March 28

An action packed day for Tour d'Afrique. And a special day of experience with children as well.

The Tour experienced a couple of extenuating instances today.  The first was a car instance...  Another rider was involved with car today.  In other words hit by.  A car came too close and it's side view mirror hit the riders handlebar.  This sent the bike careening off the road and into a ditch.  It also sent the rider flying.  Luckily the rider ended up with bruised ribs and minor cuts and contusions.  He was stunned but for all intent and purposes not seriously injured.  Very fortunate!!!  The bike did not sustain serious injury either.  It was a good steel bike so a bend here and a hammer there and back in service it goes!  Good end to a potentially tragic instance....  :)

The second instance is not having as good an outcome, at least so far.  The President of Malawi was being taken to the airport in a motorcade.  The motorcade was a collection of cars; first a cruiser with blue lights aflashing, then 3 black Mercedes, then a couple of land cruisers with soldiers.  There were 3 other motorcades as well with dignataries.  They were all moving at high rates of speed.  One of our riders did not get off the road as the motorcade came by.  (I did not either but was not hassled) When he was pulled over by police an incident ensued...  meaning he did not give the police due deference.  He was arrested by the Malawi Police and is spending the weekend in prison.  He supposedly has a hearing sometime on Monday.  He is being held in a cell with no bed, chairs or any other type of convenience.  He is getting no food as meals are not provided in Malawi jails.  TDA has brought him his sleeping bag and some sandwiches and water.  They are allowing him water in the cell but food only at certain times.  We are leaving first thing tomorrow to head out of Malawi but he will still be in jail.  It is a bad situation that must be extremely difficult and frightening for him.  Imagine being in jail in a third world country where you do not understand the language and what is happening.  It has to be scary beyond belief...

Now on to something a little more positive...    We were riding along today and passing by a small village of about 4 huts.  The kids from the village had come out and were lining the road.  As we began to pass they broke out in song.  A song more of tribal nature.  It was a beautiful song sun by all the children.  There were about 20 or so kids.  A couple of the kids started dancing and it was amazing.  They were doing a dance that I have never seen and it was obviously a tribal type dance.  The one girl about 10 or 12 was unbelievable as to how she moved and danced.  It was a moment that was so phenomenal.  One that is an experience of a lifetime.  There song was magical without any instruments, their dance was so energized and passionate that it was moving.  The only thing I could think of was...  Priceless!!!