UPDATED April 3, 2009

BY The TDA Team

IN Tour d'Afrique

no comments

UPDATED April 3, 2009

BY The TDA Team

IN Tour d'Afrique

no comments

Border days

 326

 Another country down today.  Each time we cross a border it amazes me as to how different things are when you have only crossed a river or a line that doesn't really exist.
Almost all the borders we have crossed have been extremely slack in terms of stopping people.  I'm fairly sure that, other than entering Sudan, I could have just ridden straight past the controls without a single question. Today was no different. As always, the immigration staff genuinely welcomed me, a few minutes of waiting and filling out the entry book yourself (why would an immigration officer enter your details into the entry book?  That's way too much like work.) Then we rode into Zambia.

Yet again things change, the road is potholed, kids are quieter and seem to have some sort of fear in their eyes and today for the first time for me it poured down within a kilometer of the crossing.  I've been lucky with my rides so far and while most riders have been wet at least once,  I've either been at the front or the back and it's not been raining by the time I've rolled through.

The day's riding was relatively uneventful – 140kms with a light tailwind. I spent the day riding with Tim and Bruce and we had finished lunch after 75kms by 10am. Joining the train of Frank and Craig for the afternoon meant completing 140kms by 1pm including the border crossing.  I guess sometimes the legs just turn easy and two days rest helps that.  It looks like the rain is in for the night, so it could remain interesting. Hopefully we won't be affected by the flooding that has hit Zambia in the last few weeks.

Time will tell.

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