What are the Odds?

I wrote an article several eternities ago regarding bathing in the Dongola, Sudan zoo. I did it in the interest of literal diversity. At the time we were slogging our way through the deserts of northern Africa and many updates were becoming repetitive…plus I was feeling a bit cheeky. However, as we progressed South the terrain, people, countries and rider stories changed rapidly and there was no need/opportunity for a bit of an off the wall update. That still holds true, but as our cook is on vacation and our Kenyan support staff have taken up the ladle I have found myself filling their role on the truck which is namely riding shotgun (ie, choosing the music, helping with traffic control and in the process getting hit in the shins by impatient Zambian drivers, and waving at riders as we pass them by). Therefore, today I haven’t an interesting anecdote from the road or an in depth description of what the day held besides that it was long and there was peddling involved. Therefore, I feel compelled to write something a little different. I present to you my list of odds for Tour related events that may happen over the next little while.  

ODDS THAT:

• A country we have biked through will no longer exist in 10 years- 5:1
• A country we have biked through will change it’s name in the next 5 years- 2:1
• Everyone who is currently EFI will keep their status for the rest of the trip- 30:1
• Tricia the English schoolteacher will show up unannounced in Cape Town to surprise Paul McManus- 80:1
• A bridge along our route will become washed out shortly before we are to cross it- 7:1
• Robert Mugabe decides to invade Victoria Falls- 500:1
• A rider will make the joke “That was fun, lets do it again!” upon crossing the finish line in Cape Town- 1:1
• Likelihood that rider is Frank Smith- 1:1
• Most riders will VOW to keep the weight they have lost off when they return home 1:1
• Most rider will INFACT keep the weight they have lost off when they return home- 100:1
• Riders will look back and think, “Actually, I really loved Ethiopia”- 1,000,000:1
• Riders will look back and think, “Actually, I really loved Africa”- 1:1
• Tom Stevens will make an original joke before Cape Town- 50:1
• Eduard Sloots abandons the whole notion of recumbent bicycles- 500:1
• Nothing else gets stolen from our campsite in the night- 3:1
• Craig Tingle shaves his beard upon arrival in Cape Town- 35:1
• Nick Marr becomes a tee-toler- 400:1
• John Davis abandons chamois cream upon returning to the United States- 3:1