Here we go

Our first briefing for the Tour d’Afrique started with the ominous words: ” This is not so much a race as a social experiment.” 

We then went on to the various ways  we  can expect to either suffer or die over the next four months. These ranged from being bitten by poisonous snakes you may have found on the road and decided to stroke, to drowning in your own vomit after a serious crash. 

There are 63 of us signed up for the full tour and 54 sectional riders. It is a real  mix of nationalities – lots from Canada and the US, a few Brits, Danes, Ethiopians …

A typical day was described:  group wake up call, pack up the tents, breakfast (30mins), fill up your water, load, clock on, then ride. Lunch  break, ride. Clock off, have soup, unload, set up camp, rider meeting for the briefing, have dinner, sleep.

We set off tomorrow at 7.30 am from the Pyramids. I’ll be glad to actually be on   the bike!

0 comments on “Here we go

  1. Caroline Norbury on

    Hey you – have just put another log on the fire and resisted the desire to pour myself a gin; it’s only Monday after all. Looking forward to following you these next few months.
    Today’s quotation is from Winston Churchill:
    “Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.”
    caroline xx

    Reply
  2. Alan Ferriday on

    Hi Alice

    I am Alan, ancient @ 62, from Shropshire. Sorry to butt in on your TdA blog.

    I rode with Sarge – you will have come across him by now – on the USA Coast-to-Coast of 2008. Apparently, he is not posting a blog, so I have chosen one not quite at random (You seem to be able to write in intelligible sentences and, additionally, are a Brit!) to follow instead. I hope you don’t mind the extra pressure of knowing that there is at least one person reading your stuff daily; I’m not at all sure that anyone managed to tune in daily to mine in 08.

    Please say hi to Sarge and wish him a great ride. Of course, I wish you, and every single other one of the 4-month riders, exactly the same. I’d love to be doing the ride with you but for two teensy problemettes: tents and flies. Neither fits my wants list any more, I’m afraid. In fact, flies never did.

    Bonne chance et bon voyage.

    Alan Ferriday

    Reply

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