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Joburg to Nairobi
  • Stephen Prendergast

Joburg to Nairobi

A 121-day adventure by Stephen Read more
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  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    The reverse angle from Madeg, in her tent.1Power crisis.

    A bump in the road

    September 18, 2024 in Zambia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Livingstone was hot and apart from Victoria Falls views and add ons didn't feature much iconic landscape.
    After my first night I'd woken with a touch of stomach discomfort. Not the first time. Alex, Athena and I headed for the old Vic falls bridge which provided a free version of the better positioned falls views. As the bridge connects Zimbabwe and Zambia it's a border crossing with a bungee and zipline for thrills. You ask for a bridge pass at immigration and stroll onto the bridge for as long as you like. About 10 minutes was sufficient.
    We then headed to the nearby Radisson which had riverside views down to the falls, and famously zebras at times in the park like grounds. Not today.
    I got dropped back at camp, feeling a little worse for wear, and considered a few more days of rest to deal with the gut rumbles. Figuring Lusaka looked a little cooler, I booked a bus for the 7 hour journey, as well as a nearby "luxury apartment". I was realistic about the apartment which was more of a step up from the cheaper accommodation.
    Late afternoon another cyclist arrived. She'd been staying with friends for a bit nearby but was getting organised to head into Botswana. We talked about our travels, bike stuff and future destinations. Dinner rolled around, with all 4 of us contributing to a shared meal.Then an earliesh bedtime with plans set for tomorrow.
    The next morning a sizeable herd of elephants paid a visit moving through the camp and around the opensided kitchen dining facility. Myself and Madeg spent the next 30 minutes observing and filming, judiciously retreating when annoyance was signalled either by the square on ears out stance, or short mock charges.
    After they departed I finished packing and headed off. Unfortunately I'd dislodged my rear mirror whilst packing and not realising hadn't recovered it before departure. 3km up the road I ran into the elephants again. They were emerging from the scrubby bushes seperating the campground from the road, and slowly moving across. After 5 minutes they started to move along, and the backlogged traffic started to filter through. I slipped by alongside a van as a barrier. I then realised my mirror was missing and parked up & jumped in a cab to retrieve it. The older driver was specialising in slow travel and I was now counting the minutes remaining before the bus departed without me. Eventually arrived back at the bike, well overpaid for the short trip and hoofed it with the bike to the bus station. I arrived in ample time, and rolled the bike fully assembled into the luggage compartment. Phew !
    Lusaka terminal was described as well organised. It wasn't. We sat in the road for 10 minutes in a version of bus gridlock. Considering previous overseas bus rides I'd prepared for some unloading chaos based on prior experiences. This was pretty similar. Somewhere in the chaos of the swarming touts and 'helpers' someone picked my pocket, and my phone disappeared. Focused on getting my bike unloaded safely, and security of the bags and gear it took until I needed to navigate to my apartment to notice. Clearly this was a problem.
    Over the next 30 minutes I checked everywhere I could bit to no avail. I'd lost my pictures as well as my digital payment capability, essential due to the earlier loss of my physical Wise travel card in South Africa.
    Taxiing to the apartment was a chore. Upon arrival I realised there was no aircon or power, with load shedding being habitual. We circled the area looking for a place with a Genset to but the taxi clearly was just taking pot shots. Given the evening I directed us back with the hope things would improve.

    I've also added some photos from Madeg to compliment those I had already uploaded.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    1112

    Lusaka reprised

    September 20, 2024 in Zambia ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    The inconvenience of the widespread load shedding was substantial. The, young, on site caretaker helpfully hotspotted his phone so I could lockdown mine. It had been switched off almost instantly based on the tracking info available. I eventually set it to brick itself with limited recovery expectations. There's a thriving 2nd hand phone market so I expect that's where it was headed. No doubt experts in getting round the software locks google deploys when you trigger that option.
    I'd met Jackson th following morning in a chain restaurant called Hungry Lion where you can get free iternet. He'd slipped into the booth I was at and plugged into the wall plug before I'd realised what he was doing.
    Striking up a conversation he confirmed the suggested mobil shop the caretaker had offered as the place to check out my replacement options. 3 hours later he'd sorted an Uber like ride, called Yango, helped oil discussions on phone and accessories, walked me round the local street market shops to find a case, assisted in aquiring a replacement sim card, and then picked up a few supplies for his own 2nd hand phone/repair/mobile money shop. He was part of the burgeoning micro & mini business scene that was an alternative to the collapsed employment opportunities in the very soft economy. His business was a pragmatic solution to his current situation.
    He also disclosed that he was expecting his first child any day. That turned out to be the next day.
    We got to know each other quite well and discussed mutual interests in politics , social sciences and contemporary global economic disparities. At 31 he was a reminder that the following generations are at least equal to their preceding forebears.
    In better spirits I returned to the apartment which now had power, wifi and tv. The power lasted through to 5.45 am. It remained off for the rest of my stay.
    Similar to NZ, Zambia is hydro dependant and the drought was severely impacting generation. Even with a lot of rainfall this year lake levels will remain a constraint on generation. There is a move to solar but it is moving too slowly to address demand issues for the immediate future.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    Derek from Min Ag was calling the shotsLuangwa River serves as the Zambia / Mozambique border21114

    Back on the road to Malawi

    September 21, 2024 in Zambia ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    Battling to ride more than 20km comfortably without padded shorts I spent the morning trying to track down another pair. Between closed businesses, shops only stocking bike & hardware and a sole, gaudy, short and top set I can to the conclusion it was not meant to be. That delay saw me stopping 50 km up by the road in Chongwe at a cheap guesthouse on the main road. I'd chosen this over slightly nicer residence due to location.
    Getting away the next morning I headed to Ramfussa 85km away. The flat tarmacced roads of Botswana gave way to more rolling terrain. And headwind. At 80 km I was cooked. I stuck my thumb out as 5pm approached to cover the final 20km. The first Ute past pulled over up the road. It was a bunch of Ag officials who did climate work returning from a Saturday in Lusaka finalizing budgets.
    They determined that it would be better to drop me a further 110 km up the road to take out one of the significant ranges over that distant. As a result I ended up at Launga Bridge Camp at 6.30pm setting up my tent in the darkness. There was no shortage of hills to make up for it over the following day. The Laungwa River serves as the Zambia / Mozambique border. Nothing substantial demarced that, and for all intents it was just opposing river banks.
    Having dropped down to the river level of my 300m the next day climbed me back to 1150m with a total ascent of 1100m over there 63km to the summit town of Kacholola in a shadowing of the border. As trucks are not allowed to travel after 9pm Kacholola was a favourite overnight truck stop before the next days screaming downhill, on the road I'd just ascended. A cheap guesthouse was my refuge that night as the loud music blasted through the small town. The 40km to Nyimba held most of the height, or demand no ded it back post descent. At that point I decided to jump a bus for the last 200km to Chipata, the launch point for Malawi. It was also the gateway to the acclaimed South Luangwa Park, a wildlife park reputed to be Zambia's jewel.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    2

    South Luangwa Park

    September 25, 2024 in Zambia ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    I was due to depart Chipata after the 2 night stop and head across to Malawi for the next sector. After a few discussions about the Mfuwe township and South Luangwa Park I did a little more research and decided this was probably something I should pursue. I didn't fancy the out and back 300 km but there were plenty of shared taxis covering the distance for about $12. The main challenge being the chunk of cash I'd need to acquire for the trip. There was limited options to put it on the plastic for the more affordable operators, due to poor infrastructure and the smaller business sizes. The big guys were fine apart from the quite expensive tarrifs, set in USD. I've learnt there's no cheap safaris, just slightly less expensive choices. For some reason one of the ATMs at Chipata took a liking to my Kiwi bank Visa and just before handing out the bundle of cash I'd authorized went into a full meltdown and held onto the card for goo measure. Of course they managed to send the debit through to Visa, and onto Kiwibank. As t was just past closing it was next day that I recovered the card and then suffered a repeat event. Nightmare ! After an hour waiting card was returned, again. Fortunately the other ATMs were sensible and with a buking pocket of cash I jumped into a shared taxi for the 90 minute drive. At Mfuwe my safari guide Noah was waiting my arrival with news of Lions in residence. Despite my original next day plans for safaris, incurring only 1 day of park fees, I followed his advice and scouted the suggested accomodation, settled on 1 and headed off with him to collect the safari vehicle. This was a cracker of an evening game drive and by the end I felt it was well worth the extra cost. In some respect the next morning game drive was turning into an anticlimax. Then word of a leopard started circulating through the vehicles we passed. In 10 minutes we'd moved into the area and located the leopard cruising sedately around a blood blossom tree before lithely moving up into the lower branches. The Impala feast on the flowers which fall to the ground making them easy prey for the leopard perched higher up waiting to pounce.
    As I'd complete both of my intended events I returned to the lodge packed and headed back to Chipata in another shared taxi. About square, after saving the accomodation cost for the second night.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    Rice. A change from nsima (polenta) which is a staple.Wood rather than charcoal.

    Malawi

    September 27, 2024 in Malawi ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    A little more bank business to try and clear up the ATM withdrawals that failed but we're showing on my statement. You'll be fine said the kindly manager, who by now was used to my visits. We'll see how that turns out.
    I stocked up on water and changed the cash from Zambian Kwacha to the less valuable Malawian Kwacha using the assistance of the nearby exchange bureau, and their contact who was recommended as honest. The swarming touts around the border were left disappointed.
    The 20km journey from Chipata hauled up 250m but the road was good. Through the multiple police stops without issue. Then onto the 3 year old combined border post, a one stop border post (OSBP). New sim, no option but touts for that, cold drink and off towards Lilongwe the Malawian capital. The gentle downhill impeded by moderate headwinds. An enduring experience over the following days. At 30km in I stopped for a drink and picked the most commonly used guesthouse, in line with recommendations from a local storekeeper. It had been 10 years since I'd encountered the urban pit toilets which accompany the bottom end lodging. I'd spend the next few days avoiding them.
    I walked through the town market as night descended, avoiding the freshly butchered pork offerings sizzling on the outdoor fry tops.
    I acquired a young shadow as well. With a lower standard of living street begging is becoming more prevalent. My shadow was disappointed to receive only a tomato from the several I'd bought as a dinner item.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    121116

    Lilongwe

    September 29, 2024 in Malawi ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    I extended the journey into Lilongwe by stopping at a self described boutique hotel as the afternoon wind grew in intensity. For the money, cheap by NZ cost, it had a few too many broken or missing facilities. But the beer was cold and the food was good. As was the wifi. I'd come to accept my Mzungu novelty over the preceding weeks and was leaning into it with the kids and younger people. Mzungu is the label for the white outsider. Generally verbalised by kids without being derogatory. Not so much by adults who would use it to represent a less generous description of foreigners. As a Mzungu you're also fair game on price jacking either explicitly or implicitly. When I used the term at the hotel the manager asked if I felt unwelcome. No I replied I had just been noting my uniqueness.
    At breakfast the next morning I discovered all the other guests had departed after dinner having finished a stay of a couple of weeks as part of an international logistics assignment.
    Not that it bothered me. When I got to Lilongwe there was time to spare. Abit of mall based excursion with an espresso bar and a modern supermarket was a pleasure. I made me way to the moderately priced , $30, la luna guesthouse for a very friendly few days and some downtime. Got in a visit to the local wildlife sanctuary where I only saw monkeys and some sculptures. Surprised to find swell stocked whisky collection, Speyside region at least, just behind the guesthouse.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    1111Roadside takeaway1Drying maize before millingBring whatever you have.11Could have got a rebuild1

    Lake Malawi

    October 3, 2024 in Malawi ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Departure from Lilongwe was cathartic. Leaving after a short stop often is. I had unfinished business here but right now it couldn't be done.
    I loaded up and followed the M1 towards the north. At some point I'd get to the M7 and into the quieter roads winding to the lake. Massive roadworks saw this principal highway sporting long stretches of slip roads functioning as bypasses. Enabling large scale extension, expansion and, eventually, resurfacing. I was a little slower than usual to respond but got there in the end monopolizing the freshly packed, or surfaced, area out of harm's way. Surprisingly the local cyclists didn't seem to indulge in this type of behaviour so freely. However some did follow suit on the longer stretches. At 60km Mponela arrived, which seemed like a good cold drink stop before diverting onto the quieter roads to the lake, 120 km further along. Riding through town I decided it was a better idea to overnight with a range of facilities including an array of ATMs. Winding my way through the town streets I got a local guide to the suggested Centurion Lodge. It was an over priced lower end joint. Sensibly I rejected it and headed to the, only slightly, more expensive Thope Lodge. Escorted by a cavalry of local kids who originally squawked for money, but actually turned into quite helpful and inquisitive guides. The well attired front desk provided a reassuring gauge of facilities. It was not without its puzzling aspects though. The entrance porch light shone directly into the curtain free bathroom window, with a doorless access spilling light into the bedroom. Of course no light switch. I jammed the doormat into the window frame which lasted long enough for me to fall asleep.
    Back into the headwind and hills the next morning moving quickly onto the dirt road to Ntchisi, graced by very little traffic. The road eventually leads to the Nkhotakota Game Reserve, which also had a more direct sealed route. Tilled land in abundance, ready for the rain.
    I'd just missed the less ubiquitous bakkie. Ute in common parlance. Fortunately a truck with a spacious flatbed trailer pulled up minutes later and with the help of a few local women roadside vendors up went the bike and we fastened it down. They remonstrated my rather meagre remuneration for their few minutes efforts but nothing came of it. It was one of those scenarios where you have too little or too much and there ain't no change coming back. It turned out I was human cargo number 5 squeezed into the sleeper compartment with a mum and baby in the passenger seat as well. The ultimate side hustle where motorised transport is multi modal.
    Malawians need to take a leaf out of the Botswanain libertarian approach. "We told you there was wildlife, you were stupid enough to ride your bike." The sole, and grumpy, elephant might have halted proceedings briefly but not disastrously. I disembarked at the game park exit and made my way into Nkhotakota and budget guesthouse. The 5x more expensive option was better but not that much.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    11132

    Up the lake

    October 5, 2024 in Malawi ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    The $5 room delivered all it promised. After a little McGuyvering to sort out the mosquito net. I found a popular bakery on the way out of town then got the directions towards a local tea house to eat the donut tasting fried bread buns with a warm cuppa. It had blown most of the night and was overcast and mid teens at 8. Much cooler than general. I had my jacket on for the first time as well. Running close to the lake shore the stretches of greenery dominated. Plenty of little villages every 6 - 8 km. My lunch stop of Dwangwa still bore the scars of earlier floods which destroyed some lodges and surrounding roads and housing.
    Lunch went down well, until it didn't. There started more of the dreaded travellers diarrhoea. Nonetheless I watched the Brits take out Louis Vuitton before departing. It was a relatively simple ride to Ngala Bay with a couple of overnight options. $17 to camp or $11 for a room own bathroom. Camping came with a lakeside setting, the room offered only views. The lakeside option was scenic, and undisturbed by other campers. Upon checking the lodge option had bumped to $40, locals told me they still paid $11. Back to the beach it was. Ended up buying a meal and and beer, more than doubling the cost. Knowing it was going on the plastic so somewhat carefree, at least for now.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    221113

    A trip to Chigodi

    October 8, 2024 in Mozambique ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    I arrived back in Lilongwe via a Sososo Coaches bus after a 3.30 am wake-up for a 4 am shared taxi to Mzuzu, 80 minutes away. The shared taxi ride one of the craziest drives I've had. Crammed. Although I had the front seat. Flat out and driven by a get away merchant. The 30 something chauffeur was juggling his cell phone, fare payments and conversations, between delivery stops of various produce to roadside customers.
    Nonetheless I was dropped at the depot at 6am. I was informed the bus was fully booked, but I would be 4th on the waitlist. 4th was good enough, given the prompt departure at 7 am, and the seemingly expected no shows. So after 9 hours I was back in Lilongwe heading to La Luna my previous accommodation. I received a warm welcome from the staff. The next day I was heading out with the World Vision area team to visit the community of Chigodi. This is a spot NZ donors had been supporting for 20 years, I'd been one of them from the early days. In that time my first 2 sponsored kids had become young adults and I'd been matched up with Louice and another child in a second southern region. There's been a bit of drama organising the visit due to unrealistic lead times insisted on by the NZ organisation when I contacted them in August. After talking to the Malawi national office the NZ loop reengaged. It was still touch and go. I indicated that I'd be moving onwards under those circumstances. So a week ago I'd ridden off unwilling to continue the to and fro. I let the local body know I couldn't hang around on the off chance. Things changed. By the next day I'd sent a copy of my passport back to NZ, started a police conviction check and lined up a video screening with a NZ coordinator. All the while I was moving further away from Chigodi. The following Monday I started my journey back to Lilongwe. As Tuesday arrived I was once again up early and ready to go when Christine and Kenny arrived in the World Vision LandCruiser and we set off. It was a full programme visiting a water supply project run off solar powered pumps, a new one stop multi disciplinary health and welfare bureau also dealing with sexual assaults, and a volunteer managed economic development project focused on resilience and growth, starting with a household savings approach to seed loan based opportunities to instigate household based crop and livestock businesses.
    All this was a prelude to meeting Louice and his family. I'd been sponsoring him for nearly 8 years. As special moments go this was a foundational one. We spent the next 90 or so minutes together and they showed me how their life had benefitted from the world vision support over that time. Heading back to Lilongwe I reflected on the powerful impact that this programme has made to a very poor rural area. Basic services still don't exist at the household level and the social services we have access to in our lives are vastly superior to what is available in all of Malawi. Nonetheless this was a family who believed they were moving up the ladder, and doing everything they could to build a better life . And achieving that.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    1Trap for the inebriated.Hobbit toiletNormal bedroom in the $10 - 20 range.1Sunrise ... the SA motorcyclist mentioned he'd caught it the day before

    Nkhata Bay

    October 9, 2024 in Malawi ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    After a casual breakfast at last nights dinner joint I headed off to Nkhata Bay. Situated on the lake's edge it's the closest northerly example of a lakeside tourist village. Its pretty compact and meanders along the craggy edge and a few bays. Nothing too difficult on the ride but the climb out of the village on departure will be fun.Passed a rubber plantation with roadside men selling wound rubber balls of various sizes.
    Some of the posh lodges, and the "vibey" non profit eco lodge were perched near the end of the short peninsula with access to the deeper water. The reviews on the eco lodge weren't inspiring and I wasn't fussed about paying over the top to hang out with the europeans who make up it's patronage. The tell tale was of course the pricing in US dollars. I took a comfortable Lodge in town at the bottom end of the mid range. It gave me a range of dining and transport options on the doorstep. I hung out with a bunch of locals at the lodge bar and got to know the town. Staying Thursday through to Sunday was a bit of an unplanned extension but it was a nicer spot to chill a bit. Th quirks of Malawi ever present especially around some of the facilities. I enquired about boat trips but they weren't worth the $US50 that seemed the norm. I was happy to chill by the little beach and visit the other lodges for coffee or lunch as seemed desirable.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    1

    Back to the plateau

    October 10, 2024 in Malawi ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    After what seemed like 1 too many days in Nkhata Bay I packed and departed. I'd been chatting to a fellow kiwi from the Cape to Cairo group and knowing she was heading this way had dragged my heels a little. In the interim I'd met a brash younger Australian as I cruised the several blocks that formed the township, as well as a similarly aged South African who was at the end of a 4 month motorcycle tour in East Africa. The 3 of us chatted over a few beers at a local hostel bar, before I called it a night.
    It was great to have that sense of companionship, but also a little too enticing to spend more time with the visitors rather than the hosts.
    A series of climbs dominated the kilometres starting with 250m out of Nkhata Bay, gentler than I'd calculated coming down it. The big ones followed and by the time I'd got to Mzuzu 60k further on I'd lifted to 1350m before giving 30m back. Grabbed some snacks at the cash & carry, then started hunting accommodation. 1st option was below the acceptable value threshold, as well as being very tired. Then a bike taxi guy suggested he could guide me and off we set. His first option was my next stop anyway, but turned out to be full. The subsequent choice was available and at $15, inc breakfast, was selected. There were another 10 or so in close proximity. Having cleaned up I wandered out the gate and asked about a bar. The caretaker from the lodge across the street kindly took me to an unexpectedly decent spot in a pretty shabby locale. Not a bad end to the day.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    1

    Onwards to Vwaza Park

    October 11, 2024 in Malawi ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Heading out of Mzuzu I covered the first 20 km in good time. Flat with occasional hills quickly turning to arterial roadside townships which were handy for on the go food and drinks. The writeup I was following suggested heading for the quiet singletrack making up the settlement connectors without a specific point of entry. I stayed on the more reliable dirt road with villages as waypoints. My target endpoint involved camping at Vwaza Park, which would incur park fees and campground fees. Alternatively a small village nearby would be cheaper, and have at least 1 shop to replenish before a full day in the park, on more challenging terrain. It took some convincing of the locals that this was a better option and eventually I was taken into a residence, which looked like it was once a lodge, and fed a simple meal of rice and eggs and a leafy green side for $10. 1/3 the cost of the mealess alternative. Again local kids were to the fore and after a few minutes were shooed away by my newly (self) appointed local guide. The room was basic, required contortions to get a decent layout on the mozzie net, and was poorly ventilated. Making for a warm night. There was little reason to sleep in, and I got moving the next morning promptly.
    Arriving at the park entrance I noticed a letter similar to the neighbouring Nyika Park version prohibiting bicycle and motorbike travel. I could ride to the shabby camp area and camp but go no further. That was a blow. Fortunately the guard let me go into that section without the park charge. I could see how in a camper setup you'd be in for a treat with the lakeside setting. You wouldn't sit out in the ground though, due to the Tetse fly situation. I moved back to the gatehouse, reported a distant elephant herd, which caused excitement and set course for Rumphi. 30km away. The 20km of dirt road slowed a mainly downhill run but I arrived by 11 for brunch . It was Mothers' Day in Malawi which meant as I was finishing my meal, groups of Malawian females were arriving in their best outfits to lunch together, presumably away from the hubbie and kids, neither present. I kept going anticipating a mid afternoon park up with a fair chunk of the distance to Livingstonia chewed up. Lula at a further 45km had a comfortable guesthouse a helpful local had volunteered. It also sat after the 1st of 3 big climbs.
    3km after Rumphi the T305 turnoff arrived. This was the old way to Livingstonia, before the M1 and it's smooth bitumen became the main route. It was rough house in many places clearly needing grading and fill applied seasonally. This meant it was largely quiet, although some hardy small truck operators persisted with the route, to the likely destruction of the vehicle. Arriving at Lula the was no obvious guest house so I headed to a civic looking building I failed to register that the cluster of young people indicated school premise, but was quickly infirm they were learners, the regional version of students. A teacher was summonsed and a brief conversation identified I could ride onto the next village, the actual a l purported location of the guesthouse or he was happy to put me up for a night in his on site accommodation. Never look a gift horse in the mouth.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler

    Livingstonia

    October 13, 2024 in Malawi ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    There were obligatory school meetings the following morning covering the teaching staff, the head teacher, the principal area adviser, who was awarded top regional adviser this year, and then a round of classrooms.
    Hope and his family had been good hosts and I had a pretty comfortable evening. I'd had a chance to review his proposal for a regional school sports competition he was hoping to get off the ground. I introduced him to the concept of activity based costing and pilot programme principles. It seems I had learnt a few things over the years. Nonetheless there were some steep hills to address today and out the gate the second decent climb showed up. By the time lunch was due I'd made it to Livingstonia at nearly 1400m having made 1300m twice more in the process. Sitting high above Lake Malawi (530 m) on a fine day the views are outstanding. It took took the descent the next morning to get those as the weather clagged in and I knocked off the laundry. Followed by an extended visit to the local market where I parked up in a local shop, chatted with the passing town folk and enjoyed beer with chips. It felt like Friday.
    The following morning was a very technical ride down the 800m of rocky and rugged switchbacks back to the lake and the tarmac of the M1. Passing the entrance to the popular resort The Mushroom Farm l spoke to a young Dutch couple who relayed I didn't need to visit as the views on the descent would be more than sufficient. Correctly. Since the rest of the journey to Karonga was slightly downhill I settled in for the 75km journey to my final Malawian overnight stop.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    3The 2 bikes "chat"Mingi from KoreaSneaky border post photo

    Tanzania

    October 18, 2024 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    From Karonga it was a flat road to the border at Kasumulu. I buddied up with a local who was hauling a rolled up length of roofing iron strapped diagonally across his rear rack. At the 25k mark his house appeared and he waved me farewell. He'd ridden in that morning to get the iron, before returning home. The border crossing was pretty simple. Some forms, an id photo and fingerprint scans. I had a few GB of data on my Malawian sim and wanted to watch today's AC races before crossing and losing reception. I'd hustled through faster than I expected so was pleased to be able to still get coverage sitting outside the Tanzanian immigration building. The following day as I'd ridden back to the border post looking for the atm I'd been spotted by an immigration official who thought I'd come through that morning and skipped immigration. He jumped in a vehicle and pulled me over 3km up the road. Not carrying his ID meant I turned the tables on him , before eventually informing him I'd crossed yesterday. There's a few of those types of scams in this part of the world, but I don't think this was one. He did however get a lecture about carrying ID.
    About 15 minutes later another cyclist rolled in. Mingi was Korean and had started in Capetown 2 weeks before me. He was travelling lighter and had been gradually catching me for the last month. The ecclectic campground host at Nata (Botswana) had told him I was ahead of him but he would catch me. I'd unknowingly passed him the day before as I was heading to Karonga and he was camped off route by the lake.
    We headed past the discussed guesthouse, landing a more upmarket version before hitting the local bar & restaurant to swap notes and general touring chat.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler

    The dilemma of direction

    October 19, 2024 in Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    I needed to get some Tanzanian shillings and the recommended Vodacom sim before heading off today. I was awake early and the tz meant it was actually an hour earlier anyway when at 6am , 5am Malawi time, I wandered out of the lodge to find breakfast and the atm. The only thing moving on the street was me and the shopkeepers heading to work. Then a few moto taxis started arriving. But it wasn't till 7.30 that the town started to wake up properly. Of course it had started to rain heavily as well. So I'd ducked into the next door restaurant to shelter and grab some breakfast, which wasn't ready for another 30 minutes. First thing that morning I'd changed some US into Shillings in the event the reportedly unreliable atm wasn't playing ball. It didn't. However the next door mobile version did. I bargained the sim crooks down to reasonable 3000 ($2) for a sim and was back in business by 8.30 and chasing Mingi up the road. The lushness of the region was immediately obvious with very little unused land which was planted mainly in tea or banana trees. By coincidence Mingi and I had stopped in the same village for lunch so i was able to join him and reveal I'd been behind rather than in front as he expected, with my earlier departure from the lodge. At just over 60km we rolled into Kiwira and the selected lodge with its bike friendly approach. Beer and dinner followed by a walk around the busy T junction to the bigger town of Mbeya, and it's train service to Dar es Salaam. Following tomorrow's leg I would need to settle on heading West to Rwanda or further east leaving Rwanda and Uganda for another day. Mode of travel was also in play. I could train to Dar or join up with Mingi and ride.Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    2

    Finishing the Climb

    October 20, 2024 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Legs in surprisingly good nick after yesterday. The second hit due today, shorter and steeper. Progressive start and then the consistant uphill heading from 1350m to just over 2300m. Plenty of trucks in either direction, those coming downhill smelling of well used brake shoes. The rain came through just as we approached the summit a convenient lunch moment. Bikes went into a small store, cheeky bugger asked for 2000 shillings - 2/3 of our cooked lunch cost. The rain seemed to pass so we finished the last up hill and hit the downhil as the gentle spits fired up again. Short lived, but the temperature had dropped from its morning 30s to 10. As we gave away 1200m it warmed up to a more pleasant mid 20s. Arived in Uyole late afternoon. I still wasn't certain about tomorrow's direction but I'd sleep on it, after a jaunt around the township that was dominated by its transport centric position for freight going North or South.Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    A more effective type of mosquito net that properly enclosed the bedMingi responding to passing cyclist

    Taking the highway

    October 21, 2024 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    I'd decided overnight that going west would be an ongoing scramble to get there and then back to Nairobi. I'd get to Rwanda and Uganda another time without so many other destinations in play. It was also good to have Mingi to ride with for at least some of the next few weeks, after so much time on my own. Staying on the T1 (SH1) is the most direct approach to Dar es Salaam, but would prove to be one of the least enjoyable. The single lane carriageway is a truckfest and reminiscent of the Zambian days. It may have been better to bus or train. But I'm doing it anyway, it seems. Leaving Uyole in the morning involved several long lines of truck convoys crawling along as they navigated the road condition and the various road police checkpoints, which seemed more of a tax collecting event. Fortunately, it cleared up more after a few km. The shoulder comes and goes, but the constant aggressive truck passing is exhausting. Very much dog eat dog behaviour. No doubt responsible for the many crashes evidenced by truck wrecks pushed off the road onto the verge. Most of them are half stripped the remainder being worked over by several mechanics stripping salvageable parts. We split the original 110km into 2 parts reflecting a long period of riding both of us had been doing and avoiding a zero day in less interesting village settings. So Chimala became our overnight stop after 60 km of largely downhill.Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    1

    Next stop Igawa

    October 22, 2024 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    This was the 2nd part of the split distance, giving the legs an easy day. Our destination of Igawa was pretty much a service stop along the rumbling T1. Not much of a breakfast at the lodge, so we stopped just along the road for a better version. As I collected the bike I felt a grab and looked down to see 2 nailheads sticking out of the upright I'd rested it against, on the panniers. Couldn't see any damage, so counted my luck. The road improved significantly with better surface and a wide shoulder. About 10km later a motorbike came past and biffed what turned out to be my sling pouch with my passport, vax book and about $180 in cash. We were both somewhat shocked. I'd packed it back into its usual spot in the small top compartment on the Osprey pack, which sits atop my panniers lying E-W. The compartment pocket was open. I don't know what happened but I was very relieved to get it back. It could well have been the pull I felt when I moved the bike following the later breakfast. Nervously checking, I found all of the cash missing but the passport and vax book and bankcard were still there. I'm not sure what motivated the return but I wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Maybe the prospect of police getting involved was sufficient to return the pouch with the travel docs. Worse was that I'd been delaying transferring more cash into my wallet which I keep on me, to cover the loss risk. Fortunately, Mingi had enough cash to get me through the next days until we got to an ATM to replenish. Wandering back after dinner I enqyired about the Truck parked up along the enlarged roadside areas. A driver told me some companies had a blackout period from 6 pm to 4 am. Presumably because it reduced the crash risk significantly on the transcontinental journeys.Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    1
    12222

    Headwind Hell

    October 23, 2024 in Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Optimistically I was advocating for a 100 km+ day to get us to Iringa in 2, rather than 3 stints. There was a bit of uphill in that so it was going to be an ask. Starting early, no breakfast included in the accommodation, meant no reason to dally. Right out the gate, there was a blustery headwind. In these conditions I put my head down and just ground it out. It never eased up and when we rolled into Makambako at the 56 km mark mid afternoon we'd both had enough. It took 3 ATMs before I found one that understood Visa properly and spat out a wad of Shillings. Getting a beer and a feed helped restore a more normal tempo, with the previous day's mishap a thing of the past. We both had some leg pain from the ride today so hoping overnight recovery would be sufficient. Makambako really championed the tuk-tuk fleet. They'd been a presence since entering Tanzania which didn't feature the same, overloaded and batterred, Toyota Sienta runabout craze as Malawi. But here there was a tuk-tuk lane bollarded to prevent cars and trucks from entering, and only just wide enough at the bollards for a tuk-tuk to pass through. Naturally a ride was required. Heading out to get some fried buns, for an on the go breakfast tomorrow, I noticed the street intersection had turned into kitchen street.Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    12

    Mafinga , solo

    October 24, 2024 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    I set off by myself at 7, leaving Mingi to rest his legs after the exertion of yesterday. Good honest km in the early morning cool. A proper shoulder meant less traffic hassle. Breakfast on the go gave way to chewing up K s. The fried bread doing the business partnered by an intermittent cold coke or similar. At 45km I stopped at Nyololo for some mid-morning soup, and then got into the next 40. Bagged another 1000m in climbing with a terrific set of rolling hills in the last 20 km. Steep downs followed by equally steep ups. The awful 4 row rumble strips aren't laid at that steepness, presumably due to speed risk. I'd been hopping the bike, leading the front wheel skywards as it hit row 1, mixed results on the rear. Checked into the aptly named Classic lodge after reminding the owner she offerred both $12 AND $9 rooms, which would be suitable for the bike. Amusing beer at local bar "The Don" which looked like a pickup joint full of young women around tables sipping drinks. Rinse and repeat the following day seemed likely.Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    42132

    Down to Iringa

    October 25, 2024 in Tanzania ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    The day started with a dollop of downhill sprinkled with headwind and warming temps. I had added my light jacket, dayglow orange, as a chill barrier, and useful hiviz for the traffic. It lasted a lot longer than the temperature dictated. There wasn't a lot of useful road shops before lunch and I resorted to my days old fried bread as I pedalled. At least the rolling landscape of yesterday's road was less pronounced today. I dropped a couple of hundred metres before a steep uphill into town. The bigger regional town of Iringa sported a few western hotels, coffee shops and fancier restaurants for those inclined. I was. The better equipped 4g Royal was my 2 night location. I'd had some help finding it from a local tour arranger/guide who'd seen me arrive. He'd also suggested The Alexander Hotel as a better quality restaurant. It turns out also a bar for many of its safari tour operators. The assistance was at least partly self interested. Iringa sits between the prime Kilimanjaro National Park and the smaller southerly National parks. It's likely an easier environment to navigate than the main cities of Dodoma, Arusha or Dar es Salaam. Especially for tourists who are covering that mix of sites. A late lunch became an early dinner of pepper steak chips & salad. Delicious. Despite forgetting to give strict instructions on medium/rare. Medium was still very tender. Mushroom sauce tasty. I left the coffee till tomorrow. And forewent the beer for a later event, where it would be more reasonably priced. Back into tap to pay land, via phone, the trip funds once again contributing directly. After a leisurely stroll around town I located a nearby pub, grabbed a celebratory beer, chatting to locals and catching the last of the local football derby. Mingi would arrive tomorrow and I'd do a bit of sight seeing, some laundry and rest the legs. And the coffee.Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    What it meant was for the next 25km !
    1Snails ...Very little.13Baobab country

    To Mbuyumi

    October 27, 2024 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Breakfast consisting of boiled potatoes and boiled egg was slow to arrive, slightly delaying my departure. I was heading off on my own, with Mingi staying for his second day. I'd also looked at the option of going Northward and looping back via Arusha to Kilimanjaro to end in Dar es Salaam. It would be a more beachy environment for the end of the trip. But it meant riding away from Mingi and potentially not getting to Dar, or Zanzibar, if things changed later.
    Staying with the revised Eastward route also provided for a break at the end of month 3 on the bike. Leaving the 4g Royal Lodge I quickly dropped the 150m back to the T1. From there it was a gentle downhill to the start of the gorge formed by the Udzungwa Mountains, part of the extended national parks that span Tanzania. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udzungwa_Mountains . They would feature again tomorrow. Trucks passed in clusters probably because of the benefit of numbers when the inevitable mechanical occurred in a harder to reach location. Arriving in Mbuyumi I checked out a few lodges and settled on what I hoped would be the best of a bad bunch. I grabbed a beer from a nearby pub and headed to the shower. The beer was good. I headed out for dinner and ended up chatting to Jenefa the owner of the 10k distant Crocodile Camp. She also owned this joint , which a moto rider had deposited me at. The camp was a local favourite of the overlander community. It had had its troubles following Covid. The distance and few recent neutral reviews was sufficient to dampen my desire to make it there today. I'd eyeball it on my way past tomorrow. It was an adventurous walk up the road in the dark trekking back to the lodge, which by moto seemed so close.    Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler

    Mikumi

    October 28, 2024 in Tanzania ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Coffee and bread at Jenefa's Cafe was breakfast. Then over the river, bridged, and into the day's easy section of gentle downhill for 40 km. Baobab and tarmac the predominant features. Then a chunky 300m uphill to the high point. Some tough bits, and a bit of truck surfing to get up the last pinch climb. Hot day for it. The last 13km into Mikumi wound downwards with a few mild exceptions. Found a reasonably priced lodge, took care of the laundry and headed out to dinner as the neighbouring pub cranked up the equivalent 80s bangers. Fortunately not intrusive as I hit the sack later that night. Gingery beer was a hero drink tonight, so gingery.Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler
    21

    Sangasanga

    October 29, 2024 in Tanzania ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Rather than riding into the bustling Dar es Salaam I planned to bus from the town of Morogoro, 200 km westward. It was 115 km from my current location. Out the door early was a good start. Today just seemed to be hotter than recently. This meant plenty of cold drink stops as the miles ticked over. Nothing of substance as I searched for food around lunchtime so I kept moving. Just past 100km I pulled into the Sangasanga junction with the T1. Now 3.30 pm I was famished and hunting for food. The scruffy looking BBQ restaurant didn't appeal on first glance, but neither did the other places. I wandered over checked the goods and ordered a beef portion with chips. This was a nourishing plateful. Having scouted accommodation via google I also ordered a beer, marking the end of the day's effort. The local hotel was 800m away, looked quite comfortable and accepted cards. Job done. They were sprucing it up for a 2 yr since opening celebration, and painting the foyer was underway as I arrived. I helped out by documenting some further issues in the bathroom. That's me. Happy to help. Beer and pizza for tea (actually was curry, per photo) before a night in the comfiest bed in a while.Read more

  • Stephen PrendergastJoburg to NairobiTraveler

    Dar es Salaam

    October 31, 2024 in Tanzania ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    The next morning involved a reasonably low-stress ride to Morogoro and the main bus station where a large number of buses awaited to whisk passengers, and bikes, off to Dar es Salaam. A little haggling reduced the cost of the bike. Not as substantially as Mingi achieved some hours later when his marathon ride from the outskirts of Mikumi National Park saw him cover the 81 km from Doma to Morogoro by early afternoon. By that time I'd arrived in Dar after a 20 km ride from the main bus station. Turns out most buses go considerably further towards Dar, to their depots. Due to an accident, it took until 8.30 pm before Mingi arrived. A 6-hour trip, that I did in just under 3. Phew ! I'd spent that day and the following exploring Dar. It wasn't that thrilling but was the first time since I landed that I'd seen the sea. Getting around is cheap, local food is $3 - 4 , and coke and other soda 60 cents. Accommodation is a little more pricey due to being a large city. But still not more than $25, and around $15 for a dorm bed. 2 days later Madeg arrived. I'd met him in Livingstone and stayed in touch. Still recovering from tick flue, after a bite, he'd been largely using trains and buses to stay mobile. This stop was a stepping stone to the island of Zanzibar where we'd spend the next week combing the beachside.Read more

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