This is my first post ... and really just an excuse to introduce the main posts that I opened this blog for...
The first thing you'll notice is that the date for this entry is not just not brand spankingly du jour, it is in fact old. Not just old, but in fact OLD. In fact it's like so last year!!
Let me explain.
.... Are you sitting comfortably .... perched on the edge of your chair and hunched over a keyboard? .... or tucked up in bed with your laptop acting as stand in for a water bottle (cos water bottles are so not du jour as well arent they?)? ...? Hmmm - I think I've just overdone the embedded levels of questions here! :-)
In March 2006 I took part in Mission Malawi 2 - a charity fundraising challenge to support the work of ActionAid's HIV/AIDS projects in Malawi and Zimbabwe. See my journal entry on the trip starting on March 12th 2006....
Late edit... When I originally setup this blog I promised myself that I would fill in daily posts for the following entries as well... Needless to say I never went back to add them, so the following is a brief summary of posts that never occurred! But all the photos are on my Flickr website - so go browse those instead!!
After the challenge I travelled down to Maputo, Mozambique. I visited the ActionAid office there to introduce the Mission Malawi concept and lay some groundwork for plans as we think ahead to Mission Malawi 3... Malawi and Mozambique combined? See my journal entry for this trip starting on March 26th 2006...
Then I returned to Lilongwe, Malawi and volunteered at the ActionAid office helping out on their IT Support. Some thoughts from that experience start on April 2nd 2006...
I also had a chance to go and visit the old family home in Limbe, Malawi. I visited twice while I was in Malawi and I've documented this in my entries on March 13th and April 8th 2006...
But I did do this one...
Finally I've also uploaded a link to my September 11th 2001 photos as a few people asked me about these. See the brief introduction journal entry on that date to link to those photos.
I hope that you find something of interest in all of this. Please feel free to send me your comments and thoughts!
Friday, April 21, 2006
Friday, March 24, 2006
Area 39 Project Visit
A final opportunity for another project visit this morning. A community project run by members of the local Catholic Church. This group was incredibly well organised, from the detailed book keeping through to the scheduling of our visit. They provided a comprehensive service including a clinic, a user group, a volunteer group and a school. They had their own herb garden, a maize store and we had a chance to taste some of the fortified porridge that they serve to clients.
Again we learnt more about some of the extreme issues being faced. There are few machines and trained staff to perform CD4 counts. (These are the counts used to determine whether a person is to be provided with Anti Retroviral drugs.) Once a person is determined to be HIV positive they have to travel to the nearest equipped hospital - which can be a regional hospital and therefore many miles away - to get their CD4 count tested. We heard stories of people having to wait for a week outside these hospitals in order to get a test because of problems of supply and demand. Obviously this makes it much more difficult for people to get access to the services that they need, especially when they have families to support and may already be ill.
Optional Extension
Our 2 week challenge was officially over and it was time to say some goodbyes. Some of the group returned to the UK today, although most of us were able to take advantage of a couple of days optional extension to return to the Livingstonia Beach Hotel at Senga Bay. Here we were able to relax, recover and take the time to share our thoughts and feelings about the last fortnight together.
A final opportunity for another project visit this morning. A community project run by members of the local Catholic Church. This group was incredibly well organised, from the detailed book keeping through to the scheduling of our visit. They provided a comprehensive service including a clinic, a user group, a volunteer group and a school. They had their own herb garden, a maize store and we had a chance to taste some of the fortified porridge that they serve to clients.
Again we learnt more about some of the extreme issues being faced. There are few machines and trained staff to perform CD4 counts. (These are the counts used to determine whether a person is to be provided with Anti Retroviral drugs.) Once a person is determined to be HIV positive they have to travel to the nearest equipped hospital - which can be a regional hospital and therefore many miles away - to get their CD4 count tested. We heard stories of people having to wait for a week outside these hospitals in order to get a test because of problems of supply and demand. Obviously this makes it much more difficult for people to get access to the services that they need, especially when they have families to support and may already be ill.
Optional Extension
Our 2 week challenge was officially over and it was time to say some goodbyes. Some of the group returned to the UK today, although most of us were able to take advantage of a couple of days optional extension to return to the Livingstonia Beach Hotel at Senga Bay. Here we were able to relax, recover and take the time to share our thoughts and feelings about the last fortnight together.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Cycle to Lilongwe
The final day of our challenge, we experienced some confusion over distances, as lunch came quickly after our morning rest stop, and then the afternoon brought us suddenly to the Petroda petrol station just outside Lilongwe where we were due to meet our welcoming party. However as we arrived earlier than expected, the party was not there! Uncertainty reigned until a decision was made to complete the day by cycling into central Lilongwe. After getting police approval we slowly rode these last 5km. We had to stop a few times to let the congested backlog of traffic behind us get past, but eventually we made it to the Lilongwe Hotel, our final destination... where we could lay our bikes down, hug each other and realise that our two week challenge had finally come to its end.
In the evening we had a debriefing meeting with ActionAid staff... Noerine (chair of the board of trustees), Chris (Malawi country director) and McBride (national HIV/AIDS coordinator). It was encouraging to see that they were aware of the issues that we had discovered during our project visits. Noerine stressed the female face of the problem (mothers left to raise children whilst also becoming responsible to support families financially), and the need for a rights based approach which is being used as a focus point by ActionAid to push for change.
The final day of our challenge, we experienced some confusion over distances, as lunch came quickly after our morning rest stop, and then the afternoon brought us suddenly to the Petroda petrol station just outside Lilongwe where we were due to meet our welcoming party. However as we arrived earlier than expected, the party was not there! Uncertainty reigned until a decision was made to complete the day by cycling into central Lilongwe. After getting police approval we slowly rode these last 5km. We had to stop a few times to let the congested backlog of traffic behind us get past, but eventually we made it to the Lilongwe Hotel, our final destination... where we could lay our bikes down, hug each other and realise that our two week challenge had finally come to its end.
In the evening we had a debriefing meeting with ActionAid staff... Noerine (chair of the board of trustees), Chris (Malawi country director) and McBride (national HIV/AIDS coordinator). It was encouraging to see that they were aware of the issues that we had discovered during our project visits. Noerine stressed the female face of the problem (mothers left to raise children whilst also becoming responsible to support families financially), and the need for a rights based approach which is being used as a focus point by ActionAid to push for change.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Boat from Mumbo Island to Senga Bay
We travelled the 40km by boat from the island to the main shore, arriving at the Livingstonia Beach Hotel where we stayed the night. There is no pier to dock the motorboats and so we had to climb overboard to rowing boats that took us to the beach.
Another opportunity to enjoy the shore of Lake Malawi, and a final opportunity to recharge for the last days cycling to Lilongwe.
Holistic approach needed
In the afternoon we visited another ActionAid supported project - the Umodzi Youth Organisation. The sun was burning and it was baking hot as we stood without any shade, and we were glad to break into small groups to move on and visit different aspects of the project. I joined a group to see a new technical college being constructed. This will teach practical building skills when it is opened. We also met with a group of women living with AIDS, one of whom was a mother with a young baby only one week old. These women are fortunate to be receiving Anti Retro Viral (ARV) drugs to help combat the virus. However we were disturbed to learn that issues of poverty (affecting access to regular, decent nutrition, and access to transport) meant that they might only manage to take their drugs about 12 days in a month, rather than daily. The World Health Organisation's recommended minimum adherence level is 95%. Although these women have access to the drugs, they are unlikely to be gaining benefit from them at these levels of intake, and there is also a possibility that the virus may develop resistance to these drug combinations. This underlined for me that although progress has been made in provision of drugs in Africa, that so much more needs to be done to ensure that a holistic approach to all the needs of people suffering with HIV/AIDS is essential to be able to surmount the disease. And that continuing poverty remains the underlying cause of so many problems across the continent.
We travelled the 40km by boat from the island to the main shore, arriving at the Livingstonia Beach Hotel where we stayed the night. There is no pier to dock the motorboats and so we had to climb overboard to rowing boats that took us to the beach.
Another opportunity to enjoy the shore of Lake Malawi, and a final opportunity to recharge for the last days cycling to Lilongwe.
Holistic approach needed
In the afternoon we visited another ActionAid supported project - the Umodzi Youth Organisation. The sun was burning and it was baking hot as we stood without any shade, and we were glad to break into small groups to move on and visit different aspects of the project. I joined a group to see a new technical college being constructed. This will teach practical building skills when it is opened. We also met with a group of women living with AIDS, one of whom was a mother with a young baby only one week old. These women are fortunate to be receiving Anti Retro Viral (ARV) drugs to help combat the virus. However we were disturbed to learn that issues of poverty (affecting access to regular, decent nutrition, and access to transport) meant that they might only manage to take their drugs about 12 days in a month, rather than daily. The World Health Organisation's recommended minimum adherence level is 95%. Although these women have access to the drugs, they are unlikely to be gaining benefit from them at these levels of intake, and there is also a possibility that the virus may develop resistance to these drug combinations. This underlined for me that although progress has been made in provision of drugs in Africa, that so much more needs to be done to ensure that a holistic approach to all the needs of people suffering with HIV/AIDS is essential to be able to surmount the disease. And that continuing poverty remains the underlying cause of so many problems across the continent.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Free day at Mumbo Island
Woke up in the tent this morning, overlooking the lake. Georgie was still half asleep resting in the hammock on our balcony. The water lapping up against the rocks below and the waves breaking onto the beach beside us. A very relaxing start to the day.
The original plan for yesterday was to kayak to Domwe Island, and then on to Mumbo Island today. But plans had changed, and as we had kayaked straight to Mumbo, we now had a free, rest day.
I went snorkelling in the morning. There were a few, colourful, small fish but nothing very special to see by the rocks around the island. But that wasnt the point. This was my first time snorkelling and I even had an opportunity to dive down underwater, through a gap under a rock and up the other side. That took a little leap of faith and a long hold of breath! I still dont understand how come the water doesnt end up flooding ones lungs through the open mouthpiece, but hey it works and I ticked off yet another first on this trip!
After lunch, sunbathing, swinging in the hammock and spending some more time getting to know my compatriots a little better...
It was over these couple of days that I chatted a lot more with Christian. And seeded in my brain the idea to do the Sports Therapy course that he runs. I'm really keen to develop more awareness and understanding of my own body and how to cope with injuries and strains at the gym. I think that developing a better understanding of and practical skill in massage is something that can always be useful. And I'm interested in better understanding tension headaches (which I've had since early teen years), their causes and how posture and massage can help treat these.
After dinner the staff working on the island performed some traditional song and dance for us. And in return we did a short revue of showtunes... not quite a star performance as we struggled with remembering lines (and singing in the right key!) but we all had a good laugh!
Today provided a wonderful opportunity for rest and reflection and this is definitely a paradise that deserves a return visit.
Woke up in the tent this morning, overlooking the lake. Georgie was still half asleep resting in the hammock on our balcony. The water lapping up against the rocks below and the waves breaking onto the beach beside us. A very relaxing start to the day.
The original plan for yesterday was to kayak to Domwe Island, and then on to Mumbo Island today. But plans had changed, and as we had kayaked straight to Mumbo, we now had a free, rest day.
I went snorkelling in the morning. There were a few, colourful, small fish but nothing very special to see by the rocks around the island. But that wasnt the point. This was my first time snorkelling and I even had an opportunity to dive down underwater, through a gap under a rock and up the other side. That took a little leap of faith and a long hold of breath! I still dont understand how come the water doesnt end up flooding ones lungs through the open mouthpiece, but hey it works and I ticked off yet another first on this trip!
After lunch, sunbathing, swinging in the hammock and spending some more time getting to know my compatriots a little better...
It was over these couple of days that I chatted a lot more with Christian. And seeded in my brain the idea to do the Sports Therapy course that he runs. I'm really keen to develop more awareness and understanding of my own body and how to cope with injuries and strains at the gym. I think that developing a better understanding of and practical skill in massage is something that can always be useful. And I'm interested in better understanding tension headaches (which I've had since early teen years), their causes and how posture and massage can help treat these.
After dinner the staff working on the island performed some traditional song and dance for us. And in return we did a short revue of showtunes... not quite a star performance as we struggled with remembering lines (and singing in the right key!) but we all had a good laugh!
Today provided a wonderful opportunity for rest and reflection and this is definitely a paradise that deserves a return visit.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Club Mak
A morning swim in Lake Malawi. A beautiful, luxurious lakeside resort. The frustrations of yesterday well and truly passed...
Apparently this place even has its own airstrip! ... Errr - hello? We're doing a charity fundraising challenge right? Remember that old chestnut?! This is obviously an expensive and exclusive hotel, well out of the reach of the majority of Malawians. In fact it seemed to be only white people who were guests while we were there.
Truth be told, I was fully enjoying my stay and quite happy to luxuriate in my surroundings to which I justified to myself as helping balance out the frustrations and physical exertions of other aspects of the trip. However an uneasy feeling crept into the group. Something I did not know previously was that Malawi was the only African country that maintained relationships with the white Afrikaans government during apartheid. Malawi - under Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda - benefited greatly from South African Afrikaans investment. Club Mak was a whites only resort, run for white Afrikaans holidaying from South Africa ... Of course this place has its own airstrip!!!
Some members of our group felt strongly that it was inappropriate for us to stay there. Others noted that this was part of the history of the place, and that things have changed and moved on since then. A couple of weeks later, I discussed this issue with some Malawians who work for ActionAid. They did not see anything wrong with us staying at Club Mak, told me that (affluent) black Malawians do frequent Club Mak during the holiday season, and indeed pointed out that as an organisation ActionAid itself sometimes uses the place for group meetings.
Even now I find myself with mixed feelings about the place, but on balance I suppose I probably would choose to stay there again.
Cycle to Cape Maclear
We cycled for a couple of hours this morning to Cape Maclear. Although a short distance, this road had a few extremely steep hills forcing the majority of us to get off and push our bikes up! But as we came over the hills and progressed up the Cape, the views of Lake Malawi got better and better. Eventually we arrived at Kayak Africa's base on the shoreline. What a superb location. Sandy beach. Amazing clear, warm water. A wooden hut and small pier. I joined with many of the group to dive and swim in the water, while we rested and stocked up with another fantastic picnic lunch. It was very tempting to think about upping sticks in England and settling here instead!
Kayak to Mumbo Island
The heat of the sun made the sandy beach unbearable to walk on, so I was glad when after lunch, it was time to swap our bikes for our kayaks. Having never kayaked before I was happy to let Alex take the rear seat and responsibility for steering our two person kayak... though that left me with the onus of setting pace! We had 10km to kayak out to Mumbo Island where Kayak Africa run the accomodation and kayaking concession on the island. Fortunately the water was fairly calm, so we only had a couple of incidences of feeling the kayak was about to tip over! The sun was relentless, there were new muscle groups to engage (I missed the kayaking session on our Nottingham training weekend!), and the island in the distance never seemed to get any closer... It was hard work! Made much easier because this was - like the hiking before - another opportunity to spend some time chatting and getting to know better another member of the group... Thanks Alex for not complaining about my "un-rhythmic pace"! ;-)
Perspective can play tricky games. For what seemed like hours, Mumbo Island stood stubbornly on the horizon and refused to move towards us, as we struggled to make out where the other kayakers were on the water and what approach to land we were supposed to be making for... Then suddenly it was upon us, and we turned into a quiet bay to land on another sandy beach. Greeted with a helping handshake out of the boat and "Welcome to The Island". It seemed as if we were the cast members of the latest Ewan Macgregor movie, won the lottery and escaped to the mythical paradise getaway.
Mumbo Island was setup as part of a kayaking concession, and while still used for that, it has been kitted out as the perfect honeymoon destination. Another wooden walkway leads off the quiet, secluded sandy beach, over the water to a lush rock outcrop where large, luxury tents and hammocks provided our accomodation. (Though some chose to sleep on the beach that night.) Oil lamps were laid out to guide us around the beach and island at night, enhancing the wonderful, atmospheric location. I've never been to Richard Branson's Nekker Island, but this made me think of that. Luxury which felt in tune with our completely natural and peaceful surroundings.
This was a perfect place to unwind... Another wonderful meal, a late night of keeping the bar open, and the moonlight breaking across the bay... And suddenly 20 people made a dash into the water for a midnight skinny dip! Another adventurous first for me, and certainly the perfect place to let my hair down and let go of any inhibitions. Lines of bodies jumping the breaking waves and screaming "Weeee! Weeee!", which almost became an anthem to make us giggle about afterwards.
A morning swim in Lake Malawi. A beautiful, luxurious lakeside resort. The frustrations of yesterday well and truly passed...
Apparently this place even has its own airstrip! ... Errr - hello? We're doing a charity fundraising challenge right? Remember that old chestnut?! This is obviously an expensive and exclusive hotel, well out of the reach of the majority of Malawians. In fact it seemed to be only white people who were guests while we were there.
Truth be told, I was fully enjoying my stay and quite happy to luxuriate in my surroundings to which I justified to myself as helping balance out the frustrations and physical exertions of other aspects of the trip. However an uneasy feeling crept into the group. Something I did not know previously was that Malawi was the only African country that maintained relationships with the white Afrikaans government during apartheid. Malawi - under Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda - benefited greatly from South African Afrikaans investment. Club Mak was a whites only resort, run for white Afrikaans holidaying from South Africa ... Of course this place has its own airstrip!!!
Some members of our group felt strongly that it was inappropriate for us to stay there. Others noted that this was part of the history of the place, and that things have changed and moved on since then. A couple of weeks later, I discussed this issue with some Malawians who work for ActionAid. They did not see anything wrong with us staying at Club Mak, told me that (affluent) black Malawians do frequent Club Mak during the holiday season, and indeed pointed out that as an organisation ActionAid itself sometimes uses the place for group meetings.
Even now I find myself with mixed feelings about the place, but on balance I suppose I probably would choose to stay there again.
Cycle to Cape Maclear
We cycled for a couple of hours this morning to Cape Maclear. Although a short distance, this road had a few extremely steep hills forcing the majority of us to get off and push our bikes up! But as we came over the hills and progressed up the Cape, the views of Lake Malawi got better and better. Eventually we arrived at Kayak Africa's base on the shoreline. What a superb location. Sandy beach. Amazing clear, warm water. A wooden hut and small pier. I joined with many of the group to dive and swim in the water, while we rested and stocked up with another fantastic picnic lunch. It was very tempting to think about upping sticks in England and settling here instead!
Kayak to Mumbo Island
The heat of the sun made the sandy beach unbearable to walk on, so I was glad when after lunch, it was time to swap our bikes for our kayaks. Having never kayaked before I was happy to let Alex take the rear seat and responsibility for steering our two person kayak... though that left me with the onus of setting pace! We had 10km to kayak out to Mumbo Island where Kayak Africa run the accomodation and kayaking concession on the island. Fortunately the water was fairly calm, so we only had a couple of incidences of feeling the kayak was about to tip over! The sun was relentless, there were new muscle groups to engage (I missed the kayaking session on our Nottingham training weekend!), and the island in the distance never seemed to get any closer... It was hard work! Made much easier because this was - like the hiking before - another opportunity to spend some time chatting and getting to know better another member of the group... Thanks Alex for not complaining about my "un-rhythmic pace"! ;-)
Perspective can play tricky games. For what seemed like hours, Mumbo Island stood stubbornly on the horizon and refused to move towards us, as we struggled to make out where the other kayakers were on the water and what approach to land we were supposed to be making for... Then suddenly it was upon us, and we turned into a quiet bay to land on another sandy beach. Greeted with a helping handshake out of the boat and "Welcome to The Island". It seemed as if we were the cast members of the latest Ewan Macgregor movie, won the lottery and escaped to the mythical paradise getaway.
Mumbo Island was setup as part of a kayaking concession, and while still used for that, it has been kitted out as the perfect honeymoon destination. Another wooden walkway leads off the quiet, secluded sandy beach, over the water to a lush rock outcrop where large, luxury tents and hammocks provided our accomodation. (Though some chose to sleep on the beach that night.) Oil lamps were laid out to guide us around the beach and island at night, enhancing the wonderful, atmospheric location. I've never been to Richard Branson's Nekker Island, but this made me think of that. Luxury which felt in tune with our completely natural and peaceful surroundings.
This was a perfect place to unwind... Another wonderful meal, a late night of keeping the bar open, and the moonlight breaking across the bay... And suddenly 20 people made a dash into the water for a midnight skinny dip! Another adventurous first for me, and certainly the perfect place to let my hair down and let go of any inhibitions. Lines of bodies jumping the breaking waves and screaming "Weeee! Weeee!", which almost became an anthem to make us giggle about afterwards.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Cycle to Club Makokola
This morning began with recovering from the day before. Bikes had to be hosed down from thick, encrusted mud. Another round of repairs to pedals, cranks and gears. Meanwhile Chrissy had her leg in the air and a bag of ice wrapped around her ankle.
Eventually we were off... by bus... Today was the longest day of cycling, and we needed a headstart to enable us to reach our destination before dusk. We eventually got on our bikes near Liwonde. This was the hardest day for me. For some reason I just wasnt in "the zone" emotionally, psychologically or physically. I guess in part that I knew this was going to be a tough day and just couldnt work myself up to try to conquer it. Additionally, the plan was that the last support vehicle would start picking up the last riders from 5pm, with an absolute stop for the lead riders at 5:30pm. This made good sense because dusk starts settling in after 5pm, so the bugs and particularly any mosquitoes come out, and its just not sensible or safe to be riding without lights as it gets darker. However this meant that there was a strong likelihood of getting picked up before reaching our destination. I think that that sense of knowing that I probably wasnt going to complete - under my own pedal power, on my own bike - any of our long cycling days was frustrating and undermined my ability to keep pushing. So this day really was long and hard...
Eventually, around 4pm, my determination finally kicked in and I managed to grit my teeth and pick up some pace ... wanting to get to our final destination or at least catch up with wherever the lead riders stopped, before the support vehicle caught up with me! 5pm came and went and I was still on the road... As I was becoming aware of the slowly settling dusk, I knew that it couldnt be much further now, and that helped me keep propelling myself forward... To be still on the road at 5:30pm felt like a milestone as I kept on pedalling, at that time with Les and Davo beside me. The lead riders couldnt be far ahead, and there was no obvious sign of the support vehicle behind. Maybe we might just make it... Though the insects were definitely starting to come out in force as I remember swallowing a few!
I'm sure we passed signs for Mangochi, but how much further could it be? As 6pm passed, the light was fading fast, and the road ahead just seemed to stretch on and on. At every bend I was hoping that the lead riders would be there waiting, but instead all I could look forward to was another mouthful of insects. What happened to a 5:30pm deadline? Suddenly it all felt that the plan just wasnt "coming together", and being the kind of person who likes things to fit together just like it says on the box, I suddenly found frustration settling back in. How much further is it to go? Why am I cycling in the dark? Cant these insects just bug off? Godammit if I didnt just want to get to the f**king end already!
A few minutes later and the support bus pulled up and reeled me in. Unfortunately I just wasnt in the mood to celebrate the fact that I had actually just achieved cycling a distance of 110km. Instead I dropped into my seat on the bus and stared through the windows and into the darkness of my soul...
Well done to us all for all the kilometres we rode that day. And apologies to everyone else for being a moody so-and-so.
The bus took us the rest of the distance and to our final stop that night at Club Makokola. Wow - what a wonderful place. Large, hut like suites with our own individual bedrooms. A large pool. White sandy beach. Beachside bar and open air restaurant. Apparently this place even has its own airstrip! The frustrations of the day faded away as I found myself enjoying the sheer luxury...
This morning began with recovering from the day before. Bikes had to be hosed down from thick, encrusted mud. Another round of repairs to pedals, cranks and gears. Meanwhile Chrissy had her leg in the air and a bag of ice wrapped around her ankle.
Eventually we were off... by bus... Today was the longest day of cycling, and we needed a headstart to enable us to reach our destination before dusk. We eventually got on our bikes near Liwonde. This was the hardest day for me. For some reason I just wasnt in "the zone" emotionally, psychologically or physically. I guess in part that I knew this was going to be a tough day and just couldnt work myself up to try to conquer it. Additionally, the plan was that the last support vehicle would start picking up the last riders from 5pm, with an absolute stop for the lead riders at 5:30pm. This made good sense because dusk starts settling in after 5pm, so the bugs and particularly any mosquitoes come out, and its just not sensible or safe to be riding without lights as it gets darker. However this meant that there was a strong likelihood of getting picked up before reaching our destination. I think that that sense of knowing that I probably wasnt going to complete - under my own pedal power, on my own bike - any of our long cycling days was frustrating and undermined my ability to keep pushing. So this day really was long and hard...
Eventually, around 4pm, my determination finally kicked in and I managed to grit my teeth and pick up some pace ... wanting to get to our final destination or at least catch up with wherever the lead riders stopped, before the support vehicle caught up with me! 5pm came and went and I was still on the road... As I was becoming aware of the slowly settling dusk, I knew that it couldnt be much further now, and that helped me keep propelling myself forward... To be still on the road at 5:30pm felt like a milestone as I kept on pedalling, at that time with Les and Davo beside me. The lead riders couldnt be far ahead, and there was no obvious sign of the support vehicle behind. Maybe we might just make it... Though the insects were definitely starting to come out in force as I remember swallowing a few!
I'm sure we passed signs for Mangochi, but how much further could it be? As 6pm passed, the light was fading fast, and the road ahead just seemed to stretch on and on. At every bend I was hoping that the lead riders would be there waiting, but instead all I could look forward to was another mouthful of insects. What happened to a 5:30pm deadline? Suddenly it all felt that the plan just wasnt "coming together", and being the kind of person who likes things to fit together just like it says on the box, I suddenly found frustration settling back in. How much further is it to go? Why am I cycling in the dark? Cant these insects just bug off? Godammit if I didnt just want to get to the f**king end already!
A few minutes later and the support bus pulled up and reeled me in. Unfortunately I just wasnt in the mood to celebrate the fact that I had actually just achieved cycling a distance of 110km. Instead I dropped into my seat on the bus and stared through the windows and into the darkness of my soul...
Well done to us all for all the kilometres we rode that day. And apologies to everyone else for being a moody so-and-so.
The bus took us the rest of the distance and to our final stop that night at Club Makokola. Wow - what a wonderful place. Large, hut like suites with our own individual bedrooms. A large pool. White sandy beach. Beachside bar and open air restaurant. Apparently this place even has its own airstrip! The frustrations of the day faded away as I found myself enjoying the sheer luxury...
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