Wow! I had to post this immediately after receiving the email update from Darrin the Kiwi this morning. You will remember Darrin as the guy we met on our Crossing Africa trip while staying at Jungle Junction in Nairobi. He is currently in Khartoum, Sudan.
Check out below who he ran into. This is incredible and so cool too!
Here is Darrin's email message:
Just a quickie!
Have a look at the guy I am sharing a room with at the Khartoum Youth Hostel - he has driven a 1913 Model T Ford from Durban in South Africa up to Sudan, heading for Moscow!
Sadly we did not have a lot of time to spend in Uganda as we were a bit behind schedule after waiting for a spot opening up to trek gorillas in Rwanda. We were mostly on the road and during this time and encountered a lot of rain during this time. I would love to go back to Uganda again one day to explore it further as the time there was just too short. It was also in Jinja that we met the Voetspore team from South Africa for the first time and the start of a great friendship so we are very grateful for this. Here is the route we took through Uganda:
Tania's highlight: In the tiny town of Masaka we stayed at a Dutch-owned tourist backpackers and I had the most amazing breakfast there - banana pancakes! A little treat to make up for all the rain. I also loved Jinja's day of sunshine and sitting in that neat pub eating like kings and overlooking the blue Nile.
My favourite photograph from our time spent in Uganda was this one of our breakfast in Jinja overlooking the Blue Nile:
Tania's lowlight: Rain, rain and some more rain! We only had a day's sunshine during or time in Uganda, which made travelling on the bikes a bit difficult. I was also sad to miss out on some river rafting in Jinja, but we were pressured for time to get to Nairobi in time to apply for our Sudanese visas. Oh yes, and have I mentioned the traffic in Kampala - woweee!!
Francois' highlight: Meeting the Voetspore guys for the first time during the trip. This was only one of many subsequent “bumping-into-each-others”. The sun coming out at Jinga was another highlight after four days of riding in the rain. Everything was wet and dirty and it was good regrouping for a day. The prices in Uganda was also great after expensive Rwanda.
Francois' favourite photograph:
Francois' lowlight: Kampala traffic after a hectic day in the rain. Up until this stage we’ve not seen anything like it. Riding in the rain for four days on end was also not so much fun, even my passport got wet under my T-shirt, under my bike jacket, under my rain coat. Everything was soaked. We also realised we were about ten days behind schedule, so we had to rush to get to Nairobi in time to apply for Sudanese visas, so the pressure was getting to us for the first time.
Rwanda Trip Stats: Distance: 779 km Time: 4 days, 0 hours, 38 minutes, 0 seconds Highest point: 2450.2 m Lowest point: Around 1 090 m Max speed & fuel consumption (Francois & Tania): You will unfortunately have to wait for the Crossing Africa book to come out for this (Along with other detailed information e.g. the accommodation and food budgets)
In January 2012, the three Taylors, (father, son, and daughter) and friend, John Byett, set off from Cape Town through Africa to Cairo, on Kawasaki KLR 650 motorbikes, and from there, heading north and east, ending up in Singapore four months later.
They have just arrived in Cairo and have reached the halfway mark in their amazing journey. Reading their posts on the last few days spent in Egypt has brought back good memories. It seems their barge was also delayed (due to wind?) for a few days so they also spend some time in Aswan at the Hathor Hotel.
A photo of the spices and tea at the souq in Aswan:
I really enjoyed this story they posted about a conversation with Mr. Kamal, who was our fixer too:
"As we rode towards Aswan, Shan and I launched into that most entertaining of travelling activities: trying to get some local information from someone who has a fairly tenuous grasp of English and shares a mutual struggle top understand each others accents.
Shan: Is there any food that we must try in Egypt?
Kamal: Is good food.
Shan: But is there any food in particular?
Kamal: Orange
Jules: And cooked food?
Kamal: Orange and manga.
Shan: Are the mangoes nice?
Kamal: No, no manga
Jules: Is there any Egyptian food that is very good, like Shawrma?
Kamal: Orange is good.
Jules: Ok, great. Thanks.
As a general rule of thumb, if you can’t find out what you are looking for after three attempts, it is probably best to give a polite “thank you” and try again with someone else."
Our journey on two 200cc Motomias on 'Crossing Africa' from Cape to Cairo took a turn westwards through to Rwanda so that we could go and visit the famous mountain gorillas in their natural habitat - one of the few places in the world where they still roam freely. Rwanda is an extremely interesting country with a complex and sad history revolving around the tragic genocide in 1994. They have put in massive strides to heal these wounds and it was one of the most developed countries in Africa that we have visited during our trip. Though it was expensive to travel here, the visit to the Genocide Memorial Centre and trekking the mountain gorillas remain one of the key experiences during our trip.
Here are some of our highlights and lowlights in Rwanda:
Tania's highlight: Trekking gorillas in their natural environment and spending an hour with them here was definitely the highlight of this trip. Nothing could prepare me for that first glance and coming face to face with these wonderful creatures. Skyping with my mother from SA and dad from China in Kigali was also wonderful. I was again amazed at how technology has changed our lives.
My favourite photo from Rwanda:
Tania's lowlight: Spending two days out of action right before we trekked gorillas due to a stomach bug. It was also in Kigali that we found out that one of our friends from home had passed away due to an accident. We were so saddened by the news and it felt unfair that we were here living the good life and doing what we love, while someone else was taken away. In a way this gave us perspective on the trip again and made us realise that every day counts.
Francois' highlight: The cheese burger in Muzanze and getting permits for the Gorillas in very short notice. Meeting George and Alice, Guy and Louise and the Aussie-mom-of-four was also a treat.
Francois' favourite photo - we had a bath in our room! Jippey!
Francois' lowlight: The prices, everything is expensive (as in South Africa). Shocking myself in the shower at the One Love Club and the rain not stopping. But the worst was worrying about Tania as we trekked the Gorillas as she had a bad stomach bug and really wanted to see the Gorillas. I was afraid she’s going to miss the opportunity.
Rwanda Trip Stats: Distance: 379 km Time: 6 days, 0 hours, 24 minutes, 9 seconds Highest point, lowest point, max speed & fuel consumption (Francois & Tania): You will unfortunately have to wait for the Crossing Africa book to come out for this (Along with other detailed information e.g. the accommodation and food budgets)
When we met Susi, Marc and Tam in Wadi Halfa in the middle of November last year, they have just arrived by ferry and were waiting for their bikes to arrive from Aswan, Egypt. We were getting ready to leave Sudan the next day going in the opposite direction. I immediately liked Susi, as she was the first girl biker I have met on our trip and she was riding a very cool KTM. She was even the same height as me and only one year older. It was great getting to know them better.
Susi, March and Tam left Austria at the end of August 2011 and was travelling down all the way to Walvis Bay in Namibia. We tried to convince them to come all the way down to South Africa, but it seems the negative publicity about crime in South Africa have influenced their travel plans. It is such a pity, as the road down from Namibia through the Northern Cape and onto Cape Town is such a splendid road for riding. Hopefully one day we can convince them to come and visit us in South Africa and then they will see the amazing places we have for riding.
They are currently in Uganda and have also gained one more team member since the beginning of the year. Marianne is riding a STX 200cc trail bike. They are visiting Zigoti now, the school where Susi was a volunteer more than a year ago. She said that the kids were really impressed to see her on the bike and the one boy said: “The volunteers have so little money that they couldn’t afford to fly, so they had to come by motorbike…”.
We wish them all the best for the rest of their journey as they head down towards Namibia. Hopefully one day we will do some riding together in South Africa. Follow their journey on www.321offroad.com
The container ship carrying our battered MotoMias arrived Sunday a week ago and we had an appointment with the customs clearing agent for Wednesday. Johan Badenhorst and Stefan Sonnekus of www.voetspore.co.za was also there to pick up the three Amaroks. Tania unfotunately had to work on Wednesday and I luckily had a Nissan Livina with a towbar as test vehicle last week.
We met at the SACD container yard at 10h00 and entered the compound once Evert from Premier Freight and the custom official arrived. It was a tense moment as we waited for the seals to be broken. Would my MotoMia (hanging from the side) still be upright. Will they even be in there. Remember, we didn't get the exit stamps in our Carnets in Alexandria, so we need the bike in SA in order for the Carnet deposit to be discharged.
As the doors swung open we were met by this forgotten scene:
We were in such a rush that day in Alex that we roughly tied the one back upright and semi-dismantled the other one. But they were here and customs were happy, so the Carnets were stamped in.
Stefan and I had to untie the Amaroks, which is quite a mission as there's less than 10 cm space at places. I had to crawl underneath the back of the one bakkie to untie the ratchet straps attached to the rear wheels. They fired up and Stefan drove them out one by one. The mouse they gave a lift since Kenya did some serious damage, nibling through a water tank, some of the interior panels as well as gifts they bought in Egypt.
I first tried to start Tania's bike (since it still had fuel in it - oops!), but her key had broken off in the ignition during shipping. I managed to hot-wire the bike, but the kickstart didn't work. I then transferred some fuel to my bike which I managed to get going and rode out to the car. Some guys busy with forklift training in the parking lot kindly helped me load the bike on the trailer. I then had to pursuade the guards to let me in the container yard to fetch Tania's bike which I managed to load using a broken pallet lying around the yard.
We are looking forward to replace the worn chains and sprockets and give them a good service. They deserve it and we'd like to get riding again. Having them back on the porch brings back memories of preparing for the trip and wandering what it might be like travelling through far off African countries on these cheap, small bikes!
During our three-month trip from Cape to Cairo last year on two Chinese roadbikes, we met some interesting people along the way. All of them with a fascinating story to tell. Since I have returned from our Africa trip, it has been my dream to share some stories about them. I will write regular updates about the people we have met along the way and keep you updated on their progress. Now, let me introduce Darrin...
We met Darrin in Nairobi at Jungle Junction last year on our Crossing Africa trip. He is a remarkable man - he's been on the road for roughly two and a half years, managed to travel down the whole of the West Coast of Africa and then back up the East Coast up to Sudan where he is at the moment. This Kiwi has done more than 200 000 kilometers through Africa with his landy and is still going strong.
But, his trip has not been without any surprises. He managed to get shocked in one of those very dodgy showers where the warm water works only when plugged into the wall. He had a really bad accident at a lodge in Dar Es Salaam, but pulled through and recovered. This didn't put him off and even though he is still struggling with some sore back muscles and a slight loss of hearing, he didn't give up on his travels.
Here is a photo of Darrin with his Landy:
Darrin called Francois and myself the "KFC-couple" while we were in Nairobi, due to the fact that the first question I asked him shortly after we met was: "...now where can I find the KFC??" We also had a laugh as he explained to us his opinion of South Africans. He doesn't seem to understand our love for a "braai" and asked why South Africans just want to make a HUGE fire all the time?!! I also think he stayed with South Africans who had an excessive love for lamb chops!
In his latest update he explained that he had to spend almost 20 hours this week in the Addis Ababa embassy trying to actually get a stamp in his passport to extend the normal 2 week visa all vistors get. He added: "They love their paperwork and the right bloke was never there to sign it off". But eventually he managed and he is in for a lekker time in Sudan. We loved our time in Sudan, especially the time spent camping in the desert. We also found the people there extremely hospitable and kind.
So Darrin, all the best and enjoy Sudan! We'll update you on his progress as he goes along.
Driving on gravel for more than 1000 km through the Western side of Tanzania still remains one of the highlights of our entire trip. We enjoyed the people of Tanzania and the place was overflowing with small bikes exactly like ours so we felt right at home!
Francois’s highlights: The people in on that Western route was amazing and riding gravel roads for around 1 130 km in the dust and rain and road works, it really felt like an adventure biking trip. Especially since we’ve done mostly tar road up until then. Having my MotoMia sorted out by a local in Kasulu was another highlight. We struggled at times due to the bad conditions on the road, getting wet for days on end and falling over in the mud, but looking back it was one of the top five experiences of the whole trip!
Francois’s lowlights: I think this must have been buying 3rd party insurance at the border upon entering Tanzania. The guy charged three times the amount we’ve paid at other crossings and we couldn’t make out whether he was robbing us or not. In the end he offered for us to pay via recharging credit on his phone (as we didn’t have enough cash), but we couldn’t manage even though we tried for more than a week.
Francois's favourite photo was this one, both falling in the slippery mud...
Tania's highlights: It was an amazing experience travelling through Western Tanzania. Despite all the rain and challenging roads I would still do it all over again. I have to say that seeing the 200 + hippos next to the road in Katavi remains a definite highlight. I also discovered Mandazis here - sweetish bread almost like "vetkoek" which quickly became my favourite snack in the day, plus did you know that you can get potato chips ("slap tjips") everywhere in Tanzania?
Tania's lowlights: On our second day in Tanzania, we had to do what everybody warns you against when travelling through Africa - drive during nighttime. We totally misjudged the time and kilometers to get to Sambuwanga and it was quite a hairraising experience at that time. I was also very tired at the end of it all, not being used to heavy off-road on a "road-bike". But, still through it all I still managed to laugh at seeing a huge pink pig in the road in the middle of the night. I mean where else would you ever experience this?
Tania's favourite photo was this one of Francois. He had this "Not cool!" look on his face.
Tanzania Trip Stats:
Distance: 1 502 km Time: 9 days, 0 hours, 37 minutes, 16 seconds Highest point: 2 290 m (87 km into Tanzania, close to Mbeya) Lowest point: 486.6 m (Border with Malawi) Maximum speed & Fuel consumption (Francois & Tania): You will unfortunately have to wait for the Crossing Africa book to come out for this (Along with other detailed information e.g. the accommodation and food budgets)
Our video of Tanzania
And finally... here is a short video of our most interesting experiences in Tanzania.
We loved travelling through Malawi on our Crossing Africa trip. There were many highlights so it was difficult to choose them. Here is a pic of our route we took through Malawi:
Tania’s highlight – When we arrived at Mayoka village in Nkhata Bay, they upgraded us to a bungalow for the same price as a campsite! The bungalow overlooks the beautiful Lake Malawi and this remains one of the coolest places we stayed at during our trip. The snorkelling was awesome and it was too difficult to resist the pizzas at the beach bar/restaurant. Trekking crocodiles with Juma in the Nkhotakota Nature Reserve was also a real treat.
Tania’s lowlight – I read a lot about the little town Livingstonia (named after David Livingstone) and the Mushroom farm in Malawi (just past Mzuzu). It is situated way up a mountain and the only road leading there is a terrible gravel road. We wanted to go and check it out, but we could only manage about two kilometres before we decided to turn back. I am positive that our bikes would have made it, but with us still having about 10 000 km to go on this trip we didn’t want to risk hurting the bikes.
Favourite Pic – This pic was taken with our GoPro while snorkelling in Lake Malawi
Francois’s highlight - Being offered a bungalow for the price of a campsite at Mayoka Village in Nkhata Bay (see video). Also, baking roosterkoeke on a fire at Senga Bay. And meeting Solomo next to the road while having lunch.
Francois’s lowlight - This is a difficult one as Malawi is such an amazing place with such amazing people. The worst experience was probably when the owner of Mzoozoozoo yelled at the guy working in the kitchen. What a rude old man.
Favourite pic - view at Senga Bay
YouTube video:
We have put together a short video clip of us snorkelling in Lake Malawi at Mayoka Village in Nkhata Bay - enjoy!
Click here to read all our blog posts from our time in Zambia.
Francois’s highlight: Meeting Jeremie and Claire from France on their bicycles just outside Lusaka. We had a lovely lunch next to the road with them and listened to their stories of cycling down West Africa. Then, after lunch, they played some music for us on their accordions. It was a great lesson, seeing them so relaxed, in taking it easy and not rushing the trip. Seeing elephants just outside Livingstone was another highlight.
Favourite pic: Frenchies playing their accordions.
Francois’s lowlight: This has to be when we stayed in Chipata for two night during the national elections and we saw an entourage of about 20 4x4’s coming into Mamarula’s where we stayed. We didn’t go and ask what was going on until after they’ve left when we learnt it was then-president Banda coming over for breakfast. Ge’s good friends of the owners and they said he would have met with us if we came over to say hi. The lowlight was learning this too late, as it would have been great to meet him!
Tania’s highlight: I loved meeting Jeremie and Claire, the French couple on bicycles. They were such an inspiration and I was utterly impressed with their crate of vegetables strapped to the back of Claire's bike and the basil they kept trying to grow in a small tin attached to the frame of the bike. The other highlight of Zambia was definitely seeing Vic Falls for the first time. And yes, the elephants roaming next to the road in Livingstone was absolutely awesome too.
Favourite pic: I like this photo of Francois and Boyd very much. He is the Steers delivery guy and we enjoyed chatting to him about the bikes.
Tania’s lowlight: The day we left for the border between Zambia and Malawi we stopped to refuel at a small petrol station in Chipata. As I was sitting on the bike waiting for a pump to become available my right foot slipped on some oil and slam bam I fell over my bike, ass over head. It was quite a show. The petrol station was very crowded and all witnessed this fall with great interest. At that time it wasn't funny at all and my ego was bruised, but if I had to do it over I would have jumped up, made a small bow and said "Tadaaa!" as I smiled. Funny how your perspective change after completing a trip like this. I definitely try and take myself a bit less serious now...
Zambia Trip Stats:
Distance: 1 375 km Time: 6 days, 21 hours, 6 minutes, 48 seconds Highest point: 1 350.3 m Lowest point: 363.1 m Maximum speed: 97 km/h Fuel consumption (Francois & Tania): You will unfortunately have to wait for the Crossing Africa book to come out for this (Along with other detailed information e.g. the accommodation and food budgets)
Video of Claire and Jeremie in action playing their accordians:
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