dancing to loud drumming. At points I thought the kids drummer were actually trying to put holes in the drum heads with their sticks. It was very cute to see. I didn't really understand any of the singing, but it was quite nice.
Since my hand was feeling better, the next part was to figure out how to get out of Buhoma. I was told to go talk to Evelyn, a lady I had met the day before. She works for the Batwa Development Program. It was started to help the local Batwa people who were kicked out of their ancestral land when Bwindi became a UNESCO site in the 90s. Beside that though she also helps to run Ride for a Woman. A program that rents tourists mountain bikes and the profits go to help women in the community. So I wanted to talk with her about riding through the park. She said she didn't know all the rules, but would go with me the following day to the Ugandan Wildlife Authority office to work it out.
-Dravis
Buhoma - Day 309
Date: June 23rd, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: Creep - Stone Temple Pilots
Really didn't do much today. My wrist isn't feeling all that great. I am not sure what I am going to do about biking. It is too expensive to stay here for long, so I may have to take a truck somewhere and let it heal. Urgh.
In the evening I did meet up with Flannery, a girl who I met in Kampala. She is working for a little non-profit that is working on improving water and sanitation in the area. She and the other volunteers there were hanging out at this guest house. They even invited me to have dinner (spaghetti with meat sauce) with them, which was amazing. It was fun to talk with them.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: Creep - Stone Temple Pilots
Really didn't do much today. My wrist isn't feeling all that great. I am not sure what I am going to do about biking. It is too expensive to stay here for long, so I may have to take a truck somewhere and let it heal. Urgh.
In the evening I did meet up with Flannery, a girl who I met in Kampala. She is working for a little non-profit that is working on improving water and sanitation in the area. She and the other volunteers there were hanging out at this guest house. They even invited me to have dinner (spaghetti with meat sauce) with them, which was amazing. It was fun to talk with them.
-Dravis
Kabale to Buhoma - Day 308
Date: June 22nd, 2010
Distance: 102km
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: Fall - Something Corporate
Significant Crashes to Date: 3
Watches Busted to Date: 2
Rode out of town today. Happy to be on the road again. The bike also seems to be performing much better. It really doesn't seem like as much of a struggle to crank it down the road anymore. I guess I should have changed the bottom bracket earlier. A bit of a tail wind didn't hurt either.
I started the day traveling through a valley. Cows were
grazing on the valley floor. The hillsides above were terraces with small fields. It was quite a pretty site. At the end of the valley was a huge hill. I felt good getting to the top. From their I left the main paved road.
I ended up riding on the upper slopes of a range of hills.
Spread out below me were more terraced hillsides. It appeared that as far as I could see all the arable land was being used for something. I should have been going faster, but the views were just incredible. The only thing that really kept me moving was the children, which are terrible. They would chase after me yelling "give me money, give me money". That was frustrating. I even had one little girl run up and throw a stick at me. I can understand why the adults beat the children here...
I did make it to the first section of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park between Ndego and Rohija. Coming from the top of this ridge line I could see the park boundries quite well. The terraced farmland stopped with a line of jungle.
The park itself did live up to its name. It was up and down a lot over bad gravel roads. Even with the new bottom bracket I was struggling. I also crashed again. It was almost exactly the same thing that happened in the highlands of Guinea. I guess I am averaging about one crash for every 100 days on the road. I broke my second watch and snaped part of the band. I also apparently have lost both sets of bike gloves I had while in Kabale. So when I landed I sprained my wrist. I am not sure if the gloves would have helped that, but it would have been better. I also bruised a rib going over the handle bars. All in all, not that fun.
I did make it to Rohija, but there really didn't seem to be anything there. I thought it would be more of a town. I decided to just keep going all the way to Buhoma, which is on the north end of the park. The roads were still bad, but they were mostly downhill. So I could cruise pretty well.
It did get dark before I got to Buhoma though. The last 10km were absolute hell. My wrist was really feeling bad and I couldn't even grip the handle bar. I ended up pushing the bike for anything that wasn't flat. I found a place to stay that wasn't horribly expensive and went to bed.
-Dravis
Distance: 102km
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: Fall - Something Corporate
Significant Crashes to Date: 3
Watches Busted to Date: 2
Rode out of town today. Happy to be on the road again. The bike also seems to be performing much better. It really doesn't seem like as much of a struggle to crank it down the road anymore. I guess I should have changed the bottom bracket earlier. A bit of a tail wind didn't hurt either.
I started the day traveling through a valley. Cows were
grazing on the valley floor. The hillsides above were terraces with small fields. It was quite a pretty site. At the end of the valley was a huge hill. I felt good getting to the top. From their I left the main paved road.I ended up riding on the upper slopes of a range of hills.
Spread out below me were more terraced hillsides. It appeared that as far as I could see all the arable land was being used for something. I should have been going faster, but the views were just incredible. The only thing that really kept me moving was the children, which are terrible. They would chase after me yelling "give me money, give me money". That was frustrating. I even had one little girl run up and throw a stick at me. I can understand why the adults beat the children here...I did make it to the first section of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park between Ndego and Rohija. Coming from the top of this ridge line I could see the park boundries quite well. The terraced farmland stopped with a line of jungle.
The park itself did live up to its name. It was up and down a lot over bad gravel roads. Even with the new bottom bracket I was struggling. I also crashed again. It was almost exactly the same thing that happened in the highlands of Guinea. I guess I am averaging about one crash for every 100 days on the road. I broke my second watch and snaped part of the band. I also apparently have lost both sets of bike gloves I had while in Kabale. So when I landed I sprained my wrist. I am not sure if the gloves would have helped that, but it would have been better. I also bruised a rib going over the handle bars. All in all, not that fun.
I did make it to Rohija, but there really didn't seem to be anything there. I thought it would be more of a town. I decided to just keep going all the way to Buhoma, which is on the north end of the park. The roads were still bad, but they were mostly downhill. So I could cruise pretty well.
It did get dark before I got to Buhoma though. The last 10km were absolute hell. My wrist was really feeling bad and I couldn't even grip the handle bar. I ended up pushing the bike for anything that wasn't flat. I found a place to stay that wasn't horribly expensive and went to bed.
-Dravis
Kabale - Day 307
Date: June 21st, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: The Fix - Minus the Bear
I did finally get my bike fixed this morning. I did find the actual bike mechanic in town. He had the right spline tool to remove my canister bottom bracket. (He even had a crank puller, but the threads on it were broken.) When I pulled out the bottom bracket it fell apart. Not only had the seals blown out on it, but the axle and bearings dropped onto the ground.
For a replacement they only have one cheap bottom bracket here. That is apparently what everyone uses. It worked okay on my bike, but usually the axle has a long side that goes on the drive side. Doing it that way pushed the chainrings out too far so the front derailer wouldn't work. Instead I have the long side of the axle on the non-drive crank. It seems to work okay, but it does push my left foot out an inch. I don't think that is a problem. I am pretty sure it will get me through the next few weeks.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Uganda
Song of the Day: The Fix - Minus the Bear
I did finally get my bike fixed this morning. I did find the actual bike mechanic in town. He had the right spline tool to remove my canister bottom bracket. (He even had a crank puller, but the threads on it were broken.) When I pulled out the bottom bracket it fell apart. Not only had the seals blown out on it, but the axle and bearings dropped onto the ground.
For a replacement they only have one cheap bottom bracket here. That is apparently what everyone uses. It worked okay on my bike, but usually the axle has a long side that goes on the drive side. Doing it that way pushed the chainrings out too far so the front derailer wouldn't work. Instead I have the long side of the axle on the non-drive crank. It seems to work okay, but it does push my left foot out an inch. I don't think that is a problem. I am pretty sure it will get me through the next few weeks.
-Dravis
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)