Showing posts with label Cycling form Arusha-Cape town. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cycling form Arusha-Cape town. Show all posts

Monday, June 29, 2009

Zambia



After cleared the immigration procedure in Tanzania side I pushed my bicycle followed by crowed which was very useful because the help me to get to the exactly building in this crowed border post. In the Zambia immigration office the officers were more relaxed compare to Tanzania. I fill papers then get stamp on my booklet called passport. I cycled for 15km from the border in Zambia side stopped in the small shop for cold drink, here is where I realized I was already in other part of the world, currency, language, et cetera reveal the difference. I finished my little Tanzania money here, now I don’t have any cash I had visa card which I can use at Mpika town about 800km from where I was but I did have enough food supply, tent and bicycle that mean I was fine. I talked with shop keep different things regarding his country, the most obvious subject was country poverty in the moment.
Zambia was part of Rhodesia during the period of colonial possibly the main colonial interest was copper wealth that why the straggle to independent wasn’t hard compare to other southern Africa countries. The root of Zambia’s woes lie in Kaundas’s 27-years rule. During much of that period, the nation’s economy, along with the well-being of its citizen, steadily declined. The high rate of returns on exported copper made the national one of the most prosperous in Africa until 1975. Since then, fluctuating, but generally depressed, price for the metal and the disruption of the landlocked Zambia’s tradition sea outlets as a result of strife in neighboring states have had disastrous economic consequences.


I left Nakonde cycling slowly past corn sherp huts scarted in the miombo woodland. Most of these huts were well painted in differents coulers with certain image mainly flowers. I thought about deep inherit artistic behave of these people. This is a manifestation of industry, art, and culture known today in the modern world had it source in Africa. Paradox of Africa considered as dark continent full of miserable news.
The road was very lonely no pedalists at all, traffic was heavy track from and Tanzania as they deliver products from Dar es Salaam hobour to Zambia and Congo, Lubumbashi. Drives horn and wave to me enthusiastic. In the evening one track from Tanzania stopped few miters from where I was standing looking sun set. They were cheacking tires when I reached them we greet each in Swahili. They asked where I was planned to overnight I told them any where from there don’t in the village or in the bush. They invite me to ride with them to the next town where I will be able to have water because in this bush it hard to find. I ride with them and get of at King's campsite where I overnight. In the next morning I cycled towards south through Savannah bush land, overnight at the bush camp, about 15m out of main track cleared the ground by use my machete. Patch tent start cooking by made coffee to stimulate my metabolism and get back some sugar. Then I could make mixed grains porridge which gave me back calcium, some times I lost uptight, felt to have kind of liquid food so porridge with bred play part. In the next day cycled through the uninhibited but arable areas passed through small villages, I stopped in few occasions talked with children who stopped me shouting mbararaaa! Mbarara, mbaraa!. They were selling boiled ground nuts. Mbarara in a Bemba language means ground nuts this and sweat potatoes are main food crops in this dry miombo woodlands. I talked with these young fluent in Bemba practicing English which is school subject and few Swahili worlds from neighbor country. Other things these young and adult sell are charcoal, village chickens, eggs and guinea fowls caught in the bush.
Pedaling for whole day was challenge but the body was getting used day after day, monotonous miombo woodland made me more tired, in the evening I hitch hike to Mpika where I camped at Mzingo Hotel. From Mpika I got a lift in the early morning to Kabwe town where I reached 6:20am. Kabwe it among Zambian’sain town about 140km from capital city of Lusaka. The town was bit busy, I could see people rushing to the work and students to school others by foots with slow pace happily chat may be yesterday football match, news, exams,et cetera. There were others on mine buses, private vehicles, motor bike and bicycle; most of them seem to be in the deep thoughts. All these seen as I crossed this typical town with shops, fuel stations unusually to other towns such Mpika, Kapiri Mposhi, et cetera which town centers tend to be about 10km out of main road.This was the idea of president Kaunda to avoid prostitution and accidents” observed one old main I asked. I continue thinking about human life as I sense different after couples of days cycling in the less habitend areas except for those few copy and agreed with mather nature.
From Kabwe I cycled towards east then south east passed through miombo woodland but this was more green the sign of life compare to the northern where it was gravelly dry hence the hard life. I passed several named farms including lager ones belonged to those farmers flew from Zimbabwe. It was fan to see lot of sign boards with name of somebody farm it is not common to see this in Tanzania. Most of sign boards in Tanzania may be for schools. The day cycling was less tiresome, favored by weather which slowly approach southern hemisphere winter, flat terrains and lot of different things along the road made great zest. I approached Lusaka in the evening after 130km of cycling the body was still strong and able to continue. I camped at Brian compound; I met him when I was looking for campsite. Brian he invites me to have a dinner with him, as we were having a dinner of Nsima (stiff porridge/maize meal) and chicken pie we discussed about my expedition. Brian, kind and curious religious man become interested thought to arrange the interview with local televisions. He claims that such kind of expedition undertaken by black African youth will help to encourage others. Actually, I was trying to avoid to much publication after find out that media people they tend to sell news in the way which I do not like it. In fact I was doing something unusual guided with circumstes and leaded by quesquency. In the next day morning I had a brief interview with WOBI TV. I explained to them about the whole ideal and purposes of cycling. Mr. Phiri the journalist from WOBI TV who I had interviewed with said "this will also in courage other youth". Here cycling visibility study turned to be motivation cycling expedition.

I had short tour in Lusaka, visited tourist body had conversation with Meebelo Mulozi information and sale office then with culture tourism office. I went to new large shopping mall did little sopping, refill my gas stove. I left the city after early lunch of Nshima with capenta (saladine from Lake nyasa/Malawi) this is dominant menu in most local cafĂ©. I cycled for 150km passed through Kafue town on both side of kafue river the fist large river I crossed in Zambia since I entere the country from north. I turned off right shortly after Kafue town kept on cyclig passed Mazabuka town and others several township. In fact southern part of Zambia are more lively compare northern. In the 08:00pm I hitch hike to Chome where I camped and overnight in the compound of certain guest house. I left Chome early in the morning next day. I cycled for 200km to Livingstone, the longest distance in my cycling memory. I reached Livingstone 10:45pm. I camped at Jolly boys Backpackers. Livingistone town derived it name from 19th century white explore, is a Zambia’s main tourist destination here I met lot of travelers including young Dutch cyclist who decide to put his backpacker on bicycle and experience Africa in more close view and patiently. He had rough plain to cycle up to Egypt when I met him his credit card was broken, he planed to cycle to Lusaka and see his embassy try to sort support. He wrote to me later that he sold the bicycle at Dar es Salaam and went to Zanzibar forget cycling to Egypt. I left Livingstone town 10:30am, cycled to Victoria Falls/Big Falls which situated 10km south of the town. Know to local as Mosi-o-Tunya, the thunder of smoke. The first European named it after united Kingdom Victorian. They found in the might Zambezi river and act as the physical boundary of todays Zambia and Zimbabwe. The magnificent, 7th world wonders, world heritage site, Victoria Falls at almost 2km wide and 103 meters deep. The falls offer spectacular view Here I met a Belgium friend who paid the entrance fees for me. I spent 7hrs in side of Mosi-o-twa Np.

Zambia home of Victoria Falls, accommodate 19 national parks. Among of them Kafue, Luambe, Lower Zambezi, North Luangwa, South Luangwa and Mosi-o-Tunya National parks are frequent visited.

Zambia also busts wide range of cultural. With different ceremony such as Kiamboka ceremony the annual migration of Lozi people from low land to higher ground as the Zambezi plains in western Zambia flood in March.

There are more than 50 annual traditional ceremonies in Zambia manifesting customs, social life, ritual, oral history, material and spiritual cultural
In the evening I cycled to the border and cross the Zambezi Bridge to Zim
After crossing the Zambezi bridge where the border posts of Zambia the local people call it) and Zambia I found in each side of the greet Zambezi. As I was crossing the bridge it was so exiting to view the greet falls from the bridge. One might thought It is raining as the water from the falls pushed by wind to the bridge.
Victoria Falls is the name which this falls was given by the 19th century explorer Dr. Livingstone in his Zambezi exploration. He gave the falls that name in the honor of the queen Victoria.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Rough Budget

CYCLING AROUND AFRICA (Arusha to Cape Town 60, 000km 40,000miles)
ITEMS COST FOUNDED

Equipment

Bike 200 USD 120USD by myself and the remain by Globe Alliance
for Africa.

Helmet funded by LIMAR-ITALY
Tubes 4 20USD


Tires 80USD (founded by Global Alliance for Africa)

Bike Tools (repair kit) 100USD (not yet funded)

Bicycle Bags funded (20 Euro) By VAUDE Germany

Cycling clothes funded (30 Euro) By VAUDE Germany

Cycling glove

Cooker/Stove 100USD ($65funded anonymous)

Food 200USD (funded by my friend Thilo from Germain)

Hostel/Camping 150USD (not yet funded)

Return Bus(Emergency) 100USD (not yet funded)

Visas 100USD (funded by Eric http://mzungueriki.blogspot.com/)

Health/Medicine 200USD (not yet funded)

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Cycling Around Africa

Bicycle tours are an excellent and intimate way for the intrepid traveler to truly discover a nation and its people: freed from the physical and cultural constraints of motorized transport, one is able to experience the reality of a place.


Cycling between Arusha Tanzania, East Africa (half way from Cairo Egypt to Cape of Good Hope) to Cape Town South Africa, first part. In fact Africa is the victim of globe threading climate changers, pre-trophy hunting recently poaching, and mass tourism (vehicle and tracks) contribute to the fast degrading of Africa non-renewable resources.

Behind the political map of Africa lies an older, biological one, which scientists have only recently drawn in detail. “ we’re looking at the perspective of plants and animals.” “It’s a better way of measuring what we’re loosing.”

In most of the world large mammals like elephants died out late in the Pleistocene, around 10,000 years ago, perhaps because of human hunting . In Africa, where animals and people coexisted for more than two million years, large mammals survive in appreciable numbers, predators and prey, roaming forests and savanna. Sparse human populations and pre-industrial economies enabled large animals to survive.

Sustainable Eco-tourism is a best way to keep and maintain the African Natural Heritage for future generations. The project of field study for cycling around Africa we help organize and arrange the activities such as back road, active, cross-cultural, educational, environmentally friendly, economically responsible, moderate adventure level, sustainable Eco-tourism.




Leaving Arusha 5th June I'll pedaling towards The Cape of Good Hope Ooh yes Good Hope.



Why cycling:
The main purposes of the cycling trip are;
 To conduct a field study of the natural attractions and locations from East Africa to Southern Africa,
 To identify stakeholders in the area both along the road, and the hinterland each side
 Meet and establish the contacts with the stakeholders.
 Survey the areas and determine the condition/climate
 Collect information any similar project/study/expedition.
 Identify those areas that the required infrastructure
 Develop a basic awareness.
 Africa because no one place or country in Africa epitomizes Africa.
 Introduce new form of bike tours / cultural adventure for Westerners seeking to learn more about Africa
 To insure the Safety and Security is a primary concern in our selection of destinations and routes
 To promote Eco-tourism and cultural tourism within Tanzania and beyond it borders


It is generally assumed that tourism is a good and godsend for non-industrialized countries and that Eco-tourism is the best and bicycle tourism is a viable option that needs to be explored.

A bicycle-friendly climate is the starting preparation in welcoming bicycle tourism. The cycling activity by local people is a good indicator of bicycle use among the population of residents, so if a level of bicycle use is growing and already high then this may be a good indication that it will be good cycling for visitors. The time has come to address and explore the opportunities bicycle tourism can offer within the larger picture of tourism as a whole.

While the bicycle way offers exceptional tourism experiences increasing its popularity is likely to be compared to going uphill into a headwind slowly. In our global world the massage of tourism and the momentum for how people choose to spend their holidays is pointing in different directions so three needs to be some change.

To change any patterns of behaviors it is useful to understand what drives personal attitudes and to most westerners their choice of leisure activity reflects their personal measurement of a successful holiday.
Here success seems to be calculated by how many entries you have in your passport, how many cantonments have you played golf on, how many elephants have you seen and how many roll of films have you shot.

In order to change tourism we must first change the ethics and goals of tourist.

Is tourism about turning someone else’s scenic background into a play ground(front yard) into foreigner who can afford to pay for it. Or, does tourism has certain responsibility when its come to the visit? What standards should be what extent are visitors responsible for respecting local cultural.

Activists who are interested in changing in changing the tourism sector must first work at reshaping the values and attitudes by which people use to measure their holidays.

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