Waking up at 6am on Saturday 17th March felt strange.
I had given myself tight timelines and preparation had been right down to the wire with final touches to the bike, tracking down the right maps and packing only finishing at 1am the night before. The bike was packed and ready in the hall and yet it still felt surreal. Si offered me my house keys as we were leaving and then we both realized that I wasn't going to need them for a while. It was a mixture of excitement at the unknowns of what was to come as well as a real sense of trepidation that this was actually happening and I was going to have to say goodbye to people for a while. I think I had not fully internalized some of the realities, partly on purpose as otherwise I might never have got started, and partly because there was just a lot to organize and keep my mind busy. As we left home for Alexandra, there was a big storm which is highly unusual for a summer morning in Joburg and I felt quite anxious about what was to come. Nonetheless a huge welcome from Jeff and the 'Alex rats' (his cycle team) and 22 friends dressed in giraffe and cheetah onesies soon created an incredible atmosphere as we arrived in Alex. There was a tremendous energy and excitement as we ate breakfast and people shared some very thoughtful and touching toasts (quite unexpected I must say) ahead of the onward journey. As the rain cleared we all saddled up and started our tour round Alex to see where Jeff lives and Nelson Mandela's house. Alex is home to more than one million people in just over a square kilometer and the streets had turned to rivers in the tightly packed maze of houses. It is extraordinary that the glittering high rise offices of Sandton sit in stark contrast less than only 1km away. All packed on top of one another inside a tiny shabine (a 3ft by 4ft pub), Si dropped a knee to offer me my first African beer on this journey (the beer is brewed from Sorghum and must always be drunk kneeling or sitting down) for good luck. Then it was time for the first of the goodbyes as 8 of us rode out from Alex towards the first night's camp spot at Hartbeespoort. Although it felt strange to say goodbye, having a gang of riders alongside was a welcome distraction as we headed out of Joburg. A big braai by the lake with great mates was the perfect end to an unforgettable day. I could not have asked for a better start to the journey. Thank you to everyone who came and made it a magical day. Next morning as some rode straight back to Joburg, we were down to 6 people. After the first hour 4 more turned home and then it was just Simone and me. I was now alone on my bike and Si was driving behind me extraordinarily patiently and playing Queen's bicycle loudly out the window to cheer me on. What a legend! We stayed at Kokoriba for our last night and sat chatting happily round the fire. The following morning was really hard. After some considerable faffing on my part and an emotional breakfast (yes, futurelife can be emotional), we got to the T junction where Si went one way and I went the other. That was the hardest goodbye I've done. I was grateful for a headwind (for the first and last time) as it blew the tears back over the first 5km. Now the realities really started to sink in. Up till now had been a rollercoaster of excitement with some anxiety quickly replaced by more high energy anticipation. As I settled into the ride, despite the challenges that lay ahead, I felt strangely empowered riding into the wilderness with all my belongings bouncing alongside, excited about the adventure ahead. People are often concerned about the dangers presented by humans on this type of trip, particularly in Africa. While it has only been a week, I am glad to report that everyone I have met (with the exception of one very racist Afrikaans chap) has been delightful and gone out of their way to help me. Some of the facial expressions of people I meet by the roadside when I say 'Egypt' are absolutely priceless. Big goggly eyes and in one case, a slight teeter backwards. Many of them think I am mad, many of them may be right, but so far I have been blown aware by the kindness that people have shown me. If you have read this far, you're amazing. For more frequent posts and pictures please follow on instagram (search for @alexandra2alexandria) as this has been easier to update so far. Much love
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When you set out on an adventure, there are often lots of unknowns. One of the most exciting is the weird and wonderful people that you meet. You don't know who or when you will meet them, but you know you will encounter some amazing people along the way.
The universe has been kind to me before I have even set off. Long may it continue. There are various gadgets which will need powering along the journey so that I can navigate (phone) and see (lights). My dynamo hub was generating alternating current, but the flimsy DC converter I had bought was not working so I had no usable power. I could not get the thing to work and was starting to worry how I could find a replacement as they are not really sold in South Africa. Linden Cycle had joined the battle to fix the converter and still no luck. Enter Jerrard, a friend of the guys at Linden Cycle. Without knowing me from a bar of soap, Jerrard took my phone call to see whether he had any ideas about the converter. Immediately, he was an absolute legend and offered advice as if we had been friends for years. When it was clear that the original converter must be faulty, he said he might have a converter which I could use. He was really making my own problems, his problem, and going hugely out of his way to help. The reason he had a spare converter is deeply sad, however. His best buddy, Andrew had been preparing for a 5000km cycle adventure through Chile and Argentina, when he was tragically killed in a traffic accident. I was lost for words and my thoughts remain with his family. Jerrard suggested that it would be in keeping with Andrew's adventurous soul that the things which he had been collecting for his own ride, be used in other cycle adventures so that his spirit may live on in far flung corners of the world. Although I sadly never got to meet Andrew, it is really an enormous privilege that I will be able to ride with his spirit joining on this adventure. The thought gives me goosebumps in fact. His spirit will not only power me on to succeed, he will be there powering the whole ride, allowing me to navigate and see. An adventure like this has many moving parts even before you set off.
Buying or building your bike is obviously the minimum requirement for leaving. This is relatively straightforward as people have crossed continents (with varying success) on everything from unicycles to ultralight carbon set ups. What you choose is dependent on budgets, levels of support while riding, personal preferences and what you are trying to tackle. You can see what I chose on the KIT page. While you could start out as soon as you have a bike, there are various things that a well prepared man might consider organising in advance where possible such as finances, visas, medical and travel insurance, possible safety nets and route plans. Training is not a bad idea, though it is not essential either as you will quite quickly build fitness on a long ride like this. One of the more interesting and challenging things I have found during my preparation, has been the necessary conversations with family and friends about what you are planning. Friends are for the most part thoroughly overexcited about the idea and some of them keen to join for sections of the ride too. For family, it is much tougher and I am lucky to have a wonderful girlfriend and family who keep me in check. Initially, there is excitement at imagining a wild adventure filled with unknown twists and turns. The excitement becomes concern as it becomes clearer that this is something that I have thought about quite carefully and I am serious about. There are immediate questions (not for the first time) about my sanity. It is risky, unpredictable, unsafe, selfish. All of these things are true and it forces you to think through everything that you are undertaking and, importantly, what you are asking of those around you. There is no question that it is a selfish decision to do something like this. I am causing unnecessary stress and anxiety for loved ones who kindly worry about my safety. While I of course hope that I do not have any life threatening incidents, I have no guarantees of this and for some this risk outweighs any reward. I will never have complete data before setting off, but what I can do is try to assess the level of risk to see whether I can get comfortable enough with them or not and put in place various safety mechanisms as a precaution. Research (not exhaustive):
Key risks:
Safety precautions:
Once you have done your research, the only real way to discover the gravity of the risks is to dare to begin. You can always make a plan to stop or turn back if you feel uncomfortable. |
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