20 Years Later

Over the past 20 years, the Tour d’Afrique has changed and evolved, as have I. Yet, it remains an important milestone in the lives of many people from around the world, myself included.

It was exactly 20 years ago today that I stood in front of the pyramids in Cairo for the start of the 2006 Tour d’Afrique.

12,000 kilometres through 10 countries in 4 months. What the fuck was I thinking!? The longest I had ever biked in a day was 64 km, once, during my ‘training’ for the expedition.

This is the photo that started it all. I have no idea where or how I found it but when I saw it, I thought, “This is the craziest thing I have ever heard of.” Turns out the rider in the photo was Randy Pielsticker who, serendipitously, ended up as the tour leader in 2006.

So, 20 years after the fact, what do I remember?

Egypt

Unhappily discovering that the famous Pyramids were practically surrounded by the city of Cairo. Camping amongst the garbage around police stations (security, you know). The sounds of numerous competing mosques for the morning call to prayer. Hose showers. Insane tailwinds. Henry’s Mom happily cutting salami at lunch. The unforgettable ferry ride across Lake Nasser to Sudan.

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Sudan

The utter darkness at night in Wadi Halfa. I went out to try to find a store and scared myself silly trying to return to our campsite. The absolutely ridiculous roads – following tire tracks in the sand, searching for flagging tape. The unbelievable kindness of the Sudanese people. Camping in the Dongola zoo. The gorgeous, colourful doors to Sudanese houses.  A rider getting lost in the desert and calling her friend in Montreal by cell (not common at that time) for help! The song Bicycle Race – ‘I want to ride my bicycle‘ – blaring out from the support vehicles at dawn in a campsite by the Nile. Racing through the streets of Khartoum on tricked out army pick-up trucks after a dinner for the riders hosted by an army general.

>>Related Post: The Nightmare Road From Wadi Halfa To Dongola

Ethiopia

Beer. The sweet, sweet, taste of beer and the luxury of a hot shower in a brothel after crossing the border from Sudan (no alcohol!) into Ethiopia. The sounds of tents unzipping continuously throughout the night as riders dealt with the inevitable GI issues. The horde of cyclists ravenously descending on the all-you-can-eat buffet at the Hilton in Addis Ababa. The rock throwing kids. The thin green line at lunch and camp, miraculously holding back the crowds of curious locals. The towering red termite mounds.

Field Staff

It is the middle of the night in the desert of northern Kenya. Pitch black. All riders are asleep in their tents. I hear a noise, a vehicle pulling up, and step out into the darkness. I see our Tour Leader, Randy, alone, calmly chatting to 4 heavily armed, very drunk, soldiers who are demanding payment for us to be camping in the bush. Randy talks, and smokes, and talks, and smokes, and suddenly the jeep is pulling away. After about 50m, their brake lights go on. Are they coming back? Randy strolls down the road. Is he coming back? After about 15 tense minutes, the jeeps starts up and drives away. Randy eventually returns. Turns out they had a flat tire and, being inebriated, they needed his help to change it. Just another day as the Tour d’Afrique Tour Leader!

Kenya

Drinking Tusker beer at the Prison Bar in Moyale (Yes, a bar in a prison, run by the prisoners). A lonely morning ride on the remote lava rock road in Northern Kenya, momentarily terrified by the crossing of a caracal a few meters ahead of me. Elephants tiptoeing delicately at night amongst our tents in Marsabit. Cycling through ongoing military exercises in the Kenyan desert (no live ammunition they said!) The stunning sight of Mt Kenya in the morning. A very sobering visit to the Kiberia slum in Nairobi.

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Tanzania

Majestic Mt Kilimanjaro. A camping safari in the Serengeti where a rider fought off a bush pig attempting to share her tent in the middle of the night (I’m looking at you, Judy Rigby!). The rocks and red dirt of the Dodoma Road. Discovering that if you mix warm beer and warm pineapple Fanta, the result is a wonderfully refreshing Radler…at least in a remote Tanzanian village. (Thanks to Urs Hausermann for that!). Rain. Rain. And more rain. Setting up a wet tent, Sleeping in said wet tent. Packing up the wet tent. Repeat again and again. The most beautiful day on the entire tour – climbing up out of Mbeya and then speeding down a seemingly endless ridge with gorgeous views of tea plantations and forests on both sides.

>>Related Post: The Dodoma Road: 2003-2010

Malawi

The unnerving number of coffin shops. The stunning light on Lake Malawi at sunrise and sunset. A cool waterfall shower on the climb up out of Chitimba Beach. The surprisingly cool and refreshing pine forests. The taste of the local Malawi Gin. The friendly schoolchildren along the roads. The unbelievable resourcefulness of local cyclists – carrying bags of charcoal, wood, etc.

>>Related Post: Local Bicycles: An Appreciation

Af Routes Support Staff

These Afrikaners, Eddie, Wimpy, Errol, & Cristo, were not about to win any awards for DEI or wokeness, but when your vehicle breaks down in the middle of the Sudanese desert, these are the guys you want in your corner! They could seemingly fix anything with a stick, 2 rocks and a piece of string.

They also had a wicked sense of humour…

Zambia

The boundless rolling hills. The empty, winding road, bracketed on both sides by swaying elephant grass. The interactive school camps where riders and schoolchildren would play games together. The undeniable majesty of Mosi-oa-Tunya (Victoria Falls). A unique 4 country ferry ride across the crocodile filled Zambezi River.

>>Related Post: The Kazungula Ferry; A Bridge Too Far

Botswana

Cruising the Chobe River. Looking up from the endless scrub of the Kalahari Desert and seeing elephants, up close and personal. Flying over the Okavango Delta. Coming upon a giant pink paper maché aardvark in the middle of nowhere. Hearing the roar of lions at night in camp. Pedalling over 200 km in a single day.

Namibia

Seriously corrugated gravel roads. The absolute silence at night and the vast starry skies. Striking Quiver trees. Sunrise on  Dune 45 in Sossusvlei. Enjoying apple pie in the aptly named desert town of Solitaire. Really feeling the breeze on the traditional Naked Mile ride. The incredible views over Fish River Canyon.

>>Related Post: The Naked Mile: A Cheeky Tour d’Afrique Tradition

South Africa

Crossing the Orange River. The wicked wind. The first view of the Atlantic Ocean followed by an icy dip in its crashing waves. Gorging on fresh seafood in Elands Bay. Receiving our hard-earned tour jerseys the night before the finish. Our arrival on a cool, foggy day at the Waterfront in Cape Town. The last dinner. The bittersweet goodbyes.

Would I do it again?

In a heartbeat.

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