2nd November
Again sitting at a beach bar which doubles as the local diving centre killing time waiting for supper. Yes, fresh fish and chips. I am at a dive resort in Kilwa which is has some ruins on a nearby island dating back to 800 ad which is a world heritage site. Unfortunately I was unable to visit them due to time constraints.

The ride down from Dar Es Salaam was uneventful except for a section of 60km which was under construction and the detour road consisted of sand and more sand which on a motorbike is extremely stressful. It’s a question of when and where will I fall! As anticipated I had my first tumble of the trip and fortunately there was a truck behind me and they helped me to pick the bike up, no easy matter.

First order of business on my arrival was to dive into the sea. The water is room temperature and crystal clear. Across the bay there were traditional Dows sailing with their tattered sails. A picture fit for a postcard.

3rd November
An easy days ride to Mikindani an old Arab port with some interesting ruins. On the top of the hill is an old German fort which has been converted into a 4 star hotel.

I made an immediate left turn and checked in after negotiating the rate down from US $ 150 to US $ 75. An unexpected surprise. In the bay were four SA catamarans from Durban.

The local kids were fascinated by my digital camera.. They all wanted their pictures taken.

4th November
What a day! Left early for the border (which consisted of a hut in the middle of nowhere) before proceeding to the Rio Rovuma River which separates Tanzania and Mozambique. The car ferry sank some years ago and has not been replaced. I negotiated for a local boat (if it could be called that) to transport the bike and myself across. After much haggling I agreed a price of US$40.En route we saw hippo’s, some large crocodiles and a solitary elephant.

However once we had crossed and my luggage but not the bike was unloaded. I was told that the quoted price was for loading the bike and the trip across, not for the unloading of the bike.

I explained that I had no more money at which stage I was told that the boat would return to Tanzania with the bike. In desperation I told the “boat fixer” that I would then give my US$ 40 to one of the Mozambican soldiers who were armed with an AK47 to stop them from leaving. Sense prevailed and the bike was rapidly offloaded.

With some trepidation I then left the river to follow a dirt track that was marked on my GPS to the nearest town 120 km away through thick sand and bush. Needless to say I fell several times although at slow speeds. At times I was not sure that I would make it in one day. The challenge after falling was picking up the bike. This entailed removing the entire luggage first.

After about 15km I found the Mozambique Border Post, another mud hut. This was the slowest and most frustrating border crossing yet as I was asked by 3 separate “officials” to unpack my luggage. They were looking for an excuse to find a “problem” that could only be fixed with money changing hands. In the end it cost me 40 metricals, about R15.

Two days later after the worst roads to date I arrived in Pemba a well known town for diving.

Hot and botherred after one too many fall (self portrait)

I was tempted to book into the 5 star Pemba Beach Protea Hotel but in the end settled for an expensive drink there, US$5 for a coke.

It is interesting to note that there is a large amount of oil exploration going on, on both sides of the border. The geologist's believe that there is a large basin under the Rio Rovuma. To date they have found commercially viable gas reserves. If so it will be interesting as there is currently a border dispute as to where the border actually is that goes back to colonial times.

From Pemba the roads have gotten slowly better with only the occasional potholes and the traffic is starting to increase. Sadly the road is lined with huts with the locals all burning the forest to make charcoal and clear plots of land.

There appears to be no control. Also there are frequently beautiful hand sawn hardwood planks for sale. In a few decades it will all probably be semi desert. Since leaving the river I have seen no animals other than goats. The only exception a beautiful baby baboon that a garage owner had as a pet.

Wash day

From here it will be a hard slog south. My goal is to reach Marloth Park by the 12th and fly back to Cape Town on the Friday the 13th. I am not superstitious. This means an average of 500 km per day for the next six days!

Any queries or comments drop me an email, I check them most days on rhuntdavis@mweb.co.ca

25th October, Dar Es Salaam.
After 2 days travelling through Tanzania without much to see in between I arrived in the early afternoon to a traffic jam in Dar as there was no power and none of the traffic lights were working. Sounds familiar. The ferry across to the beach campsite where we had agreed to meet was an experience. A heaving mass of humanity all trying to get onto the ferry all at the same time. Cars, motorbikes, bicycles and people all competing for deck space all at the same time, not for the faint hearted.

On the subject of bicycles never have I seen such a variety of goods transported before. Often it is hard to see the bike. I reckon these must be some of the fittest strongest cyclist I have seen.
Dar is very hot and humid, in the last 3 days we have had torrential rain off and on, but at least it is warm. Yesterday on my way into town I was caught in a deluge and when I arrived at my destination the Kilimanjaro Hotel (5 stars) it was touch and go weather they were going to let me in. Only after I explained that I was visiting the travel agency in the foyer did the gate guards relent. I have booked a ticket to Nairobi leaving tomorrow (Monday) and returning on the 1st.
View from my room....

Omar, Bridgette and Miles have gone to Zanzibar for a while. David has pushed on to Arusha in Kenya and there is a vague plan for them all to meet up later in Nairobi. Time will tell.
I have decided to turn for home on my return to Dar via Malawi, Zimbabwe and the middle of Mozambique heading for Marloth Park and the bush house where I will leave the bike and fly back to Cape Town. I reckon / hope that this will take about 4 weeks. My change of plans is based on reports of the horrendous road conditions in Northern Kenya and Sudan. The other challenge would also have been how to get the bike home from Cairo. I guess I will be taking the intelligent (easier) option and I am looking forward to visiting Zimbabwe and Northern Moz. The reports from other travellers have been very favourable, especially regarding Zimbabwe.
At the moment I am sitting at the beach bar enjoying the peace and quiet.

Unfortunately guests are encouraged not the leave the confines of the campsite due or even explore the local village or ferry harbour. The camp is patrolled on a 24 hour basis by 2 Masai guards and there are security warning signs everywhere in

18TH Oct onward to Tanzania
The first order of the day was to buy petrol, we managed to each get 5 litres each at double the normal price at the side of the road,

To add insult to injury I lost three straight games of drafts in a row to the local champ while waiting for Omar. Unfortunately, unbeknown to me he had taken a tumble on the 32 km “driveway” from the Hot Springs to the main road and injured his leg (I had left a bit earlier).
"Part of the Driveway"

All in all a long day, about 450 km, most of which on a potholed road. We crossed the border into Tanzania amongst chaos.

A stop en route

One advantage of the bikes is that we can squeeze past most obstacles from potholes to police checkpoints to queues. We checked into a guesthouse on a coffee plantation. Needless to say the coffee was excellent and the room the best so far on the trip. See below.

Currently I am trying to average no more than 350 km per day which does not sound like a lot but can take up to 5/ 6 hours depending on the road conditions. Travelling through Zambia was easy, the people were really friendly and the roads once out of Lusaka quiet although at times the potholes were challenging. Some of them are larger than a car in diameter.
Baobab Valley

Tanzania, especially today is a lot harder to travel through, the roads are just as poor as in Zambia but there are a lot more busses and trucks as well as people on the road. Overtaking on a blind rise seems to be the norm for busses. Twice today I had to pull off the road.

One of many piles of charcoal for sale. I wonder how long the tree's will last?

To say nothing of the animals...

and the people everywhere

Tomorrow I hope to make Dar Es Salaam.

15th and 16th, the Great Northern Road or Paradise Found
The group has split for a while. Miles and David are headed towards South Luangwa Park and Malawi, Omar (Egyptian on an Africa Twin), Bridgette his Australian girlfriend and I are taking the Great Northern Road direct to Tanzania. We all plan to meet in Arusha on the 27th for a side trip to the Norgorongoro Crater.
Omar’s (over) loaded bike.

Eventually after much repacking we managed to leave at about 11h00. The first stop was for fuel needless to say the garage was sold out. I was about to leave when Omar disappeared only to come back 5 minutes with the Manager who then switched on the pumps and filled our tanks. It pays to travel with a Muslin Egyptian lawyer! For the next 2 days 8 out of 9 fuel stations we stopped at were empty. Apparently the refinery is broken, sounds like home.
We had an uneventful ride until about 250 km out of Lusaka I spotted the Fig Tree Coffee shop. I can find decent coffee in most places!

We had a late lunch of toasted sandwiches followed by afternoon tea and chocolate cake.

The end result was that we nearly had to travel in the dark to reach our campsite. I am yet to pitch my tent much to the others disgust as to date all the campsites also have chalets.

I think I have discovered where our ex Minister of Health is, she has moved to Zambia. See picture beow.

Today we agreed to travel separately and meet up at the Kapishya Hot Springs. From the turnoff it is 14 km down a sandy dirt road (sand and motorbikes do not belong together) to XX an English Manor House Shiwa Ng’andu built shortly after the First World War. By today’s standards it is in the middle of nowhere, I shudder to think how long it took to travel before cars and decent roads. It forms part of the largest privately owned land in Zambia about 120 000 hectares.

Shiwa Ng"andu

After stopping for a few pictures I continued for another 20 km to the Kapishya hot springs, what a find after a long day

At least 35 degree’s, about the same as a really hot bath, set in the middle of the bush. An aboslolute pleasure.

11th to 14th October Nata, Livingston 2 Lusaka.
First day of the three of us riding together, very pleased to see that the pace was nice and relaxed, especially as the road was badly potholed in places with short dirt sections.

End of the dirt for now!

Not my favourite type of riding. Again another hot day and still battling to keep hydrated.
The ferry across the Zambezi as always was a nightmare. Leaving Botswana was dead easy; all that was required was having our passports stamped. Zambia however was another matter; as soon as we boarded the ferry we were swamped with “clearing agents” ( AKA rip off artists de lux). An hour later after paying road tax, carbon tax, third party insurance, council tax and having our passports and carnets stamped, all at different counters, none marked or even in the same building we were on the road to Livingston, a short 65km away. We checked into the Marimba River Lodge for the next 3 nights.

Miles and David together with Martin a travelling Priest at the Zambezi Sun Bar.

On Saturday Omar an Egyptian and his Australian girlfriend Bridgette arrived on the most heavily loaded Honda I have yet seen. He is hoping to join us for most of the trip up. Could be a very useful person to have around after my last experience of Egyptian customs, 27 hours sitting at the border! It’s interesting to note that he flew his bike into JHB and reckons it took him 7 days and R18 000 to clear? Almost a case of poetic justice.
Sunday morning saw the 3 of us on the Zambezi. Miles and myself decided (in a moment of madness) to boogie board down the rapids. We were the only 2 fools out of a group of 18 rafters. The biggest rapid we did was a grade 5 the highest allowable rating for commercial operators. Needless to say it was awesome, exhilarating but frightening at times. We had absolutely no control and I held on for dear life at times. That evening I paid the price, I could not lift my arms above my shoulders. I spent a night in agony and most of the next day trying to book a massage.

Looking over the edge, falls low currently.

Yesterday I had my first lesson in motorbike mechanics, how to change the oil and tighten the chain. Sounds easy, is easy if you have the right tools and most important the knowledge how to do it. Without Mile’s supervision / help it would have been disaster!
Today we topped up our tanks for the 500 odd km trek to Lusaka. It was / is a bit worrying as there is no fuel anywhere currently. I visited at least 8 garages en route looking for fuel with no avail.

Roadside stop looking for black market fuel, no luck this time.

Eventually I purchased some petrol at a hefty premium from at tout next to the empty BP Pumps! Work that out! Needless to say it had been diluted with I think benzene but I made Lusaka and am currently sitting at Shirley’s Grill house and coffee shop waiting for as large rump steak that will have to serve as lunch and dinner.