Peter has crossed the finish line in Cape Town!

Dear Friends,

I created this blog to keep you updated on my bike ride from Cairo to Cape Town.

From January 17 – May 12, 2019 I will be embarking on a 12,000 km journey across Africa. I will post updates as often as I can, so please check back here regularly. You can also follow along on my Facebook and Instagram pages for even more photos!

Thank you for your support,
Peter

PS. For updates on my Fundraising progress, please visit: www.fundly.com/peter-cox

May 27, 2019: Cape Town

Africa – tomorrow I leave you, richer for what I have learned; humbler for what I have experienced and energized for what is to come. Thank you.

Final Stages of TDA:

Riding back into South Africa at Vioolsdrif was quite emotional. Country #10 and headed for Table Mountain and Cape Town. After the jarring corrugations and soft sand of the Namib, smooth tarmac was wonderful. Long days of rolling hills through the sunburned, dry Northern Cape with dramatic rock formations and occasional oases of green led to another tough gravel section heading west to the coast at Strandfontein. It was here that my saddle finally rejected me and the holding bolt sheared clean through. Improvising with a piece of fence post as a ‘splint’ got me to the finish line with a new appreciation of the importance of a working saddle. My first saddle sore on the trip on day -3 from the end! Seeing the Atlantic 4 months and >11,000km after leaving the Red Sea was quite something. Sitting on a beach I know listening to waves at sunset – hard to beat. The last three days on West Coast gravel roads looping back to Elands Bay (an old surf spot) and then Yzerfontein was the perfect end to a wonderful adventure. Cresting a hill and seeing Table Mountain for the first time brought the realization that the end was near. A bunch of my family rode out to join us for the final stretch down to the beach – a fitting finale for a ride I was so privileged to be able to do.

Thank you all for your amazing support of Transforming Faces. I far exceeded my initial goal and, together with a matching donation, have raised over $250,000 which translates into care for over 2,000 kids with cleft in Africa.

Thank you for bringing them a smile! 

By the numbers:
16 weeks and 3 days
10 countries
11,220 km
>70,000 m vertical
ZERO punctures
2,466,150 Pedal strokes (ave cadence 82/min)
495,264 calories
501 h 15 min in the saddle
91 bowls of porridge (which I am exempt from ever eating again)

EFI (Every F…ing Inch) ridden that I could ride. That is 448,800,000 inches. Six of us managed to do this. 

So that’s my story. 

Thanks again.

May 15, 2019: South Africa

Riding around the Cape. Beauty. It will be hard to leave. 

May 12, 2019: South Africa

We did it!

May 12, 2019: South Africa

The final few kilometers.

May 11, 2019: South Africa

So much beauty along the way. 

May 10, 2019: South Africa

Riding down the West Coast toward Cape Town – it just kept getting more beautiful.

May 10, 2019: South Africa

A post from the West Coast. So beautiful and conflicted.

May 9, 2019: South Africa

Left the shores of the Red Sea on January 20. Here I am on the Atlantic, 10,500 km and 16 weeks later. What a journey! I am one lucky, privileged and happy guy to have been able to do this! Thanks for all your support along the way. Pete.

May 7, 2019: Namibia

… to the Orange River and South Africa on the other shore.

May 7, 2019: Namibia

Leaving Namibia.

May 7, 2019: Namibia

The last section of this ride had all the colours of the spectrum but green. Full circle as this looks so similar to Egypt and Sudan.

April 30, 2019: Namibia

A few shots from the road.

April 25, 2019: Namibia

Namibia. Country # 9. And a long way from Victoria falls. Many long days of hard riding often into a headwind left me pooped at night.

From Zambia we crossed into Botswana over the Chobe River where we could see four countries at once and were able to do a river game watching cruise. Long days into Maun Botswana which has changed dramatically since my visits in the ‘70s. Tarred roads, traffic lights, supermarkets – and prospering. We flew over the Okavango Delta where I have travelled by road before – good to get perspective of its vastness and the amount of water that will flow in from Angola (mainly). You can see where the water lies each year before it drains away. Seeing elephants, giraffe, buffalo, a rhino and maybe a big cat was exciting, even from that height.

Then the long trek west across the northern edge of the Kalahari to the Namibian border and Windhoek where we have time to recover. Today and tomorrow. The last 830 km stretch in five days was a killer. (Average 166 km or 100+ miles a day). The road stretched into the horizon endlessly until the last 50 km where we climbed nearly 1000 m. From the top of the ridge you look down into this rugged mountainous desert where Windhoek lies. The capital of independent Namibia which was a German colony and then part of South Africa. The streets are named after freedom fighters from many Southern African countries that were previously colonies of British, Dutch, Portuguese and Germans and were liberated in the last half of the last century. A history most on the ride have little knowledge of.

From here we head South through some challenging terrain in the Namib desert. Cold nights and bad roads ahead! The beauty and desolation will more than compensate.

Hard to believe that I have pedalled all this way from Cairo and it is nearing the end.

April 19, 2019: Botswana

Country 8. Crossed by ferry from Zambia and then a slow river cruise in evening light. Little has changed for millennia. More boats, more people. Botswana has an excellent wildlife management policy and a government that remains probably the best in Africa.

Last days in Zambia at Vic Falls and ferry crossing to Botswana. Beautiful country and people.

April 16, 2019: Zambia to Botswana

Last days in Zambia at Vic Falls. First day rained out with torrential storm. Some tents were 3 inches of water INSIDE.

Day two was more than compensation sitting in Angel’s Pool at the lip of the falls and peering over the edge down the nearly 100m drop. We rode over the Falls Bridge then walked down to the base of the falls to get a perfect view of millions of gallons of water a minute plunging to the pools below. Mind boggling wonder of the world.

We left Zambia on a short ride to the Botswana border at the ferry crossing  near Kasane. A two truck at a time ferry takes a lot of bikes. Our Camp on the Chombe River is filled with so much birdsong – a great prelude to a Chobe River adventure quietly drifting past elephants, hippos, kudu, waterbuck, monitors and a myriad of birds. So privileged to experience this.

The next few days are all long (>150km) rides so it is time to get up and ready for that.

Both days we rode past many elephants both on and alongside the road. Some giraffe and of course birds of every description. Our camp last night was in the bush sleeping in a tent with no fly sheet, star gazing and listening to the sounds of the night – elephants nearby, hyenas, owls and night jars and insects I couldn’t even begin to identify contributing to a symphony of sound.

Today’s ride through Mopane forests ended with a dramatic cloudburst and hail storm – full on sound and light effects!
And then the sun came out and we cycled the last 9 km to Nata Lodge camp, a pretty cool place.

I still need to pinch myself regularly to remind me that this is real. We have 20 stages left. 68 stages done with the same tribe (mostly). We remain somewhat isolated from each other while rolling across Africa in this bubble. An interesting experience to reflect on.

April 8, 2019: Zambia

On our way to Vic Falls. HUGE storms still raging. The skies opened. Sharing soccer field camp with kids, kid goats, and Brahmins.

April 7, 2019: Zambia

• What a difference an arbitrary line drawn by colonialists makes. Malawi and Zambia have similar populations (~18 million). Zambia has seven times the land size. The roadside population is exponentially less; I did not hear ‘give me your money’; I did hear ‘welcome to Zambia’ and ‘how are you?’ It does feel and look very different. More prosperous (there are minerals that have been mined for generations); more friendly and more efficient. The contrast is remarkable and population density the most obvious.
• Suffice it to say Malawi is one of the poorest countries and Zambia falls somewhere in the middle of an African scale.
• Travelling (at cycling speed) from Egypt through Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and now Zambia has given some insight into how differently these countries have developed over the past 50 years.
• Tonight’s camp is down a dirt track leading to this little oasis in the trees. The music is a bit dated (the Monkees – I’m a Believer), the beer was cold and the skies are about to open with a tropical storm. This means packing a wet tent, a muddy road to start and we hope for a tail wind to push us tomorrow’s 176km.
• The second and third of those camps were both so different from what we have experienced before getting to Kenya (likely a reflection of years of overland trips stopping off). There are showers and flush toilets – better than the bucket baths and bush toilets which were the norm before.

April 5, 2019: Zambia

Jehovah’s Witness School ground camp.

April 4, 2019: Zambia

Along the way to Luangwa bridge camp.

April 4, 2019: Zambia

Styles and smiles. Huge hospital being built with Chinese funding. Mobile AIDS team with testing kit and access to ARVs.

April 4, 2019: Zambia

The road into and through eastern Zambia. Perfect surface funded by EU.

April 2, 2019: Malawi to Zambia

On the road to Zambia. Country #7.

March 31, 2019: Malawi

Three of the 20 bikes donated by TDA to the local community.

March 30, 2019: Malawi

Scenes from the road.

March 30, 2019: Malawi

From the lake upward.

March 27, 2019: Malawi

Early morning on Lake Malawi. So tranquil. I did catch one minnow!

March 27, 2019: Malawi

Stage 52: To Chitimba Beach with a view of Chombe Mountain to the South and Livingstonia above in the Nyoka Plateau. I did an elective here in the mid-seventies. The hospital is still going strong and the old ‘Stone House’ where we stayed is now a museum. The story goes that Livingstone first set up his mission hospital at Cape McClear – a beautiful and mosquito infested spot.  Many if his team got malaria, some died (I visited the graves when I was here before). He moved the hospital to Livingstonia where it still is. Even the youngsters on the beach today know the story. Here too there is no work for anyone. I have got a group of fisherman to take me out at sunrise for a small fee. It is so hard to say NO. Desperation is not far beyond their smile. A 16 year old was excited to get a pencil! 

March 26, 2019: Malawi

Stage 51: Mbeya to Karonga.

Stunning. Market gardens being worked on both sides as we climbed out of the valley. Cabbages, carrots and potatoes piled for sale roadside. Then into banana, pineapple and avocado plantations. Lush, green and wet. To stop in a banana village is an eye-opener. Many women with bunches of bananas balanced on their heads mob you to make a sale. The supply exponentially outstrips the demand. Each women is likely trying to eke out a living to feed her family.

Then through very green tea plantations. Each tea bush is grown to the same height, so the plantations look very ‘ordered’. Glimpses of Lake Malawi through the hills and the dramatic steep mountains of Tanzania and Mozambique dropping to the eastern shore. The chaotic Tanzania/Malawi border post with masses of people, trucks, tankers and now bikes (not many cars). Black market money changing in full view of the cops. (They may well get a cut). People are desperate for hard currency (USD) and will only change $100 bills for the ‘good’ rate.

Once through, heading south along the lakeshore to our camp on the beach with stunning views. Tonight it is so humid. Sweating just lying in my tent. There is no breeze.

There is a loud chorus of crickets and frogs. Bats are feeding on bugs and somewhere a dog is yapping. Met and chatted to some guys on the beach. Not one from Malawi. All are refugees having left their home country (Burundi, Rwanda, DRC) in search of education and a better life. All are waiting in a transit camp (and hoping) to be processed by UNHCR and the potential of leaving here.

March 25, 2019: Tanzania

Stage 50: Makongolosi to Mbeya. Day 7 of a 7 days through gravel, sand and tsetse fly. Exhausting.

We started climbing almost immediately out of the village. A new road is being built – which means the ‘track’ we were on for the first 35 km was in terrible shape – deeply scarred by big trucks and buses when muddy. Now hard packed, we face challenging grooves, loose gravel and regularly needing to jump off the bike to get out of the path of oncoming traffic. Then good tarmac and a strong headwind before starting a stunning long climb into an alpine-type area where it was actually chilly – something I have not felt much in the last 2 months. An amazing long descent hurtling down the mountainside into Mbeya. Tomorrow we cross into Malawi. Country #6.

All through Tanzania, education is valued. Kids wear the green/yellow/black colours of Tanzania. The kids who don’t go to school are obvious. We have stayed on a few school soccer fields and are always the centre of attention for hundreds of little faces. Schools often have over a thousand kids and a teacher student ratio of about 1:100. I wonder a lot what will happen to these kids in the future. Outside of urban areas there is no industry or work, only subsistence farming. As the population grows, where does the future go?

March 20, 2019: Tanzania

Stage 46: 133km from Singida to Game Post 1. The first 80 km on tarmac in soft early morning light through what looked like a giants huge boulder playground on a mat of vibrant green fields. Well tended fields of mainly corn and cassava and though the villages of Puna and Ugungi before turning west-ish onto a good dirt road shared with herds of cattle and their herdsmen and neatly uniformed kids coming back from school. The pride they feel is only diminished by kids the same age in rags herding the family goats. The bird life is amazing; bishop birds, pin tail and straw tail whydahs, open bull storks and so much more.

During the night four shots echoed through camp. Apparently to scare elephants out of the neighbouring village. The rains are late this year. A curse for the farmers and a blessing for us. Stage 47 is all dirt: good surface in some (few) places. In others, soft sand, pot holes the size of a paddle pool (and twice as deep) and wide enough to accommodate only a bus or truck – not an additional cyclist. The grooves, gutters and furrows shows this all turns into a mud bath in the wet.

Tomorrow more of the same. It is a full moon in a clear sky tonight. I hope the skies stay clear.

We are in the middle of a 7 day, 900 km section through the Tanzanian bush. Bucket showers are the routine on arrival in camp, drop toilets are standard (if at all) and we crawl into our tents shortly after sundown.

We are well over 5000 km in and soon to enter Malawi, our sixth country.

Faces, hands and hives on the road.

March 18, 2019: Tanzania

Aha – managed to retrieve some of the images. They do not reflect the beauty of today’s ride.

March 16 – 18, 2019: Tanzania

Scenes from Serengeti. Back on the bike and two big days from Arusha to Babati (173km) and Babati to Sengida (157km). Stunning scenery. Corrupted chip – no images. These will have to do.

March 16, 2019: Kenya

Seems like a lot of stages have passed. Into Nairobi – a huge bustling city. To camp at the same place my daughter, Sophie, did a year ago. Then to meet with Kaiser (a paediatrician I met in South Africa) and to indulge in meat of every kind at the same place Sophie ate (Carnivore).

Then out of Nairobi in heavy traffic through rolling hills and unpaved unfinished roads, acacia grassland, Mt. Kilimanjaro through the haze to the South and a long climb over the shoulder of Mt Meru to drop into Arusha Forrest days at Masai Camp. Another coincidence – to meet Patrick and Martin who guided Sophie from Kenya to Cape Town.

Tonight I am in my tent, no fly, gazing at the stars in the Serengeti. Saw so much today it is overwhelming. Lions, hyenas, elephant, rhino and many different species of deer (that is before mentioning the many birds I recognize). The changes in microclimate has been phenomenal. Arid to tropical rain forest all in the space of a cycle ride.
Hard to believe we are halfway through.

March 10, 2019: Kenya

Nanyuki to the Southern Hemisphere. Rolling hills through coffee, tea, papaya and banana plantations. Beautiful scenery. Hectic traffic. Nairobi tomorrow. In a few days, we are halfway through.

March 9, 2019: Kenya

Lasi through Isiolo to the equator. Overnight on boarding school grounds. Excellent sportsmen and athletes. Then long climb to base and around Mt. Kenya to Nanyuki – and the equator.

March 9, 2019: Globe & Mail Feature

Check out the exciting feature on Peter’s campaign in this week’s Globe and Mail:

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-former-toronto-sickkids-doctor-cycles-12000-km-across-africa-for/

March 2019: Kenya

Stage 39.  Arrived in bustling town of Nanyuki. Few km from Equator. Beautiful 35km/1500m climb on great roads up to the base and then around Mt Kenya with its snowy crags. Lots of cultivated land. First we have seen in Kenya. Huge wheat fields and acres of hothouse flower growing for export. No tea plantations yet. Clearly far more prosperous area than where we have come from. Lingua Franca is English. More moderate climate and people. Had “scavenger hunt” collecting silly things and photos for an Equator party this evening. Interesting how competitive the teams got – pulled disparate groups together.  A good thing as we roll in our bubble through the continent.

March 2019: Kenya

Stage 36/37.  First two days in Kenya. Desert scrubland crisscrossed by animal paths making their way to whatever water there is – not a lot. A few watering holes will have herds of camels, cattle and goats waiting their turn to get to a small muddy hollow in the ground.

Strategically placed, men with AK 47 (or some other issue) rifles keep guard. Camel rustling is a big problem. The government appointed a bunch of reserves, and armed them which has addressed one problem and escalated another – tribalism. As well as the political refugee issue, tribalism and animal theft are the source of ongoing conflict. Elsewhere, water is tanked in. Seeing donkeys and women carrying the ubiquitous yellow plastic bottles with water for drinking, watering the herd and cooking, this highlights what I take for granted. Rarely does one see a male carrying anything other than the stick over his shoulders. Occasionally one will pass with yellow bottles draped over the back of his motorcycle.

Both days of riding were long and stinking hot into a strong headwind gusting over 30 km/hr. 13 of us got together taking turns front and side. To punch a hole in the wind. Only made exhaustion more tolerable. We were all knackered – particularly when the last 10 km into town were a constant grind uphill.

We are camped and having a rest day at a convent just outside of Marsibit. Sister Mary Jane clearly understands thirsty hungry cyclists. She had organized a more than ample supply of cold juices and beer – a great boost to sagging energies and spirits.

We cross the Equator on the 9th. Hard to believe where we are and how we got here.

February 2019: Southern Ethiopia & Northern Kenya

Changing faces. Changing scenes.

February 28, 2019: Ethiopia

Stage 33. Total contrast to yesterday. Rolling perfect road along the rim of the Rift Valley. Yellow wood trees in patches with louries, batis, meerkats and lots of little blue birds in the road edge. Majestic termite mounds poking up through through the dark red African soil. Climbed about 1400 m in the 120 km. Ended in Yabello – a bustling small town. Soon Kenya and then the equator.

February 2019: Ethiopia

Stage 32. Lake Koka to Ostrich camp. More of the same from 31. From the idyllic lake shore to a camp in semi arid acacia patch with ostriches through the camp and an occasional warthog. Lots of lovely birds including the splendid starling with its cinnamon breast and white collar and glossy back. Quite splendid!

Bus day along some of the worst roads to date into sub tropical Africa – banana plantations, papaya trees, thatched rondavels and a people whose features are darker and less angulated.

Green, which was absent through most of Egypt and Sudan is now the dominant colour. Early morning star gazing and there was the Southern Cross. Getting closer to home.

February 2019: Ethiopia

Stage 31. Left bustling Addis in a convoy at Monday morning rush hour – competing for space on the highway with crazy traffic, pedestrians, donkey carts and the occasional barrow load of sugar cane. Finally freeway – into a headwind though largish towns to turn South West into the Rift Valley. The savanna with beautiful flat topped acacias, herds of cattle (and camels!), Castel Vineyards, huge Chinese backed industry (their stamp is everywhere) to camp on Lake Koka. Marabou storks, sacred ibises, fish eagles, pelicans and smiling faces. Idyllic.

February 25, 2019: Ethiopia

Stage 30. Into Addis. Rough night led to rougher day. Ran out of juice as I ejected ALL my dinner and breakfast. 1200m of rolling hills (6-8% gradient), need energy. Approaching Addis was interesting to say the least. Traffic crawled up the hill in a cloud of diesel smoke. We crawled with them.

We gathered 15km out of Addis to ride in as convoy. Imagine any 2-3 lane highway at rush hour. Insert a bunch of wackos on bikes, the filling of a sandwich between two vehicles, taking over the road. Insert donkeys, goats and cars reversing (yes reversing), broken down trucks, car crashes … quite the ride.

At our camp I found that EVERYTHING in my permanent bag (which we access on rest days) was swimming in a pool of water. Ziplocks are not made for 2 day immersion. Clothes dry easily. Documents tend to get glued together; passports warp; cell phones fail; $ bills tear and mat to each other.

As Sophie said: “Dad, without sh*t days you wouldn’t know good days! Get some sleep.” I did get some sleep and all is good as we head for Moyale and cross into Kenya.

February 24, 2019: Ethiopia

REST DAY: Addis Ababa

Today I had the privilege of meeting the surgical team (Dr.’s Mekonen and Shiferaw) who do amazing work with Transforming Faces correcting cleft lip and palate. Dedicated, innovative, though still largely dependent on support from TF, they change lives. Show these pictures to your friends and help support what they do!

Funds raised so far will Transform the lives of over 2,000 kids. 

In rural parts of Ethiopia, birth defects are considered a curse. Children born with defects are often not nourished and die as a consequence. Their focus is not only on repairing clefts. They are also trying to change attitudes! Help them if you can.
https://fundly.com/peter-cox

February 22, 2019: Ethiopia

Stage 29 – From the edge of the Gorge, climbing a further 1200m to pass the highest point of the tour. Stunning landscape; dogs and vultures sharing space; ploughing with oxen and a simple blade; suckling baby donkeys; trying to pass goats and cattle on shared road; intense farming and shifting clouds. Got to camp early enough to dry out fly of tent and sort out other gear after the storm. Another rider hospitalized and each day a bunch who are not able to ride. A real test of stamina and mental resilience.

February 21, 2019: Ethiopia

Stage 28. 89km and over 1800m climbing.

A kaleidoscope of colour and activity cycling 50km to the lip of the Blue Nile Gorge. Treacherous descent on a road destroyed by heavy weather and heavier truck traffic. Concertinaed tarmac or none at all, with gradients topping 12% (very, very steep for those who may not know what 12% means). No time to look at views as all eyes on road surface when you descend fast (which I love to do). 20km down passing trucks and dodging donkeys to cross the Blue Nile which originates on Lake Tana in Bahir Dar and heads South before looping back northward to join the White Nile at Khartoum.

Then a tough 20km ascent (average gradient 7+%) with very steep sections and many baboons cheering you on. The steep sections are often on course, potholed gravel as steepness is where trucks do most damage. The views back into the gorge are stunning. We are camping on the edge of the gorge looking back down at where we came from. Altitude is about 3000m (10,000 feet). Same as Leadville, Colorado.

Chilly at night. I used my sleeping bag last night for the first time in many nights.

The group has become quite tribal. Interesting to watch and be a part of.

February 21, 2019: Ethiopia

Stunningly beautiful day with changing light (and sore legs). Amazing climb looking back on the Blue Nile Gorge. Now camped on the rim of the gorge in my tent. Sound and light of thunderstorm and pouring rain on the tent roof. I am dry, warm and tired.

February 19, 2019: Ethiopia

Sudan to Ethiopia.  Like entering a new world where every sense is stimulated.  Strong, rich, sweet coffee, vibrant colour, music with beat and food with texture and taste.

People are beautiful, warm and inviting. Birdsong is everywhere. Jacarandas and lilacs in bloom.

Bussed from Metema (the border) to Gondor (an ancient city) under army escort passing a few burned out villages and vehicles, many check points and squads of uniformed armed soldiers (Kalashnikovs and AK 47s). Side trip from Gondor to Simian mountains through rolling hand tilled farmlands, past deep gorges and up to the national park. All a visual feast.

Back on the bike for 2-day ride from Gondor to Bahir Dar. Spectacular mountain pass into plain of village lines roads. Stopping for strong, sweet Ethiopian coffee an experience as it is both a ceremony and a taste treat.

Sunday is church day (Orthodox) which brings out white sarong draped crowds off to worship in every village we ride past.

Bahir Dar a vibrant lakeside city with colourful bustling market, the best fruit smoothies (guava and papaya my favourite). Early morning boat trip along the lake to the Blue Nile – hippos, kingfishers, hornbills, fish eagles and and fishermen and so much more.

Previous years have experienced trouble on the road out of here, so we bus to avoid sticks and stones from village kids and the then ride/climb out of Blue Nile Gorge over 3 days to get to Addis. From there head South to Moyale on the Kenyan border.

Two countries, one month and nearly 3,000 km in.

February 17, 2019: Ethiopia

Stage 26 – Gondor to farm camp. First big(ish) climbs, changing scenery, and different smiles.

February 16, 2019: Ethiopia

North of Gondor, the Simian Mountain Range is stunning.

February 15, 2019: Ethiopia

Dodging cars and potholes to get to Sudanese/Ethiopian border where money changers and colour wait and we wait for customs clearance.

February 15, 2019: Ethiopia

February 14, 2019: Ethiopia

Gondor, Ethiopia. Colour at last.

February 13, 2019: Sudan

The colourful markets of Sudan.

February 11, 2019: Sudan

Stage 22: Cycled east with strong wind gust off centre turning to cross wind. Felt like I had immersed myself in Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Was like riding through scorched earth. Nothing but dried yellow grass on black soil. It looks like some crop (likely sorghum) is grown, though it’s hard to imagine it green.

Spending more time at “Coke Stops” to get some shade, fluid and – finally – spend time with some Sudanese. Far less conservative than the North. One little girl voluntarily walked over and shook my hand and asked my name (see photo of her below!). Lots of kids coming out of school and generally friendly and keen to practise English.

Tonight at Al Quadarif, I bought a bucket of water for my first real wash in a number of days (phew! Though we are all in the same boat). The bucket was drawn from a double 44 gallon drum, drawn by a donkey. I splashed around, soaped up and rinsed. I feel so refreshed. My cap gives some sense of salt accumulation (see photo below). 

We reach the border with Ethiopia tomorrow afternoon, and cross over at Metema into Ethiopia. There has been a fair amount of unrest in that region. The military has advised against travel by bike. We will bus to Gondor. I will miss doing some challenging climbing, though it will be good to rest some sore joints. An extra day in Gondor will be a great opportunity to explore the National Park in the Simien Mountains, which will be spectacular by all accounts I have read.

The other treat that awaits is some excellent Ethiopian wine I tried last November. Last time I had wine was January 11th. A cold beer will be equally good. Sudan is ‘dry’ in more senses than one.

February 9 & 10, 2019: Sudan

Stage 20 & 21: Covered 270 odd kilometers towards the Ethiopian border, Khartoum is where the White and Blue Nile meet. There is an almost Miraculous change in the environment from the emptiness of the desert to semi-cultivated scrub farmland. Bird life has changed and there are many plovers, egrets, little brown birds (LBB), vultures and shrikes to mention a few.

Today (Stage 21) we started a slow climb toward the low hills that will become the Ethiopian Highlands. Our interaction with the Sudanese has been limited to tea and coke stops. As we move south, there is more prosperity, people are friendlier but roads are narrower. One has to be extra vigilant as the buses do not particularly like to see cyclists on the road. On more than one occasion, I had to get off the road very fast – ‘right-of-weight’ rather than right of way.

Today for the first time I saw my first wild African animal – a troop of baboons.

I am excited to get to Ethiopia, which is considered to be the cradle of mankind. We will spend a few days in Gondor (look it up on the net) before riding to Addis Ababa.

February 2019: Sudan

Stage 18 & 19 disappeared from our plan for security reasons. We were bussed from the police checkpoint into Khartoum where we spent two nights in a shady campsite. I did go into the downtown core as I had some mechanical issues to deal with. All good.

February 8, 2019: Sudan

February 2019: Sudan

Stage 17: Another day with the desert through-wind and heat straight into our face. Temperatures over 45°C with a strong headwind. I can understand how they make bread using just the heat of the sun as the stove. My Garmin when we stop for a drink read a temperature of over 58°C. That’s not far off what I use in the Big Green Egg to do a pulled pork (which admittedly takes more than the 7+ hours I was riding). Go figure.

The day ended at sunset, close to a police checkpoint. I was able to have water poured over me from a 2 1/4 inch pipe. It was the hottest shower since leaving Canada. How clean the water was is irrelevant. My arms and body were caked with salt. Interesting that today I have drank about 8L of fluid and put out probably 200mL of urine. In the ICU they would call that pre-renal failure. I think I did pee a few crystals but that was it. Coca-Cola stops are a life saver.

I am in my tent at 7:16pm with only the netting. It is too hot to use the fly. I can see many stars and a fingernail clipping of a new moon through the roof of the tent. In the background, there is a call to prayer as well as the screech and honking of diesel trucks as they stop at the police checkpoint.

This is my bedside story for tonight.

February 1, 2019: Sudan

115 km but I took a shortcut to join a herd of about 20 camels. No human leading them. They seemed to know exactly where they were going. Apparently when they are roaming in the middle of nowhere they are able to find their way back ‘home ‘ which is some transient space somewhere.

We are in Dongola now – crossed the Nile again to the West side. I can see the bridge we came over. Chinese engineering built it – and in return they get 40% of the petroleum industry as well as a bunch of perks including arms deals. We are well above the Aswan dam now and the river flows quite fast. More noticeable is the amount of agriculture. I suspect they have access to the silt which the dam has covered lower down. 

It is Friday and everything is closed. The vast majority of the population practice Islam (although it was a Christian country prior to the 12th century). I did not realize how conservative Sudan still is. 80% of women have genital mutilation; crucifixion, stoning (of women) and hanging are still practiced under sharia law; education penetration is variable and below 20% in some areas. Poverty is rife. Sudan is the 5th hungriest nation in the world and ranks 167 on human development index. It is also one of the most corrupt countries around. The history of the country is complex and getting more so. Independence from British and Egyptian rule (!) in the 1950’s and split into North and South Sudan not that long ago. Strife is ongoing therefore our change in route (including being bussed around Khartoum).

Jan 31, 2019: Sudan

Stage 13. Farka to Nile Ferry Camp. 145km, on the gradual incline to Ethiopia through Sudan, a lot of it straight into a headwind. The first real test of our cycling strength. The road is generally good. Built by the Chinese. There is no maintenance, so where a flash flood destroyed part of the road, it remains destroyed. 

The hills have what look like goat tracks although there is no sign of goats out there. I guess they could be millennia old. 

There is a distinct change in architecture from Arabian to Nubian. It is more simple with beautiful lines. Although buildings are made from brown mud blocks, doors and windows are often brightly painted – pinks, greens and blues. We watched a bunch of very friendly kids heading off to school, some in Gap sweat-shirts, others in traditional white. 

We have been cycling close to the Nile until today. We veered off into this lunar scape which became a hive of activity – artisanal alluvial mining for gold. Hundreds of dark skinned men, many with metal detectors, others with simple pick axes trying to eke out a living. I am told this is what The Klondike looked like (though no saloons or bars here). There is one big, open-pit, modern mine owned by a Turkish company. 

Our camp tonight is close enough to the river to have another refreshing swim before watching the sun set over the Nile. 

We are bypassing Khartoum because of political strife. Smart move.

Jan 30, 2019: Sudan

Crossed from Abu Simbel to the eastern coast of Aswan Dam (Nasser Lake).

After a 30km ride we spent a good four hours getting through Egyptian and Sudanese immigration procedures. Then had a beautiful ride through unspoiled desert on a road recently built by the Chinese to Wadi Halfa.

Arrived here just before sunset to a meal of chicken, beans and salad. The camp is quiet – and it is not yet 8pm. No wifi, patchy internet and no pub. Only prayers from a few local mosques and now dogs barking and an occasional truck rumbling by. A donkey has just started braying.

Today we rode 70 km and on Sunday 151 km. We are well into the routine now. Up before 5am to strike our tent pack and load our bags, then have breakfast of tea or coffee, oatmeal, pita bread and bananas.

Tomorrow we ride about 150 km into the remote desert and camp in the middle of nowhere.

Cycling through Egypt: The Start of the Tour d’Afrique!

Last breakfast in Egypt.

Jan 28, 2019: Egypt

What an incredible day. We left Aswan earlier this morning and rode into a strong side wind through a very boring Desert. Stop for lunch after the first 80 km and continue for another 20 before turning East with the wind behind us. This tail wind allowed us to make up for lost time.

What it did not do was regenerate my energy. We camped in a small city called Abu Simbel which is on the banks of the Aswan Dam. Some of you may remember the temple that was moved to protect it prior to it being flooded (UNESCO project). I will visit that tomorrow. We have a rest day before leaving Egypt and heading into Sudan.

Stage 10 into Abu Simbal. Through the most vicious windstorm. If you look carefully, you will see a wall. A big and beautiful wall. Built to keep the sand out. It does not work. Maybe we should advise our American neighbour. 

Jan 27, 2019: Egypt

Stage 9 Complete. 136km. Camp in the middle of the Desert. Sand everywhere. 

Jan 25, 2019: Egypt

Another day in the saddle. Can’t believe we’re already a week in – tomorrow we cycle 134km and camp in the desert. 

Jan 23, 2019: Egypt

Stage 6.

Police Camp to Luxor. Heading to Nile with a lunch stop: the menu gets abbreviated as items get finished. We have 100% hand washing compliance- no one wants to get sick. Garbage is dumped roadside.

As we head into Luxor it is the first time to see green since leaving Cairo. All along the whole trip so far is unfinished construction.

Jan 22, 2019: Egypt

Safaga overnight and then to Police Camp. 60km climb hoping to get a freebie downhill. Had to pedal straight in to head wind. Police camp was no more than a spot next to a checkpoint with a body wash with 500ml water. Interesting

Press “play” for a few video clips from our ride today.

Jan 19, 2019: Egypt – Day 3

Another dramatic day. The Sinai Peninsula ends at the Gulf of Aqaba. Oil lines snake through the desert. Our first night of camping. Cold outside shower and a sink to wash clothes in. 

Jan 18, 2019: Egypt – Day 2

Moses led his people free from somewhere along the road I cycled today. I suspect it looks just the same now as then (unlike the Nile which is a polluted cesspit – no place for an infant in a papyrus basket).

My perception of Egypt was shaped by childhood trips to the movies. Ben Hur and others. It is very different in real life.

Jan 17, 2019: Cairo – First Day of the Ride

We started before dawn to ride up to the pyramids, the start of this crazy ride. Watched the sun come up over the desert and then bussed to the outskirts of Cairo to avoid the hectic traffic (makes the 401 look free flowing).

With the wind on our backs we cycled down the Gulf of Suez – the first section being through the Sahara. Quite something in its nothingness. Huge open space with no life other than plastic bags and bottles and the occasional scrub bush and scavenging crow. In places it looks like they have spent hours bulldozing sand from one pile to another.

Lots of security check points and freely pointed AK 47s.

Then along the coast South East with dusty resort towns, fish stalls and the occasional patient flamingo trying to be unnoticed. Hotel stay tonight for security reasons (and again tomorrow).

Video from Day One

Jan 16, 2019: Cairo

Before heading off to Luxor, I had to see Tahrir Square.

The sandstorm was surreal as it could have been tear gas.

Tonight Cairo is covered in a layer of dust.

And then I smelled it – rain on dry sand. Well, a few drops anyway.

We ride out early in the morning.

Day 1 of a four month journey.

What was I thinking??

Jan 16, 2019: Cairo

First daily brief.

Jan 15, 2019: Cairo

Wandering around Giza district Cairo en route to the pyramids.

Follow me on Facebook or Instagram for more photos. 

Jan 12, 2019: Off to Cairo

Packed and ready for the adventure! Will have a few days in Cairo and will be starting the ride on January 17th.

Jan 7, 2019: Preparing for the Adventure of a Lifetime

We are only ten days away from the start date on January 17th.

Between packing and training, the adventure is starting to feel real!

Sep 11, 2018: Announcement

Dear Friends,

For over 30 years I have had the privilege of working at SickKids Hospital, in one of the leading Intensive Care Units in the world. At the end of this year, that chapter of my career is coming to a close.

In January 2019, I will embark on a life-long dream: cycling from Cairo to Cape Town.

12,000 km 11 countries 100% pedal-powered

As you can guess, planning this adventure is putting a huge smile on my face! And along the way, I will be raising funds for children born with cleft lip and palate – a devastating and very visible condition impacting the lives of many children in Africa, and around the world.