We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. All we knew was that we had made a New Years Resolution to change our lives and cycling down the continent of Africa seemed like a good start.

The Tour d’Afrique is a 12,000 km cycling race from Cairo to Cape Town. One year after making our New Years resolution toast, we found ourselves in Africa to follow through on that epic promise to ourselves.

Cycling by the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

Little did we know that we’d still be on the road 4 years later fulfilling our dream of becoming full time adventurers?

It Wasn’t Easy

The TDA was one of the most difficult experiences of our lives. We went into this race with high expectations; to win, and to achieve EFI (cycling Every Fabulous Inch) In the end, we ended up accomplishing both. Deb was women’s champion and Dave ended up in the EFI Club.

Simplicity

Cycling in Egypt

To this Day, Dave still says that cycling Africa was the best experience of his life. Sure it was difficult, but he loved the simplicity of waking up day in day out for 4 months knowing that the only thing on his agenda was to make it to camp waiting somewhere between 120km to 200km later before the sun went down.  We thrived on riding his bike and entering a state of complete meditation while riding through the ever-changing African landscape.

Contrast

navigating the non-existent roads in Ethiopia

To this day, Deb still says that it was the most difficult and miserable experience of her life. Each day was a struggle as she pushed her body beyond its limits for a solid 4 months. Alienated from the other female riders who didn’t understand her need for achieving success and drive to ride as hard and as fast as she could, she felt emotional and frustrated from beginning to end.

Together as a Couple

Cycling Together in Harmony by Namibia

Luckily we had each other to rely on and Dave sacrificed much of his total overall race time to help Deb make it to the finish line each day. You see the top 4 spots were clearly locked up. With a category 1 racer, a Canadian Iron Man, Switzerland’s Mountain Bike Champion and The former coach of the Finland National Cycling Team taking part in this year’s race, there was little chance barring an absolute catastrophe that Dave could overtake these career cyclists. Instead he decided to focus on the EFI club. By slowing down his pace a bit to stay with Deb, we could ensure staying healthy and strong giving him better odds of cycling every inch of the continent. He never had a sick day, a bike malfunction, a need to step on the truck or hitch a ride, and he always made it in before sun down.

Many people didn’t and each time we took a ride on the support truck if we were racers, we received a 12-hour penalty added to our total overall times.

The Race Explained

The Ethiopian Racing Team Joins Us for a Leg

The Tour d’Afrique was a stage race. Each morning we all left camp at our leisure. The stronger racers slept in and left later while the other riders left at daybreak to be sure to make it in before sunset. The time it took you to get from one camp to the next was recorded and accumulated each day. The person with the shortest time at the end of Africa won.

The beginning was tough.

We had trained hard for a year, riding up to 400 km per week, taking spinning classes and hot yoga, enrolling in a bicycle mechanics course and working out with weights but nothing could prepare us for the absolute torture of sitting in the saddle for 8 hours a day.

It took 1 month before I could finally get on my bike without having the pain take my breath away.

Day 1

The Start of the Race at the Sphinx in Egypt

The fist day of the Tour d’Afrique began at the Pyramids of Giza and we were feeling confident. We had trained hard and we felt prepared for this moment. Our group of 60 people had the pyramids to ourselves and men were just arriving with their camels and horses to take people on tour. We took our starting photo at the base of the pyramids and then stopped at the Sphinx to admire its splendor. One last glance and we were heading down the continent for the next 120 days.

The day was brisk and we started off slow with a police escort stopping cars and helping to navigate through the dense traffic. We weaved through the city until we finally reached the highway and everyone started to break away.

The pace of the leading cyclists was furious.

Representing Canada in the Tour d'Afrique

Thinking we were prepared, we held on to the lead group for as long as we could. My lungs heaved and my legs burned and I wondered how I could possibly keep this up.

I couldn’t

It didn’t take long before I hit the wall and soon I had fallen far back from the pack. I had about 100 km to go by the time I reached lunch and it was there that I reconnected with Dave and a few other cyclists. It seemed that today was taking its toll on everyone.

Traditionally the first day out of Cairo on the Tour d’Afrique has always had a strong tailwind but during our tour, we had killer head winds. Some people joined forces to form a peloton, but Dave and I were so exhausted from trying to keep up with the racers at the beginning of the day, we couldn’t even try to stay with the middle pack.

So we pushed on alone

Alone as Usual While Cycling through Africa

We talked each other through and pushed on throughout the next few agonizing hours. We were in dire straights. If we didn’t make it to camp before sunrise we would lose our chances for EFI on the first day! Our hopes would be dashed before they even had the chance to begin.

The sun started to set and we weren’t exactly sure how far we were from our campsite. During this tour we were given a hand drawn map to follow with estimated mileage. We couldn’t be sure of exact calculations. Camp could always fluctuate up to 20 km from where they said it would be. It all depended on how the driver felt and where the support trucks could find a safe and secure place to park.

Finish Line in Sight

The finish line that we saw at the end of each day

Imagine our elation when we saw the finish line flag just minutes before the sun went down.

We had finished our first day. We were exhausted, scared and overwhelmed with the task at hand, but we had made it through the first day and like so many other situations in Africa and beyond, we could only do it because we had each other. We didn’t have any time to celebrate though, we had to set up camp.

Our camp looked like this each night

It turned out that 1/3 of the riders lost their EFI that day. Many people had to be picked up throughout the day by our support vehicles and many others decided not to push on after lunch.

We were happy we did, but for the next 5 days leading up to our rest day in Luxor, we suffered greatly.

Our butts never stopped hurting, our legs never stopped burning, we felt the fatigue and aches and pains that come along with sleeping in a cold desert with nothing to keep you safe from the wind but the thin nylon tent and a small sleeping bag and because we had spent 2 weeks seeing the sights in Cairo before hand, we were both suffering from an infectious cough brought on by the pollution of the city.

• Are we glad we did it?
• You betchya!
• Did it get easier.
• Yes. By the time we reached Zambia, we were cycling strong and could even stick with the peloton. Dave was keeping up to the top riders with ease and I was getting into camp only a half hour or so after the top finishing guys.

We started to look like athletes and ride like professionals. We no longer cringed at steep hills or desert sands and a 200 km day wasn’t terrifying.

Cycling in the Peloton by the time we got to the end

We grew mentally and physically and while it was tough, we never would be where we are today if we didn’t take that chance and make that toast on New Years eve just a few years ago.

A portrait of innocence in Sri Lanka

While visiting Sri Lanka, we had the pleasure of visiting a small school in the jungle where our tuk tuk driver was donating shoes to the children that he had spent the last year raising money for and had hand made in the Southern Town of Galle. This little girl stole our hearts as she helped hand out the boxes to the other school kids.

A little smile for a picture in Mongolia

Traveling through Mongolia was one of the most welcoming experiences we’ve ever had. Everyone was happy to stop by our camps and say hello. They were excited to have us visit their country and they were interested in knowing why we were there and where we were going. It was the children on horseback that really caught our attention. As young as five or six years old these kids can ride a horse like nobody. They would look after hundreds of heads of cattle and goats while sitting high upon their steed. Whenever we stopped to say hello, they sat proudly to post for a picture. It really makes the perfect portrait.

A picture perfect look of mischief in Burma

In Inle Lake, Burma we  rented some bicycles to ride around the countryside. We happened upon these two boys who absolutely loved posing for us. It was like a fashion shoot on the top of an ox in the middle of a field of South East Asia. They were as mischievous as they were clever and they did not want us to leave.

A Picture of strength in Malawi, Africa

While cycling through Africa, we rode for Plan Canada and had the opportunity to visit a few of their projects on the continent. This school in Malawi is something to be proud of and we were happy to see the good work that Plan was doing with the money they received from donations. This school was filled with healthy and happy children learning mathematics, playing in the playground, eating healthy meals thanks to their garden and received regular check up from the health care workers that visited regularly. We were followed by crowds of children our entire time there and this girl’s striking eyes stood out to us. Carrying her little sister on her back, she never left our side. 

Work starts young in Rajasthan, India

While attending the Shilpgram arts festival in Udaipur, India we were dazzled by this young girl selling arts and crafts at her parents booth. She seemed to know that everyone was captivated by her as she stood still piercing our souls with her intense eyes. When I asked to take her photograph, she gave a simple nod and stared right into the camera. Proud, strong and determined.

The beauty is in the eyes in Fiji

Fiji is an island that seems to be filled with the happiest people on earth. It was during a kava ceremony that this young girl watched on from the door. She sat and enjoyed the festivities from afar but you could see that she wanted to join in. Once the dancing began, Deb went over to her and grabbed her hand and they danced around the circle together for song after song.

The gaze of a child in Black and white in Nepal

While trekking to Everest Base Camp we happened upon this little ham that was doing his best Zoolander poses for us all. He rolled around on a bench laughing and posing as each trekker walked by. He couldn’t stop giggling, but we were patient and waited for the crowds to pass and snap their quick photos. Once he calmed down at bit, he took a look at us and stared innocently into the lens of the camera. After I showed him the photograph, he started laughing uncontrollably again. It was then that we finally knew it was time to move on. This little guy was having a blast basking in the sun.

A young farmer poses for this picture on a roadside stop in Ethiopia

You may have heard about the times that children pelted us with rocks in Ethiopia and you may have heard us complain about how difficult it was to cycle through that country, but it is also an incredibly beautiful place. Life is hard there and even though the kids have an odd habit of throwing stones at foreigners, they are still extremely adorable. Their smiles light up the land and you can’t help but forgive them for trying to take you out as you ride by with that seemingly innocent staff.

Monica from a Pair of Panties & Boxers. is taking part in the ’1 Peak 1 Week Kilimanjaro Challenge.

Adventure for a Great Cause

She is currently volunteering for Support For International Change (SIC), an organization that is dedicated to limiting the impact of HIV/AIDS in underserved communities is spreading the word about their latest project. SIC has been working in northern Tanzania since 2002 providing mobile provision of Voluntary Counseling and Testing, reproductive health education and HIV prevention workshops, establishment of HIV support groups, and mobile provision of antiretroviral drugs in conjunction with government hospitals.

Support for Internation Change has teamed up with The Peaks Foundation, an organization that coordinates global mountain challenges for women who seek adventure, a sense of personal achievement, and an opportunity to make a positive difference in the world.

This August they have organized a ‘1 Peak 1 Week Kilimanjaro Challenge’ to support women in Tanzania living with HIV/AIDS and to
reduce its impact by providing education, economic and social support.

“Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was one of the most fulfilling experiences of our lives and if you have ever dreamt of climbing this mountain, now is your perfect chance and for a worthy cause.”

Here are ways you can help:

1. Sign up for the challenge! They are currently looking for fearless females to scale the highest freestanding mountain in the world: Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro. This challenge begins this summer, August 12-21, 2011.

2. Spread the word about the ‘1 Peak 1 Week Kilimanjaro Challenge’ with your readers and fellow wanderlusters. This is a great way to explore the world and make a positive impact in the local community.

3. Share this great adventure with your family, friends and social networks. It is many people’s dream to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and this just may be the incentive they need to go for it!

• For more information visit the Peaks Foundation
• To find out more about the organization and how you can help visit Support for International Change

The sun sets over the southern Ethiopia landscape

It was three years ago that we set off for the cycling trip that changed our lives.  The 2011 Tour d’Afrique kicks off this weekend and we revisited our first two weeks of the trip yesterday in The Tour d’Afrique, the Trip that Changed our Lives.  It was the beginning of ThePlanetD and we have never looked back.

In honour of our three years since the start of our Tour d’Afrique, we wanted to share a photo from Ethiopia.  Ethiopia was by far the toughest section of the tour for us.  With long hot days climbing mountains and dodging rocks thrown by naughty children, it was 23 days of pushing ourselves to the limits both mentally and physically.

We will never forget Ethiopia and to this day we are still surprised by the beauty of the country.

Travel photography has many aspects. When Deb and I travel most places are defined in some way or another by the people. Faces always have intrigued me because, as Shakespeare put it, “The eyes are the window to the soul”.

As I took these photo’s I believe that each pair of eyes offers a glimpse into the joys and hardships of each individuals life. It is amazing that with the click of a shutter you can relay such emotion. I hope you enjoy these photo’s as much as I did taking them.

Cigar anyone?

An Elder opens the shutters in Myanmar

The Innocence of a Child, Malawi

A wise gaze from a Peruvian elder.

A stunning Sudanese woman.

Digging for mussels on the rocks of Goa, India.

Taking a smoke break at the market in Myanmar.

Hard at work during the Harvest in Bali.

It made us think about the other memorable massages that we have had around the world.  We love getting a massage, it is a luxury that we cannot afford to have regularly at home, so we take advantage of it whenever we travel.
Some experiences have been better than others and some stand our in our memories better than others.

Here is a list of our Top 5 most memorable massages

Reflexology: Penang Malaysia

In a back alley in the heritage city of Penang, Dave and I had our most painful experience while having a massage.  We thought it would be nice to have our aching feet massaged and tended too after traveling for about 4 months.  Well, this wasn’t your every day pamper me massage.  This foot therapy involved strong hands pushing on pressure points and not letting go until he was good and ready.  We squirmed in our seats and winced with pain while he prodded around our feet.  Our expert reflexologist told us exactly what was wrong with us and all of our ailments.  He was bang on about everything and even though it was painful, it was definitely an unforgettable massage for the feet.  Price: About $10

Back Bending Massage in Laos

We had been told my many that we had to get a massage in Laos.  We were in Vientiane when we had our first experience.  The two of us walked into a large room sectioned off with curtains and mats all over the floor. We had a massage side by side and these guys twisted our bodies in all directions.  They were pulling us back, sitting on top of us, pulling our arms.  It was a little scary at times, but we came out alive and feeling pretty limber to say the least.

About $5

Beach Massage in Vietnam

We were chilling out in Mui Ne after both experiencing about a week of illness.  A massage was just what the doctor ordered to make us feel better.  Two little unassuming women walked by as we lay on our lounges and asked us if we wanted a massage.  We decided to go for it and they put us through the wringer.  These little ladies had strength and they pounded and pressed on our muscles until we were literally black and blue.  Dave got the worst of it.  We assume since he was the man, the woman pushed even harder.  He had bruises all over his body for a week.

It was quite tender to touch as well. $3 bucks, you get what you pay for.

Heavenly Ethiopia Massage

We had just been riding our bicycles through Africa for nearly 2 months and by the time we reached Addis Ababa, we were in desperate need of some pampering.  We booked at room at the Ghion Hotel Resort a where they also had a spa.   Our muscles had been tight and sore since we left Cairo, so a massage was must.  We were led to separate rooms where we received our individual massages.  It was very sanitary and hospital like. But the massage was great.  Just the right amount of pressure to work out the knots, but not to hard that we were black and blue.  After the session was over, we were free to spend time in the steam room and  jacuzzi tub that they had just filled specifically for us.  We hopped in and out of the steam room from the cold water shower to the hot therapudic steam.  After a couple of hours there, we were ready for bed.  Luckily we had two rest days in Addis Ababa.

About $12

Bali Floral Bath and Massage

Ubud Bali is one of the most tranquil places on the Island.  It is a beautiful town set in the interior and it was a perfect place to book a massage.  We each booked individually, but they took us in together.  We walked into the office and were sent to a room where there were two tables side by side.  They closed the hospital like curtains then told us to take off our clothes and lay down.  We didn’t know how much we were supposed to take off so we stripped down to our birthday suits unsure if we were supposed to or not.  I guess that everything was O.K. Because they didn’t bat an eyelash when they came into the room.  It was a very soothing and professional massage.  They covered us with towels and worked on each section with expert hands.  After an hour, we were lead to another room where a floral bath was waiting for us both.  We hadn’t had a bath in months.  It was heavenly and we stayed in that tub until the water turned cool and our hands and feet pruned up.

About $10

Have you had some memorable rubdowns around the world? Let us know of a place where you had your best or most unique massage, we are always seeking out some pampering!

Here is a list of what we found to be some of the most surreal, strange and odd sites in Africa.

1. Dead Camel Highway

We don’t know why there were so many dead camels on the side of the road.  we had heard a few different stories. One was that a caravan had gone through months earlier and some camels just didn’t make it. Another story was that the villagers from a nearby town brought their dead camels here instead of burying them. We are not sure what the story is, but it made a very interesting photograph.

2. Airplane Graveyard

We stumbled upon several abandoned airplanes off of the highway in the Sudan.  There weren’t any billboards or signs stating why these planes were sitting in the middle of the desert, or why they were left there.  But it was pretty cool to be able to go inside the planes and explore the cockpit.

3. Abandoned WWI Cemetery

In Namibia we pulled off to camp at an abandoned railway station.  That wasn’t very strange as many railway stations are abandoned nowadays.  What was odd was the immaculate WWI Memorial that was right next door to it.  It was surrounded by tumbleweeds, shrubs and weeds, but the graves were perfectly groomed.  Somebody obviously comes by regularly to take care of it.

4. Installation Art

In Namibia we camped at yet another strange campground.  Pulling off of the side of the road onto the abandoned lane way when you were cycling all alone was a little bit creepy. Several of these odd statues were placed around the grounds depicting little scenes.  We felt better once we saw other people, but at first we thought we were entering some kind of horror film.

5. Random Things on the Highway

As we cycled down the continent, we would find some very strange and random objects on the side of the road. In South Africa Dave found a bone the size of Fred Flintstone’s dinner and in Ethiopia I enjoyed playing with some horse tails to swat the flies away.

5.Everything on the Road Except Vehicles

Africa has a lot of roads being built and paved.  Some are simply beautiful smooth, black tarmac. The funny thing is that there never seems to be any vehicles on the roads.  We saw cows, goats, donkeys, people and a lot of rocks but other than the 60 cyclists that were riding through each day, we didn’t see a lot of traffic. So really, why are they paving all of these highways in Africa? I guess we will see the answer in about 10 years.

Sure we have traveled for extended periods before, but this time, we are not planning on returning to our careers in the film business.  Nope, we are moving on to somehow become ful ltime adventurers!

Six months ago, we decided to work diligently on our blog.  It has been an amazing experience writing daily posts and it has made us reflect on our past travels.

In a few short weeks, we will be making new memories, but for now we would like to share some of our Favorite things that we have encountered in our travels.  We were brainstorming about moments that have stood out over the years and

Here is our list of Favorites from abroad.

1- Favorite Adventure – Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro had to be one of the highlights of our life.  We spent six glorious days with great people, fantastic guides and wonderful scenery.  To make it to the top of one of the most famous climbs on the planet is one of the most gratifying experiences a person can have.

2- Favorite Thrill Ride – I was freaking out when the police stopped us to warn us how dangerous it was to dune buggy through the sand dunes of Huacachina.  But once we got started, it was a thrill of a lifetime.  Roller coaster have nothing on climbing one of the highest dunes in the world strapped into a rugged 4X4 only to plunge down the almost vertical drop on the other side.

3- Favorite Adrenaline Rush – Dave had always wanted to go to Zambia to jump from one of the world’s tallest bungee jumps at Victoria Falls.  We took it one step further and booked a day abseiling, zip lining and swinging into the great gorge as seen on the Amazing Race!

4- Favorite Meal – food is always the main focus of our travels. After a good adventure there is nothing more satisfying than eating an amazing meal.  We were cycling Africa last year and by the time we made it to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, we were famished.  Ethiopian is one of our favorite foods and having a great mix of stews and salads served with Injera at the tranquil Ghion Hotel downtown was simply heaven. We were even treated to a show with traditional dancers and music as we sipped our beer and stuffed out faces.

5-Favorite Sunset – It is hard to pin down the perfect sunset.  Our planet is filled with them. But we will never forget being on a boat cruise in Chobe National park watching the sun go down.  Hippos were munching in the water, elephants were lumbering on the river banks and the sky was ablaze with reds, yellows and oranges.

Roasting Coffee in Ubud

6-Favorite Coffee – Before we started traveling, neither of us were big coffee drinkers.  But to visit places such as Indonesia and Africa where coffee was born, how can you not become a lover of the caffeinated beverage.  We have enjoyed some rich and delectable cups of joe, but nothing compares to Bali Coffee.  It is the most delicious brew we have ever tasted.  We brought several bags home with us, and we just may have to take a side trip from India to visit Bali, just to stock up again.

7- Favorite Place to Chill out.  It isn’t always about treks and adventures. Sometimes we just want to relax and work on our tans.  Nothing compared to Gili Air for serious chill time.  We decided to venture to Lombok with the intent of staying a couple of days in the Gili Islands.  11 days later we finally pulled ourselves away from this small island that didn’t allow motorized vehicles.  Horse carts were the mode of transport or some good old fashioned foot power.  We slept in hammocks, snorkeled the drift in front of the beach and ate seafood until our hearts content.

8 – Favorite Wildlife Encounter. Wow, the wildlife we have seen over the years has been amazing. But nothing compared to our time in Belize.  Taking a sail boat out to the pristine coral reef near Caye Caulker to swim with the sharks with Juni was so much fun that we turned around and went right back the next day.  We saw eagle rays, manta rays, nurse sharks, barracuda’s and eels.  We had been diving throughout Central America before hitting Belize, but the snorkeling with our guide Juni was a touching experience.  These fish had personalities and I could see the intelligence and innocence in their eyes.

Spike through Cheek of Pilgrim

hooks in back at Thaipusam

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9- Favorite Festival.  We had stumbled into Malaysia in January thinking that we would use it as a stepping off point to go to Bali, Singapore and Malaysian borneo. Well, 6 weeks later we were still there and in that time, we witnessed the most shocking and amazing festival on the planet.  Thaipusam is a Hindu Festival where pilgrims pay homage to the Lord Muruga by piecing themselves with hooks and driving spikes through their cheeks and lips.  Unbelievable unless you have seen it with your own eyes.

10 –Favorite Trek. People may say that Sapa is ruined and that it is over run with tourists.  We loved our time in Sapa.  Dave and I had a private tour with Xin as our guide.  We walked through the vast rice terraces for 3 days. We picnicked on a high plateau, we enjoyed rice wine with the local villagers as they sang around the fire.  We ventured far into the mountains away from the town and away from tribes corrupted by tourism.  It was an incredible experience staying in a homestay. Xin brought a feast and the family prepared fresh vegetables and rice and the rice wine kept flowing. We quickly learned that you just cannot ever say no to rice wine when it is offered.

Starting Line of our Cycle Through Africa

It is funny to think of all of the irrational fears that we had before leaving. Well, I should say that I had. Dave tends to go with the flow better than me, but that is not to say he wasn’t curious on how we were going to deal with problems that would arise.

So without further adieu, here are some fears that we had about camping and cycling our way down Africa, what we encountered and how we dealt with them.

On the Road in Egypt

1 – Fear of being chased by wild animals.  This happened to us on more than one occasion. Packs of wild dogs chased us in Egypt and they managed to hold on for quite a while. Luckily, we saw them coming. They hung out in fields and started chasing us as we passed. Normally we had enough momentum going so we could stay one step ahead of them. I don’t know what we would have done if they had chased us on an uphill.

Dave was also chased by baboons.  They ran along with him for a fair amount of time, but once again, he managed to outrun them. It sounds pretty funny to be chased by baboons, but they can be very vicious so it is a good thing Dave was in pretty good shape during that part of the trip. All in all, we came through the trip unscathed.

A Nice Baboon in Ethiopia

2. Peeing in Public. Ok, I was just looking for an excuse to write the word pee on my blog. But this really was a concern. I had heard that in Ethiopia especially that it was very populated and if you had to go, you wouldn’t have a lot of privacy. I was considering carrying a sarong with me so that if I had to squat in public, I would at least be covered up.  However, this never was an issue.  There was plenty of deserted areas to duck behind a tree or a mound of dirt.  I must admit though that in Ethiopia it was very crowded and you didn’t have a lot of time before people came out of the middle of nowhere. So, you just had to do your business quickly.

A Tent for Privacy in Ethiopia

3. Dealing with snakes and insects while doing your business.  Yes, I see a theme…going to the Toilet is always and issue.  We had to get out of our tents in the middle of the night and find a safe place to go.  Surprisingly, I never worried much about it by the time we camped in long grass and bushes. I guess it is because through Egypt and Sudan we started off in Deserts. We became numb to any worries after a month or so, therefore, when I when I went to do my deed, I never worried about it.  I did however make a lot of noise walking so, I am assuming that snakes and other creepy crawlies would have been more afraid of me, than I was of them.

Lot's of Crashes, Luckily we weren't a Part of any

4. Crashing. Traffic can be brutal in cities and on highways and I was pretty concerned about being taken out by a car. It ended up not being the cars we had to worry about, but the tour buses and transports. In Egypt buses would zoom passed us on the highways without a care in the world. They would also drive straight for us from the opposite direction seemingly wanting to run us off of the road. They did a couple of times, but if you kept your head about you, you just simply drove onto the shoulder to wait for them to go by.  There were a few crashes on the trip, one person broke their collarbone, one had a concussion, there were several stitches, but Dave and I were lucky with the fact that we didn’t have any major falls.  The only one that took me out of commission for 10 days was a minor scratch from a silly little fall that ended up getting infected.

My Knee Infection Slowly Healing

5- Surprisingly infection was never on our list, but it is a very real fear now. Several people caught serious staff infections and cellulitus. We were riding in the rainy season in Tanzania and Malawi, so even mosquito bites were causing severe problems. But that was not a fear of ours until we were in the middle of Africa.  A word to the wise.  If you are in Africa during the wet season and you have a cut that doesn’t even seem like it should matter, Don’t ignore it.  Clean it and disinfect it, anything can become infected in a matter of 24 hours.

An Elephant in Chobe National Park, Luckily not in our Camp

6. Having Wild Animals surround our camps. We were camping right through the heart of Chobe National Park in Botswana and in forests in Ethiopia, but we never had a problem at night. We didn’t have electric fences or armed guards, we were just a little traveling community of campers pulling off at the side of roads or in clearings.  We saw signs like a elephant dung all over the place, so we knew that a herd of elephants had passed through, but we never had the occasion of anything entering our camp.  Oh except for Hyena’s surrounding us in Ethiopia, but they kept their distance. Just don’t wander off with your shovel to do your business too far in the middle of the night.

Relaxing at the Crater Lake with Usual Crowd of Children

7. Rocks being thrown at us in Ethiopia. This is a very real fear and it is well known that Ethiopian children like to throw rocks at cyclists.  You can read all about it at my post at Brave New Traveler.

Our Bikes at Sunset

8. Contaminated Water. We were going to be riding through very dry and remote countries. We really haven’t ever had to worry about water before, you can buy bottled water nearly everywhere. Well, not in Sudan.  Our trucks would stop and fill up at wells in towns and then purify our supply with tablets.  Well, when drinking your water this way for 4 months you are bound to have a parasite or two sneak through and I had 3 different kinds accompany me back to Canada. I swear I still haven’t recovered.

Water stops in Sudan

9. Bandits. We have all heard about robberies and muggings and when you are cycling all alone for 120km each day, you would think that you would be pretty vulnerable.  I especially cycled alone more than a lot of people. I was racing, but I wasn’t fast enough to keep up with the men’s peloton and I didn’t want to hang back with the expedition riders, so I was alone with no one in sight for hours on end.  Only once did I worry a little about being robbed and that was when I was exhausted on a day in Ethiopia.  I had a group of teenagers walking along with me harassing me, slapping me and grabbing at my things.  One huge yell at them though and they left me alone.  I also managed to find some extra energy to get back on my bike and ride up that epic hill that I much rather would have walked.

10. Living in Filth and Sweat. I sweat a lot, I mean buckets and after a workout, the first thing I need is a shower. Otherwise I become itchy and my skin stings and I am just generally uncomfortable.  I burn easily too and whenever I am at the beach, sand stings my skin if I have gotten too much sun.

That is one Dirty Dave

In Sudan and Ethiopia, we were sun burnt and hot. Sand would stick to our skin mixed with sweat and we went for up to 6 days without access to water. We had enough water in the trucks to drink and cook with and that was it.  The rest of the time we were on water rations and were not allowed to use it to bathe or clean.  It was unbelievable, but I became used to being dirty. My skin toughened up and I didn’t even care that I couldn’t shower. If we had any water leftover in our water bottles at the end of the day, we were allowed to dump that over our heads, and that was really all that we needed.  When we had days off, we would shower once, but if we had a second day off we would say, “why bother, I just showered yesterday!”

So after our adventures in Africa, we feel that we will be able to handle anything that the world can throw at us during our next travel. Or at least we are ready to face our fears head on.

One of the best things about traveling is food. Dave and I seem to plan our days around our meals.  We wake up in the morning and while we are eating our breakfast, we discuss what we are going to eat and where we are going to go for dinner.  We love food. Food makes us happy. And when we discover new and delicious food around the world, well, we are in heaven.

We thought that we would share some of our favorite food from around the world.  We have been to a lot of countries and besides meeting the people, enjoying an authentic meal is always a highlight of our trip. There are willing to try almost any type of food. We have eaten bugs in Cambodia, Snake in Vietnam and Springbock in Malawi.  We have had mystery meat in Sudan and many times we try dishes when we have no idea what we are eating.  We love sampling foods of the world though, it is rare that we try a dish that we cannot stomach. It certainly makes traveling more enjoyable that is for sure.

Here is our list of the best food from around the world

Ethiopia ……Staple Dish – Spicy meat and veggie stews served atop Injera. A type of flat bread made with fermented flour. You rip off a piece of bread and scoop up the stew with your hands.  I just love eating with my hands.  There is something about diving in to your food and grabbing a handful of hearty meats and vegetables.  Meals are just so much more fun when you eat with your hands.  And Wat stews served atop injera are heavenly delicious.

Injera and stews and authentic Ethiopian mea.

Peru….. Staple Dish – Ceviche – It really doesn’t sound like it would be the best dish on earth because it is described as a raw fish stew.  Actually, this fresh fish meal is marinated in citrus juice and it’s delicious. Here is my first taste of Ceviche while dining in Peru.

In South Africa we just couldn’t eat enough. We had finally finished cycling from Cairo to Cape Town and we needed to make up for months of eating not on the road. It was in the wine region in Franschoek that we splurged on a meal at one of the country’s top ten restaurants.  I never thought that I would like Ox Tail, but the chef made it taste so good.  We had an OxTail Pate rolled in Filo Pastry with a perfectly cooked steak piled high on fresh greens and wild mushrooms. Elegant and delicious.  The food in South Africa was delectable what makes it even better is that it is very affordable.

Splurging on a fine meal in South Africa

A decadant dish of Oxtail with Foam Gravy

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Laap in Laos – This national dish is a spicy meat meat salad made with lime juice, mint and chillies. This was our first meal that we ate when we got off of the bus from Vietnam to Vientiane. After 24 hours on a bus, it was pure heaven. They made the food fresh for us on the banks of the Mekong River and we will never forget the experience

Swiss Fondue, Raclette, Cheese Platters….- Cheese, Cheese and More cheese. We just love cheese. In Switzerland it was everywhere and we took advantage of eating their delectable cheeses every chance we had.  It seemed that every meal we ate for 2 weeks had cheese on the menu.

Cheese Fondue in Switzerland

Bali and Sudanese Coffee Africa is the birthplace of coffee and it was the best place in the world to drink it. Every chance we had we would stop for a roadside coffee.  The coffee was hand ground before our eyes, boiled to perfection over an open fire and we met amazing people while we warmed up during the cold desert morning.

man makes us delicious coffee in the Sudan

Africa may have been the birthplace of coffee, but Bali certainly knew how to perfect it. We loved their coffee so much that we took several bags home with us.  It was so sad when we drank our last cup. We need to find a way to get a shipment of Balinese coffee to Canada.

Egypt - an Authentic Bedouin Meal in Egypt. What is cooler than eating authentic Egyptian food in the middle of the white desert. Sure it was served on plastic containers, but it was delicious and we ate in sitting in the sand on blankets in a Bedouin camp.  Our guides cooked over an open flame, served us plenty of sweet tea and cooked up great red stews and meats, potatoes, rice and pita bread. Yummy.  This was certainly one of our most memorable meals during our travels.

Our Bedoin Guide cooking our food over open flame

So there you have it, Our favorite foods of the world so far. Sure we have other favorites out there. Thai Green curry is one of my favorite dishes on earth. I can eat Sushi every day and I love Vietnamese Pho. A savory duck roasted in France and Schnitzel while in Germany are a must and quesadillas and tortillas are a must in Central America. But foods  listes above seem to stand out in our memories as not only great meals, but fun situations and unique experiences.

This post is part of the Lonely Planet BlogSherpa Travel Blog Carnival hosted this time by Kat over at Tie Dye Travels on Food Around the World. The Carnival is hosted every two weeks by a BlogSherpa member

Dave Bathing in the Dongola Zoo, Sudan

Camped in a zoo in Sudan-We arrived in Dongola, Sudan after 6 days of cycling in the desert.  We hadn’t showered and we were covered in dirt and sweat. We weren’t treated to luxury though, we had set up camp in an old abandoned zoo.  Apparently a turtle still roamed the grounds but we never saw it. The zoo had high steel walls and nobody was allowed in.  It was pretty strange, because we were fenced in while the town looked at us from outside. We were monkeys in a cage?  This may sound a little odd already, but it didn’t become really strange until we all started bathing in our red supply boxes.  They were carried on our supply trucks and held all of our gear. someone found a hose, so we all filled up our little 100 litre boxes and took a bath.  Weird.

Dirty in Ethiopia, We Would Shower Anywhere

Showered in a Brothel in Ethiopia- Yet another African experience.  We had been cycling once again for days on end through sand.  Once we crossed the Ethiopian border, we camped in a patch of grass which we shared with cows and donkeys.  We had to keep an eye out for cow patties and at one point I saw a cow drinking out of the bottom of one of our trucks.  Our trucks carried our water through the desert in a big bladder underneath. They kept us alive through the unforgiving desert and here was a cow slurping from the bladder like it was sucking on its mums teet. This may sound like a strange experience, but it didn’t get wierd until we all lined up to have a shower at the brothel next door.  We raved about how amazing it was, your standards lower a lot when you are in the desert. The stalls were tin shacks with cement floors and cold water, but the pressure was good and we loved every minute of it. And we even sat down for a beer in the bar afterward as the “ladies and gentlemen” watched on.

Strange Sculptures in Namibian Campsite

Camp Site in Namibia-We approached a camp site in Namibia that completely freaked me out. I was riding alone and in the distance I saw a scary looking guy standing at the side of the road.  He never moved. As I road closer, I was beginning to wonder if I should turn back. But I was on the right route, I followed the flags, it had to be O.K.  Then I realized that it was a statue.  I was relieved, but then again, why is a statue standing alone in the Middle of the Kalahari desert?  I hope I didn’t make a wrong turn?  I kept riding down the long abandoned path and more of these creepy sculptures kept popping up.  They were set up in various strange scenes. Sitting on motorcycles, working at a wagon and perched on go carts and bicycles. They had these heads that looked like pumkins and every horror movie from my childhood flashed through my brain. I eventually made it to camp thank God.  I was happy I was with a crowd, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep at night if it was only Dave and I.

Shared a bus with a load of Lobsters -  This one was pretty surreal.  We got on a bus downtown Hanoi enroute to Vientiane Laos.  It ended up being a 24 hour journey. There were a handful of us waiting for the bus and we assumed that we would be picking people up at different stops along the way.  Well, we stopped alright, but instead of people, we picked up flour, rice, electronics; you name it, we got it.  We actually started to wonder if we were on a bus that was smuggling stuff across the border.  Oh yeah, I said Lobster didn’t I?  Dozens of lobsters wrapped in pretty packaging  that started to” turn” in the heat as time went on.  It was getting pretty ripe in there by the end and we couldn’t understand why they weren’t packed in ice. Were the lobster carrying something??? We’ll never know.

Loving My Clothes in Hoi An

Shopping in Hoi An-It doesn’t sound very strange, but in Vietnam, Hoi An is famous for its designer suits and cocktail dresses tailor made for a steal. Well, we were backpackers and our jobs at home never call for suits and formal attire.  We told everyone that we were never going to buy clothes in Hoi An. We just wanted to see the town and the sights around it.  However, when we were approached on the street we thought we would be nice and humor the sweet lady and go to her shop. We ended up spending $250 on suits, dresses,  silk shirts, pants and skirts we bought it all.  We stressed about our purchases that night and reprimanded ourselves thoroughly. When we went back the next day to pick up all of our clothes, we loved them so much, we bought more!!  That night again, we kicked ourselves again and again.  What were we thinking? We ended up sending a giant box home to Canada and speding over $300. That cut into our travel budget quite a bit. When we were staying at inns for $4 a night and eating meals for a couple of bucks.  Well, thats a lot of days on the road that we just spent on clothes.  What is strange about this you ask? Well we would love to know where our brains went while we were in Hoi An. (Travel tip-if you get clothes made in Hoi An, be sure to make them double stitch the threading.  It lasts better.)

Adorable Yes, but watch out, those staffs can be deadly

Being Stoned all the way Through Ethiopia-No it is not what you think….In Ethiopia the children have an odd pass time of throwing rocks at cyclists.  They get a kick out of using us as target practice.  We spent 23 days in Ethiopia, and each day we could count on getting a rock whipped at our heads or sticks stuck in our spokes.  It was nuts! Most kids carried these big staffs to herd their cattle and as we rode by, they tried to stick them in our tires to take us out.  You may think that it was because they wanted us to stop and talk. But no, even when we stopped and shared a nice little conversation, they would hurl rocks at us as we left.  It was infuriating.  They had great aim and they could run fast.  I would try to get off my bike and run after them when I was hit by a particularly painful shot, but they were long gone. They didn’t do this in Sudan, or Malawi, or Tanzania, or Namibia….so why in Ethiopia.  I also have no idea who taught them this, but as we cycled from the Sudanese Border in the north all the way through Ethiopia in the south, everyone yelled You, You, You at us. It is weird.  Not a hello or even a wave,  “you, you, you” oh and “give me my money.”  I was luckier than most, I had Dave with me to keep me safe and I didn’t get it near as bad as other riders.  Plus, we rode fast.  We were through early in the day, and it wasn’t so bad yet.  As the day went on however, people got hit worse. They knew people were coming and they were ready for them.  Here is a list of what happened to other riders in Ethiopia.  While cycling by, a woman was peed on, a man had cow dung thrown at him, another woman ran into a child and the town mobbed her demanding money and would not let her leave. The child was ok by the way, and after settling on a payment, she was allowed to go.  Many including myself were whipped with a bullwhip, and yet another woman was asaulted, but a bunch of villagers came to her rescue. Thank God. Most people are good in this world, it is just an few that make everyone else look bad. Unfortunately, Ethiopia is a very populous country and as we were cycling we passed thousands and thousands of people.  So the hundreds and hundreds that got us, made it seem like everyone was out to take us down.

Going to Bokor Hill- A popular tourist destination in Cambodia, we thought it would be a good place to visit.  We hired a truck to take us up themountain.  He asked us if we wanted to pay a couple of bucks more and he would take us on a hike to the waterfall. Sure, OK we said.  We hiked a path and then came out to a bunch of rocks.  It was dry season, and there wasn’t any water. No biggie off we went to the casino.  Another creepy place that is said to be haunted.  I don’t know what it is like today, but back then we just walked through dark hallways and looked at the abandoned hall.  It was a little unsettling. But the view was beautiful. I think they are turning it into a big resort now, I am glad I saw it when it was all run down and abandoned makes for a better story.  Oh wait, that’s not the strange part yet.  Our truck broke down at the top of the mountain, so we all had to pile into the back and coast our way down.  I remember the guys checking the engine scratching their heads and wondering what to do.  We decided that we would have to walk, but a while later, they came up behind us and we had no choice but to hop on. It was night time in the Cambodian Jungle, plunging down a mountain in the box of a coasting truck seemed like a safer option.

Bed Bugs in Malaysia, I have already talked about when we were eaten by bed bugs in Chang Mai, Thailand in a previous post, but there was something very surreal about this bed bug experience in Malaysia.  We were in Penang in a highly recommended guest house which will remain nameless. I was walking back to my room after a morning shower and I saw Jimmy the owner, squishing these creepy creatures leaving bloody smears all over the floor.  He had a big piece of wood and was swatting at them in the room next to ours. All the while, he had a big smile on his face and kept reassuring us that we didn’t have any in our room. I was so grossed out by the blood all over the floor and wall, that we had to get out of there.

Diving in Cozumel, Happy before we spent all that money

Getting taken to the cleaners in Mexico-We had just spent a week diving in Cozumel and were about to embark on our Central American Adventure. On the ferry from Cozumel to Playa Del Carmen, we were approached by a time share seller.  We know all about time shares and weren’t interested.  But they offered us $100 US Cash each to come and take a look.  We said, wow, we can go see it and make sure to say NO, collect our $200 and be on our way.  Well we got their and the pressure was high.  They kept throwing everything our way and we kept saying no. The price kept going down and down and then they finally said that they would give it to us for $1000 and upgrade us to the level where we can get African safaris and luxury tours for cheap cheap cheap.  We gave in and bought.  Right after I freaked out and wanted my money back to no avail.  We did get our $200 though and they agreed to put us up in their luxury resort for a week in Playa Del Carmen. It was beautiful and we were pampered staying in this incredible hotel.  We had just come from an all inclusive dive resort  and this one made that one look like a Days Inn. So we figured it all evened out in the end.  $800 bucks for a week at a luxury resort. Why is this surreal, we were supposed to be back packing in Mexico and should have been roughing it in Tulum by now. Insead we had white robes and slippers and were sitting by the pool bar. We cut almost a month of travel off of our trip because of that resort, but we still talk about how nice it was and to this day, we still get emails from that vacation club offering us great discounts.  They do have great discounts admittedly, maybe one day we will take them up on it

Life here so far in the TDA becomes a bit surreal to say the least. Days no longer have names, just distances and vague directions.
This will give you an idea of what we have to go through.

Every morning we wake to the sound of, no not singing birds, but James Brown’s “I Feel Good” or Queens “Bicycle.”

Sun Rise on the Tour d'Afrique in Ethiopia

After the 6:30 am wake up call, it is time to get to work.  Once we have done our morning visit to the Loo (which could range from a hole dug by the staff with a tent plopped on top of it, to a trip to the nearest bush, with a shovel slung proudly over your shoulder) The morning routine begins.

The Toilet.....

Our system is pretty good now and run like a well oiled machine.

We start with buttering up our butts before sliding into our riding shorts then proceeding to pack up the tent and its contents.  Then it is off to the breakfast line with our plates and cutlery to fill ourselves with the morning’s delights. Dry bread, porridge (every day) or if we are lucky some muesli. But not before trying to secure a camping chair to put your butt on, they are like gold, so don’t let it out  of your sight or you may be sitting on the ground with the thorn bushes.

Grab your stool or you will be sitting on the ground!

After eating a plate of that oatmeal or pro-nutro (still don’t know what the hell that is) it is time for the washing of the dishes and packing up your 100 litre red box, which holds your entire life in it for the days you are on the road.  Then it is on to the bikes for the days km, interrupted only by a coke stop and lunch.

If we are lucky we may be allowed more than  1 piece of watermelon.

After dodging the days obstacles, which could range from potholes, to cattle, to rock throwing children, we arrive in camp greeted by the blazing sun and all the soup and dry bread we can eat.

The infamous Red Box

When we get our fill and are feeling up to it, we tackle the red box again.  We normally camp in cow pastures, so we almost always clear away dried cow dung or goat turds  then, set up the tent and wait with baited breath for the call of the wild….RIDER MEETING!  Now we can find out what is in store for us the next day.  And then it is Bon Appetite. Lining up like cows going to slaughter, we await the staff who have positioned themselves behind 3 big pots to dish out Mile’s latest creation.

Time to turn in....our tent

After scarfing down our meals, we quickly retreat to the tent to be lulled to sleep by the sounds of the night…starting with the concerto of snoring, followed by a symphony of farts.  Ahhh, a day on the TDA and only 2 more months to go.

It has been too long since our last update and I apologize. It isn’t for lack of trying though! I have to say that Ethiopia has the slowest Internet on the planet. We had tried to post photos and blogs in both Gonder and Bahar Dar but unfortunately it took forever just to open an email connection! But now we are in Addis Ababa relaxing in the Ghion Hotel where we just may have wireless Internet this afternoon if they get it figured out. Yeah!

I posted another blog called Ode to the African Donkey that you can check out. It was meant to be up a week ago, but you know the story. Photos will be coming soon for the last 3 posts. I promise.

For this post however, I am going to start from after Bahar Dar. Just to let you know, the monasteries from the last blog are not worth writing about, I would have preferred to relax at the hotel, but Lake Tana was very nice.

Now let me tell you about out time in Ethiopia.

I think that the general  feeling is that we won’t be coming back to this  country on a bicycle.  I would like to come and visit it like a normal traveler, when we settle in towns it is nice, the people in Addis are very friendly and when we stop for a drink or food everyone is very friendly, but…. The children are little terrors that make cycling a miserable experience. You are on your bike for 5 hours a day constantly on the lookout for rocks being thrown, sticks being pushed and whips being cracked. All the while having gangs of children lining the roads yelling give me money, give me pen, where are you going and of course the infamous You, You, You.

It is too bad, because the landscape is beautiful. However, it is the landscape that is killing us. We are here in Ethiopia for 21 days with and altitude gain of 19,000 m (yes, 19,000 metres)

Everyday we climb relentlessly. It does make for some amazing descents though. For instance, we had an amazing 20km downhill that took us right into camp the other day. We camped in the town of Debra Markos and enjoyed a wonderful afternoon overlooking an incredible gorge from the terrace of a German hotel.

Blue Nie Gorge, Ethiopia

Our toughest, but most fulfilling climb was the Blue Nile Gorge. It started with a 22km downhill on rough roads after riding 60km in the morning just to get there. Once we reached the bottom, we started another 22km climb up the other side with steep grades of 10-12 percent. And to make it more interesting, they turned it into a time trial. Woo hoo!

A Dirty Face in Ethiopia, We would Shower Anywhere

It was quite the accomplishment reaching the top in under 3 hours. Dave did it in 2:30 and I did it in 2:45. It made the little Scenic Caves Route in Ontario seem like a speed bump.

The gorge itself is stunning! Too bad they don’t allow photos due to security reasons. I guess you will just have to check it out on Google Earth.

I have to say that Ethiopia has really chewed us up and spit us out. Most people have suffered from diarrhea and vomiting and we are down to only 15 out of 60 people EFI. I am happy to say that Dave is still going strong. He had a rough couple of days before Bahar Dar, but he managed to stay on his bike. Even if he was puking as he rode. We are both doing fine now and having a great time. Dave even road with the front race group yesterday.

We are in Addis now enjoying a much needed 2 day rest. We splurged on a nice hotel and we are not leaving it until we have to go back to camp.

It is the little things that make you fell human again. We watched the News on Al Jezeera TV, ate a buffet breakfast, had a shower and are even having our laundry done. It is amazing! To sleep in a bed and not hear dogs barking all night was actually a little odd. I was waiting for braying donkeys and roosters to wake us up in the morning, but it didn’t happen. Heavenly.

So now that we are back in civilization for a couple of days, we havfe decided to tell you our list of things we miss the most. At the end of each blog from now on, we are going to put a new list of some type up fro what we will miss the most, to things we are glad that we brought. We have so many that we want to share with you. So here goes.

Things we miss the most.

1. Ice water

2. showers

3. Our bed

4. Toilets

5. Clean Clothes

6. Clean Feet

7. Potato Chips

8. Good red wine

9. High Speed Internet

10. Home cooking

So, the next time you are sitting on your toilet reading the paper, think of us squatting behind a bush trying to avoid the masses of people that surround our campsite each evening to watch us sit at our tents. We will be thinking of you as we check for snakes, dig our holes or balance over our community hole covered with tarp to spare us a little bit of dignity. I heard that our camp was surrounded by hyenas the other night. Excellent. Luckily, we don’t stray far from our tent in the dark. This is Africa and as Spiros would say…”It’s all part of the adventure Argh!”

Ode to the African Donkey

You bear your packs piled 8 feet high
As they beat upon your skinny hide
The air is hot, but you keep moving on
And dream of fields to graze upon
It’s a lonely life of fear and pain
Why they hurt you, you can’t explain
A soft caress would take it all away
Instead the loads keep coming each and every day.

I would hate to be a donkey (or any other farm animal for that matter) in Africa. I ride my bike beside them everyday as their owners whip and beat them to go faster under such heavy loads. Their eyes are sad and it is heartbreaking.

Now, down to business.

Ethiopia is a country with beautiful landscapes and very bold children. We are now travelling through one of Africa’s poorest countries. Most of the population here is under the age of 20 it is also on of the most populated countries on the continent. That means it doesn’t bode well for cyclists.
On the other hand, gone are the images ingrained in my mind from the 80’s famine. The country is lush. Dave and I stopped at the top of a mountain to take a photo beside some jungle and the sound of birds was beautiful. The trees were alive. It started of an amazing descent where we reached speeds of 62 km. Too much fun I tell you. The descents here are awesome. Yes there is a big climb preceding them, but the payoff is well worth it. The km’s tick by so quickly as you let gravity take you down the mountains.

Now back to the children. I had heard about the dreaded rock throwing here in good old Ethiopia, but didn’t quite know what to expect. Well, let me tell you what you can expect. Children line the side of the road as you pass by and yell “You, You, You” constantly as you pass. They ask for money and pens and try to grab your bike things on your bike, or you. Sometimes things get ugly, OK, that is an understatement. A lot of times things get ugly and they throw stones at you, try to grab your handle bars, stick sticks into your spokes or steal stuff form you. They stand on high banks and throw big rocks at you. If these rocks manage to make contact, you are in big trouble. So far, we haven’t had any serious injuries, but we have had 2 guys been beaten with sticks, a camera stolen, camel backs ripped apart and people being hit in the legs with rock. Oh and the Piece de Resistance…Beryl was peed on as she rode by. Can you believe it?

So far Dave and I haven’t had huge problems because we travel together and we are very stern with the children. When we approach them we can see them winding up to throw or pounce, but a good yell of Tao (meaning No) or Becka (meaning enough) while you point sternly and look them in the eye can stop them before they do too much. Sometimes however, they catch you by surprise. It is absolute craziness.

One moment that I found very amusing now in hindsight is when I was having a very exhausting day a riding slowly up a hill. A young boy yelled at me “You are very Lazy.” I didn’t laugh then, but now it makes me smile whenever I think about it. At the time, I was just suffering in my own personal misery and didn’t have the strength to say anything back.

On the other hand, I really loved the hotel that we stayed at in Gondor overlooking the city and the food was awesome. I love cycling 150 km a day for the simple fact that I can eat as much as I want and still lose weight!

We are now in Bahar Dar and Dave is sick. Really sick. He almost lost his EFI yesterday, but luckily for him, he picked the right time to have nausea and diarrhea. It is funny how your perspective changes doing this zany TDA. He was up all night going to the latrine (we are camping after all and have an audience surrounding our campsite) with chills and as he would put it, “peeing out of his bum.” But at 6 am he awoke and we both said, “Well at least it is only a 60 km day.” At home he would be calling in sick and possibly even going to see the doctor, but for here, he got on his bike, suffered through almost 4 hours of riding and then collapsed on the bed for the rest of the day. Thank god we had another rest day today. A warm and dry hotel room and some good old r and r should have him in ship shape for our 154 km ride with a 50km climb tomorrow. We start a 5-day stretch that is supposed to be a killer. We will be climbing the Blue Nile Gorge in the middle of it which is a 22km climb with a 1900 metre elevation gain. I hope we make it. Can you say “Lets torture ourselves for 4 months, oh and since we were lucky enough to have a 2 week break because of Kenya, we will climb Kilimanjaro instead of relaxing in Zanzibar? It is nutty. But you know what? Half of the riders are also doing it. The other half would probably do it to, but they have already been there, done that. It is one month in to the tour and we had our P Party last night. Everyone put a lot of thought and effort into it and great costumes came out of our trips to the market. Dave and I went as a pimp and prostitute. I found a hat and cape that he just had to wear. Even though he was sick, he came for about an hour. Connor topped the night coming as a Pygmee. There were Peter Pans, Punks, Pirates, Priests, Popes, a Peanut Butter Boy, a Penguin (my favourite for sheer imagination. He used his bike seat as the nose) and a Pantomime. I was impressed with everyone! Oh, by the way, I won best female costume. People were a little shocked seeing that I made such a great Trashy Hooker. I won I think just for my sheer attitude and entrance with Dave. We are off to see Lake Tana and the monasteries It is supposed to be quite impressive. I will let you know in the next blog.

We have entered Ethiopia and bad news…Deb lost EFI, but Good News, Dave still has his and since there are only 3 women racers, (and all 3 are no longer EFI) she is still guaranteed a podium finish. Dave is doing amazing keeping the EFI going for team D!

This was a really tough week. 4 days of 140 km days with head and side winds followed by 2 grueling days of mountain climbing equalling 2500 metres on loose gravel with 12% grades. Yesterday was the hardest day on the tour with constant climbing and no relief on the downhill’s because of the rough road conditions. For my capabilities, we really messed up with our bicycle choice. Should have gone for a triple chain ring to have that “granny gear”. Dave managed fine, but I was out at lunch. A couple of days earlier, my entire body seized up at the end of the day due to losing too much salt accumulating over the several days of riding in 42º heat. Yes, it is no longer cold, the minute we left Khartoum the weather changed. Thank God for Dr. Janet (number one women’s rider) She is a strength coach for Xtreme Athletes and she patched me up loading me with all of my electrolytes and calmed me down by explaining what was happening to me. Every move I made caused intense cramping, be it in my calves, thighs, fingers, ribs etc. It was awful. The only problem is that it takes a couple of days to recover from that depletion and I just couldn’t get my legs back. It was with a lot of tears and frustration, but I finally had to board the bus.

Once again though, the other riders were so supportive Thanks Maria, Janet, Joya, Deb Ashleigh and sweet nurse Amandine for your support that day.

I can’t believe that another country as come and gone. This isn’t exactly turning out to be the experience of Africa that I thought it would be. We are doing so many km each day that there is no time to stop and take it all in. I don’t think that we are being the greatest ambassedors to our countries. People line the sides of the road yelling questions at us and asking us to stop, but you can’t stop because you have 120km to go still and you still have to set up your tent, check your bike fore tomorrow, get some soup (if you are not in early, the soup is gone and that sucks, I really love the soup it is great for replenishing the salt) and try to relax and recover a bit for the next day. I would just love to take some time to explore these interesting villages that we race past.

At the beginning of the tour, Dave and I were stopping a lot to take pictures and video, but now we have started to ride straight through from Coke stop to Coke stop. Snapping some photos while we sip our drinks. Ahh, the cokes stops. You start to live for them.

It has gone from freezing just before Khartoum, to 42º heat. Dave took a photo of Alex’s bike theremometer that was baking in the sun during one stop and it reached 52º. Impossible you say, take a look at the photo. So, these coke stops become very important. The water in our camelbacks is hot by mid morning and the awful Fast Fuel that they provide, is completely undrinkable in the afternoon. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that I might get a lukewarm coke somewhere in the coming km’s. I actually become a little desperate when I haven’t seen one for awhile.

So, we are here in Ethiopia for 21 days. Our rest day today is in the northern town of Gondor. Looks like a nice town with a great history, but we won’t be seeing much of that because we have to change our tires for pavement, do our laundry, repack our red boxes and tune our bike. Rest days are really workdays. I know, I know, my blog isn’t the most positive this week, but isn’t that what these are all about? The good, the bad and the ugly. Well, today it is a little ugly. Sometimes, you just can’t find the humour in things. Maybe by Addis Ababa I will be feeling better.

I did have a really great dinner at the hotel tonight. The contrasts are really amazing, 2 days ago at the border, we camped literally surrounded by cow manure, and now we are camping on the grounds of Gondors finest hotel. Dave and I splurged on a room for our sanity. He also deserved it for riding and finishing the toughest day on the tour. That was after hanging back with me almost all morning. It cost him a lot of time, but he made it up in the afternoon. He finshed in 9 hours and that would have been 8 or less if he didn’t have to wait for me. But that’s the type of guy he is, he won’t leave his lady. There, now I am positive.

Monday…..

It all started on Monday when we phoned the Ethiopian Embassy to make sure that our passports had been sent. They told us the Friday before that they were already in the mail, but when we checked the tracking number there was no sign of them. After trying to get through for an hour, they finally answered and put us on hold forever. Tseodait eventually answered at extension 30 (the lady that I had been dealing with since I realized that I didn’t apply for the proper visa) and assured us the she would be putting the passports in the mail today. We were a little upset since they told us before that they were mailed on Friday, but at least she said that she had them and that they would be in the mail today and we would have them tomorrow evening. We were relieved and could happily go on with our day.

Tuesday…

We went to in Oshawa and did a fun first interview for Cable TV telling them all about our upcoming adventure. I had to work that day, but they are so great at YTV, that they let me leave for a couple of hours. I went back to work and Dave spent the day tying up loose ends. Things were looking up and we were getting excited. But not for long. When we returned home late in the evening, there was no sign of our package on the Canada Post website or in our mailbox. Another night of sleepless stress for me. Dave takes things a lot better than me and can turn his brain off to sleep, I on the other hand, fret all night long. It is terrible.

Wednesday…

We decided to call the Ethiopian Embassy again to make sure that they were sent on Monday. It is the holidays, so maybe the mail was just delayed. Dave drove me to work because he had a ton of things to do and we were doing a pre-interview by phone in the afternoon for an up coming TV appearance.
So before he left to get things done, he started calling the embassy from the YTV Make-up Room at 8:30 am sharp. No Answer. After a solid 1 1/2 hours of trying to get through with no luck, he had to leave to pick up our boxed bikes and do a million other errands. So I took over and called continually from 10:30 to 11:30. I neglected my job and silently freaked out as I felt helpless not being able to do a thing. I called again all through lunch, but had to get back to work with no luck.

Anyway, back to our passports….We tried all day to get through. It was unbelievable, nobody answered the phone, the mailboxes were full and every extension that we tried was not picking up. I have to tell you something about the Ethiopian Embassy. They don’t answer their phones, but you can’t leave a message because they won’t return long distance calls and if you try to email them, it gets bounced back. It is really quite absurd.

I had a doctor’s appointment that evening that was 2 1/2 hours behind schedule. For some reason, they thought I had asthma, but after sitting in the waiting room all evening fretting about my passport and not my asthma, I went into his office and was told that I was completely healthy. Great news, but what a waste of time! It was now 7:30 pm and we still had to put together some photo’s for CTV to put on their website. We would rush home, get a couple of shots together and then in a last desperate move, leave for Ottawa to get our passports!

By 10pm, we were on the road ready for our 5 hour drive ahead. We were making good time until just before Kingston, at about midnight when inexplicably, the 401 was closed and we came to a grinding halt. We sat on the highway, surrounded by transports and had a nap in the freezing cold. We were awakened by the noise of air breaks and diesel engines starting up and were on our way half asleep and ready for bed. We got off at the next exit and managed to stay at the most expensive hotel in Kingston for a total of 4 hours.

Thursday…

We were up and gone by 6:30 am to make it to the embassy for 8:30. It was my turn to drive and I almost got us into an accident when I hit a patch of ice. I managed to get the car back under control, but not before giving Dave a mini heart attack.

At the embassy in Ottawa we were greeted with smiling faces and our passports. Apparently, they had been sitting in the incoming mail box. Can you believe it? If we didn’t drive to Ottawa, they never would have found them. I was all ready give them a piece of my mind the minute I had my passport in my hand, but they were so nice and polite, that all I managed to say was thank you very much. And have a Merry Christmas. I was so happy to have my passport back, that I forgot all about the stress of the past week.

So all is fine you say? Not quite, we now had to make it back to Hamilton for 6pm for an event that our friend Donn was putting on for our Charity. We took turns driving while the other slept and made it back to pick up our door prizes, clean ourselves up a bit, and scarf down a Mr. Sub.

The event at the Casbah went very well and $230 was raised for Plan Canada. It finished at 12:30 and we were happy that we would be back in Toronto for 1 am since I had to work at 8:00 am. But, of course things couldn’t go smoothly, nothing had been going smoothly lately.

In Mississauga, about 20 minuted from Toronto, we got a flat tire, awe heard something grinding when we hit a bump and concluded that the tire must be flat. We got off at the next exit and sure enough, it was flat as a pancake. We always carry puncture seal with us, so we re-inflated the tire thinking it would get us home, but nothing happened. It must have been one big hole. We had to phone the auto club for this one. It was way too cold to change it ourselves, and why pay for the autoclub, if you don’t use it right? So once again, for the second night in a row we were napping in our car on the side of the road at 2 in the morning. The tow truck came and found that our jack was rusted beyond use. He yanked at it for several minutes and then finally broke out his own. Why didn’t he do that in the first place? Our tire didn’t want to come off at all, and it took forever to get it changed. After about an hour, we were on our way and in bed by 3:30 am. I was up at 6:30 and off to work in a daze.

Friday…

Dave was greeted to an email from his mom that his dad was hospitalized. He had collapsed at home and his mom couldn’t revive him. She didn’t have our new phone number because we just changed it to take to Africa with us. We sent an email with the change, but I guess she erased it by mistake and didn’t program it into her phone. Luckily, he is going to be OK. He had a bowel obstruction, complications from an old surgery and he was in such pain, that he ended up passing out! Luckily he didn’t need surgery and he is out of the hospital and home resting. Thank God.

Saturday…

It is Dave’s last day of work on his movie and then we are free for a couple of days. He had to drive to Burlington on his little spare tire, since we haven’t had a moment to get it into the shop. The weekend is going to consist of final book keeping, sleeping, packing and oh, a trip to Canadian Tire to get a new tire! I still feel wiped out and I am sure Dave will be beat after working out in the snow today, But at least we have our passports back!

What a week!

As you may have read on our last post, we made a couple of mistakes with our Sudan visas, but it all worked out and we could laugh about it. Well, we managed to make another mistake to our Ethiopian Visa’s. Thanks to Spiros and Maria though, we hopefully fixed it before too big of a problem happened. Here is what happened. We sent a $29 money order for a 1 month tourist visa. If we would have read our notices and the application properly, we would have seen that we should have applied for a 3 month multi entry visa. The reason being that the visa is valid from the date of issue, not the date of entry. So we phoned the embassy, and through a very confusing conversation where I wasn’t sure if they understood me or not, it seemed to be O.K. I was to send the difference in money that day and they would issue the proper visa. No worries right?

Well, it is now one week later and we still haven’t received our visa’s and our passports. All I can think about is how we can’t fly without our passports and if we don’t get them back in time…how are we going to go about applying for another one with only 2 weeks until we leave! It is freaking me out. Both Dave and I phoned them on Friday and they seemed to know who we were and that apparently our passports have been sent back. But when we check the tracking number, it is no where to be found. I read that Jamie received his and I am happy for him, but it just stressed me out more that we haven’t got ours yet. I really think that the Tour d’Afrique needs to fix this issue next year. To be without your passports 2 weeks before you leave for an enormous trip, is extremely stressful.

We are excited however to have a bunch of interviews lined up over the next couple of weeks. We will keep you posted on appearances and articles and other media as they come out. It is pretty exciting!!

We have a fund raising event on Thursday and we are overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity. Thank you Sandra Kasturi, Melissa Girotti, Roger Playter, Jacqueline Vong and Lisa Wisniewski for your amazing gifts to raffle off. It is going to be a great event.

If anyone is in the Hamilton area on December 20th, come on down to the Casbah and check out some great bands playing some awesome 70′s tunes.

I will keep you posted on the passport situation and once we receive them, we will both be very happy campers.