Tour d' Afrique - Cycling Cairo to Cape Town

Every day in Botswana has been wet.  It’s supposed to be a dry country and the end of the rainy season, but a special concession was made for us and we had rain every day in Botswana.  So our last bush camp was an interesting experience.  It was raining when we set up camp, and just continued to rain.  The riders have put together a decathlon which they all take part in during the course of the afternoon when they get back from riding which involves all the activities we do on a daily basis like digging holes, eating PVM bars, obstacle courses to do on their bikes etc.  So this was digging holes day, and they dug holes in the wet and mud and had lots of falls in the mud.  There was so much rain coming off the tarp, that we could have a good bath in the soup pot.  Then the Swiss riders moved into the kitchen and made us a delicious risotto.  It’s amazing how their spirits just stay good despite the circumstances.  Some of our riders are training for triathlons when they complete this, so go for a run in the afternoon after their ride.

The day leading up to the Namibian border was the longest day. 207km, and there was rain and hail for some riders, and some arrived into camp really late and it was still raining.  Can you just imagine putting up your tent in a downpour after cycling 207km in the rain all day! 

The lodge and campsite we were supposed to stay in the first night in Namibia closed down, so we ended up having another unscheduled bush camp.  It was a tough days riding coming into Windhoek with headwinds all day, making the 160km day feel a lot longer than.  It’s been a tough week of long days every day, and the guys are tired.  I am seeing a lot of overstrain knee injuries starting to develop this late, and they are mostly the racers who cannot take days off or slow down. 

We have  a good, comfortable campsite in Windhoek with a good bar and restaurant facilities, so everyone is enjoying a day off.  We all went to the infamous Joes Beerhouse for dinner last night where I even saw a vegetarian enjoying a delicious meat feast.  Today the riders are changing tires to fat knobblies as we prepare for the next few days of dirt road. Let’s hope the rain stays away so that it’s not too much of a muddy mess. One thing is for sure, though our accommodation is becoming more comfortable, the ride gets no easier.  Every day is tough – there are just no easy days. This awesome group just rise to the occasion, keep positive and remain a huge inspiration to me.