Afrique 15 - LESOTHO 2

 only fotos

Afrique 42 – TANZANIA 8 – FROM ARUSHA TILL NAIROBI

 We get off Erik home early and we take the way to the border. The road follows by an easy long climbing, 30 km, by forest and farm land. There only a few small groups of houses along the way, basic shops, and a bigger village at midway. At the top, 2000 m about, we find us in a plateau, in fact hilly, with just grass, or small acacias in very open forest, undense, and forest on the hills around, which are in fact the peaks of the mountains. Again I suppose here it was all forest, a few hundred years before. Then humans cut the trees to make coal, fields, and push the animals away. Then rains brought the soil away, and now it lasts just poor grass and small acacias. That is the drama of Africa, too many people have to survive by anyway, they can’t respect the nature, and they can’t respect the future. And that is the way Africa would die, no more forest, no more wood for coal to cook and heat anything, no more soil for crops.

Then we follow on the plateau for a while. The road goes downhill in fact. 15 km after the top we cross a village, well very small and no guest house. From here starts the gravel road which goes around the mount Meru and joins the one around Kilimanjaro. No sign, no indication, and no sign to indicate the name of the village. After 25 km of light downhill the road flatters and follows undulating. We get some backwind and it is yet fresh for Africa. We cross a land without house or village, just grass, acacias, hills in the distance, and a few massais driving herds of cows or goats. By the end of the road, at the foot of a big hill, we can distinguish a big group of houses, a big village, our hope to find a roof for the night. It seems near, when we get at the end of the downhill, but we would have to cycle 2 hours more, and 30 km. We finally arrive in the little town, after 83 km, a long but easy day. I quickly find a guest house and a restaurant. People are nice here. We see a few gringos strolling around, certainly coming by some agencies to visit that typical massai place, but with new road and new buildings, not the so so poor places we saw all along the travel.
Just after the village we see the gravel road going west to Serengati. But we continue straigh for 30 km till the border, by an easy road. The little town is again looking like a slum, with a big building in the middle for the customs. It seems there a side district with good buildings, and the road is in works. Well we stop for a breakfast and we cross the border easily. Locals are yet very helpful for free, so good. Then we decide sleep here, as it is already hot, and the next guest house would be 32 km away. First we look for a guesthouse on the main road, which is in very bad state, but the 2 aren’t what we like. We see the town is in fact aside the road, by a gravel road on EST just after the border. So we take it and first we go too far. There are a lot of little shops along the street which confuse us. Then I ask and we go back. And just before getting out I see that the orange building I already noticed is a guest house. Good we are in town, which make easy some shopping. We first buy a sim card, and then we go to a little butchery restaurant.
We move early, and the road is hilly with long straight climbings. We go by farm land, with crops and cattle and poor grass with trees. There a few villages. The first at 20 km has just a few houses. The second 15 km away, smells, and don’t have a lot more, we just find a place to eat some chapattis, no lunch. We continue till the little town, 30 km more, where we decide to stop. As it is Sunday most of the shops and all the restaurants are closed. We find a strange guesthouse, unfinished, looking a bit like a Wald Disney castle. By the evening a drunk massai try to open our door with keys, 2 times. First I talk with him calmly, second I go to the boss of the hotel, who manages the trouble. But we close the door with a table, in case. In fact that was the watchman, drunk, who were trying all the keys to be sure there is no double.
In the morning we take a taxi to Nairobi to avoid any danger of robbery, 6000 sh. In fact we go in a suburb south, near the giraffe park. The taxi takes a back road on left at the first village. We see some wild animals and farmland and grass. We arrive at the entrance of the town, we turn on right at a big cross, and we arrive in Rangai suburb. Here we meet here the family of Francis who accept to lodge us for 3 days, warmshowers. We get a very nice time with us. First day we go shopping with the boy, then I go to the market with the 2 girls to prepare a Chilean soup for supper, and last the mother makes chapattis. In the early morning we take a taxi to the airport. The parents awake at 5 with us to say goodbye.
In the plane our neighbor is a woman, 45 years old about. That is the first time she takes a plane. Martine reassures her. She explains that she found by agency a contract to work as a housekeeper for 2 years in a family in South Arabia. She let behind her family with 3 children, and she doesn’t know anything about the family or the town where she goes. No possibility to escape, as she doesn’t have money. She speaks a few English. Till the end, we meet the terrible African misery. We get 15 hours waiting in Djeda airport, interesting to see all the Muslims tribes with local Muslim clothes. At the end we arrive in Istanbul.

Afrique 41 – TANZANIA 7 – FROM MOSHI TILL ARUSHA

 We take the bus from Dar till Moshi. So we get at 8 am 4 km very busy, and then 4 km more with low traffic, till the bus terminal. Here a woman drives us till a big bus with a big cargo, where it is easy to put the bikes and luggages. We have to fight a little to get reasonable prices for the tickets and the luggages. We pay each 50.000 sh for the ticket, and 25.000 sh for the bike, which makes all 50$. It is certainly too much, but not so bad, the bus is in good state and comfortable. The road is hilly and hot all along. First it crosses a flat with small bush, grass, or sisal. Then on East side is the wall of the mountains, with abrupt slopes and cliffs, with small fields of sisal at the foot, very impressive, and on West side a flat land with grass. The road doesn’t enter in the mountains so it doesn’t look difficult, but very dry. It seems there is only little traffic. There are only a few little villages and some towns along the way. Arriving near Moshi, we see the peak of the Kilimanjaro, covered with snow.

We arrive at 7 pm in Moshi, and we go straight to Buffalo hotel, easy to find and near the bus terminal. Then we go to a restaurant. First we just go in front, but when I see only groups of Mzungus, I would like to find other place. Unfortunately it is late so everything is closed, so we go back to Indoitaliano restaurant. We have to wait 1h30 to get the 2 pizzas. We notice that the Mzungus eat just a little piece of their plate, such a shame in Africa! Well these people who wastes 5.000$ in 2 weeks to climb the Kilimanjaro, and visit Serengeti park and Zanzibar, doesn’t care about Africa or African, they just care about themselves, as autists as Tommy, the lead character of the rock and roll band The Who. 5.000$ is 10 years salary of a primary school teacher in Congo!

Well at 9 am we move cycling way to Arusha. The road first is hilly climbing 300 m, and then goes downhill 300 m to get back to 800 m. Then comes a 10 km long climbing to cross a pass at 1200 m, 400 m up. Then comes 7 km downhill to go back 900 m. And that finish by 25 km climbing to rise Arusha and 1500 m high. We do it in 2 days, 60 km and 25 km, as I yet suffer recovering from malaria. We don’t see the Kilimanjaro, and barely see the Meru, as it is very cloudy. First the countryside is large fields, with crops and villages and farms. We pass the cross to the airport and we enter in a very dry land, flat, with sand and poor grass, and herds of cattle with shepherds. There are a very few farms and small villages without guest houses. Then we start the long climb and it becomes a little greener. We finally arrive in USA cross to Meru Mountain, and little further is the big village with all the services. Day after we get the long climb to Arusha, 25 km, with a very lot of traffic, and with a narrow shoulder. We see a lot of 4*4 with Mzungus. They all stop at the same shops, they don’t see Africa. The countryside changes totally, it becomes tropical, with a lot of trees, flowers, and farms with papayas, bananas and mangoes.

We arrive in Arusha at midday where we meet Erik, from warmshowers. It is good to stay in a real old house with nice furniture and decoration. Also he gets 2 houses, with very amazing architecture, and his family is very simpathic.
By the afternoon we go downtown to the supermarket, and it is horribly busy with minibuses and cars. We quickly go back to the quiet of Erik home. We stay 2 nights as I need to rest. It is raining, big showers and storms.
Erik tells us it is possible to follow by bicycle the coast road from Dar to Tanga, crossing the national park. Also he tells us the nice road to go to the border is going way to Serengeti, and just before the gate of Nogorogo national park, on Makuyuni, turn on right on the gravel road which join the main road Arusha Nairobi near the border, passing by Massai territory, between Vulcans, and with animals.
Well recovering malaria, I can’t follow it.

Afrique 40 – TANZANIA 6 – ZANZIBAR

 ZANZIBAR

La perle de l’orient, prétendent tous les voyageurs et guides. Vu de la mer c’est une ile basse couverte de bush, avec quelques grands hôtels modernes et près du port industriel quelques bâtiments administratifs du siècle dernier, ressemblant aux hôtels australiens, façades de bois, balcons en bois ajoure, et ferronneries ajourées. Dès la sortie du ferry, les mouches a touristes assaillent, mais en douceur, sans insister. Ce sera la répétitivité qui sera lassante, chaque minute un nouvel appel. Ensuite viens la route circulaire le long de la mer, et l’entrée dans la vieille ville. C’est un ensemble de quelques rues en toile d’araignée reliées par de multiples passages. C’est un labyrinthe ordonne, finalement simple à comprendre. A l’intérieur les immeubles à 2 ou 4 étages forment haie. En général ils n’offrent que des façades ordinaires avec petites fenêtres, d’un gris sale, irrégulier, avec une porte en fer, ou en bois sculpte. Mais ceux sont toujours les mêmes portes, quelques modelés répétés. Peu de sculptures, et seuls les hôtels de luxe ont des façades rénovées, et parfois des balcons en bois sculptes. Dans ces rues on rencontre des échoppes ordinaires qui n’ont rien à vendre, et des échoppes avec des souvenirs, artisanats mal faits et sans gout, tous les mêmes, et des prix multiplies par 10. Plus loin on entre dans le marché, l’endroit le plus agréable, le seul endroit vrai. Mis à part la grande avenue bruyante de trafic automobile, c’est un ensemble de véritables étals avec des petites boutiques, pas un bidonville de morceaux de bois, plastiques et cartons, avec des passages propres, plats et secs, pas un égout avec des ordures éparpillées, à marcher entre elles et les flaques. Ici j’ai plaisir à marcher, à regarder les étals, a gouter un peu de pieuvre, à boire un jus de canne, à manger des fruits, au prix local, comme les locaux. Mais il fait chaud, Martine a faim et ne picore pas elle veut un vrai resto. Nous nous asseyons donc en terrasse d’un resto local, puis nous retournons dans la vieille ville pour touristes, l’ennui et la nullité, la magie est finie. Le lendemain je suis toujours patraque, faible, par la malaria. Nous faisons un bref tour dans les ruelles, nous achetons les billets pour le ferry. Le type du port charge de nous conduire à la boutique nous promène chez ses amis, mais nous voulons payer par carte de crédit. Nous arrivons à une boutique plus respectable, mais nous devons attendre la patronne, la seule qui sait utiliser la machine à cartes.
Apres quoi Martine achète quelques souvenirs, et nous allons boire un thé dans un hôtel de luxe pour pouvoir utiliser la wifi.
Le lendemain nous prenons le ferry pour Dar. Nous n’aurons pas été voir les plages de la côte Est, bordées de lodges et hôtels pour touristes blancs, il fait trop chaud et je suis patraque.
Zanzibar, stone town sans maison en pierre, mais juste une ville en dur, et en fait de perle plutôt une verroterie. Jusqu’au bout l’Afrique Sud Est m’aura déçue, m’aura parue sans intérêt.

Afrique 39 – TANZANIA 5 – DAR ES SALAAM

 DAR ES SALAAM

Nous arrivons à Dar es Salam en bus. Les gens nous indiquent la sortie du parking de la gare routière, immense et confuse.
Puis nous avons 10 km à parcourir par la grande route à 4 voies, dans le trafic et le chaos des vélos, motos, piétons et camions, bus et voitures, avec la circulation ralentie et bousculée par des travaux. Finalement nous arrivons sans encombre au centre ancien. Et de la grâce au plan affiche sur le téléphone et aux indications des gens, nous arrivons à l’hôtel, ou nous trouvons une jolie chambre pour 35$.
Juste à cote il y a un excellent restaurant pour les riches, ou nous déjeunerons tous les midis, de grillades et bons légumes. Je me demande qui de nous 2 a le plus d’appétit, nous dévorons.
Nous marchons un peu dans Dar, d’un cote pour aller à l’ambassade du Canada pour que Martine récupère son passeport, de l’autre du cote du port, qui est à côte de l’hôtel. Nous allons aussi plus à l’intérieur pour rencontrer le Canadien qui travaille avec l’association pour laquelle Martine voulait faire du volontariat. Elle espérait visiter avec lui quelques opérations de construction, mais il n’aura pas le temps de nous amener, la malchance continue.
Dar est une vraie ville, avec des rues goudronnées, des immeubles et des maisons, un plan d’ensemble, des boutiques, des échoppes, et des marches. Ça fait plaisir à voir. Il y a une jolie esplanade le long de la mer pour rejoindre le quartier des ambassades, et le port est en train de devenir un quartier moderne. Nous n’avons pas été voir le marché des pécheurs, il faisait très chaud et je fatigue vite, toujours souffrant de la malaria.
Apres quelques jours nous prenons le ferry pour Zanzibar.

Afrique 38 – TANZANIA 4 – FROM MIKOUMI TILL MOROGORO

 New day we have to cross another national park, with animals this time. So we cycle together, to avoid any lonely bad meeting. Nearly no chance, but… We go slow, as we are yet tired, and we don’t want to miss animals. Well we see a lot of herds of gazelles, some kudus, and a few buffalos in the distance. We see also at the start big birds, as there are some natural dams. And by luck we see 2 herds of giraffes, very near, one running along the road accompanying us for a while. Well all the restaurants and shops are inside the Park and we not allowed crossing the gates, so we just stop in the sun to eat a bit and rest, not very comfortable. And yet the crazy trucks and buses drivers are racing, horrible. The second part of the park is with a lot of little trees, and we don’t see any more animals. Also it becomes hilly, and hot. After 50 km we get off the park and we join the village Doma, where we plan to sleep. I take lunch, as Martine feels seek and doesn’t want to eat, and we ask for the guesthouses. Well there is only one, and it is all full, awful. The lodge disappeared time ago. The owner of the guest house tells us there is a guest house in the next village, 30 km away. It is very hot. I propose to Martine to try a primary school here, but she wants comfort, shower and fan. So we hardly do the 30 km, very hilly and climbing, to arrive at the village. Well it is just a few shops, and there is no guest house. Also at the start everyone tries to sell me anything, so I stay in silence, in the shadow on the other side, where there are no shops, waiting for Martine. When she arrives we talk a while, we buy some water, the villagers are nicer, more helpful, and as Martine doesn’t get anymore strength, she accepts to ask shelter in the primary school. We go in, 500 m away, and meet the head teacher. I quickly get a strong headache because of the heat on the road, so I let Martine talk. Anyway she is better than me for that. She continues to be happy to tell our trip, and to tell she is a teacher, well always the same story. But she is American; she likes to look the stronger and the clever one. Anyway that is working. But we get a long chat, whilst the head teacher asks to children to manage we get a bucket of water and drinking water. Here there is no well, no bore water. Some has to bring it from a bit far, and for drinkable water some has to boil it. After a long while water doesn’t arrive, none brings it. And we both feel very tired, longing to go to bed. The head teacher proposes us to sleep in his dining room, but it is too small, so we settle in a classroom. It is hot, we don’t get a bucket to wash ourselves, and Martine feel yet seek and doesn’t eat.

I can only constate that Martine doesn’t stand anymore the heat, the bad food, the hot water, and the incomfort we meet in Africa. So as I know following the road would be at the best in the same difficult conditions, and certainly worst, as we would have to follow a lot of dusty trails far from towns, I decide the trip would finish in Zanzibar. We won’t go to Uganda and Kenya, and get arguments each day because she is looking for impossible comfort, impossible cold water and impossible good food, impossible fresh weather to pedal.
Me that makes already a long time I have enough of crossing slums, seeing destroyed or abandoned lands and forests, seeing only chickens, cows and goats as big game, and miserable people everywhere, working all by hands, with no hope of better, or staying idle and drunk.

Next day Martine awakes early and moves out the tent in hurry to try to find some fresh air. Me I still get a strong headache, and tired by getting it all night. So we have a very slow ride till Morogoro, the big town, 40 km away. The road is hilly and we enter in a poor land flat and all covered by small bush. It is very hot. We stop in a very small village, just a few huts, and I eat some chapattis with tea in a restaurant, well a few plastic chairs under a corrugated roof, and ground floor. In front is a mountain, lonely, with the slopes all naked, no grass, no trees, just sand and rocks. In the distance on south we can see high mountains, all a lane, in the fog. We hardly arrive at the cross, with still these crazy drivers. We turn on right way to Morogoro town, an other big slum in concrete. Well the main streets are asphalt and most of the building are in concrete, but ugly, bad maintained, just cubes without any art or decoration, and dark inside. First at the bus stop we turn on left and arrive in the university district, always a bit better, with real buildings and gardens. We ask for a guest house at a filling station, and after a long chat between them they tell us this guy would drive you to a lodge for 1$ forget it. We go back to the bus terminal and ask to a policeman. He indicates us the street on left rounded by very high mango trees, nice road. But the guest houses are miserable, or in the mountain, far from town. We go back and try the last street. We see near the Alood buses shop 2 hotels. We choose the best one and the best room. We stay 3 nights, Martine is resting, again seek, and me boring in that town where there is nowhere to walk, to ugly. We eat too in the expensive restaurant of the hotel for lunch, and buy food in the only one in town and small supermarket just at the corner. Morogoro is at the foot of a beautiful large peak, we discover it when the sun trough the fog away. It is all green, with grass and small bush, with cliffs and abrupt slopes, and 3 real peaks, not smooth at all. It would be nice to walk in, but it would cost at least 100$ each by day, and we would have to find a guide and porter for the food, out of our budget, and anyway too expensive for a trek, as I can do same or better in Western for 15$ a day.
There are 2 ways to visit Africa, the cheap one, near the local people and their way of life, or the very expensive one, doing all the things for tourists, national parks to see animals, trekking mountains, or forests, rafting rivers, flying over natural sites, diving, driving in dunes in the desert, etc…, just spend 200 till 500$ a day each, be conceited, be only interested by himself and his own pleasure, and have any care or empathy for the miserable population everywhere. That is what most of the tourists, also cyclists do in Africa, that is why they enjoy it. Then come those who work here, I didn’t meet them, so I don’t talk about.

Afrique 37 – TANZANIA 3 – FROM IRINGA TILL MIKOUMI

 We should start early from Iringa, but Martine gives me a hand to get the bike between 2 parked cars and scratched her short. So first we go to a tailor for a quick repair. Then we take the road, undulating by a large valley with farmland, between 2 lanes of hills; well remember theses are not hills but smooth tops of mountains, 2000 m high. The slopes are covered with small bush. We get an 8 km long steep climb, with a great view of all the land down, on left, forest everywhere. Then comes a long light downhill till Ilula, a small town, looking like a slum as always. We take lunch at the top part, and then we discover the main part is downhill. At the end I see the only comfortable guesthouse, but yet it is not midday, so I decide to continue. We cross Ikokoto, which is indicated on the map as a main village, but it is just a few houses along the road. I ask and some tells me there is a hotel downhill. Well we get 10 km steep down winding along a stream, in a gorge, between 2 abrupt high slopes, with high trees. No houses here, no huts, and none can chop the trees. We get s few views on the stream, and we go rather slowly. We arrive at the hotel, but it is a tourist trap, with rooms at 25 and 35 $, a big place with various buildings, restaurants, huts for traditional lodging, conference hall, etc…, all empty but no way to bargain. We continue, as I hope to find some guest house near. After 10 km we arrive in Mahenge. We are again in a valley with farms, but along the river, so there are some good views on the river and plants around, and big trees. In Mahenge are 2 guest houses, but without visiting it or stop, Martine decide alone that they are too uncomfortable, and continues. We get some argument, as we have already done 75 km and the next village would be far, and it is very hot, but she continues. I follow her slowly, and after 35 km she is waiting for me at the entrance of a big village, where there are some guest houses. There were others villages on the road, but too small and too poor to get anything. We go to have a look at this place; well it is a dirty slum along the road, a truck stop, noisy and smelling gasoil. There are 3 miserable guest houses along the road, with bar, so we have chance to get loud music all night. We choose to go back to the guest house just before the entrance of the village. At least it seems quite and clean. In fact there no water no electricity and the owners who live in are very noisy, talking loudly, sweeping the courtyard at 6 am. Worse than anything other in the end! Well I go instantly to bed with aspirin and my walkman to try to sleep.

In the morning I move away as quick as possible. I need to be outside, and we have a long day, and I am tired and with headache, because of the too long day yesterday. Fortunately we enter in a national park and the country side is wonderful. We are in a narrow valley winding along the river, slightly downhill, so easy to pedal. The slopes of the mountains on each side are covered with forest, with high trees, no one chops them here. Well certainly it is not the original forest, destroyed before by the locals, but at least it is forest. And in the valley grow a lot of big baobabs, here protected and with a sign and a number on each and other big trees. I can see birds flying. And there are a very few huts along the river, with just some vegetable garden, a bit far from the road. They are populated by Massai, yet in traditional clothes, very tall and slim, very poor too. Africa, with Europe, are the only 2 continents where primitive or very antic tribes are not respected and not protected. So we get a nice ride for 35 km. The only problem is as there is no village; there is no shop, no restaurant. So we are hungry. Then starts the long climb, 35 km more, at the start easy and then with long steep stretches. Well the countryside continues beautiful, however we get off the river bed. At the top I see a hut selling bananas, but for whites it is 4 times the price so I let it. 1 km after, downhill, a farm gets a stand with bananas, where I get the local price. Then it is the downhill till Mikoumi. We get off the national park, and the forest is no more protected. So all the hills are nearly naked, most of the trees are cuted, letting just poor grass, rocks, and scattered poor small trees in the heat and the sun. Sure here in a few years the mountains would be dry rock, and nothing more growing, and people moving away, no more wood coal, so no way to make some money to survive, no way to cook, no way to get hot water or to heat anything. Yet they don’t use fuel or gas, too expensive, and needing a special expensive stove too. Just before the town I stop under a tree, in the shadow, just at the foot of a farm, to wait for Martine. The young guys talk with me for a while, but their English is short, and my Swahili shorter. So I am alone again and I co to the town. Well it is just another slum along 2 roads, with shops, a few guesthouses, and restaurants, trucks stop. And bus station. Mikoumi is at the entrance of 3 big national parks, so it should be a big town with supermarkets and lodges for tourists, but not at all. We eat at a restaurant and stop at the first acceptable guesthouse. The room is large and clear and quiet but dirty and very very hot, as the fan turns but it is wrong made, so it doesn’t move the air, just makes noise. We see later other acceptable guesthouses further, passing the trucks balance.

Afrique 36 – TANZANIA 2 – FROM MATAMBAKO TILL IRINGA

 Then we follow way to Iringa, in 3 days.

First day is by an easy but hilly flat for 30 km, we stay around 1600 m, with a very large view on the flat downhill, rounded by mountains in the distance. Then we climb 300 m till Nyororo, a big village slum, where we find a lodge.
Next day is a long day, 75 km, till Ifunda. We enter in a long and very large plantation forest of eucalyptus and pine trees, planted with the help of Norwegians, for wood and paper industries. There are a lot of different flowers on the shoulder, and on one place are growing a few parasol acacias. We follow that forest for 25 km. Then there a long and steep climb till Sao hill, and a long slight downhill till and other big slum town, Mafinga. We get a good lunch here, and it is certainly the place where I forget my vacuum flask. After Mafinga comes back an asphalt and large shoulder. It is a relief, because the drivers are fool in that country. They drive very fast, and overtake anywhere, without any visibility, at a top of a hill, at a curve, or a long file. Buses and trucks are racing, overtaking each other. And of course they won’t slower if there is no room for the small cyclist. So we have regularly to stop on the grass shoulder to let the trucks and buses go on. And there is rather a lot of traffic. Well cars drivers are not better, just very less in number. Each we see one or two trucks crashed along the road. That are new crashes, they don’t let the old crashed trucks along the road. We come back in a land with fields, but we don’t see any farm or crop or cattle, it looks like unused. The road continues with long hills. We get suddenly a splendid view on a very big swamp, mostly covered with green. We try to stop in the lodge Old farm Kisolanda, but it costs 40$ for a room and 14$ for camping, more than double price than a nice room in a lodge, 6$ today. So we move away and continue till Ifunda. We arrive just after the rain, so the very black sky was just impressive. We stop at top of the town, in the first lodge indicated, just behind the market. It looks typical African ambiance, with the bar and a little kitchen outside for the restaurant. We get good food for 4$. Well coming back to the room I discover I lost my vacuum flask so I am a bit disappointed.
We get 40 km to join Iringa. That starts by 7 km climbing till 2000 m and 300 m downhill and a long slight downhill till the village, another slum. Then some other hills and a long downhill slightly, till the cross to Dodoma. The road goes by a large valley, with huts and basic farms, between 2 lanes of hills, covered by a small bush. Well the hills are in fact the top of the mountains, at about 2000 m high. Then Iringa town is at the top of the hill, so we have 2 km climbing at 7%. Iringa is a big town, and lodging is expensive. Well we find a nice place to stay, for 2 nights. Then we go walking. Mostly the center is a market, shops everywhere, each one trying to win some money, lanes of building one flat high, in basic concrete. Only around the university there are some high buildings in good state and shops for white tourists. I ask to one of that shop where to find a new thermos. He drives us to another bazaar, where I effectively quickly find a good thermos. Then we come back. I go to the iron smith down to improve my front rack, following suggestion from Martine. Now the paniers would be more in the axe of the front wheel.
Then I go a bit to internet, good news the lodger in Malaga continue to pay.
Martine spends the afternoon reading.

Afrique 35 – TANZANIA 1 – FROM THE BORDER TILL MATAMBAKO

 We stay 2 nights in Telkia, the border town, in a luxury lodge for 20$, as Martine needs rest. The town is nothing more than a slum, with a few buildings in concrete bad made, some in bricks, and mostly in wood or mud. After comes the long climb till Mbeya, 85 km and 1800 m climbing. The first day we climb 1000 m and 40 km till Tukuyu. The second day we get 20 km descending 300 m, and then 20 km till the pass, 2300 m high, and in the end 5 km of quick downhill till the cross with the main road. The countryside is very different from Malawi. We pass by farmlands, luxuriant, with bananas, papaya, mangoes, pineapple, corn and manioc. There are a lot of houses along the road, with wall in concrete and hay roof. We see motorcycles instead of bicycles, and trucks and small buses. People too are very different, nice and helpful for free. Unfortunately only a few speak English, the local language is Swahili. When we stop in a village, always someone asks us what we are looking for, and drives us to the shop, without asking a beer or money. Children shout Mzungu, white in Swahili, good bye, but don’t beg. And also we find in each big village a lodge for 6$, very comfortable. All that makes that new country very relaxing and agreeable. On right the road is at the foot of the slope, in a narrow flat where are the farms and some fields, and on left is a very steep slope which goes till the lake, and then continues between mountains, with forest. Tukuyu is just another big slum, with a bus stop and a market, and a small district upper with a few official offices. Uyole, which is at the cross with the main road, is another slum, bigger and that is all. We spend again 2 nights for Martine. Well internet is working well. In front the mountains are covered only with grass, apart the top where there is a pine trees plantation. Certainly the forest which covered the slopes with small trees was cut down, for wood coal, and for the cattle to graze, and also to avoid animals stayed hidden inside.

Then we turn on right, following the main road till Dar es Salaam. The weather continues the same, mostly hot and sunny, with storm in the afternoon and the night. At midday we rake a lunch, chicken or meat with rice and beans or chips, in a local canteen, just a very small shop, with a few table inside or outside, and a woman cooking outside on braseros with wood coal. I slowly understand that here the people are maybe poorer than in Zambia, as the meals are very poor meat and food, and prices very cheap. The road enters in more farmlands with small houses along, less luxuriant, and more fields. The road is on right at the foot of a hill with mountains behind in the distance, presently in the continuous rain, and on left we have a large view of the flat downhill all with forest.
First day we continue downhill, for 300 m, till Chimala, with a few hills. Then we less the railway, and we enter in a hilly road, a bit steep, through forest and less houses, we are near reserves on each side. We were planning to do 60 km, but we find a hotel only in Wamgin Ombe, 80 km today. The third day is short and easy climbing along the railway. We arrive in Makambako, but we see the railway station, a few gasoline stations, a miserable cross, and a lot of trucks stopped along the road, waiting for the weight station. We pass all that, looking for a center, and we don’t see anything. So we continue, and we enter in the land again. After 2 km we understand we are already out of the town, and we have to go back. Just at this time a truck stops near Martine and gives her back her wallet with the money that she lost in the filling station in town. Thanks to them. So we go back, and at the filling stations just before the railway station we turn way to Songea. Coming from East there is a sign. We find a lodge, and I finally, at the end of the town, find an ATM where I can get money with my MasterCard. Since Zambia I mostly depend on Martine for the money, as my visa card was stolen, and most of the ATM refuses MasterCard. Matambako is just another slum, with a little more in the shops.

Afrique 34 – MALAWI 3 – KARONGA TILL THE BORDER

 Then the headmaster comes to talk with us a while before saying goodbye. The road continues through the same valley, which becomes less beautiful as larger. It is mostly hilly descending. At the end there is a bridge and then a long steep climb, 5 km about. I wait for Martine at the top under a shelter for sellers, just four sticks and some hay for roof, and 2 stones to seat. I chase a few children begging throwing them small stones, to keep relax. They stay with friends a bit away and very surprised. After there is a long and steep downhill, 10 km at least, with a few views on the lake and the beaches. 10 km more downhill and we arrive at a lodge, cheap and nice, in front the lake, just before kupa lodge. I notice none of the cyclists whom I readed the blog talk about that long climb, they certainly took by the lake on a ferry and avoid Mzuzu. But too none speaks about the steep climb to go up to Lilongwe from the lake. Well the lake has nothing particular. It is too large, so we cant see the reflection of the mountains around. The mountains which are at the oposite are too far to be really visible, and just with forest, no snow or rocks or glaciars. The beach is narrow. The fishers village neighbour is just a huts slum smelling. A few canoes in one piece of trunk are on the beach, webs are drying on sticks, and some women bring buckets with fish on the head. I feel quickly boring and we move in the morning. Martine would prefer to stay as the room is comfortable, with fan and fridge. I was hoping to find an other lodge 50 km away. The road first follows the lake, with some views on beaches or smelling fishers villages slums. Then it enters in farmlands, ordinary countryside with regulary concrete slums. We just go on, it is sunny and hot, and mostly flat with 2 hills. We efectivly find a lodge after 54 km but it costs 50$, double price, so we continue. I propose to stop in a primary school, but Martine refuses, she wants a shower and a fan. So we continue by the flat poor land till Karonga. Well is it because yesterday was the 31 and today the 1 of new year, but people are not boring asking money, apart some drunks, and they mostly say nicely hello or happy new year. We stop in the first hotel in Karonga, paradise hotel, 15$ for a clean and clear room.

In the morning Martine decides to move away till Tanzania, so we cross the very small town at 8 pm. Then we enter in a flat farmland with rice fields and houses everywhere. A lot of people are walking and a lot of children are shouting give me MY money so we are just racing till the border. We make only one stop near a river. Some adults and children insult us as we don’t stop or answer when they shout at us, so at those who tell us some blames in english we ask give me money shouting. Not sure they understand they have bad behaviour, but at least we take a revenge.
We finally cross the border at 12 am. I just don’t answer at the young begger who tells me 20 times hello before moving away. We change our Malawi money at the change shop just after the migration hall. When we cross the bridge to Tanzania border changers are trying to attract us but we just go on cycling the bikes. We cross the Tanzanian border easily, Martine has some nice talk with a Tanzanian, and we enter in Tanzania.

Malawi EST  le pays des MALAPPRIS

Afrique 33 – MALAWI 2 – LILONGWE TILL MZUZU AND KARONGA

 The day after we go on foot till the bus terminal. It is not far, in the old town with is a slum of concrete buildings with sellers on the boardwalk. The only nice and impressive building is the rather new mosque. We talk with one company which goes till the border, but Martine finds the bus too old and too repaired, so we choose an other company which brings us till Mzuzu. Then we go to the mall where we have a good lunch in a comfortable terrass. Well Africa could look nice for one who just visits the mall and the hotel in the same district. Then we go to internet.

At 5 am we awake and cycle till the bus terminal. The street is very quiet. We wait till 7 for the bus, which has a large cargo in the back. And then the bus waits till 9 am and when it is full it moves, 2 hours late. After one hour comes the first stop, where a lot of new customers enters, and have to stay up in the passage of the bus. Well we arrive in Mzuzu at 14 h30, too late for any conection. The countryside was boring, a lot flat with poor farmland or fields with small bush, and then a forest with small young trees in the hills. In Mzuzu we first go to Shoprite near the bus terminal, and then I find on the phone map a backpacker where a young guy drives us for one dollar. The room is 15$ and the lodge very quiet. It rains all night and all morning, so as we decide to follow by bicycle, we delay the departure for tomorrow. We go to make some shopping downtown, but most of the shops are closed on sunday, and anyway there is nothing but the basics, as Mzuzu is just a slum in concrete with poor people. Noone has any money to waste in unnecessary or comfort. We spend the afternoon resting and reading.
On the morning we take the road to Karonga. It starts hilly and climbing through farmland. After 20 km we arrive at the top and we continue hilly but descending slowly. The countryside is rather beautiful. We are in a large valley, with farms, crops and bananas and mangoes, huts and concrete. In the distance but not far is a range of mountains with forest and some wall of rocks. We stop at a primary school, and the children look at us till night comes, boring.

Afrique 32 – MALAWI 1 – CHIPATA TILL LILONGWE

 At the border, Zambia side, I decide we have to change all the Zambian money we get, as I scare none would want it on the other side. So I speak with a policeman who indicates me a change man. The change is 1=78 Martine just look in internet yesterday. The changer first propose 1=20. After a while bargaining we obtain 1=70. But all along the money transfer, the changer regulary tries to cheat us, saying you have your count now, when it was yet missing a lot. In the end we count again and it was OK. Then we pass the border without any dificulty and we get one month free visa for Malawi.

It takes us 2 days to join Lilongwe. The road goes through farm land, large mais and crops fields with a lot of halls to stock it. But local people looks the same than in Zambia. Poor people living in concrete or huts slums, dirty, humid, dark, bad mainteined, with rubbish everywhere. People wearing bad quality, old and dirty western style clothes, some women with more african dresses and a baby in the back in a blancket, a bucket on the head. And that squonks, and it is noisy with loud music from bad big speakers. Men stay seating outside drinking local beer, 20 cent a liter. Children shout at us, some byebye, some how are you, some give me money. Villages or groups of huts are everywhere all along the road. Some groves or solitary big trees, and mangoes trees in the fields. On the road there are very few cars, some minibus and trucks. Most of the traffic is made by bicycle. We see bicycle taxi, to bring one customer, and bicycle porter, to bring goods, any good in fact, bag of coal, wood, packs of bottle, paniers full of fruits or vegetables, goats, pieces of beef, pigs, chickens, bags of mais, etc… The cyclists must be vety strong, as they use commun bicycles, heavy and with only one guear, and the road is hilly. And mostly the bikes are old and in bad state. We see often a bicycle stopped along the road, in repair, or with a flat. The road goes with smooth hills, is rather easy, and boring. Most of the concrete buidings are made with bricks, mostly with hay roof. First night we sleep in a small primary school. When we arrive near, by a track passing over the ralway, we stop at the entrance of the village. The village is houses around a large square place, where all the children are playing. It is Christmas day. A lot of adults are here too. In one minute all are rounding us shouting. A man comes and speaks to us in english. As the headmaster of the school would come back home later he installs us in a classroom opened, well with no door and no window, just the holes, and a lonely school child table as furniture. I quickly decide to play some mandolin, using the table to seat. A lot of children round me at once. At the start they are fascinated amd quiet, but they become excited and noisy after a while, like always. I play loudly, but a few can really hear. Anyway they like to look. After an hour the headmaster arrives. I notice she puts a nice apron and manages a serious look. Well after a short talk she becomes friendly and invites us in her home. We visit the vegetable garden, with mais, gombos, a sponge vine, tomatoes, amd a babies acacias grove in little pots, to plant near the school. She proposes us to built the tent in the courtyard on concrete soil. But because of the rain coming, i insist to sleep in a classroom. In the end she propose us a room, as the children are away for holidays. While we are chating in the salon some teachers comes, and then we cook, and later the husband comes back home. We chat some more and then we go sleeping. Some chickens sleep too in the room, in a panier.
In the morning the husband tries to start the computer to copy the fotos of the yesterday mandolin, but as the electricity comes from a solar panel, the battery is too empty. So after taking the souvenir fotos with them and us, we go together in a training center 5 km away on our way by bicycle to find electricity. We stop in a slum in concrete and wood. Here a guy has electricity, maybe from a generator, and sells it, to charge phones or anything, and also making a movies hall with a tv inside a poor woodmade hall and some banches, where children are seating. The husband connect the computer, straight cables with cables without any protection, all under a big stone, and we make the copies, and also we copy other stuff each other. It takes one hour or so. Then we continue till Lilongwe. We just notice a big islamic secondary school. We arrive at the first roundabout. Here there is a first small mall. Then we go down hill till the street with all the big malls. We look for a lodge. We check Mufasa backpackers, and they have room, although in internet it was indicated full. Here we meet again the 2 cyclists we met in Chipata. Well we have some argument with the reception, as they pretend we would get wifi, and a fan but they don’t have, and more incredible we would have to pay one breackfast, abeit we rent a room for two, breackfast include.

Afrique 31 – ZAMBIA 4 – NYIMBIA TILL CHIPATA

 Then we continue by the same countryside till Chipata and the border. Sinda is just an other slum, and Kateke is 5 km far from the road. We continue to sleep in primary school. We learn that all the land belongs to a few chiefs. Certainly they keep all the incomes for them as we don’t see any benefit for the life and infrastructure around. But families can buy some land for a house and a vegetable garden.

Before Chipata we enter again in the hills covered by forest. We get 2 long climbings in the forest.
Chipata is a big town in the hills. On the west entrance is the rich part, in the north hill, with hotels and lodges. Then comes the old center, a slum crowdy amd dusty and smelling. And then comes the mall and the market. The mall is small but enough for us, internet and supermarket, the market is just an horrible slum smelling, and the few streets around noisy slums in concrete. We finally find a cheap and clear and quiet lodge near the mall, 20$ where we stay 2 nights. First day at the neighbour restaurant the big bus stops and we see a couple of cyclists from Holland going down of the bus. They get road bicycles, a lot of luggage, and bambu frames, zambian made. The man has a spoke which get off the the rib. He thinks he canno’t continue with that, that why they were taking a bus. I convince him he can continue carefully, for a week or two time to command a new wheel by internet. Well we will meet them in Lilongwe, where they cycle without trouble, 140 km. And they plan to continue.
We do the 22 km till the border crossing long slums in concrete smelling, boring and desagreable, and a bit hilly, by farmland. No problem at the border, when the woman asks us what we think about Zambian people, so we shout how are you like children do.

Afrique 30 – ZAMBIA 3 – LUONGWE RIVER TILL NYIMBIA

 Then we continue by a very hilly and steep road, up and down for 40 km without winning any altitud. Then comes the long climb, 20 km till Kacholola. All that is through a forest, woth some beautiful high trees, mostly in the climb, but as before most of the trees are young and small because of the chop. We see less huts and villages too. It is just a lane of concrete slum with shops, with rubbish everywhere on the place. We stop at the end in a restaurant for lunch. Men are seating, drunks or stupids with drugs. We eat rather well for Africa, and then we go to the lodge in front, Martine is looking for luxury. Well it is closed, in repair, as workers for the road repair would use it. But an emloyee tells us the boss would come soon and make us a good price. We wait half an hour, and it its 4 h30 so I have enough. I convince Martine to go in the primary school. As always we get our classroom and a bucket to wash, and a lot of spectators.

The day after we are on the flat top, so the countryside changes totaly. It flatters, well it is yet hilly but not so steep, more undulating. Around we cross farm land, crops and some fields for animals, the large valley is all cultivated. We see a lot of huts and villages everywhere, it is populated here. Well they are as poor as before no progress. I ask myself to whom belongs all this land ? People are working all by hands and cows tirant la charrue ou une carriole.
We stop at the primary school at the end of the town slum of Nyimbia. For once the headmaster asks us 5$ for the classroom. Tomorrow is 24 of december it would have a procession in the school, so she asks us too if we are believer. No the history learns us religion brings more bad than good, and doesn’t take care of human being lives and comfort. It is always helping the richest and the worst, and fanatism.

Afrique 29 – ZAMBIA 2 – LUSAKA TILL LUONGWE RIVER

 On Friday we move early by the East road to get off Lusaka. After 20 km of suburbs, we pass the airport and enter in the landscape. The road is rounded by fields, crops and middle high trees, not so bad. We see again the groups of huts, and the lanes of shops in basic concrete. The road goes hilly but mostly descending about 400 m so it is easy but very hot. We pass Changwe, which isn’t along the road, but at the cross we meet the classic slum of shops and women selling fruits on the shoulder. We continue and finally stop in a village to sleep in a primary school. The headmaster is a woman, and she is looking for english books for the school library.

On Saturday we continue by the hilly road under the heat. We have steep climbings. The road is rounded by middle high trees again, and huts, vegetable garden, lanes of poor shops and mangoes sellers. I continue to eat a dozen of mangoes by day, it is the best part of Zambia. We continue to see the sellers of wood coal all along the road. That is the reason they aren’t any big tree they are all chopped yet young to make the coal. At 2 pm we stop, because of the terrible heat, 37 in the shade, but there is no shade on the tarmac. We ask hospitality in a mission. Well the white manager and entrepreneur explains us all the story, from the firt school in mud walls and hay roof, till now, with rather a lot of buildings, a church, a nursery and some lodging, all in concrete and corrugated roofs. He is looking for big donations. Well to make a short story long indeed it is impressive. But I feel tired and it is so hot, I just dream to drink some tea and rest. After 2 hours of tales, he let us alone in a nice room.
And in the morning we start with light rain. After 2 hours we pass an other slum shops, Rufunsa. We try to make some shopping but we don’t find nothing bearable. We continue a bit and stop under a bus stop on concrete, at the cross which lay to Rufunsa village. We stay here 3 hours waiting for the end of a heavy rain. Then the sun comes again and I convince Martine to continue. I feel here in a trap, a poor village where no big bus would stop and heavy rain for 3 days. We continue and we joins quickly the cross with the hospital and mission. We buy some cooked eggs and go on. We climb rather easily the 8 km of the big climb crossing the lane of mountains. It is very hot and sunny. The view isn’t so scenic, hills with forest, a few big trees, and a few hills finishing by cliffs. Curiously a lot of cyclotourists pretend it is marvellous. Yet I am not ensorceled by Africa, and I find it sad and boring. A few km after the top we stop in a slum shops lane and ask hospitality at the primary school.
On Tuesday at 7 am it is already hot and sun is coming. I win, we cross the mountain and we get off the heavy rain influence of Lusaka and the Zambezi river. We enter in the sunny ambiance of South Malawi. So we get sun all day. We decide to make a short day. I have just read some cyclists stopped in a nice campsite along Luongwe river, just 35 km away. So after a few long hills rounded by the same forest with huts, we arrive at the big slum before the river. We take an early lunch and we make some shopping, beans rice and canbeef, nothing more to buy. Then we turn on left in the gravel road to Bridge campsite. Well the place is charming but very expensive. So we just camp. We are under big trees, in front the river, and all the walls of the huts and fences are in real stones! Once someone makes an effort, instead of waiting the NGO help chatting and drinking beers. I was just thinking that us Europeans we built our beautiful stone villages by hands, without machines nor technology, just taking the stones from the fields, one by one, and building walls without cements, which follows for hundred years. We did a lot also to irrigate and open new fields and build beautiful towns. Why here it doesn’t happen now. Pick up stones in a field or in a forest costs nothing but energy. Well human being is going in decadency everywhere, leasy and weak.
So we do the same today, relaxing in the campsite, after a good shower and cleaning the clothes. I see some fishers canoeing in the river. Well the entrance isn’t guard so one stays on the nice terrass with view on the river whilst the other stays near the tent.

Afrique 28 – ZAMBIA 1 – ZAMBEZE RIVER TILL LUSAKA

 So after having our new stuff we decide to fly to Zambia, in Lusaka. In one hand we save money on the fly, in other hand we deny the bad luck the right to change our trip. We arrive out of the airport and the taxi sent by the hotel is waiting for us but it is a commun sedan car. Well we manage to put the 2 bicycle boxes in the cargo behind, tied with the climbing rope I ever bring. We arrive at the backpacker where a little hut is waiting for us. We stay one day on Lusaka for shopping. We find mostly all in the neighbour mall in front the bus terminal. We buy too the bus tickets for tomorrow in the bus terminal, chasing away the flies who try to sell us tickets and goods. Then we have to go downtown to buy benzene for the stove. This place is just a big bazar, with hardware and electronic shops, all nearly the same stuff, and high car traffic, very noisy and dusty. A lot of people are wandering or selling things on the shoulders. All the buildings are basic concrete and corrugated roofes. Well it is just a bit better than a slum. Anyway all the town is like that apart a few rich districts with houses and gardens. After a long while, we find benzene in a pharmacy.

On Monday we take an early bus to Mozabuka. It is 100 km West of Lusaka, and on the map it said it has a nice countryside. It take 3 hours to get there, and Mazabuka is nothing more than a little basic town with a mall and a few shops. We finish the shopping and move away. The road is climbing 500 m and hilly for 20 km. At the km 15 we make a short stop by the shoulder of a police station. A policeman comes to chat with us and suggest us to camp in Neary farm entrance with 24h guards. So we start the downhill, and when we join the farm we stop and ask for camping to the gards. After a few calls to the owner by radio it is OK and we pitch the tent behind the guard house.
Tuesday we finish the hilly downhill by the forest and large fields and crops, white people farms living a few km inside, what we see are blacks living in groups of huts, mud or concret walls but hay roof, and bore water from a pump well. Arriving near Kafue we turn on right way to Zimbabwe border. At the cross 2 lanes of sitting women sell bananas tomatos and mangoes. I buy bananas and mangoes. We follow the hilly and steep road, climbing 400 m and then going down and hilly till Chirundu, the border. It is a hot day. The road goes throught a forest with mostly middle high trees, 5 to 8 m, and a few big and beautiful trees. I can distinguish a lot of varieties. All around it is very hilly and green. Times to times we see a group of huts with some crops and vegetable gardens, or a lane of shops looking more a slum than buildings. Along the road we see often people selling wood coal in big bags. We stop at the T junction with the road going to the lake, to camp in a primary school. It rains all night with thundering.
On Wenesday we continue the hilly road till Chirundu. We make a stop in Oasis bar to take a breackfast in the shadow. Chirundu is just a big slum made with corrugated iron and wood. There are shops and market and a minibus stop, some restaurants and a few hotels, but nothing built in real concrete. Apart the main road, all the streets are ground and dust roads with rubbish along. We hardly find rice beans and cornbeef cans, and fruits. I continue to eat mangoes, a dozen by day they are perfectly sunny and juicy. Then we continue by the gravel road on left, passing the minibus terminal for 5 km, along small bush, fields and crops and huts with vegetable gardens. The basic way of life is everywhere. We turn on right and join Breezers lodge, along the Zambezi river, recommanded by Pedro, a portugues cyclist who has done from Luanda to Pemba and Maputo in 2009. The owner of the lodge still remember him. Well it is a nice place with mown and trees along the river, and out of the season it is very quiet. We see a few hippopotams in the distance in the river, amd we spend the day relaxing. Some woman plays guitar and sings nicely, and then I play some mandolin. We have a good dinner and a good night.
On Thursday we go back to Chirundu to take a bus to Lusaka. As the big buses coming from Harare are arriving only after noon we go to the minibus terminal to try the luck. At 10 am a driver proposes us to tie the bikes on the roof of the minibus and bring us to Lusaka. We put all the panniers under the seats, and for 3 hours we are shaked by the bus. He lets us in front the supermarket Spar. We make some shopping and get a lunch. Then under the rain we take the street with heavy traffic, which cross the ralway, pass the bus terminal, and joins the backpakers. We find again the hut where we relax.

Afrique 27 – LES TORTUES BLOQUEES AU BOTSWANA

 Bonjour

Il y a 3 semaines nous sommes entrés au Botswana. Martine ayant un Pb de sante nous avons vu un médecin qui nous a envoyé a Francistown pour des examens. A la clinique une employée nous a proposé de camper dans son jardin pour quelques jours. Nous étions presque devenus amis et connaissions ses amis c’était très sympas. Nous étions dans un quartier ouvrier et tout le monde nous disait bonjour.
Malheureusement par une nuit dorage vers 1h30 du matin nous avons été réveillés par 2 ombres qui poussaient la tente. Mous avons cru avoir affaire à des chiens et nous les avons repousses avec les pieds et les mains. Martine a reçu un coup sur la tête. Au bout de 2 mn nous étions complètement réveillés mais trop tard. Nous constatons un grand trou rectangulaire dans la toile de tente et tous nos bagages sont partis, voles. Nous avons passé le reste de la nuit à la police et le lendemain pm aussi. Puis nous avons pris un bus pour Gaborone pour renouveler les passeports. Pour le mien le consul a été très compréhensif et je l’ai eu dans l’heure. Pour Martine le consul a aussi été très compréhensif et son aide très attentive et serviable. Mais rien ne stoppe la paperasse et la parano donc ça a pris une semaine. Durant cette période nous avons racheté une partie du stock sur internet car Martine voulait continuer le voyage en Afrique. Les passeports en poche nous avons pris le bus pour Johannesburg South Africa. Nous avons progressivement réceptionné nos achats internet en franchissant diverses absurdités papperassieres et en attendant des jours entiers à l’hôtel. Nous avons aussi couru les centres commerciaux pour compléter nos achats. Finalement Jeudi dernier mois avions tout. Nous avons patiente encore pour s’assurer que Martine acceptait bien ses nouvelles lentilles faites sur mesure. Et enfin après avoir refait le vaccin de fièvre jaune nous venons d’acheter le billet d’avion pour Lusaka Zambia pour dimanche. Nous allons continuer le voyage là où il a ete arrêté et nous verrons bien.
Décollage dimanche après un mois d’arrêt.

Afrique 26 – ZIMBABWE 4 – BULAWAYO TILL VICTORIA FALLS

 Bulawayo to Victoria Falls

Till Guay river the road is nearly flat, slightly undulating, by the bush. On left are protected forests, generally with high trees, sometime with shrubs. But it is yet very dry and most of the trees are grey and without leaves, sadly. On right it is mostly new small bush, abandonned farms and fields, and scared little groups of cases with surviving farms or basic shops, sad too. We get off Bulawayo rather early. At the start we cross fields and farms and some hills, but quickly it becomes flat and new small dry bush, boring. We stop in a lane of shops for lunch. There are houses only each 25 km about, so we have to take care where to sleep. At about 4 pm we see a sign primary school, and we stop. What we see is a farm, with a half ruin big white style house, a case with some blacks, and a new building square style, with large windows, which looks unuse. We try to explain who we are and the autorisation to camp to the young black who comes at the gate, but he does’nt inderstand english. After a minute of dispair, I try to explain by mimiking, sleep, indicating the square building, and us two. He understands, and drives us till the building, the lapa, opens the door, and shows us a room where to sleep. They are restoring the building. As there is noway to comunicate, we are quickly alone.
In the early morning we move by the same flat road threw the bush. As we enter in national forest the trees are high, but there are less houses. We eat in Kenmaur, which is a few shops, a truck stops and a village. After, the village continues by inside along the old road, and by the new road, it is only high forest till Lupane. Just before Lupane we see a big house on left, where we go to ask hospitality. But the house is in works, and unhabited. Fortunately the owner is here, an old man. He explains us that the governement bought his farm to do an university neighbour, and it gives him that house and land in compensation. He proposes us to camp in the university, and talks with the 2 chineses technicians who are here, and also they are the managers of the building of the university. It seems the chinese agrees, and so we go 1 km further at the university. Here the carekeeper at the gate stops us and goes to call a chinese manager. Hee does’nt speak a word of english, and a black try to explain him who we are and what we want by signs and basic english talking. It would be comical if this guy was’nt in charge of building a big university. Well he phones to his collegues, and in the end he proposes us to sleep near the gate. As I refuse, too risky, the black translator proposes us to ask to the boss of the trucks and engine trucks camp, who is inside the university courtyard, just 100 m away. I go and ask, and that is ok. Better he proposes us a tent with 2 beds, the guest tent. So we rest, and by 7 pm he invites us under his tent. We drink beers or juice or brandy, and chat. 2 associates join us. We eat a piece of meat. I go to bed after a while, and Martine stays late, speaking about the history of Zimbabwe.
We awake early and while we eat a basic breacckfast, the boss proposes us a lift till Gway river, he has a truck which is going there in the morning. After a slow ride, avoiding 75 km of boring road, we arrive in Gway river. It is a big village, with all the services, but as always it is looking like a group of basic houses and shops and dust and cahos. We continue and the heat is terrible. After 35 km of very hilly road by the forest, we stop in Crossroad , a few shops and cases, and go to the primary school. The headmaster agree to lodge us, and first he proposes we camp. But I insist, pretexting the rain coming, and we sleep in a classroom. In fact it is because he find it dirty that he didn’t offer it first.
We start early, and already it is hot. The road is hilly by the forest, with a very few fields and cases. We meet a cyclist who comes from Namibia. In fact he startedd 8 months ago in South Africa. He turns to Namibia, which he cycle from South to North, and from West to Est till Chobe park near Kasane. He stops 3 months in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, to make an art work with the art school university, decorating 3 rooms and meeting artists. He has a project along his journey in Africa, http://www.the-nala-project.com, mixing art and the music of the group Sade. Then we stop for lunch in Hwange, which is a mining city. The city was built by the whites, as a garden city for us, and poor townships for the employees, blacks. So the main street keeps his beautiful aspect. First the town isn’t along the main road, but by a little apart by a back road with a gate. Then along the street are all the official buildings, in stones or bricks, welldone and with some architecture. trees are planted in the middle, and on each side of the street. When we arrive at the shops, there is a place with a garden, well nowdays it is mostly a parking. Presently there no whites anymore, only blacks, but yet everything is well maintained, it is the first time I see a nice little town since Swaziland. Bulawayo gets too a lot of greens and trees, but the center is not maintained. The heat is terrible and I feel seek, problems in my stomac. So we get out the town by 2 pm, we cross a trail with lot of black dust, coal mines, and 5 km after Hwange we stop on right in the first suburb, which looks to have a primary school. We fortunatly find it, and a teacher, after talking with us under trees for a while, auutorize us to sleep in a classroom. I notice all the children eat green mangoes which grow on a lot of trees. They eat them mow, without waiting they turn yellow and sweet. I suppose they miss a lot vitamins in the traditional alimentation, and fruits and vegetables are scare and too expensive to be in the diet. So they eat all what they can, and quickly, as if they wait till they become sweet, someone else would have eat them. Good food and complete meals are luxury here.
We awake early and move in the heat. We continue by the hilly road, with very long up and down. We see very poor farms, exactly the traditional old way of living, with the case on legs to keep the seeds, and a small group of cases around. All around are high hills with forest and small bush. We see a very few lanes of shops. We stop in front the airport in one lane of shops for lunch. Martine asks and discovers a primary school very neighbour, where we ask for hospitality. The headmaster receives us and we talk for a while seated under the mangoes. She explains that a few years before the children had to go to school walking 10 km away, so they started school at 9 years old and they arrived at the school tired and hungry. So she decide to build the primary school where we are. She asks help and money at the hotels and tourists around. They start with tents, then cases in mud, and now they have 3 building, one for the primary, one for the college, and one for lodging the pupils who live far and stay all week at school. Yet it miss half of the classrooms, so half of the day studing is outside, in the courtyard. Also 80% of the pupils dont have money enough to pay the school, 60$ by year, but they can come and study anyway. The headmaster continues to ask help to tourists and hotels and anyone. After a long chat, the rain comes and we stay in a classroom. We take a shower in a bucket, like every day.
In the morning, before the class, when most of the children are already here, I play some songs with the mandolin, and Martine play some flute. Then we move to Vicyoria falls. We eat a take away at the supermarket and do some shopping, and we go to the home of Fred and Alfreda, the parents of David family, who lodged us in Bulawayo. We stay four days here. Fred and Alfreda make all that we feel very comfortavble and welcome. Victoria falls is just a tourist town, with tourist shops and lodges and restaurants, internet and 2 supermarkets. We go to see the falls, which are very impressive, all a lane of 1 km about of water falls in a canyon 100 m deep. In fact the Zambeze river, very large, falld suddenly in a crack made when the lave dried, crack which is 100m deep and 60 km long, and looks like a knife cut in the land. Fred drives us mornings and afternoons at view points, excursions near the falls, safari tours. And Martine has very long chats with them. Me it was hard to understand and follow the talks, so I dismiss after a while. One afternoon we go to relax along the Zambeze river in a wild part. Martine hears some cracks and sees an elephant. She runs behind to see him better and snaps some fotos. I follow her with a careful distance. Suddenly the elefant turns, faces her, opens his ears and trumpets twice. we run away. And the elefant continues his walk away. The fence of concrete of the houses in the district of Fred home, district which is in the neiboiring of the town, close to the bush, are all with demolished parts, made by elefants crossing them to visit the gardens and courtyards.

Afrique 25 – ZIMBABWE 3 – MASVINGO TILL BULAWAYO

 Masvingo to Bulawayo

We get out of Masvingo a bit late, as we have to decide if we go to Mutare or to Victoria Falls. In the end because of the rain storms, which would change our plans because the mountain gravel roads in impraticable mud, because of the heat that Martine has difficulties to stand, and because of the dust from gravel and because of the steep climbs, which would be hard, so we decide to avoid the risks of not to be able to see the forest, and so we decide to go to Bulawayo. Well as we have storms each day then it was the good choice. The road is barely undulating through bush with a few small farms. The main difference is the bush, which is constitued by small trees, and very dense. I understanf that it is a new forest. Before the land were big farms with fields and crops, but now noone use it anymore, and the bush comes again. The little farms and villages and lanes of shops looks also more basic constructions, and I see farmers using animals to work the land, instead of machines. When we ask for water there is no more tap water, the water comes from a weel, bore water, and mostly the pump is manual. In the end the people are certainly poorer here. It would be the same till Balawayo. At the end of the day we take a trail to camp in the bush. During the night first we see lot of lithening, but it does’nt rain. Then I hear the laught of hyenas, so after I have some difficulties to fall asleep again, I spend a while looking for ways to react if the hyenas attack the tent. In the morning a young man comes and talk with us, and when we unpitch the tent he shows us a scorpion hidden under. Martine has long talk with him about religion, me I am always avoiding that subject, too conflict bringer.
Next day the countryside follows similar, basic small farms and mostly new bush. By midday we cross Shavane and we enter in the gold mines region. It becomes hilly and we have 4 long climbs after the town. We see some people along the road with a metal detector. All is fenced so we don’t see where to sleep. I prefer ask hospitality to people. After the river, we see a cyclist entering in a trail on left. We decide to follow him and we arrive near a building, and a tanker for water, where someone is collecting it. We stop, and the manager comes to us, explains it is a mine, and agrees we camp here. By the end of the afternoon people comes to collect water. By the night we have a storm.
There is the big gold mine company, Mimosa, little companies with a few employees, and people working alone or by two, wandering in the bush or in the river bed with a metal detector, and digging big holes when they detect some metal.
We move early, but we get stick by the mud in the trail. When it is a short part, so we hardly push the bikes, I give a hand to Martine, and then we have to clean the bicycles. Well the same countryside continues, and it becomes mostly flat again. By the end of the day some hills come and we don’t see any place to camp, dense small bush everywhere. We try a trail but it is going nowhere. We stop to speak with a minibus which is stop along the road. We take a foto of all, and then we turn in a trail. We arrive at some huts and we ask permission to camp. The man drives us back to the road and the minibus is still here. The man speaks with the driver, and the driver proposes us to sleep in a shop he has neighbour, which is unfinished yet. We have just to cross the river, the farmer comes with us, and the minibus arrives 5 mn later. The shop is perfect, and someone sweeps the floor in a small room for us. We prepar our night, and then we go to chat a little with local people and cook. It rains all night. We awake early, but I notice I have a flat in the front wheel. I find a big thorn in the tyre. Then I find an other one inside the tyre and a third one in the tube. I did find too a fourth hole in the tube. Patching all four takes me one hour and half. Then we can move.
The country side follows the same, a bit boring. Well at least there are few traffic and no trucks. After a while we arrive at the cross with the road Beitbridge to Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. We nearly miss the town, as it is just a few shops and houses, no city. The gasoline station is closed. There no more traffic along the main road, no change, but it becomes hilly again. We stop a little further in a big village and large place with shops and restaurants, which is not on the map, and we get lunch. When we decide to move, the sky is becoming very cloudy and black. After a long climb we see a primary school where we ask hospitality. It is just on time, and we have a long talk with the headmaster while the storm runs, with strong wind and very heavy rain. After one hour or so, the rain stops and the headmaster drives us to a small cottage, without furniture and unmaintened, where we have a good sleep. It rains during the night.
New day on the road, same country side and hills. There is a very long climbing, and we stop at the top for a while to eat. The sky is cloudy amd dark. Martine gets some rain during the climb. We are speaking, when suddenly a car stops, and the driver, a white man, asks us the usual questions. And by the way he invites us in his family home in Bulawayo. He tells us we have only 15 km to do, but in fact we have 40 km, which is not surprising us in fact. The storm is menacing, we get headwind and hills, but we don’t get rain. We arrive in Bulawayo for midday so we go first shopping and lunch a good pizza in the first mall we meet. It rains during the lunch. Then we go to the house, which is in a good district with big houses and large gardens. We are very welcome by his wife, Heda, and the 2 children and the 3 dogs. Justin, the boy, lets us his room. We get wifi and dinner and real coffe. Generaly since I am in Africa I just get chicoree with coffe, real coffe is too expensive for Africans. We stay in David home 2 nights, but we are very tired, so we don’t go anywhere, we just stay at home. There is again a big storm during the day, and rain by the night. The electricity get cut all day, but the family have a petrol generator, as light cuts are commun and long.
We decide to stay one night more in Bulawayo, but in a hotel. We go neighbour, and we get a very nice room for 30$ instead of 50 in a family lodge. By the morning we go shopping, we visit Bulawayo downtown. There are a few antic buildings from the white time, rather nice, and then all the shops and supermarkets, cars and trucks, it is very busy and noisy. After one hour I have enough and we move back to the mall where we made our first shopping, at the entrance of the town. I notice Bulawayo gets a large beautiful park, and lot of sport grounds and green, it may be a nice town to live. We use internet 2 hours, and then we go back to lunch at the lodge. As it is Martine birthday, we get wine and a cake. Then Martine sleeps all afternoon, and I read. It rains again during the afternoon and the night.

Afrique 24 – ZIMBABWE 2 – GREAT ZIMBABWE CASTLE

 Next day we stay at the same lodge, and we take a minibus to visit the great Zimbabwe Castle and town. They are ruins, the castle is yet in good state, of a capital of a large african empire, Mozambique Zimbabwe and Zambia together, which follow for 400 years, till the Europeans conquier Africa by guns and threats. The castle and the site are very impressive, worth a visit. We spend the end of the afternoon shopping and in the hotel. In the hotel we can use the hand laundry place and the kitchen.and wifi, confortable.