Cycling

You may have noticed that the blog has focused far more on the places, people and cultures that we have come across on our trip, as well as some of the side issues associated with the riding, rather than the detail of the cycling. 

Whilst the cycling has been a great means to travel through Africa and experience all these things, it has definitely been the main focus of the trip and so perhaps does merit a mention as it engages us for several hours of each day! However, the reason that we have not talked much about it as that the cycling in itself is not the most exhilarating thing to talk about. 

But let us try…here follows an excerpt from our cycling diary:

Day 78: Cycled 178km into a headwind. It was really hot and I was exhausted. Drank 8 litres of water.
 

Day 79: Cycled 183km into a headwind. It was really hot and my bottom hurt. Drank 8 litres of water and 2 ORSs. Cheese at lunch! Slept at a construction camp.
 

Day 80: Cycled 153km into a head/crosswind. It was really hot, I was exhausted and my bottom hurt. We had cucumber for lunch! Exciting times….Drank 7 litres of water and went to the loo 4 times in the night.   Lots of thorns at camp.
 

Day 81: Cycled 145km into a headwind. It was really hot, I was exhausted, my bottom hurt and the man in the tent next door snored like a pneumatic drill. Drank 8 litres of water, 3 ORSs and 2 cokes.
 

Day 82: Bananas in the porridge at breakfast! Cycled 160km into a crosswind. As with the previous 5 days, there was nothing to see as Botswana is really flat and boring. Saw an elephant by the side of the road which was exhilarating and lots of dung beetles.  Also crickets that were eating each other. We ran them over. It made for a fun game. Drank 6 litres of water and had a beer! Got a headache.
 

Day 83: See Day 80. Saddles sore burst.