TDA Last Stand

I'm in Noordoewer, Namibia, which is located right on the South
African-Namibian border, enjoying the last rest day of the Tour.
Yesterday we had one of the toughest days of the tour  -  180kms off
road with some good climbs and a really nasty headwind.  I had a real
sense of accomplishment finishing the day, a feeling that I have not
had in a while b/c we really have not had a truly tough day since
Tanzania, and even though we've been riding 100miles/day, yesterday
made it very clear that we are not in as good a shape as we were in
Ethiopia and Sudan.  The scenery was beautiful as we cycled along the
Fish River Canyon (which Europeans and Africans are quick to remind me
that the FRC is bigger than the Grand Canyon; it seems that Europeans
and Africans are always quick to put down anything from the
States—definitely won't miss that).


There only 6 days remaining, and only one day of offroad remaining.
This is the first rest day that I'm not doing laundry, partly because
it looks like it is going to rain, but mostly because I can't be
bothered to do so and have some spare gear to make through the next
six days.
Attached is group photo from our last desert camp.
Closer to done -- Goose

5-6-6!!!

That is the magic number of riding days until Capetown (Five riding days until, Windhoek Namibia, then six riding days 'til our next rest day, and then a final six riding days til Capetown. We still have over 1,500 miles to ride, but given what we've been through so far, this definitely feels like the beginning of the end.

I'm in Maun, Botswana which is the launching point for safari's in the Okavango Delta. I may take a small hour-long plane flight over the delta, but otherwise this will be a true rest day.

Past few days we have been riding very long distances (over 100miles/day) through a national park. We've seen antelope, giraffes and some elephants (see pics attached).

That's about it for now. Pics of restday (and my tent and my mess), elephants, and morning sunrise are attached.

-later Goose

Pictures Say it best

Greetings all.  I'm in an internet café in Livingston, Zambia, which
is located on the Zambian side of Victoria Falls.  We arrived here on
Saturday, and have had two rest days.  Sunday, I just sort of bummed
around town and bought some little souvenirs, and then went to the
Falls, which is amazing.  It is about twice the size of Niagara Falls,
and the amount water that flows through there is unbillilable.  The
fact that water is such a precious commodity during the trip, and
always having to conserve water, made the sight of the falls even more
magnificent.

Today I took a motorized handglider over the falls.  After the
handglider trip, the sequence of the next two events was not ideal:
1) First went to the Zambezi Sun (a posh hotel) for an all you can eat
breakfast, 2) then went to the bridge over the Zambezi River (which
divides Zambia and Zimbabwe) and bungee jumped off of the third
highest bungee jump in the world.  Pics attached.  BTW, if you are
wondering why I'm wearing my cycling helmet, it's 'cause I borrowed a
friend's helmet cam for the jump.  Footage is wild.

Pics attached—Enjoy!

Thanks again for all of your support and to everyone who has donated
to Charity Water.  If you have not yet donated please do so from
www.gogoswami.com.

Catch you in Botswana – Goose – over.

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Rain Rain Go Away

I'm writing from Lilongwe, Malawi, which is surprisingly modern, and much differenty that any other African city we have been through.. It sort of feels like small U.S. college town; even went to a nice Italian restaurant last night (mushroom and bacon pizza, incase you were wondering).

The weather here is gorgeous. Sunny and probably about 90. Today is the first day in the last 2.5 weeks without rain. I (and I think most other riders are) am constantly in fear of whether or not it is going to rain. I think that waiting for the rain is worse than the actual rain itself. The biggest problem of course is drying out b/c even when it is not raining the air is so moist the clothes never dry properly and are damp. The rain has also sparked up some hostilities amongst the riders, which are so petty they are not worth writing about.

We have 29 more riding days left. Seems very doable, but I am sort of burned out. Physically my body is holding up relatively well. I am actually one of the stronger riders now, due both to me getting much much better, and also b/c many riders' bodies are deteriorating. The majority of riders over 40 are having trouble maintaining body weight, and many are just a shadow of what they were during Jan. But mentally, I'm completely exhausted. I'm numb to the scenery, and the novelty of camping everyday has faded into a pain in the ass. I'm generally fine with riding my bike for about the first 60% of each day, but the final 40% really wears me down. I'm hoping that part of the mental fatigue is due to the rain. Some riders are worn down more than me, and have already begun counting the days. My official policy is to not begin any sort of countdown until we reach Victoria Falls, but it is difficult when there are riders who tell you each day exactly how many riding days and km remain. Victoria Falls is also knows as the Africa's Adrenaline Capital, so I'll keep you posted as to what sort of crazy activities we do on our day off.

With only a third of the trip remaining, I'm also hoping that donations to Charity:Water will start pouring in!! (insert smiley emoticon). Thanks again to all who have donated (just over $3,000 so far). If you have not yet donated please consider doing so (www.gogoswami.com). I'm told that the April 9^th American Idol will have a piece on Charity:Water. Keep your eyes peeled.

Attached is a pic of me, and two of my close friends: Max (French Canadian) and Alex (German), on our rest day today.

Thanks for all the support.

Goose

Rest Day, Sweet Rest Day!

First thing First: Thanks for all the posts on my guestbook (www.gogoswami.com). I love receiving them and look forward to checking the site. Also thanks to those who have donated to Charity:Water. There is a link from my website.

Happy Easter y'all! I'm in Iringa Tanzania. We rode seven straight days from Arusha. This is the longest we have gone w/o a day of rest, previous long was six days. The roads thus far in Tanzania have been dirt, and VERY rocky, with the occaisional sand or mud pit. To get an idea of how bad the roads are, riders have been going almost has fast as the support vehicles. Apprx 7 new riders joined us in Arusha. They have had a rough introduction to the TDA. Looking back at it, we had it relatively easy (except of the first day) in Egypt, where we had paved roads AND a tail wind. It rains every day here in Tanzania (i guess that what they meant by rainy season), but we have been relatively lucky as it has generally not rained while we are riding. Actually, rain is welcome as far as the temperature is concerned, but the dirt roads turn into mud pits. The temperature gets into about 110-118 range, but feels much worse than it did in Sudan (Sudan was a dry heat). Tomorrow we will hit paved roads and are told that the pavement will continue through Malawi. I can't wait!

Our experience with Tanzanians has been much more enjoyable than with Ethiopians. Most are generally friendly. Best of all the children here don't through rocks at us. Also, unlike Ethiopia, there is little theft. It also seemed like Ethiopians expected foreigners to give them money, almost like we owed it to them, and they would get upset when we did not give them anything. There does not seem to be this attitude in Tanzania.

The landscape in Tanzania is what I envisioned when I thought of riding across Africa; dirt roads flanked with lush jungle/vegetation on both sides along with the occaisional sighting of a baboon or giraffe.

Happy St. Paddy's

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

I returned yesterday from a safari in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater. It was amazing (handful of pics attached; many more taken). Felt like I was in a real life version of the Lion King (movie, not the musical. I hate musicals). I don't think I understood how close together all of these animals live. We saw four of the Big Five (missed the leopard). After seeing them, really makes me want to start hunting!! (jk). I also had no idea how close you get to the animals (Pics were taken with a point&shoot cam).

The Tour d'Afrique resumes tomorrow. I'm not really looking forward to riding, and definitely not looking forward to riding in the rain. It's been raining here 2-3 times aday, each time for approximately 2hrs. Supposedly, after the next three weeks of rain, things will clear up. It is hard to believe but there is only 8wks left in the Tour (also difficult to believe that we've only been riding for 8wks, but somehow feels like we are more than halfway done. During the first 8wks i was sort of wondering if I could make it all the way. Now, while I still want to finish, I realize that I will be quite sad in 8 weeks when this is all over. OK. Enough of that. Must live in the now. Will try and find green food coloring to dye the water.

Erin go braugh

Spring Break, Arusha '08

Spring Break, Arusha '08

Friday was our last riding day prior to the 2-week layoff due to the fact that we will not be going through Kenya. Most riders (myself included) are looking forward to the layoff, which is a bit strange b/c when the layoff was announced about a month ago; most riders (myself included) were devastated. I think our 3 weeks in Ethiopia has worn everyone down. The mountainous terrain, the (lack of) roads, and the menacing children have left the group ragged. My ass and knees can't wait for time out of the saddle. There are also certain personality conflicts that are ripe for eruption, and w/o the layoff would produce some reality TV show style drama. I can't decide if it is a good or bad thing that some of these conflicts will never realize their full drama potential.

Two Dutchies left the tour today (Martin, already did the second-half in '06; Menno plans on doing the second half next year). Their departure made me realize what a strong bond the riders have formed. I was not particularly close with either Martin or Menno, but was still surprisingly sad to see them off. I can only imagine how difficult the farewells at Capetown will be. I know, I know, Capetown is still a ways away, but those of you who know me well know how challenging living in the moment is for me. Anyway, I'm trying to really take advantage of the opportunity so I will be spending my Spring Break in Arusha from where I plan to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, and perhaps do a safari in the Serengeti.

Big ups to Sara & Dain and Katty. They are sending me a care package in Arusha with some much needed equipment, as well as some much desired Pop-Tarts. Thanks as well to Bonz who is updating my whereabouts when he is not fighting infectious disease.

Finally thanks to all that have donated to Charity:Water. If you have not yet donated, please do (www.gogoswami.com). I'll try to upload some pictures from Arusha after my attempt to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro.

My (Ad) Addis

Greetings all. This post has to be short, as I need to get back to camp to get ready for tomorrow's ride. I'm in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia and the newly designated capital of Africa. The Ethiopian terrain and kids have taken there toll on the riders. We have had two rest days in Addis. And we have done just that: rested!!! Today, I went to the Sheridan to have my first taste of western living since I left. Simply decadent. Pool loungiung and buffet eating. I 'm currently typing from the Sheraton Business Center that charges 20x the price as local cafés, but the connection is pretty quick. CNN is playing in the background.

Four days ago we cycled down the Blue Nile River Gorge (think: Africa Grand Canyon), and then cycled back up. I'll try and get pics to bonz and have him upload to the sight. It is difficult to describe, and frankly the pics do not do it justice. I'm sometimes frustrated by trying to explain this experience because I never feel like I can do it adequately.

Thanks to all who have donated so far, but w e need to raise more money. Please donate, and I'll keep riding. www.gogoswami.com.

We have about 10 more riding days in Ethiopia, then we will take a bus back to Addis and fly to various places for two weeks and then reconvene at the Tanzanian side of the Tanzanian-Kenyan Border. During those two weeks I plan on climbing Mt. Kili and doing a short safari (all plans subject to change).

I hope all is well with all of you.

-over for now, Goose

"I want a refund of my $10 Live Aid Donation"

I'm in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. I never thought that I would miss the Sudan, but I do. Even though during the last few days of riding in Sudan the temperature has spiked. Road temperatures were above 124 degrees, and about 110 degrees in the shade. The sun feels so much stronger here. The good thing about riding is that you have a breeze; but as soon as you stop riding (for mechanical problems, or if there is a road-side truck stop for a coke) your skin feels like its roasting.
Ethiopia so far has not been as enjoyable as the Sudan. The biggest reason: the kids. They look adorable, but looks deceive. The kids here throw rocks--hard! They also try and ram sticks into riders' spokes as they pass through. The kids are truly menacing. Makes me regret $10 donation to Live Aid. The kids also are quite good at stealing. We have already lost a few cameras, bike speedometers and other items that kids have taken off the bikes while we have been riding on the climbs. The climbs have been difficult and amazing. According to one rider, the aggregate climbs we do in Ethiopia are more than twice that of Everest. The second biggest reason why Ethiopia has not been as enjoyable as Sudan: Illness. It seems that every day at least 10-15 riders become ill. Dehydration has become a problem, and each rider is learning how to appropriately hydrate. Too much fluid is not a good thing either, so we are all trying to strike the right balance in our body
Unlike the kids, the scenery in Ethiopia has been spectacular. The steep climbs may be tough, but they always reward with a bird's eye view of the landscape below. Sometimes the landscape makes you feel like you are at the Grand Canyon, and other times it looks as if you are in Switzerland. I really do think that I have become spoiled with the views. The climbs also reward with some kick ass down hills that are pure adrenaline (especially on dirt and gravel roads). There have been a few major wipeouts but no major injuries to date.
We have six more very tough days until we get to Addis Ababa. We will be taking a new route from Addis to the Border of Ethiopia and Kenya (the TDA decided to "challenge" the riders since we were not able to do Kenya, and so we will be taking even less paved roads). From the boarder we will be bussed back to Addis and from there I will fly to Kilimanjaro, which I'm 85% sure I will attempt, but still the idea of just vegging out on the island of Zanzibar seems tempting.
Keep on emailing me. I love the support.

The Great Depression - Kenyan Style

Two days ago we got word that we are almost certainly not biking through Kenya which dashed the dreams that most riders have of cycling through the African Continent. For a few days the TDA was trying to work an alternate route through Uganda, but given the recent turmoil in Uganda, they did not feel comfortable with going that route either. We have been told that we will ride to the Kenyan border and then flyover to the Kenyan/Tanzanian border. I was really depressed by this. Some riders have talked about stopping in Addis, but I don't think they are serious. Even worse is the fact that we have two wait two weeks w/o our bikes so that we keep the same schedule as there are sectional riders who have already booked tickets to join at specific dates in the future. I’m not sure what I will do in those two weeks, but it is likely that I will try to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro and perhaps go on a safari. I’m also a bit nervous of losing the cycling legs that have taken great effort to attain. I guess this means that I need to return to Kenya at some point to finish the job. Any interest in joining me in a few years??

Anyone interested in climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in a few weeks? I'M DEAD SERIOUS ABOUT THIS. Come on, do it for Toto.

The Agony and the Ecstasy

We entered the Sudan at Wadi Halfa and left the paved roads of Egypt behind. The first three days were provided some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. They also provided the most demanding physical/mental challenge I’ve faced. The first day out of Wadi Halfa I felt as if we were on a different planet. The soil/sand was bright red and the hills were made of jagged rocks. In the morning both the sun and the moon were in the sky. Truly spectacular. Parts of the way were paved (I’m told by the Chinese who have made a large investment in Sudan), but most were unpaved. Worse than unpaved roads was the sand. Riders were wiping out constantly. Yours truly ate it about four times a day. Many of the parts were simply not rideable and therefore we would just walk our bikes in the desert sun. The toughest part was not knowing how much of the day is left. 30k could take anywhere from 1 to 4 hours. I’m really stoked that I finished every day. Just to give you a sense of the difficulty about 12 riders each of those days did not finish. The sand has also taken its toll on electronic equipment. At least 8 cameras have taken their last photos due to the sand.
The people of Sudan have been, in general, very very nice. I don’t miss Egypt one bit. The Sudanese are much less pushy, and much more hospitable.

Today I’m in Khartoum. We've cycled 1,225 miles so far (hold the applause till the end of the show). Khartoum definitely has a different vibe than the few smaller villages we’ve passed through in Sudan. It’s strange that the large metropolitan area feels much less tolerant than the smaller villages, but that is certainly the feeling I get about Khartoum. Also strange is that I have not seen the mass poverty that I’ve seen in India. At first, I thought that perhaps we were just not going through the poor neighborhoods, but after spending 2.5 days in Khartoum, I don’t think the slums exist to the extent they do in India. I want to be careful not to paint the picture of Khartoum as a thriving western city. It is not. But I have not seen any starving, and very few beggars and disabled persons. There also is much more foreign investment and wealth than I expected. Unlike Egypt, most of the privately owned cars are very new. There are Toyota, Tata, Mercedes dealerships that rival those of NJ.
The group is really starting to gel. Most riders are slowing relaxing and learning to take it one day at a time (I’m still not quite there, but am making progress). People are also feeling much more comfortable around each other, which for the most part has been great. Some have taken the comfort to unwanted levels by dropping trow 10 yards away from the campsite and pinching off a freshly baked loaf (so far this phenomenon has been limited to the Dutch, who are very nice but still mostly segregated from the main group). Yes, much of our day is consumed with talking or thinking about poop. . . and to think that I thought this trip would help me mature. We only have 5 more days until Ethiopia and the rock throwing children. I’m looking forward to the food. Hope it is as good as the Ethiopian restaurants on 10th ave. mmmmmm . . . .10th ave.

Please send me your email address

First thing first: THANKS SO MUCH TO THOSE WHO HAVE WRITTEN ON THE GUESTBOOK. Please be sure to put your email address in the message so that I can respond. I don’t have all of your email addresses with me and I’m not sure how to get them from the guestbook. Please keep the messages coming. I look forward to reading them. Secondly, I’ve received many requests for photos; it takes *forever* to upload pics from here, however, a friend spent five hours yesterday uploading so I will have Bonz post the photos and send an email out to the group when available.

One country down . . .

I'm writing from Aswan, Egypt. The next two days will be my last in Egypt (at least on this trip). Which means that I will be officially done with one country. Starting Wednesday we enter Sudan. We have been told that we will not likely get to an internet cafe for another 3 weeks, so this may be my last post for a while. If possible, I'll try to text Bonz with GPS coordinates so that he can update the map.

My body is holding up just fine. Me bum hurts, but I guess that is to be expected. The knees are very soar, but usually feel ok once I get warmed up. The ride from Luxor to Aswan was lined with children waiving and trying to give us high-fives. They yelled one of three phrases: 1) "Hello", 2) "Good Morning" (regardless of actual time of day) and 3) "Money." There were also a very limited number of kids who through rocks. They hit a couple of bikes but no body was hurt.

The riders are slowly getting to know each other (except for a few of the Dutch, who, as Barb predicted, like to hangout together). The weather is getting a little better. Last night was the warmest so far, though proably so because of rain clouds that have been forming for 1.5 days. Still no rain yet. Let's keep our fingers crossed. Most of my clothes and other belongings are covered in dust. I've managed to keep the camera clean (don't worry Pulak), but mainly because I've been very bad at taking photos. Speaking of photos . . . there are three filmakers riding on the trucks who are trying to make a documentary out of the Tour d'afrique. Also in Luxor a Dutch TV crew came to film part of our ride. According to the Dutch riders the producer was the son of the creator of the reality show Big Brother. So if you are Dutch and reading this, then keep your eyes peeled for me on your television set.


Need to get me some vittles.

overnout

Ahhh, A Rest Day at Last

Hola Amigos, I'm in Luxor.

Well after six hard days of riding, we have earned our first rest day. We are in Luxor, Egypt, situated right on the Nile. The first day was extremely brutal because of a nasty head wind, the next five days have been quite nice. We've been riding appx 80miles a day with one day of 110miles.

The scenery has been beauiful. The first day we rode to the Pyramids. We were able to see the Pyramids at sunrise, and the Cairo smog only made them more majestic. From there we rode out of Cairo (Cairo traffic makes NYC traffic seem suburban). Out of Cairo we rode to the Red Sea. We were flanked on the left by the Red Sea, and on the right by the desert and mountains. We pretty much followed the Red Sea down to Safarga, Egypt where we headed west over a mountain pass to get back to the Nile. As tough as the riding has been, equally difficult has been the camping. We get up at 5:30 in the dark and COLD, and set up camp by 5:30 when the last bits of daylight remain. Packing up in the morning is definitely stressful. Everyone seems to have one eye on their own gear, and the other eye watching the progress of the other riders to make sure you don't fall too far behind in packing up. I could write a whole 'nother blog post just o the dynamics of crapping, but I'll spare you for now.


The temperature is very difficult to gauge. It gets down into the high 30s at night, but during the day if you are in the sun it is easily in the low-to-mid 80s.


By mid next week we will be out of Egypt and into the Sudan. Most of the riders are a bit nervous about Sudan. We will be riding in the desert and the roads (when there are roads) are in poor condition. The thought of riding in sand with 4liters of water has me a bit nervous. The Tour Guides have told us that Sudan and Ethiopia are the toughest countries to get through . . . so if I make it through the next three weeks (which should have me out of Sudan) then we will be good to go!

The body is holding up OK. It is a little shocked. I'm definitely one of the weaker riders, but the riding legs are coming back slolely but surely. Other than general soreness, my bigggest issues is that four of my fingers have gone almost completely numb (which makes typing a bit difficult). One of the cyclists is a doctor, who says that this is a common effect. Common or not it sort of sucks.

Well I don't know when I will be able to write next. It may be a while. I will try and text my friend Bonz, who along with Dain and Sara, are maintaining www.gogoswami.com. I will try and send some pics but it takes about 10 min per pic to upload. For less alak-specific updates, you can go to www.tourdafrique.com.

Finally, get your checkbooks out. As you may or may not know I'm raising money for Charity:water http://www.charitywater.org/water/charitywater_why.htm which is an organization that provides sustainable water sources in resource poor African villages.

Sara or Bonz will send an email when the donation link on gogoswami.com is up and running. Give early, Give often.

Until next time . . .

Goose

Last day of Civilization

Greetings from Cairo.

Today is the last day of rest. Tomorrow the Tour begins. Tomorrow's ride is 80miles. We will ride for six days straight until the next rest day. Whether here is approx 60 degrees. I'll let you all know how I hold up. There are 55 riders doing the entire tour. There are an additional 7 or 8 riders that will be riding the Egypt section. Hopefully I will be able to update this about once a week. If you go to www.tourdafrique.com, there will be a blog that the tour staff will be updating apprx once every 2 or 3 days.

Well that's all for now. I'll write as soon as I can. Thanks for all of your support.

Goose/Al/Shyam