Loaded Touring Bike in South Africa

Loading a Touring Bike

Loading a Touring Bike Loading a Touring Bike – during my travels I have met lots of people, comments or questions I hear repeatedly is “How do you fit all that stuff on your bike?” or “You have everything you need in those bags?”. The wonderful thing about touring on a bicycle for an extended…

Mandela Statue in Pretoria

Johannesburg for Christmas

Cycling into Johannesburg for Christmas No one told me Johannesburg is so hilly. Starting several miles out the hills start, combined with high temperatures made for a tiring ride into the largest city in South Africa, also referred to as Joburg or Jozi, home to around 13 million people. As I neared the Golf club…

Travel Medicines and Health on a Cycle Tour

Travel Medicines and Health on Tour An essential part of the preparation and planning before going on tour is Travel Medicines and Health considerations.Being Ill on tour, it’s not fun and can certainly add to the challenge, if a challenge is what you are after. There is a lot to think about for this part…

South Africa – Here I Come – Oh don’t Forget Botswana

The last two weeks have whizzed by since leaving Jollyboys backpackers in Livingstone, Zambia. I’ve ridden just under 900 miles through Botswana quickly despite stopping in the capital Gaborone and arrived in South Africa, the country of my final destination, Cape Town. The time spent at Jollyboys backpackers thoroughly enjoyable, staying longer than originally intended…

Zambia – Lusaka and a relaxing time fishing

Really, that many?  Time has flown since departing the UK. I have now cycled in 13 different countries, 1 British Territory, Gibraltar and crossed 16 borders since the middle of May. Looking forward there are not that many more to go! After seeing an abundance of wildlife near Mfuwe, Zambia my next target location was…

Malawi and the Lake

Malawi and the Lake The Sahara difficult? No it was easy, much easier than I thought it would be. Now parts of Tanzania, er yes parts of Tanzania have been hard. Hot, dry, arid and in some places windy, mostly blowing from the wrong direction oh and hilly. Whilst food and water stops are easy…

Buildings In Amongst The Rocks

Goodbye Arusha – Heading South In Tanzania

Staying at The Greenhouse in Arusha, I’d intended to stay one night, that became three after suffering from a stomach bug. Going to the hospital to rule out Malaria was pretty simple although very time consuming. The process is pretty simple, register then pay, see the doctor, then pay, have tests, see the doctor, then…

Baby Elephant

Mt. Kenya and Karen

My first week in East Africa now completed, and I found circumnavigating Mt. Kenya quite an experience, crossing the equator twice, once back into the Northern Hamisphere on the east side of the mountain and back into the Southern hemisphere on the west side. For most of the route, the mountain is obstructed from view…

Bamako BMX

Bamako BMX Fun and Skills

Bamako BMX Fun and Skills This child shows his Bamako BMX fun and skills during my time in in Bamako, Mali I came across this talented child with a worn out BMX and no shoes or decent pedals displaying some outstanding skills on his BMX. The brakes didn’t work, the headset was loose and the…

Route Change

On 22nd September the route I’m taking should change significantly. Months before I left the UK and not long after the initial outbreak of Ebola I was aware that this could cause problems for my original route. In previous outbreaks borders have closed and this outbreak continues to grow with the understandable restrictions on travel…

The Gambia & Jole Rider Visit

While staying with Cherno and the cycling club, we were able to catch up on some things like washing clothes, bike repairs and taking time to see the beach at Gunjur. Cherno and his wife fed us well with African food, rice with fish, black porridge (rice with sugar and groundnut) and Cherno’s wife’s famous…

The road to Dakar and The Gambia

After a lovely week resting at 7 Palava, it was time to get going again. Another cyclist from Belgium Wouter arrived a couple of days before and he was planning on heading further into Africa. Wouter had been in contact for a while after being told by a Moroccan Gendarmerie checkpoint that there were cyclists…