BACK ON THE BICYCLE

We are back on the saddle after enjoying a 3 day break. It did miracle to our tired bodies and everybody was in a good mood yesterday as we left Arusha.


Tour D'Afrique is the longest stage race in the world with 96 stages and total of 12 000 kilometers. Today we completed stage 50... So now it really feels like we have passed the half way...

We are now heading towards central Tanzania, a region completely untapped by tourism. My guide book on Tanzania did not even have one line about this region. Only one narrow dirt road crosses it and that's it... It is incredible here. There is hardly any traffic on this small dirt road and yet it is the main connection going across central Tanzania. Well, things will change as we saw today, the Chinese (yes, them again...) are starting to build a large paved road heading south. But for now we could still enjoy this amazingly beautiful dirt road that makes its way between volcano formations and indigenous forest. We climbed today, plenty and tonight we are yet again back at an altitude of 1700 meters. Good, because last night was so hot, we all struggled to sleep.

If you ask me, today was the most beautiful day of the tour so far. It was just perfect. The dirt road was rough and the 120 km distance made it challenging. We also had 2 big climbs, but what an amazing countryside here! This region is the best kept secret in Tanzania. It is really incredible. They have plenty of indigenous forest left here, a rare thing in this continent, they also have rivers and lakes and such a diversity of vegetation, you are just mind blown. I took over 300 pictures today, just to give you an idea...

The people were also very nice. Most of them salute us with the famous "Jumbo" (hello in Swahili) and even the kids are mostly well behaved. There are always a few exceptions, we are in a very poor and rural area, so some are a bit aggressive, but nothing to compare to Ethiopia. Many ask for money, but that, we are used to, it is the same all over Africa. The kids call us the "Muzungus", (white man in Swahili) so as we pass them we hear them screaming "hei mzungu, mzungu.... gimme money")
It is actually quite funny as they are more exited to see a white person passing on this very remote and quiet dirt road than serious about begging.
I really like Tanzania, it is a country where you feel good. The climate is also great here. The evening at camp are nice, with a temperature around 25 degrees.
We are going to be on this small dirt road for 5 more days still and the terrain will be similar, hilly and scenic. I am enjoying this very much and advise people who are thinking of doing a section of TDA to do this one, especially if they like off road riding.

                                               They use bicycles for delivering anything here

                                                             Jos fixing yet another flat

                                                                  Race director, Paul

                               Tour leader Frans (Holland). He won this mando stage today as well.

                         The locals are very exited and supportive as we pass along their small villages.

                                                                 This is volcano territory

                                                            Next to our camp last night

                                                                        Camp yesterday

                                                                        Masai child

                                                     Hardy sharing his shots with the locals

                             This game is played accross Africa and is the African version of chess

                      This young guy was doing his home work along the road. He was studing physics.

                                             Beautiful indigenous trees all along our path today

                                   The hills we went through were steep but amazingly beautiful.

                                                  A clever way to park a fully loaded bike...

                          This is the main and only road going through central Tanzania. We loved it.

                                                                     Beautiful Tanzania

                                          Where ever I stop, my bike is always an attraction

                                                         The local fish they catch in the lake

                                                                    Fishermen at work

                                       Big trees provided us plenty of shade along our way today

                          This cameleon was crossing the road. We stopped next to it and
                          he decided to climb on the bike and then made it all the way to
                          the top of my helmet...

         
                              
             The finish line of this tough but beautiful 120 km stage, all on dirt with 1250 meter of climbing.

NGORONGORO

Today I was a tourist for the first time in this trip.On our bikes, we never feel like that. When you use your own energy to go forward, you are part of what you are traversing, but when you sit at the back of a Landrover, you are a tourist... So I dressed like a tourist, I wore a khaki shirt and trousers.


One exception though, I did not have a tourist breakfast... I had a hungry cyclist breakfast... One of the biggest breakfast ever... The lodge buffet breakfast was not the greatest, but it had freshly made pancakes and something I have been missing... Bacon!

There was a huge pile of just made pancakes... I took the entire pile on a plate and brought it to my table accompanied by a full plate of jam. Yes, I took the huge pile of pancakes that the kitchen had made for the entire lodge, feeling like a hyena that had just stolen a kill from another predator. These pancakes were mine and I must have looked dangerous as nobody dared saying anything... The look some gave me clearly indicated what they thought of me... but none of these fat looking tourists made a comment loud enough to be heard... he he... As I was on a mood to eat half of the buffet, I also took over the bacon platter and politely asked the kitchen to start preparing more to accompany the fried eggs I was ordering as well. The pork sausages looked a bit dry, so I only took three to sample them. As I noticed that the yogurt supply was starting to run low on the buffet, I built a pile on my table. This was the last drop, now everybody could see it, I was an ass hole... I didn't care, today I was gonna eat and was not gonna be polite. I need it plenty more than the people surrounding me and I have no time to go to each table and explain them why, so I will live with the fact that they probably hate me by now... But who cares, the pancakes were on MY table... As the fried eggs and extra bacon arrived, I was only half way through my pancake pile, so I asked the staff to bring me some foil, I would eat the rest later in the day during the game drive.
I could hardly move after that, so luckily all I had to do was what tourists do.... Nothing.... Just sit at the back of a Landrover and be driven around by a game ranger.
So, off we went, Jos and I had this private ranger and a vehicle just for the two of us. What a pleasure when we saw how many tourists they manage to stuff in one of these vehicle. Luckily, we were not part of a group with one of these special packages and we had the full luxury of a car all for ourselves.
There are just as many animals inside that crater as there are kids in Ethiopia.... Plenty and everywhere! Unbelievable.... About 90 % of all big game is made of 3 species: Zebra, Wildebeest and Buffalo. Huge herds of them, they fill the landscape. It is crazy! How can they all survive in there? It looks like Time Square on New Years eve... There are also plenty of predators. It did not take long before we came across our first lion group with cubs. Hyenas are also everywhere and hunt in big packs.
At times, it wasn't even game viewing, it was game avoiding as the roads were completely obstructed by game... Guys, if you have never been in a safari, don't start with Ngorongoro, you will get the wrong picture; you will be spoiled and nothing can come close to it. It is like going fishing for the first time and catching a trophy Marlin on your first cast...
Anyway the picture talk more than words so, have a look.
Talking of pictures, I was struggling today with my compact camera which is definitely not ideal for this kind of shots. My Canon reflex with tele lenses was out of question for this trip, too big, too bulky. I am actually using a compact LEICA. What a wonderful little camera. It is a real Leica with a Leica lens and as you have come to appreciate on this blog, it really shoots great quality pictures. It is just not the right camera for shooting wildlife. But I have to compliment the manufacturer on the quality and robustness of that camera. It has been travelling with me on the bike going through the extreme heat and fine sands of Sudan, the stoning of Ethiopian kids and the heavy rains and humidity of the equator without any sign of fatigue... well done Leica! The model by the way is called "Leica D Luxe".

                                                     Elephant at the local coke stop....

                                        Pack of hyenas eating a freshly killed baby wildebeest

                                                         Wildebeests on the move

                                               One of the lakes at the bottom of the crater.

                                                                      The Great gazelle

                                   The very rare black Rhino, still on the endangered species list.
                                   There are only 23 of them here at Ngorongoro. The white rhino
                                   is no longer on that list thanks to the great job of South Africans.

                                                                  The Thomson gazelle

                                                                   Warthogs bathing

                                  This gives an idea of the size of the herds here at Ngorongoro

                                                    Wildebeest and Flamingos in the lake

                                                                 Lion herd with cubs

                                                             Female lions on the move

                                                                       Spotted hyena

                                                 Zebra rolling in the dust to get rid of parasites

                                                    A close up of the white wildebeest

                                         Acacia Umbrella trees are covering the side of the crater

TOURIST WELCOME TO TANZANIA...

Day one of 3 rest days.... It is a day I have been looking forward to. Today, Jos and myself are heading for the world famous Ngorongoro crater. It is situated at about 4 hours drive from Arusha and we have a private transport organised by his ex employer in Tanzania the NBC bank. The drive to Ngorongoro was just as scenic as what we have gone through over the last few days. Just plain Africa, absolutely magic! Cannot say the same about the road though, and we were feeling like scrambles eggs after the 4 hours drive. Ngorongoro crater is unique. It contains the highest density of wildlife per square kilometer in the world. Game viewing here is just spectacular and will spoil the novices as it simply does not get any better anywhere. Some will argue that Serengeti is just as good. Well, perhaps but it around the corner anyway...


We have been booked into a lodge called Sopa lodge, not the most exclusive one, but still of excellent value and unbeatable position at the edge of the crater facing the sundown... I am very impressed with Tanzania. I was here 12 years ago to climb Kilimanjaro and I can clearly see an enormous difference. The country is playing the tourism card big time and has really progressed a lot in 12 years. I would really recommend it as an excellent option for safaris with good value as prices here are definitely lower than in South Africa. Staff here at the lodge has been friendly and professional.

So this is the place where I will be recovering and relaxing before jumping back on my saddle in 3 days and riding the 6500 km south to Cape Town.
 

                                                   Me with the sundown over the crater

                        Spectacular sundown over the Ngorongoro crater viewed from the Sopa lodge.

                                     The hills surrounding the crater are steep and covered by
                                     a lush thirsk indigenous forest.

                                                   View from inside the lodge main building

                                                             wao... Luxury at its best....

                                    The roads inside the park leading to the several lodges are
                                    running along the edge of the volcano

                      As we reached the top of the climb at 2300 meters, we finally got to "view point"
                     where you could see the complete crater... What a view, it made the shaky 4 hours
                     drive from Arusha worth every minute

                    On the way to Ngorongoro crater we stopped for drinks. Coca Cola sponsors
                    each little shop here with their logo attached off course... Rasta is the name of
                    the owner of the souvenir shop by the way. He used to be a rasta he told me,
                    but his wife told him to cut his hairs off or...

                           I sneaked into someones backyard to take this picture. When passing in
                           the street these colourful clothes hanging there caught the attention of my lens....

                              On the way to the crater, we passed this guy pushing his bike loaded
                              with bananas. I asked our driver to slow down for taking this shot
                              from our car while passing by.