Convert Microsoft to LINUX: Zimbabwe Bicycle Africa 1998 Tour

Zimbabwe Bicycle Africa 1998 Tour

Bicycle Africa Trip to Zimbabwe June 13, 1998 - July 14, 1998. These are some pictures from my trip in 1998 to Zimbabwe with Bicycle Africa. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Here you see a narrative of each day with three pictures.



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June 25 Thursday - Footnote to last night. I went to the bathroom. There was no toilet paper so I asked the lady at the bar and she handed me some newspaper. Well I used it, but I did not want to put it down the toilet because it would clog it. There was no garbage pail so I had to ball it up and wrap it in more newspaper and leave it in the corner. Shinge said when ever I said "Where is the garbage pail?", "Just put it in the corner Victor". I have gotten quite used to squat hole toilet by now and always bring my own toilet paper with me , after last nights' experience. The next day Thursday we headed out to a small school. We had a beautiful tailwind which basically pushed us 50 km along with a lot of downhill. Then we did 40 km on a dirt road. The first 15 were real tough, because it was hot , sandy and quite rocky. At one point it looked like we were very far from any houses and I got a fright because I was on my last water bottle (5th liter) but all was ok. Mike, the South African guide, offered me some of his water to drink, which calmed me. Within 5 km we saw houses again and there were stores to stop for a drink (ginger beer). The rural school we are staying at has no electricity except for a solar cell for , you guessed it, the television. All the refrigerators in Africa run on kerosene in the rural area. So one is constantly smelling kerosene fumes here. It took me 2 weeks to figure this out. Kerosene is also used in the cook stoves. I slept on a concrete floor at the school in one of the teachers houses on my thermarest pad. I had to get up in the middle of the night and could not find my flashlight. I felt my way to the toilet outside, squat pit toilet that is. Luckily there was a beautiful moon out and the stars shone beautifully. The water here has to be boiled before you drink it. They prepared a nice dinner for us. Shinge actually picked up a live chicken under his arm and pedaled back on his bike. It was then killed and served fresh. Luckily I did not see our hear it. I do not normally eat meat but on this trip I attempted to make some adjustments. This is one of 2 times I ate chicken. It sat in my stomach for hours so I gave up on meat, and will stick to brown rice and oatmeal. Unfortunately, there is no tofu around to be had. Beans are also not easy to come by here. I only found one kind, sugar beans, a brown spotted bean. After this incident of eating chicken I returned to my "fishetarian" ways. (Vegan with occasional fish and yogurt and butter). The stars here are absolutely incredibly beautiful. One advantage of no electricity. I enjoy looking at the Southern Cross and Scorpio and the milky way. Mike, the South African tour guide, is also a good astronomer. He pointed the Cross out to me and the constellations. Today is the next to the last day of the first trip. Tomorrow we pedal throgh great Zimbabwe Ruins and Masvingo.

  





I will have future pics here for more travelogues in the future.