Date: August 4th, 2010
Distance: 14km around the city
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: Mama, I'm Coming Home - Ozzy Osbourne
I spent the day getting ready for my flight tomorrow. Found a large box and got my bike taken apart and packed away. Just two weeks shy of a hear on the road. I have seen 30 countries. Seen big cities in Europe. Slept in mud huts in Africa. I have had so many experiences stored in my little chemical computer as memories. But now it is time to return. I can't wait to be home.
-Dravis
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
??? to Dar es Salaam - Day 350
Date: August 3rd, 2010
Distance: 11km plus cheating by trucks.
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: Ship My Body Home - Ben Lee
It was more than a couple of hours of sleep. We didn't get on the road until almost 8:00 AM. I was hoping to get into Dar by noon so that I could get the cheap/slow ferry to Zanzibar. I shouldn't have worried. We weren't making fast time anyway.
The trucks here really don't race around like the buses do. We took our time. The guys also stopped to pick up a load of corn (14 bales). After that, because of the extra weight, we really weren't going that fast. You can't complain really. I figured I could take the last ferry around 3:00 PM.
That dream was shattered about 6km out of Chanlinze. The truck started making a noise and bumping a bit. I thought one of the tires was flat. Instead 4 of the 5 lug nuts had come off the rear wheel. That was because the bolts on the axle had snicked off. The truck would need a new axle. Crap. I gave Joseph a bit of money and headed off to Chanlinze. I figured I could easily get a truck from there to Dar es Salaam.
When I got there I did find one, but it took a bit. The thing they didn't tell me was that the fuel pump on the truck was dead. We kept having to stop and the guys would manually pressurize the pump. That would get us down the road a bit. In the end, the 100 kilometers took about 4 hours. So I got into town after dark, or about 12 hours late. Double crap.
So no Zanzibar for me. Life is full of its little disappointments though. You can't have everything and sometimes you just have to accept that.
-Dravis
Distance: 11km plus cheating by trucks.
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: Ship My Body Home - Ben Lee
It was more than a couple of hours of sleep. We didn't get on the road until almost 8:00 AM. I was hoping to get into Dar by noon so that I could get the cheap/slow ferry to Zanzibar. I shouldn't have worried. We weren't making fast time anyway.
The trucks here really don't race around like the buses do. We took our time. The guys also stopped to pick up a load of corn (14 bales). After that, because of the extra weight, we really weren't going that fast. You can't complain really. I figured I could take the last ferry around 3:00 PM.
That dream was shattered about 6km out of Chanlinze. The truck started making a noise and bumping a bit. I thought one of the tires was flat. Instead 4 of the 5 lug nuts had come off the rear wheel. That was because the bolts on the axle had snicked off. The truck would need a new axle. Crap. I gave Joseph a bit of money and headed off to Chanlinze. I figured I could easily get a truck from there to Dar es Salaam.
When I got there I did find one, but it took a bit. The thing they didn't tell me was that the fuel pump on the truck was dead. We kept having to stop and the guys would manually pressurize the pump. That would get us down the road a bit. In the end, the 100 kilometers took about 4 hours. So I got into town after dark, or about 12 hours late. Double crap.
So no Zanzibar for me. Life is full of its little disappointments though. You can't have everything and sometimes you just have to accept that.
-Dravis
Barjamot to ??? - Day 349
Date: August 2nd, 2010
Distance: 12km plus cheating by truck(s).
Country: Tanzania
Left Barjamot early in the morning. Megan, thanks for letting me stay. I had such a wonderful time. I'll have some good food here for you.
I was taking a dala-dala (bigger than a van but smaller than a bus, also 4WD) to Babati. It was supposed to leave at 4:30 AM. When I got there it was me, a couple of women and a bunch of school kids getting a ride to the next town. I think it would have been out on time if the battery wasn't dead. We tried to push start the thing for a bit, but 6 kids one woman and me wasn't enough. So the driver ran off for a bit, I thought he was getting a mechanic. Instead he came back with a tractor. Even that took a couple of tries as the rope kept coming loose. (I was afraid that they were going to pull the bumper of the dala-dala.) On the third try the thing started and we were on our way.
I stopped in Babati for some breakfast and then went out to look for a truck to Arusha. I didn't want to take another bus. The last bus trip was that bad. Eventually I found a truck was happy to take me. I was glad for the ride but it was slow. It was only a couple of hours before dark when we got to Arusha.
I rode through town and got around most of the traffic. On the other side I found a driver who was going to Moshi. I thought I could take a bus from there. As it turned out the driver was taking his little truck all the way to Dar. So I figured I would go along with him. In talking with Joseph, the driver, I learned that he takes chickens to Arusha just about every week. On the return trip though he is always looking for cargo. He also had his own complaints about the speed bumps. It really doesn't matter what speed you go at, they rattle the vehicle way too much.
We did pick up some cargo in a little town along the route. It was just two bags of fish though and it wasn't going very far. After we dropped that off we stopped at a little place outside of Same for food. After dinner Joseph said he and his mechanic were going to rest for a couple of hours. I wasn't quite sure where they were going to stay. It turns out they were going to sleep in the truck. So I unrolled my sleeping pad and slept in the bed of the truck. It wasn't bad actually. Life brings you to weird places.
-Dravis
Distance: 12km plus cheating by truck(s).
Country: Tanzania
Left Barjamot early in the morning. Megan, thanks for letting me stay. I had such a wonderful time. I'll have some good food here for you.
I was taking a dala-dala (bigger than a van but smaller than a bus, also 4WD) to Babati. It was supposed to leave at 4:30 AM. When I got there it was me, a couple of women and a bunch of school kids getting a ride to the next town. I think it would have been out on time if the battery wasn't dead. We tried to push start the thing for a bit, but 6 kids one woman and me wasn't enough. So the driver ran off for a bit, I thought he was getting a mechanic. Instead he came back with a tractor. Even that took a couple of tries as the rope kept coming loose. (I was afraid that they were going to pull the bumper of the dala-dala.) On the third try the thing started and we were on our way.
I stopped in Babati for some breakfast and then went out to look for a truck to Arusha. I didn't want to take another bus. The last bus trip was that bad. Eventually I found a truck was happy to take me. I was glad for the ride but it was slow. It was only a couple of hours before dark when we got to Arusha.
I rode through town and got around most of the traffic. On the other side I found a driver who was going to Moshi. I thought I could take a bus from there. As it turned out the driver was taking his little truck all the way to Dar. So I figured I would go along with him. In talking with Joseph, the driver, I learned that he takes chickens to Arusha just about every week. On the return trip though he is always looking for cargo. He also had his own complaints about the speed bumps. It really doesn't matter what speed you go at, they rattle the vehicle way too much.
We did pick up some cargo in a little town along the route. It was just two bags of fish though and it wasn't going very far. After we dropped that off we stopped at a little place outside of Same for food. After dinner Joseph said he and his mechanic were going to rest for a couple of hours. I wasn't quite sure where they were going to stay. It turns out they were going to sleep in the truck. So I unrolled my sleeping pad and slept in the bed of the truck. It wasn't bad actually. Life brings you to weird places.
-Dravis
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Barjamot - Day 348
Date: August 1st, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Tanzania
I was thinking of leaving Barjamot today and heading back to Dar, I just never got around to it. Plus, I had a good time seeing hanging out with Megan. We spent a bit of time walking around Barjamot. When we went out a "crowd" as Megan described it formed around me. (It was only about six people.) I guess everyone here is excited by someone new. Then we had lunch at Megan's mama's house.
Afterward Megan showed me some of the projects the village was working on. They
had a new health clinic, but no one was working there. There ins't a house for the doctor to stay at. (Right now that is literally just a pile of bricks.) There is also a new secondary school being built, but again, nowhere in the village for the teachers to stay. I didn't think housing in Africa was much of a problem. In little villages every family has a house or compound. If one mud hut is destroyed or melts in the monsoon rains, well they just squeeze into the huts that remain. I now see the problem is more with outsiders coming in to work in the village. How do you get a doctor to stay in a village when they have to cram into a mud hut with six other people?
From there Megan and I hiked up the hill behind the village. (This is apparently where she gets the best
cellphone reception.) It had a good view of the village with its corn and hay fields. There is also the mountain. It is quite something. From my map I think it is about 11,105 feet tall. So it dominates the surrounding area. It really was a pretty afternoon.
In the evening I helped Megan cook some dinner. I am amazed at how quiet it is out here. No cars. No trucks. No kids running around. Just a few bugs chirping and the occasional bleating of goats. This really is "away from it all". I can understand how she said that it would be weird to go back to the U.S. after this. Everything moving and making noise.
Then again we also talked a lot about food. That is really the big thing you miss when you are away. At first you think it would be your friends and family you miss. But you can e-mail you family. You can Skype with your friends. You could even send a postcard if you feel like it. You never get a call from a cheeseburger though. Pizza never sends you a text message. Tacos don't friend you on Facebook.
Plus the food out here gets boring. It is usually Ugali (corn paste), Wali (rice), or Ndizi (banana). Usually this is served with a bit of Nyama (beef) in a broth and a side of overcooked spinach. Day after day. Every day. It doesn't take much time to long for the variety you get back home. I felt bad for leaving for home in a few days. I will get all the pizza and burgers and tacos I could want. Megan's own homecoming is a year away.
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Tanzania
I was thinking of leaving Barjamot today and heading back to Dar, I just never got around to it. Plus, I had a good time seeing hanging out with Megan. We spent a bit of time walking around Barjamot. When we went out a "crowd" as Megan described it formed around me. (It was only about six people.) I guess everyone here is excited by someone new. Then we had lunch at Megan's mama's house.
Afterward Megan showed me some of the projects the village was working on. They
had a new health clinic, but no one was working there. There ins't a house for the doctor to stay at. (Right now that is literally just a pile of bricks.) There is also a new secondary school being built, but again, nowhere in the village for the teachers to stay. I didn't think housing in Africa was much of a problem. In little villages every family has a house or compound. If one mud hut is destroyed or melts in the monsoon rains, well they just squeeze into the huts that remain. I now see the problem is more with outsiders coming in to work in the village. How do you get a doctor to stay in a village when they have to cram into a mud hut with six other people?From there Megan and I hiked up the hill behind the village. (This is apparently where she gets the best
cellphone reception.) It had a good view of the village with its corn and hay fields. There is also the mountain. It is quite something. From my map I think it is about 11,105 feet tall. So it dominates the surrounding area. It really was a pretty afternoon.In the evening I helped Megan cook some dinner. I am amazed at how quiet it is out here. No cars. No trucks. No kids running around. Just a few bugs chirping and the occasional bleating of goats. This really is "away from it all". I can understand how she said that it would be weird to go back to the U.S. after this. Everything moving and making noise.
Then again we also talked a lot about food. That is really the big thing you miss when you are away. At first you think it would be your friends and family you miss. But you can e-mail you family. You can Skype with your friends. You could even send a postcard if you feel like it. You never get a call from a cheeseburger though. Pizza never sends you a text message. Tacos don't friend you on Facebook.
Plus the food out here gets boring. It is usually Ugali (corn paste), Wali (rice), or Ndizi (banana). Usually this is served with a bit of Nyama (beef) in a broth and a side of overcooked spinach. Day after day. Every day. It doesn't take much time to long for the variety you get back home. I felt bad for leaving for home in a few days. I will get all the pizza and burgers and tacos I could want. Megan's own homecoming is a year away.
-Dravis
Babati to Barjamot - Day 347
Date: July 31st, 2010
Distance: 93km
Country: Tanzania
Since I missed the climb, I thought I would just bike into Megan's village Barjamot. It was actually good, I got another precious day of long distance biking in. What a day though. The road out there is just a rough dirt road. A lot of it is uphill too.
I ended up spending a lot of time riding along the goat path to the side of the road. That was a lot smoother in general. It did get exciting at some points. Like when the path ended in a ravine. I had to skid to a halt before that one. The path also had a tendency to stop and begin a bit further down on the opposite side of the road. So keeping up with it was a bit hard. That said, it was much better than bouncing over the corduroy road.
After Endasak I made great time into Katesh. The wind was at my back again and I was feeling great. There a some moments on the road you feel like anything is possible. I got there well before sunset.
Sadly, I had missed the turn to Megan's village witch was actually just past Endasak. So now I had to go back 20km as it was getting close to dark. Eysh. Still I was dying to get there, so I turned around and started going. I made another 10km before finding a truck that would take me back.
I found the right turn, but I didn't really know how far it was to Barjamot. Asking the people about distance is worse than useless. How would they know how many kilometers it was? Instead I found a guy on a bicycle and he told me it was 20 minutes away. It was only about 20 minutes before sunset, and I figured it would actually be more like 40 minutes so I decided to go for it. Turns out, it was more like an hour and 20 minutes.
By the time I got to Barjamot it was pitch black. Actually, I rode through town the first time. (There are no lights and the village is pretty spread out.) I did see some buildings and asked if this was Barjamot, but the ids I asked told me to keep going. After going another kilometer I asked another guy. Fortunately he spoke decent English and said he could take me back there. I had run out of minutes on my phone so I couldn't call Megan. But once in town I found another guy who knew where she lived. So I ended up getting there after all. It was a long tough day, but one that feels so good and satisfying once it is over.
Megan was great to. We had a great time sitting around and talking. I probably spent most of the time jawing away as I have a tendency to do. Telling stories of my adventures. We also discussed what life was like in her village. Plus little things like the corruption in the country. There are no police out there. If you were to call in police, they would just request bribes and would only try to beat a confession out of suspects. So the villagers have to take care of everything on there own. It was fascinating. I didn't turn in until well after midnight.
-Dravis
Distance: 93km
Country: Tanzania
Since I missed the climb, I thought I would just bike into Megan's village Barjamot. It was actually good, I got another precious day of long distance biking in. What a day though. The road out there is just a rough dirt road. A lot of it is uphill too.
I ended up spending a lot of time riding along the goat path to the side of the road. That was a lot smoother in general. It did get exciting at some points. Like when the path ended in a ravine. I had to skid to a halt before that one. The path also had a tendency to stop and begin a bit further down on the opposite side of the road. So keeping up with it was a bit hard. That said, it was much better than bouncing over the corduroy road.
After Endasak I made great time into Katesh. The wind was at my back again and I was feeling great. There a some moments on the road you feel like anything is possible. I got there well before sunset.
Sadly, I had missed the turn to Megan's village witch was actually just past Endasak. So now I had to go back 20km as it was getting close to dark. Eysh. Still I was dying to get there, so I turned around and started going. I made another 10km before finding a truck that would take me back.
I found the right turn, but I didn't really know how far it was to Barjamot. Asking the people about distance is worse than useless. How would they know how many kilometers it was? Instead I found a guy on a bicycle and he told me it was 20 minutes away. It was only about 20 minutes before sunset, and I figured it would actually be more like 40 minutes so I decided to go for it. Turns out, it was more like an hour and 20 minutes.
By the time I got to Barjamot it was pitch black. Actually, I rode through town the first time. (There are no lights and the village is pretty spread out.) I did see some buildings and asked if this was Barjamot, but the ids I asked told me to keep going. After going another kilometer I asked another guy. Fortunately he spoke decent English and said he could take me back there. I had run out of minutes on my phone so I couldn't call Megan. But once in town I found another guy who knew where she lived. So I ended up getting there after all. It was a long tough day, but one that feels so good and satisfying once it is over.
Megan was great to. We had a great time sitting around and talking. I probably spent most of the time jawing away as I have a tendency to do. Telling stories of my adventures. We also discussed what life was like in her village. Plus little things like the corruption in the country. There are no police out there. If you were to call in police, they would just request bribes and would only try to beat a confession out of suspects. So the villagers have to take care of everything on there own. It was fascinating. I didn't turn in until well after midnight.
-Dravis
Moshi to Babati - Day 346
Date: July 30th, 2010
Distance: Cheating by bus.
Country: Tanzania
I got in touch with my cousin's friend Megan. She is in the Peace Corps here in Tanzania. I was hoping to meet up with her at her little village. She even said that some of her friends were going to climb the big mountain there the next day. So it was back to taking a bus. In most other bus countries, that mode of travel is enjoyable. I don't know what they have done here, but it seems to always be a miserable experience. We stopped for three hours in Arusha for no reason. The drivers couldn't tell me when we were leaving so I was stuck on the bush for that time.
I ended up in Babati just as the sun was setting. I was hoping to make it to Endasak that night, which is where the mountain climbing expedition was going to start from. I couldn't find any transportation going out there though. So I had to stay in Babati for the night.
-Dravis
Distance: Cheating by bus.
Country: Tanzania
I got in touch with my cousin's friend Megan. She is in the Peace Corps here in Tanzania. I was hoping to meet up with her at her little village. She even said that some of her friends were going to climb the big mountain there the next day. So it was back to taking a bus. In most other bus countries, that mode of travel is enjoyable. I don't know what they have done here, but it seems to always be a miserable experience. We stopped for three hours in Arusha for no reason. The drivers couldn't tell me when we were leaving so I was stuck on the bush for that time.
I ended up in Babati just as the sun was setting. I was hoping to make it to Endasak that night, which is where the mountain climbing expedition was going to start from. I couldn't find any transportation going out there though. So I had to stay in Babati for the night.
-Dravis
Voi to Moshi - Day 345
Date: July 29th, 2010
Distance: 55km (Plus cheating by truck.)
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: Wayward Son - Kansas
Started the day, and the wind had turned against me. Traitorous bastard. The road was also terrible. It was paved, but more like a patchwork of potholes paved over and stitched together. It was a bumpy ride, and slow going too. After only 15 km I hitched a ride on a truck. Glad I did, never would have made it otherwise. The road only gets worse from there.
I did want to ride to Tsavo Park. Everyone said there were lots of wild animals, but that doesn't bother me that much. Animals are pretty low on my list of things to be worried about. The road through the park was supposed to be paved though. When I saw that it was just a washboarded dirt road, I didn't feel too bad. I did see a herd of pachyderms as well. So that was good.
The truck dropped me at Teveta, which is on the Kenyan side of the border. The actual boarder was two more kilometers across more bad roads. Getting checked back into Tanzania was pretty easy, and I was welcomed with nice tarmac in front of me.
From here I just flew down the road into Moshi. The wind was once again behind me and I was having a great time. The only thing slowing me down was the speed bumps.
Each country I have biked through has had its share of speed bumps here and there. Tanzania is the worst though. You can find them on all the main roads outside hospitals, schools, intersections, villages, bus stops, bridges, cow crossings, on up-hills, down-hills and for no reason at all. Plus each large speed bump is preceded and followed by a series of corduroy bumps. The large ones I can go over without too much trouble. The smaller ones seemed designed to rattle my bike apart. Cars don't fare much better over them either. Quite frustrating.
There was one other thing that was a bit disappointing. I couldn't see Kilimanjaro. How do you hide a 20,000 foot mountain? Apparently the answer is clouds. Oh well, life is full of disappointments.
-Dravis
Distance: 55km (Plus cheating by truck.)
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: Wayward Son - Kansas
Started the day, and the wind had turned against me. Traitorous bastard. The road was also terrible. It was paved, but more like a patchwork of potholes paved over and stitched together. It was a bumpy ride, and slow going too. After only 15 km I hitched a ride on a truck. Glad I did, never would have made it otherwise. The road only gets worse from there.
I did want to ride to Tsavo Park. Everyone said there were lots of wild animals, but that doesn't bother me that much. Animals are pretty low on my list of things to be worried about. The road through the park was supposed to be paved though. When I saw that it was just a washboarded dirt road, I didn't feel too bad. I did see a herd of pachyderms as well. So that was good.
The truck dropped me at Teveta, which is on the Kenyan side of the border. The actual boarder was two more kilometers across more bad roads. Getting checked back into Tanzania was pretty easy, and I was welcomed with nice tarmac in front of me.
From here I just flew down the road into Moshi. The wind was once again behind me and I was having a great time. The only thing slowing me down was the speed bumps.
Each country I have biked through has had its share of speed bumps here and there. Tanzania is the worst though. You can find them on all the main roads outside hospitals, schools, intersections, villages, bus stops, bridges, cow crossings, on up-hills, down-hills and for no reason at all. Plus each large speed bump is preceded and followed by a series of corduroy bumps. The large ones I can go over without too much trouble. The smaller ones seemed designed to rattle my bike apart. Cars don't fare much better over them either. Quite frustrating.
There was one other thing that was a bit disappointing. I couldn't see Kilimanjaro. How do you hide a 20,000 foot mountain? Apparently the answer is clouds. Oh well, life is full of disappointments.
-Dravis
Mazeras to Voi - Day 344
Date: July 28th, 2010
Distance: 137km
Country: Kenya
Song of the Day: Lorenzo - Phil Collins
I started the day riding over low rolling hills on a high plateau. It really reminded me of central Washington. Scrub land as far as I could see. With the tail wind, I was making great time. Lots of fun.
Around lunchtime the wind switched on me. Coming from the side. The land around me changed as well and became much more like classic African savanna. Acacia
trees and dry grass sprouting in patches from the red earth. With the blue skies and white clouds overhead, it was amazing. There are some moments I wish I could bottle and bring with me. I guess my fuzzy memories and a few pictures will have to do.
Speaking of the sun, man that just burns into you here. Even with 4 coats of sunscreen I was still getting a bit of a sunburn. In the afternoon though the clouds rolled in, and that helped a lot. The wind came back and was pushing me toward Voi. That was the best part of the day. With the smooth roads and tail wind I was able to "super-cruise". I figure that is any time I can sustain 30kph or more. Feels great.
-Dravis
Distance: 137km
Country: Kenya
Song of the Day: Lorenzo - Phil Collins
I started the day riding over low rolling hills on a high plateau. It really reminded me of central Washington. Scrub land as far as I could see. With the tail wind, I was making great time. Lots of fun.
Around lunchtime the wind switched on me. Coming from the side. The land around me changed as well and became much more like classic African savanna. Acacia
trees and dry grass sprouting in patches from the red earth. With the blue skies and white clouds overhead, it was amazing. There are some moments I wish I could bottle and bring with me. I guess my fuzzy memories and a few pictures will have to do.Speaking of the sun, man that just burns into you here. Even with 4 coats of sunscreen I was still getting a bit of a sunburn. In the afternoon though the clouds rolled in, and that helped a lot. The wind came back and was pushing me toward Voi. That was the best part of the day. With the smooth roads and tail wind I was able to "super-cruise". I figure that is any time I can sustain 30kph or more. Feels great.
-Dravis
Millelani to Mazeras - Day 343
Date: July 27th, 2010
Distance: 90km
Country: Kenya
Another great morning to be riding along the coast. More tail winds too. I can't get enough of that. I love that I can just fly down the road. Woosh!
It was only 50km to Mombassa, which actually messed me up a bit. I wanted to stop before then and check out the beach. That was supposed to by my lunchtime treat. I heard the beaches south of Mombassa are really nice. There are tons of beach-side hotels all along the way, so somebody must think so. Again, stupid me for asking distances. The bus driver I asked was off by 10 kilometers. So the beach I went to wasn't all nice and sandy. It was rocky, like an old reef. Not all that great for swimming. Still, I did hop in and do my best. It was nice to get in and splash around in the hot afternoon for a bit. Plus, I can now say I have been swimming in 3 of the 4 oceans. (The Arctic might be a little tough.)
I did also spend some time cranking myself around Mombassa. It is kind of a cool city. An island in the Indian ocean. Architecturally it is neat to look around. Lots of Arabic influences, so it reminded
me a bit of Morocco. The "Old Town" part of the city was cool too, with more of a European influence. There was something to it as well. I had this feeling that it was a neat place to be. I had some ice cream as well, from a cart. Don't bother, it isn't that good.
I thought about staying, but I really need to put some miles behind me. After only a couple of hours in the city, I was back on the road. I only made it about 20km out of the city. Good enough for me. It will make tomorrow that much shorter.
-Dravis
Distance: 90km
Country: Kenya
Another great morning to be riding along the coast. More tail winds too. I can't get enough of that. I love that I can just fly down the road. Woosh!
It was only 50km to Mombassa, which actually messed me up a bit. I wanted to stop before then and check out the beach. That was supposed to by my lunchtime treat. I heard the beaches south of Mombassa are really nice. There are tons of beach-side hotels all along the way, so somebody must think so. Again, stupid me for asking distances. The bus driver I asked was off by 10 kilometers. So the beach I went to wasn't all nice and sandy. It was rocky, like an old reef. Not all that great for swimming. Still, I did hop in and do my best. It was nice to get in and splash around in the hot afternoon for a bit. Plus, I can now say I have been swimming in 3 of the 4 oceans. (The Arctic might be a little tough.)
I did also spend some time cranking myself around Mombassa. It is kind of a cool city. An island in the Indian ocean. Architecturally it is neat to look around. Lots of Arabic influences, so it reminded
me a bit of Morocco. The "Old Town" part of the city was cool too, with more of a European influence. There was something to it as well. I had this feeling that it was a neat place to be. I had some ice cream as well, from a cart. Don't bother, it isn't that good.I thought about staying, but I really need to put some miles behind me. After only a couple of hours in the city, I was back on the road. I only made it about 20km out of the city. Good enough for me. It will make tomorrow that much shorter.
-Dravis
Tanga to Millelani - Day 342
Date: July 26th, 2010
Distance: 118km
Country: Kenya
Feeling great today, I headed out of Tanga. The road north to the border was terrible though. Back to dirt roads. It seems that at one point it might have been paved. Now it is just a mess. I spent most of my time trying to pick a route where I didn't feel like I was ridin' in the rodeo. Didn't leave much time for looking around at the beautiful landscape I was passing.
Another annoyance was the road is actually 15km longer than my map says. Thanks for that one, cartographers.
I did get to the border and got myself checked through just fine. So Kenya, if my count is correct, is country 30 on this trip. It should also be the last new country I get to visit by land. (Though I will be heading back to Tanzania to fly home.)
The welcome to Kenya was great though. The road becomes flat and paved. I was getting a beautiful tail wind as well. From then on I was just cruising. That really made my afternoon.
Sadly, that didn't mean I was able to get anywhere. Frankly, there isn't a whole lot in that part of the country. I kept looking for a big town, and didn't find any. The sun ended up setting on me again. That wouldn't have been so bad if not for the bugs. You see, I was riding along an area of coastal swamp. I was plowing through clouds of these little bugs. Let me dispel the myth of the rugged explorer voyaging around the world on a bike with a handsome and dignified demeanor. The bugs that hit me ended up getting stuck in the mixture of sunblock, dust and sweat on my skin. I also kept having the little bastards fly in my mouth and nose. So I end up with bug filled snot running out of my nose and across my face, which by this point has grown a five o'clock shadow of insects. That isn't going to be on a magazine cover any time soon.
I did finally find one town and was able to secure myself lodgings.
-Dravis
Distance: 118km
Country: Kenya
Feeling great today, I headed out of Tanga. The road north to the border was terrible though. Back to dirt roads. It seems that at one point it might have been paved. Now it is just a mess. I spent most of my time trying to pick a route where I didn't feel like I was ridin' in the rodeo. Didn't leave much time for looking around at the beautiful landscape I was passing.
Another annoyance was the road is actually 15km longer than my map says. Thanks for that one, cartographers.
I did get to the border and got myself checked through just fine. So Kenya, if my count is correct, is country 30 on this trip. It should also be the last new country I get to visit by land. (Though I will be heading back to Tanzania to fly home.)
The welcome to Kenya was great though. The road becomes flat and paved. I was getting a beautiful tail wind as well. From then on I was just cruising. That really made my afternoon.
Sadly, that didn't mean I was able to get anywhere. Frankly, there isn't a whole lot in that part of the country. I kept looking for a big town, and didn't find any. The sun ended up setting on me again. That wouldn't have been so bad if not for the bugs. You see, I was riding along an area of coastal swamp. I was plowing through clouds of these little bugs. Let me dispel the myth of the rugged explorer voyaging around the world on a bike with a handsome and dignified demeanor. The bugs that hit me ended up getting stuck in the mixture of sunblock, dust and sweat on my skin. I also kept having the little bastards fly in my mouth and nose. So I end up with bug filled snot running out of my nose and across my face, which by this point has grown a five o'clock shadow of insects. That isn't going to be on a magazine cover any time soon.
I did finally find one town and was able to secure myself lodgings.
-Dravis
Tanga - Day 341
Date: July 25th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Tanzania
Been sick again. Why do my intestines keep betraying me like this?
When I have been feeling well enough, I have had some time to walk around Tanga. Nice place. I wish I felt better so I could explore it a little more. I think there are probably some nice beaches around here. Plus jungle and other stuff. Ah well. Will probably leave tomorrow. I have to get back to Dar for my plane flight.
The one problem with this town is none of the restaurants seem to be open when you expect them to be. I have had to find a different place for breakfast each morning because the cool places I find aren't open the next day. Same with places to get dinner. It is annoying. How hard is it to post the days and hours you will be open?
-Dravis
Distance: None
Country: Tanzania
Been sick again. Why do my intestines keep betraying me like this?
When I have been feeling well enough, I have had some time to walk around Tanga. Nice place. I wish I felt better so I could explore it a little more. I think there are probably some nice beaches around here. Plus jungle and other stuff. Ah well. Will probably leave tomorrow. I have to get back to Dar for my plane flight.
The one problem with this town is none of the restaurants seem to be open when you expect them to be. I have had to find a different place for breakfast each morning because the cool places I find aren't open the next day. Same with places to get dinner. It is annoying. How hard is it to post the days and hours you will be open?
-Dravis
Mkate to Tanga - Day 338
Date: July 22nd, 2010
Distance: 25km (Plus cheating by truck.)
Country: Tanzania
I ran out of gas just around noon. I guess not having more than a few pieces of bread over the last two days will leave you out of energy. So I took a truck to Segenda, which is the turn off to Tanga. The area was really pretty. I wish I felt good enough to ride it. Lots of low rolling hills. It also seems like this area is the breadbasket of Tanzania. The whole area seems to be covered with farms. This isn't like the open Savana I had come from. The land is getting greener again. I like it.
When we got to Segenda, I hopped out of the truck and thanked the driver. Stupid me, I forget my camelback (which, more importantly/expensively has my cameras in it, in the cab of the truck. Sometimes the bright light of the universe smiles on you though. For some reason the driver had given me his phone number. So I called him up, and he said he woudl be back through as soon as he dropped the load off. He wasn't very good at communicating when that was. So I had to sit around all afternoon.
I did strike up a conversation with a nice local kid named Alex. I guess he works in Zanzibar on and off as a tour guide. So he was able to give me some tips about that. He also gave me the number of a friend in Tanga. He even bought me a bowl of chicken soup, that was excellent. I should have gotten about 3 more. It was good to have some food.
When the truck finally showed up, and I got my stuff back, I was now ready to start going to Tanga. It took a while before another truck came along. I got into Tanga. Found a good place to stay and went to bed. Hell of a day.
-Dravis
Distance: 25km (Plus cheating by truck.)
Country: Tanzania
I ran out of gas just around noon. I guess not having more than a few pieces of bread over the last two days will leave you out of energy. So I took a truck to Segenda, which is the turn off to Tanga. The area was really pretty. I wish I felt good enough to ride it. Lots of low rolling hills. It also seems like this area is the breadbasket of Tanzania. The whole area seems to be covered with farms. This isn't like the open Savana I had come from. The land is getting greener again. I like it.
When we got to Segenda, I hopped out of the truck and thanked the driver. Stupid me, I forget my camelback (which, more importantly/expensively has my cameras in it, in the cab of the truck. Sometimes the bright light of the universe smiles on you though. For some reason the driver had given me his phone number. So I called him up, and he said he woudl be back through as soon as he dropped the load off. He wasn't very good at communicating when that was. So I had to sit around all afternoon.
I did strike up a conversation with a nice local kid named Alex. I guess he works in Zanzibar on and off as a tour guide. So he was able to give me some tips about that. He also gave me the number of a friend in Tanga. He even bought me a bowl of chicken soup, that was excellent. I should have gotten about 3 more. It was good to have some food.
When the truck finally showed up, and I got my stuff back, I was now ready to start going to Tanga. It took a while before another truck came along. I got into Tanga. Found a good place to stay and went to bed. Hell of a day.
-Dravis
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Chanlize to Mkata - Day 337
Date: July 21st, 2010
Distance: 112km
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: Caribou - The Pixies
Woke up, felt like crap. Ten minutes, and two trips to the bathroom later, I got the idea that I might be having more digestive issues. Still, I did get one the road somehow. I am not actually sure how I made it so far today because I didn't have anything to eat besides two pieces of bread for breakfast. The beautiful landscape and a coke every 15km probably helped.
There were a couple of times I wanted to call it quits. It just seemed to happen in the middle of nowhere. Plus, I kept asking how far the next town is, which is as stupid as a woman asking a man which shoes she should wear. Even if they give you and answer you know that answer isn't going to be close to right.
The sun ended up setting on me before I could get to town. The people I passed said it was just 4 kilometers away. I figured I could do that before it got too dark. I saw a set of three cell towers. That is usually a good sign of a town. That turned out to be 8 kilometers away. When I got there, I could see only half a dozen shacks. This was not a town and there was nowhere to stay. At the bottom of the next hill was a police checkpoint. I asked them how far to the next town. They told me it was 1 kilometer. Turns out it was 10. They were off by an order of magnitude. So frustrating.
In town, I still didn't have an appetite. I just wanted some soup. No meat, just the broth. I had seen it advertised at a few restaurants along the roads here, so I went on a hunt for that. I did find a lady selling some at the local market. What I got tasted more like cow bath water than beef soup. So disgusting I couldn't finish it. I had two rolls and went to bed.
-Dravis
Distance: 112km
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: Caribou - The Pixies
Woke up, felt like crap. Ten minutes, and two trips to the bathroom later, I got the idea that I might be having more digestive issues. Still, I did get one the road somehow. I am not actually sure how I made it so far today because I didn't have anything to eat besides two pieces of bread for breakfast. The beautiful landscape and a coke every 15km probably helped.
There were a couple of times I wanted to call it quits. It just seemed to happen in the middle of nowhere. Plus, I kept asking how far the next town is, which is as stupid as a woman asking a man which shoes she should wear. Even if they give you and answer you know that answer isn't going to be close to right.
The sun ended up setting on me before I could get to town. The people I passed said it was just 4 kilometers away. I figured I could do that before it got too dark. I saw a set of three cell towers. That is usually a good sign of a town. That turned out to be 8 kilometers away. When I got there, I could see only half a dozen shacks. This was not a town and there was nowhere to stay. At the bottom of the next hill was a police checkpoint. I asked them how far to the next town. They told me it was 1 kilometer. Turns out it was 10. They were off by an order of magnitude. So frustrating.
In town, I still didn't have an appetite. I just wanted some soup. No meat, just the broth. I had seen it advertised at a few restaurants along the roads here, so I went on a hunt for that. I did find a lady selling some at the local market. What I got tasted more like cow bath water than beef soup. So disgusting I couldn't finish it. I had two rolls and went to bed.
-Dravis
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