The Journey's End

The journey from the top of Africa, starting in Cairo, to the bottom of Africa, ending in Capetown:

The journey as depicted on the map looks impressive just on face view of it.  But the tale at the end of the tape is even more startling.  The journey took me over 7,000 miles of travel and over 187,000 feet of climbing (equivalent to climbing Kilimanjaro ten times on a bike).  It was a mammoth undertaking that I still cannot believe is complete.  I have been off the bike for a couple of days now but in the back of my mind I keep thinking that I am just on rest days and will soon climb back on her and ride again.  It is with bittersweet reality that I am finished with this.  I am sad that it is over because of how many amazing things I have experienced and seen.  Yet I am happy that it is over because of how hard it was.  The challenges were overwhelming at times as were the beauty and rewards.  So much has happened over the four months that it is truly mindboggling to try to come to terms with.  

I am now at the airport ready to begin the journey home.  It is almost surreal to think that the journey is now in the past.  I am certain that it has and will have a lasting impression upon me.  How much so, time will tell.  I don't think that there is another challenge that will be as tough or encompassing.  At the same time, I don't think I can do anything this tough again.  But the passage of time is always kinder to our memories and wipes away many of the worst of times and heightens the best.  So as the saying goes... never say never.  

I want to thank all of those that joined me on the journey through my site.  I got a great deal of comments, feedback and emails.  They certainly aided me in persevering through some of the times when I did not think I could go on.  It was of great comfort to know I was not alone in my trek.  Many of you told me that my descriptions helped them feel the trip in a small way.  I hope you enjoyed it and gained a little something of the flavor of Africa.  It is a much different world than what we experience in our lives.  It is hard to comprehend the lives that the people live and the hardships that they endure.  Yet they in their own way have a joy that we would find hard to see if we were in their circumstances.  

The African continent that I experienced seems to be of three different zones.  There is the northern Arab or Middle Eastern Zone, the central Tribal Zone which we most think of as Africa and the southern Colonial Zone of which is very westernized by its history of Dutch and German colonization.  But as a whole there is one thing that is common across all three... change.  Africa is in a state of change from what it was to what it could be.  There is a great deal of unrest which I felt as we rode through it. It is an unrest that is growing and will be seen over the next ten years.  I'm sure it will be unsettling for awhile but hopefully it will move to a better direction over time.

My final thoughts on my trip...  It is always good to ask the question:  would I do it again?  The answer is no, it was too hard.  But then again the answer is yes, because I would not have had the experiences or memories that I have.  Yet there is so much of the world that I have not seen yet.  So on to the unexperienced regions is where I will go.  For now, I think I will take some time to rest up as I am exhausted.  I want to feel a bit of normalcy before I start on a new journey.  So wish me luck in my rest and recovery and I will begin my contemplation of what lies ahead.

Again, thank you for joining me on my journey.  I hoped you enjoyed it as I did.

Michael 

I did it !!!!

The end of a very long Epic Journey!

May 8 - Day 120

Today was a fabulous day!  It seemed everything came into alignment to make for a special last day of riding before entering Capetown.  It was a crisp cold start to the day.  I had on my windbreaker vest jacket, my arm warmers and my windbreaker jacket and I was still freezing.  Even when the sun was up it took a while to warm up.  It had that crispness of fall in the air again.  The ride was wonderful as we rode past orchards of Apple trees and groves of maple and oak trees painted with beautiful fall colors.  It was a quintessential fall day.  All we needed was a hay ride and some hot chocolate to make it a full midwestern fall day.  Priceless....

Sign sharing humor:

There was a sign on the road today.  It read:  Potholes Ahead.  Most people would have thought... Ok, thanks I will be on the lookout.  But of course, I thought about in a different way.  My first thought was... A complaint must have come into the highway department and brought up at a meeting.  The meeting probably went something like this...  the head of the department asked what is to be done about the pothole complaint.  And a person attending the meeting responded, let's call him Dilbert.  Dilbert said those potholes can be dangerous and cause accidents and injuries.  The boss responded with a high degree of concern... We need to do something, what should we do?  Dilbert responded...  we should warn them with a sign.  Everyone at the meeting agreed that it was a good idea.  Dilbert was assigned the Pothole Sign Warning Project and told to report back with progress on a regular basis.  Dilbert called the graphics department and asked for them to work on mock ups since there were no stock "Pothole Warning" signs.  Graphics works up several different versions and sends them to Dilbert.  But Dilbert doesn't want to make a decision of this magnitude on his own so he sends it to a committee.  The committee orders several more revisions until they arrive at one that then needs to be sent to the head of the department for final sign off.  Once that has taken place, Dilbert can order the sign department to make up the sign.  The sign department sends an order over to the paint department who makes the sign background, yellow color of course and sends it to the lettering department.  Once this is done it is sent to Dilbert who sends an order to the road crew to have a post put up for the sign.  The road crew sends an order to the survey crew to assign the right spot on the roadway for the sign.  They go out and mark the spot with a marker.  They then contact the road crew to go out and dig a hole for the post.  Then a crew comes out to pour cement to solidify the post.  Then an order is dispatched to the installation crew to come out 5 days later to allow time for the post to set in the concrete.  Once the installation crew comes out and affixes the sign, then I can ride by it and read it and wonder ....  Why in the hell didn't they just fill the pothole and save everybody all the time and money and aggravation?!

(See what 4 months on a bike can do to your mind?)

Here is another sign you won't see on one of your weekend rides:

Tomorrow is the day we ride into Capetown and finish this Epic of Adventures.  It is so hard to believe, it has been an amazing hard fought journey.  Four months of an adventure...  Wow!

By the time you get up tomorrow (Saturday) I will have finished my ride.  It will be bittersweet.  :)      :(

May 7 - Day 119

Today was an excellent day!  It was about 50% off road and 50% pavement.  I did not ride the first part which was off road but did the second half.  It was such a great ride.  :)  It put a smile across my face that was ear to ear.  I took the ride at a very leisurely pace and went for the experience rather than the speed.  This might sound strange but it was a perfect fall day.  After all this is late fall in this hemisphere.

The trees were turning colors and there was a crispness to the air.  The coolness of the air reminded me of late October.  As I was riding I had a pleasant thought...  this year I have had two falls and No Winter.  That is the best of all.

The scenery was fabulous.  This is one of the days I will remember for a long time.  It just felt so good.

The landscape and scenery are changing as we travel south.  There are vineyards and orchards popping up out of the desert landscape.  

The mountain passes are spectacular as they lead from one picturesque type of scene to another.  

This trip is winding down and I am trying to relish the moments.  So much has happened over the four months it really is hard to put it all in perspective.  Time will help with this....  :)

Getting close now!!!

Only 3 days left and 348 kilometers to go!

May 6 - Day 118

I must admit that the off road corrugation has gotten the best of me.  My bad ankle was so swollen and painful last night I could not walk.  It was due to the relentless pounding the off road and the clip-in position has wreaked upon it.  So I could not post this morning.  :(   I had to truck the ride today.  It is sad but there was not much other than amputation that could have worked.  I chose the truck versus the other drastic option.  

But the scenery through the day was fantastic.  There were two passes and numerous valleys and mountains that made the day spectacular!

This is the desert plains giving way to the encroaching mountains.

The reds and oranges of the rock faces of this Mesa were hard to capture but unbelievable to see.

As we came to the summit of this mountain pass we were treated to a breathtaking view of the mountain ranges yet to be climbed... by us!  :)

Hopefully the ankle will settle down and riding tomorrow.  Only three days left.  :)

May 4 - Day 116

Today was to be an easier day, again. The tour leaders said that it was off road/dirt but last year it was fairly smooth and that it should have been graded recently. Therefore, there could be some corrugation but not too bad.  Well... I would say that it had been graded recently and it had received a grade of "F" for you would be foolish to ride it.  Or "F" for failure to measure up to the minimum standards to be called a road!  :)

As you can tell it was rough going on the ride today.  The corrugation was so tough that when your front wheel went down in the valley of the corrugation you would lose sight of it.  :)   Then there was the sand, deep and unforgiving.  As your front wheel found the sand it would do some strange maneuvers.  Each one flirting with disaster.  But I survived...  barely.

Here is the best of the day:

The rising sun shone on the rocky hills to add a beauty to the already stunning landscape.

There are hills and mountains that appear to be collection of boulders from somewhere else.  The sand is prevalent but the boulders foreign.

The endless road....

It doesn't look bad in the picture but get on a bike and you would see the adventure of which I speak.  :)

May 5 - Day 117

Today was a mix of off road and Tarmac. The off road was as I have spoke. To in the past days... something that you could only wish on someone you do not care for.  But then came the tarmac.  Yes!  It was a sight for sore eyes.  It felt so good to be back on a real road.  There was significant climbing but I will take the climbing to anything that off road serves up.  The rolling hills and steep climbs were wonderful to attack.  I went flying along with a smile on my face.  It is what makes cycling enjoyable.  :)

This is a picture of the cold front coming through.  The clouds gathered so thick they appeared to be originating from the ground itself.  As I was climbing through a pass the wind started to pick up.  It got to a howling pitch and the temperature started to plummet.  The temp dropped 12 degrees Celsius from start of climb to the summit.  Brrrrrrr it got cold.  Made me pick up the pace to get to camp quicker.  Nothing like a little bit of motivation to get the legs moving and the speed accelerating.  :)

The off road and corrugation has taken a toll on me though.  My wrists and shoulder and ankle woke me up last night with their midnight protest.  They collectively raised the chorus of pain to a level which could not be denied and therefore woke me up and sent me for relief.  It is amazing how beaten up you get from the off road bumps and grind.  :(

The open desert landscape.

The mountains and mesas that popped up from the desert floor and added such wonderful views.

May 3 - Day 115

Today was to be one of the easier days of the final week.  Notice I said was to be...  It turned out to be a pretty tough day.  It was an 83 mile ride on pavement.  Sounds like one of the nicer set ups.  Not!!!  We first crossed the border and then began climbing.  We climbed a steady grade of 2-3% for 28 miles.  It would peak up to 6% every now and then but consistently climbing the entire distance.  No rolling hills, no short downhills to give the legs a break... just climbing.   Oh and to make it even better, a headwind came up shortly after we started the climb.  It increased with intensity as the sun continued its ascent and the temperatures climbed as well.  

That was the first part of the day.  The second part was rolling hills with 6-10% grades to climb and the headwind of course.  It was one of the toughest 83 miles of the tour.  

Tomorrow is a 95 mile day off road on the dirt.  I think that they are trying to kill us before we can get to Capetown.  I think that way they save on meals for the final celebration banquet.  :)

Here is the scenery that I saw on the grueling ride:

Pretty desolate country...  still in the desert.  

MILESTONE ALERT

I am crossing into my 11th and last country of my journey!  I am leaving Namibia and entering South Africa.

This is the last week of my adventure.  This Saturday the 9th about 1 pm South Africa time I will be crossing the finish line.  (For those back in the US... when you get up Saturday morning I will have finished this epic adventure.

But before it is done I will have to climb over 27,000 feet this week alone.  Wish me luck.

May1 - Day 113

Today was a leisure day as the bike demanded as well as the legs and more appropriately the mind needed a break.  The trip has been grueling both physically and mentally.  The day in and day out grind and the extreme miles and the road (or should I say no road) conditions have taken their toll.  A break was demanded and a break was given.

......................................................

Here is a picture of where we are:

We have seven more cycling days and will be in Capetown next Saturday the 9th of May.  I am astounded when I look at the map and see where I am and where I have come.  It is an amazing feat to have come so far.  There has been so many things that have happened, so many adventures, so many miles...  It has been amazing!

As we rode today we saw endless desert and sand.  But there appeared a strand of green as we entered the afternoon.  It was like when the the sands of the Sahara Desert along the Nile were turned green on either side of the river for a hundred meters or so.  This was the same.  This time it was the Orange River the was performing the miraculous transformation.  As we got farther south the green expanse grew in size.  There appeared vineyards of grapes that stretched for miles and miles along the river.  These vineyards were pumping water from the river to create the greenage and the wine industry of southern Namibia.  

The vineyards that appeared out of the sands of the Namib Desert.

To support the vineyards and the wine industry a shanty village of thousands of shacks has been erected.  There are people everywhere.  The shacks have no running water, no sanitation, no electricity or any normal comforts.  The shacks are sitting in the blaring desert sun.  A tough life for them.  But they are probably better off than many others....

April 30 - Day 112

Today did a magnificent ride to the Fish River Canyon.  Remember it is supposed to be number two to the Great (Grand) Canyon.  After seeing it, I must say it is a distant second but it was beautiful....

Here are some pictures:

Oops, I snuck in the picture...  :)

But you can see the canyon in the background.

On the trip I was treated to the sight of an Ostrich crossing the road at a full run. It was really neat in that it didn't move its head or body but it's legs were moving at a rapid pace.  It kind of reminded me of the roadrunner in the cartoons...  beep beep. :)

I also scared up a Springbok on the road.  He was about 20 meters off the road and I must have startled him.  He took a couple of running steps and then began to bounce or spring up into the air as he moved off.  It was a real treat to see.  

We are getting closer and closer to the end.  :)

April 29 - Day 111

Today's ride had a nice surprise.  It was mostly paved.  Thank god for the Chinese.  They are paving Africa. 

It was paved with some fairly good hills and of course a headwind.  But it was paved!  The ride today was through very remote desert/rock conditions with high mountains and plateaus like yesterday.  I came across a rider from last years tour who ran out of water on the same road.  He didn't say much as I don't think he faired well as a result.  Here is a picture of him:

I was hoping for the SAG truck to come along with water so that I could avoid the same fate.  Lucky for me, it did.  :)

Saw a couple of interesting signs on the route today...

HUNGRY?  It asks???  I have been hungry since Cairo.  I can't wait til I can eat real food!  Maggianos spaghetti, Galway Arms Guiness Stew, Five Guys burger,  and oh so many other tantalizing treats.  It won't be long now...  :)

Oh and this sign was a prophesy of things to come.  At the point where the sign was, I was already riding into a 15-20 mph headwind.  So I thought I had already encountered what the sign was saying:

But Nooooo, the best was yet to come.  Wind it said and wind is what it delivered.  This was coming into a mountain pass.  As I entered the mountain pass the wind came up in gusts hard and strong.  I had to go down into the drops and try to make myself and the bike as aerodynamically flat as possible.  If I sat up straight all progress ceased and I would be blown backwards.  Heck, if I put up a sail it could have blown me back to Cairo.

Well tomorrow seems to be promising.  Back to some pretty messy off road stuff.  But we are going to be going to the Fish River Canyon.  It is supposed to be the second biggest canyon next to the Great Canyon in the United States.  Yes, yes, I know that it is the Grand Canyon but the tour person from South Africa called it the Great Canyon.  :) 

The pass between the mountains...