Day 20 - August 30, 2009

We made it!!! Yesterday we rode the last 280km from Nairobi back to where it all began, in Arusha. It seems surreal, and I can't believe that it's over, although I think that Dad and I are going to really enjoy a few days of relaxation at the Ilboru Safari Lodge.

We were banking on an easy ride into Arusha, but actually ended up riding over 100km in the dirt. Oh, well, at least it was a memorable final day. There was a real sense of accomplishment when we rode into Arusha, and some palpable relief to have completed the trip without any major mishaps.

This was definitely the experience of a lifetime and, at risk of seeming a little cheesy, I'm so fortunate to have a father who, at the tender age of (almost) 59, is willing and eager to ride a motorcycle 4,500km around some fairly desolate parts of East Africa. We shared so many amazing experiences and encountered so many incredible people along the way; this ride will be truly unforgettable.

Thank you so much to everyone that has supported us by reading the blog, praying for us, and telling others about what we have been doing. I would also like to say a HUGE thank you to everyone who has supported Ngondo Children's Home financially. I will post a blog entry once the final donations have been tallied to announce how much money was raised for the orphanage. If you would still like to donate, the information is as follows:

Donations can be directed to:

Gateway Church *

890 Sarnia Road

London, Ontario, Canada

N6H 5K1

* Please make cheques payable to “Gateway Church” and indicate “Africa Orphanage” in the designation. Tax receipts are available.

I'd like to send out special thank you's to Mom, who was our most ardent supporter, and kept our spirits high with daily phone calls, and Naomi for her love and prayers from home. A big shout out to Ryan and Erika C for their support, and for Ryan giving a promo for the ride and the orphanage on his excellent blog. Thank you to all our friends and family, especially to my friends back home who have not only kept my spirits high during this ride, but also during the time I've been living in Rwanda with messages, emails, and phone calls.

I'll try to post the rest of the photos from the ride today or tomorrow, so be sure to check Facebook and the blog.

For anyone who's interested in motorcycles, Africa, and adventure, stay tuned for some possible updates on a group ride in the future. If there is enough interest, there is the possibility of organizing another ride, and anyone who would like to come along is welcome. Details to follow.

Signing off for now,

Luke in Africa.

PS. A big congratulations to the new, happy parents, Ben & Jen N!
PPS. A big congrats also to John and Sara H on their wedding!

Pics

Day 17 - August 27, 2009

Morning, all. We have arrived in Nairobi, and there is only one more leg of the journey to go, the return ride to Arusha. We got a good start on the ride yesterday morning, and were on the road by about 7:45 for a 370km ride to Nairobi from Eldoret. The roads were good, and we started out at a good pace. By midmorning, we found ourselves at an elevation of over 9,000 feet, and a spectacular view of the rift valley. We stopped to get a couple of photos, and this is where things got interesting (no, not more scandalous soldiers).

About 5 minutes after we got back on the bikes, I noticed Dad was no longer in my rearview mirror. This is not altogether uncommon, since Captain Slow . . . er . . . Cautious (and rightly so) sometimes lags back a little bit. I did a u-turn and rode back to find him at the side of the road looking at his rear tire, which was conspicuously lacking air. After a half rotation of the wheel, I spotted a nail which had been driven cleanly into the rear tube. For those that don't know, changing the rear tire on a bike involves removing the entire wheel (and disengaging the chain and disc brake), prying the tire off the rim, replacing the tube, prying the tire back onto the rim, carefully resetting the wheel on the bike, and balancing it. This might be a two-man job in a well-equipped garage, but certainly not on the side of the road in sub-Saharan Africa.

As Dad and I were fruitlessly attempting to get the tire back onto the rim after laying the bike on its side and changing the tube, our rescue party arrived in the form of two extremely capable Kenyans on a tractor. One of these guys was clearly an expert at tire replacement and, with better technique than Dad and I demonstrated, had the tire back on the rim in a matter of minutes. It was really amazing to see the kindness of the people that stopped to help us, and spent more than an hour of their day assisting perfect strangers. It really speaks to the spirit and character of the people in this part of the world. With the help of another posse of Kenyans, we managed to replace the wheel on the bike and ride off into the sunset. And by that I mean we rode directly into a cloud.

As we approached Nairobi at almost 9,000 feet, the road led us directly into a low-hanging cloud, and within 10 minutes we were soaked and freezing, riding on mountain roads with near-zero visibility. Nevertheless, we made it safely into Nairobi and we now ensconced in the Laico Regency Hotel to enjoy a couple of days of down-time before we make the final push for Arusha.

I'm going to try to post some pictures today, check Facebook!!

Talk to you again in Arusha!!

Luke

Day 14 - August 24, 2009

So I know it's only been three days since I last posted from Kigali, but it's definitely been an eventful three days. First things first. We left Kigali on Saturday, and had a great ride north into Uganda. We had a pretty smooth border crossing and parted ways with our fellow biker Mike in Kabale, where he was staying to prep for a couple of weeks in the jungle in northern Uganda. Good luck, Mike!! This is where things began to get interesting.

Let me just say, for the record, that I will never, ever complain about the condition of North American roads again in my life. Uganda has the misfortune of possessing the worst roads known to mankind. All the way to Kampala, Dad and I were riding on narrow strips of tarmac, barely wide enough for an SUV, peppered with myriad potholes that could lay waste to the most robust of suspensions. This was problematic on two counts. Firstly, it necessitates driving slowly enough to allow oneself to circumvent said potholes. Secondly, it causes one to clench one's bum muscles tightly and routinely when oncoming traffic veers wildly onto the wrong side of the road in order to avoid the craters themselves. This wouldn't be as much of a problem as it proved to be if Ugandan drivers didn't consider motorcycles to be as inconsequential to their driving decisions as lawnmowers do to toads. The first time that Dad was forced off the road onto loose dirt at 80km/h provided us with an inkling as to what we could expect for the next 800 kms.

After we stayed the night in Masaka, feeling as fatigued as I've ever felt, we got up early to push on to Entebbe via Kampala, the capitol of Uganda. When I got to my bike, my front tire was completely flat. I managed to get to Entebbe by stopping to reinflate it every 50km or so, and we found a small bike shop in Entebbe that was able to fit a new tube in the tire. It turns out that what I thought would be an entertaining morning ride on the beach in Dar es Salaam gifted me with several dozen small, but robust thorns in my tires. Apparently, it took 2500km and Ugandan roads to finally drive one deep enough into my tire to puncture the tube. Nevertheless, we managed to avoid any major incident and, after 2 days of riding, arrived in Entebbe, which may be the one redeeming aspect of Uganda.

After a relaxing evening near the northern shore of Lake Victoria, we set out for the Kenyan border this morning. Fortunately, the road conditions improved greatly in eastern Uganda, and we were making great time towards the Kenyan border. So good, in fact, that we decided to stop on a bridge over a large river feeding Lake Victoria from the north in order to snap a few pictures. Curiously, this prompted a Ugandan soldier with a very large automatic weapon to storm onto the bridge and demand to know what we were doing. After yelling and gesticulating for a while, he concocted a fable about picture-taking on this bridge being an egregious violation of Ugandan law, and proceeded to attempt to extort money from us. Dad gave him 5,000 Ugandan shillings (approximately $2). Hope you enjoy it, pal.

Uganda is actually kind of sad place. Of the 4 countries that we have visited to this point in out trip, it is certainly the most visually distressed, full of garbage, evident poverty, and unsmiling faces. It elucidates the stark contrasts between the relative affluence and success of a country like Rwanda, which has received so much funding and attention from the West since the genocide. It's a clear reminder that most of Africa is a place full of suffering and hardship.

Finally this afternoon, after riding the final 40 kms through a driving rainstorm, we reached the city of Eldoret here in Kenya. Kenya is incredibly scenic and, of the four countries we've visited, certainly the most familiar with mzungus and Western culture (read: money). This was evidenced by the 8 guys who surrounded us upon our entry into Kenya, offering everything from bogus bike insurance, to help with filling out our customs and immigration forms. Capitalism at its, well, most basic. Anyway, the people are friendly, and we're settled in for the night. Tomorrow we are riding to a small hospital 57km away which, allegedly, takes two and a half hour to reach. Hmmm.

Thanks for stopping in, I'll post again in 2 or 3 days when we get to Nairobi. I'd also like to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported Ngondo Childen's Home with donations, and supported this ride with you kind comments and prayers. Only 800km to go!

More pics will be posted in Nairobi. Talk to you soon!

Peace.

Day 11 - August 21, 2009

Woot!

Halfway! We have finally arrived in Kigali, after a couple of pretty grueling days in Western Tanzania. I think I've definitely had my share of unbelievably rough dirt/sand/gravel/rock roads and squatter toilets. My quads just aren't in shape for them. The roads or the toilets :)

After leaving the comfort and beauty of Mwanza, the going got rough. In two days, we had close to 150km of off-road riding, which is pretty intense, requiring both a lot of concentration and skill. The trick is keeping the bike upright, and attempting to stay out from beneath the tires of oncoming bus traffic. African bus drivers may possibly be the most suicidal/homicidal drivers I've ever encountered, and having driven in Toronto rush-hour for the last 7 years, that's really saying something. On the positive side, we met a Dutchman named Mike in Mwanza who's on a similarly nomadic motorcycle tour in East Africa, and he's been riding with us for the last couple of days. Always nice to have some more company; I don't have to feign laughter at Dad's video commentary all by myself now (joking, Dad, joking. You're very funny.).

Yesterday was easily the longest day we've had on the bikes yet. After staying Wednesday night in the Twiga Beach Lodge (which, curiously enough, is no where near any discernible body of water . . .), we awoke bright-eyed and well-rested. Well, we awoke, anyway. The beginning of the day saw us riding another 70km of dirt roads, followed by a straight shot of 150km to the Rwandan border (Rusumo town). The border crossing was a little time consuming, but I had this incredible feeling of coming home when we reached Rwanda. The beauty of the rolling hills, tidy huts and houses, and lush green scenery never gets old for me. We had a smooth ride until we were 100km from Kigali, where we encountered a pretty intense downpour and lightning storm. This is highly unusual during what is considered the dry season here, and by all accounts it shouldn't be raining until October. At any rate, it washed a little dirt off of us and the bikes.

What's that you say? You'd like to see just how dirty I am? You wish there were some photos to back up my claims? You're in luck!! I am sitting in my office in Kigali, and the pics are being uploaded to Facebook as I type this. Unfortunately my upload speeds are too slow to post images on the blog as well, but please go check out my Facebook page for all the goods. If you're not my "friend" yet, then please send me a request. If you're not sure what I mean by this, ask your child/grandchild/neighbour's child. Just search "Luke Cechetto" - I'm the only one in the world, it would seem. That may be a dubious distinction . . .

So far we have traveled 2,670km. Wow. It's amazing to think that we have driven across an entire country, from north to south, and east to west. Tanzania was really amazing, although having lived in Rwanda, it quickly became evident at how much of the Rwandan economy is being propped up by aid and development money from the West. Tanzania, which has had a very peaceful history, does not receive the same level of attention from NGO's and development organizations, and as such appears to be dealing with more acute effects of poverty and government corruption. The people, as in Rwanda, are wonderfully friendly, kind, and helpful. It's amazing to be able to walk into a tiny town somewhere in the hinterlands of eastern Africa and be shown such hospitality.

Today we got the bikes serviced, including oil changes, chain greasing, filter cleaning, and air in the tires. The bikes seem to be holding up fairly well, although I did have to get my kickstand welded back on today. Funny how inconvenient it can be to have nothing to lean your bike on. Tomorrow we leave for Uganda, and the journey continues. I'm really looking forward to seeing Kampala and Entebbe. I've got many Ugandan friends here in Rwanda, and they all speak highly of those two cities.

Thanks to everyone that's been following the blog and supporting the orphanage. We're grateful for your prayers and support. I'll post again in Entebbe in a couple of days.

Luke

PS. Go check Facebook for the photos!!!

Day 8 - August 18, 2009

Hi all,

Wow. Mwanza, Tanzania, may be one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. We're currently on the southern shore of Lake Victoria, and the scenery is incredible. We've already got close to 2000km under our belts, and everything has been pretty smooth so far, with a couple of notable exceptions.

In Dodoma, the capitol of Tanzania, we had the misfortune of staying in a hotel that was hosting a wedding reception for what were apparently some notable Tanzanians. This would have been fine, except for the incredibly loud Afro-beats being played ALL NIGHT immediately outside our room. I'm all for a good party, but when you have a 350km ride ahead of you early in the morning (75 of which were on what can only generously be described as a sand road), cacophonous music and horrible emceeing (is that a word?) are not great.

When we hit the road the next morning for Singida, we were immediately stopped at a police roadblock where we found out the hard way that the company we rented bikes from had somehow neglected to attach the updated insurance certificate to Dad's bike. This cost us a tongue-lashing and 20,000 TSH (Tanzanian shillings; about $15 USD). Being that this is Africa, though, the bike company sent the updated insurance to us in Mwanza with a bus driver (I think they gave him about a dollar for his services - cheaper than FedEx fo' sho').

Later, on the same drive, we were running perilously low on fuel. To our relief, we found what could almost be described as a gas station. Then, to our chagrin, we found that they were out of gas. Luckily we managed to find a guy in the village that had been stockpiling gas in a big jug and seemed happy enough to extort some money out of us for 3 liters of gas for each bike. This was enough to get us to the next real gas station.

Mechanically, the bikes have been pretty sound, although Dad's bike has developed this nasty habit of stalling when the clutch is pulled in at low speeds. I took the bikes apart today and found that in lieu of a proper air filter in Dad's bike, someone had wrapped a sponge around what looks like a small pasta strainer and jammed it in the filter case. Since no replacement filters were available in town, we cleaned this contraption and jammed it back in. I adjusted the idle up a little bit, and Dad changed his spark plug and this seemed to have some promising results. We'll see what happens tomorrow when we have 550km over rough roads to get to Kigali.

I'll sign off for now, but I'll have an update posted tomorrow, assuming we are able to reach Kigali. If not, I'll post again on Thursday.

Ciao!

Day 4 - August 14, 2009

Hi!

I'm writing this in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Sadly, this may prove to be the most visually unstimulating blog of all time since, once again, I am unable to upload photos from the computer that I'm using. Apparently it is only slightly more advanced than the abacus, but not as user-friendly.

So far the trip has been AMAZING! Our first day, the 12th, we rode 436km from Arusha to Tanga, a town on the coast of Tanzania, north of Dar-es-Salaam. It was a fairly small town, but it was just nice to reach the Indian Ocean and feel the breeze off the sea. My young, lithe and undeniably taut body dealt with the rigors of riding that distance, and Dad held up alright, too, despite not having quite the Adonis -like physique of yours truly (I'm allowed this rash poetic license since I am thus far unable to upload contradictory photographic evidence).

Yesterday, we had a slightly shorter day at 355km, but it took the better part of an hour to manage the last 35km into Dar, since traffic was pretty insane. Ah, African traffic. I now count myself lucky to have to deal with Toronto rush-hour on a regular basis.

Dad had a very successful series of meetings this morning with the medical director and dean of the amalgamated health training facility here in Dar. Looks like there's some valuable information to take back to Rwanda, where they are attempting to establish the same type of facility.

Tomorrow we're off for a long ride; 455km to Dodoma, Tanzania, which is actually the capitol. Looking forward to it, but it's going to be nice and hot, since we won't have the cool ocean breeze to take the edge off.

So far no big setbacks, aside from a bent from rim on my bike (nothing too serious, photos to come) and a lost phone charger.

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers, I'll get back at you tomorrow when we get to Dodoma.

Ciao!