African Bicycle Expedition - Troubles & adapting

Troubles & adapting

We've had our fair share of troubles during our adventures, but it seems that with every new snag, something totally unexpected happens. I guess it's part of the charm of travelling. Adapting to various environments and conditions is not always easy, but when you don't have the choice, well...you don't have the choice. These pictures show a small fraction of what types of problems we had to deal with.

Of course...Bike trouble was ever-present. I don't think there was one moment, except maybe during the ride from the airport on the first day, when everything on our bicycles was working properly.

Getting used to the total isolation, knowing there was absolutely nobody and nothing for hundreds of kilometers all around, was disconcerting as well as being an intense, indescribable feeling.

The roads were not always in the best of conditions. This is a perfect example of those dreaded washboards we so often had to contend with.

There's nothing worse than a medical problem. We've had quite a few, including this sprained wrist which left us stranded for three days on a Namibian farm (where we met the most wonderful people).

Protecting ourselves from the stinging sand and the blistering sun was a mission in itself.

The nights and mornings in the Namib desert plummetted to freezing temperatures.

Water...well, everything depended on water: where we could have some, how much we could carry, when was the next time we would find some, how long would it take to get to the next place with water, how bad was the taste... We could carry 12 Liters on us, which, depending on the conditions, could last us between 24 to 36 hours. Here, a farmer dropped off a box full of water bottles about halfway through the great desert crossing after hearing about us in the last human settlement (Solitaire) 300 km from the coast, where the next sign of civilization was located.

With no trees around, we had to improvise shade to hide from the unforgiving rays.

We've had a few sleepless nights because of the random hyena roaming around, or the fierce gale flattening our tent on us, or again the freezing cold...

Public transportation was never easy, and we had to come up with some pretty creative ways of taking the train, the combi, or the bus.

Bicycle maintenance was a big part of the story. We not only wanted to do this, but we wanted to do it looking good :)

The sand pit was our worst enemy, forcing us to push our loaded two-wheelers through deep sand.

We were sometimes forced (or by convenience) to leave the bicycles behind for a couple of days. Carrying all the necessary stuff on our own was no small feat.

Cooking dinner with limited resources forced us to be inventive in order to avoid monotonous meals.

Animal danger was clear and present, just like this mother elephant in Botswana who charged at us (fortunately, it was a mock charge).

Bush fires were all over the place, so you had to choose your camping spot very carefully.

In order to avoid germs, bacteria, and viruses, filtering our water (using our GREAT General Ecology water filter) was part of the daily routine.

I'm not sure how much our bicyles weighed, but this broken wooden fence (after leaning my bike against it) is an indication.

We came terrifyingly close to being run over more than once. Traffic accidents were common, especially in Zambia, where the rules of the road did not apply to insignificant little cyclists (or to anybody else for that matter).

Of course...Bike trouble was ever-present. I don't think there was one moment, except maybe during the ride from the airport on the first day, when everything on our bicycles was working properly.
Getting used to the total isolation, knowing there was absolutely nobody and nothing for hundreds of kilometers all around, was disconcerting as well as being an intense, indescribable feeling.
The roads were not always in the best of conditions. This is a perfect example of those dreaded washboards we so often had to contend with.
There's nothing worse than a medical problem. We've had quite a few, including this sprained wrist which left us stranded for three days on a Namibian farm (where we met the most wonderful people).
Protecting ourselves from the stinging sand and the blistering sun was a mission in itself.
The nights and mornings in the Namib desert plummetted to freezing temperatures.
Water...well, everything depended on water: where we could have some, how much we could carry, when was the next time we would find some, how long would it take to get to the next place with water, how bad was the taste... We could carry 12 Liters on us, which, depending on the conditions, could last us between 24 to 36 hours. Here, a farmer dropped off a box full of water bottles about halfway through the great desert crossing after hearing about us in the last human settlement (Solitaire) 300 km from the coast, where the next sign of civilization was located.
With no trees around, we had to improvise shade to hide from the unforgiving rays.
We've had a few sleepless nights because of the random hyena roaming around, or the fierce gale flattening our tent on us, or again the freezing cold...
Public transportation was never easy, and we had to come up with some pretty creative ways of taking the train, the combi, or the bus.
Bicycle maintenance was a big part of the story. We not only wanted to do this, but we wanted to do it looking good :)
The sand pit was our worst enemy, forcing us to push our loaded two-wheelers through deep sand.
We were sometimes forced (or by convenience) to leave the bicycles behind for a couple of days. Carrying all the necessary stuff on our own was no small feat.
Cooking dinner with limited resources forced us to be inventive in order to avoid monotonous meals.
Animal danger was clear and present, just like this mother elephant in Botswana who charged at us (fortunately, it was a mock charge).
Bush fires were all over the place, so you had to choose your camping spot very carefully.
In order to avoid germs, bacteria, and viruses, filtering our water (using our GREAT General Ecology water filter) was part of the daily routine.
I'm not sure how much our bicyles weighed, but this broken wooden fence (after leaning my bike against it) is an indication.
We came terrifyingly close to being run over more than once. Traffic accidents were common, especially in Zambia, where the rules of the road did not apply to insignificant little cyclists (or to anybody else for that matter).

Troubles & adapting

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