Tim and Bruce are cycling across Africa in the Tour ‘d Afrique race from Cairo to Cape Town. They started on the 9th Jan 2009 and are due to finish on the 9th May. They are trying to race funds for a charity to build 2 classrooms for a rural school in the Eastern Cape, so far they’ve raised R150,000 out of the R180,000 which they need. Below is their recent report back on their Namibian leg:
25 April to 2 May
Distance: 998km
Highlights: Namibian landscapes
Read our daily diary here…
We’re almost home!
We’re buggered!
And you‘ve helped raise R150,000 for Hebron School!
Almost four months ago, on the 10th of January, we left Cairo clean-shaven and full of energy, ready for an adventure of a lifetime and the challenge of riding a bicycle Every Fuckking Inch (EFI) down the length of Africa.
While we’ve battled sickness, injury and the elements over the past 11 100km, the last few days in Namibia have been amazing and undoubtedly the highlight of the Tour, and just what we needed to motivate us in this final stretch. The scenery has been breathtaking, the cool weather near-perfect for riding, and the off-road sections challenging but loads of fun.
From Windhoek we headed South-East on famed hard-pact Namibian dirt and took two days to get to Sessriem, the gateway to the magnificent Mars-like sand-dunes of Sossusvlei where we had a day’s rest and a chance to watch a magnificent sunrise from atop Dune 45.
Leaving Sossusvlei we kept the Namib Dessert on our right and enjoyed two days of the most unforgettable riding of the whole Tour as leaping Springboks and the ever-changing painting-like landscapes of the Namib Rand Reserve kept us company on the challenging dirt roads.
Passing through various small towns famous for Apple Crumble, we eventually found ourselves at the grand Fish River Canyon for a night, and from there it was just the small matter of a 176km day to the Orange River for our final rest day before the last six days to Cape Town.
At this stage it’s hard for us to gain perspective on just how incredible this experience has been, but with the end in sight the realisation of transversing Africa by bicycle is only now just beginning to sink in, and along with it, the sense that we’re about to complete something quite special.
With R150,000 raised through your generosity and some sizeable donations from both corporates and private individuals, we’re also incredibly close to reaching our R180 000 target for Hebron School, so thank you again for being part of this worthy cause.
By the time you read this we will have crossed the Orange River and begun a six-day bike ride to the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town where champagne and celebrations await. We’re expected to arrive on Saturday 9 May at around 2.30pm** near Quay 4, and if you’re in the area we would love to see you there to join in the festivities!
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