Cycling The Globe

Distance: 87.7 km
Ride time: 6:00:06
Average: 14.6 km/h
Max speed: 38.5 km/h
Total: 49289 km

During the night I had seen the thunder far away in the direction I would be riding today. Usually thunder means rain as well, so already in the morning I had an idea I would meet muddy roads. That idea turned out to be true. The first part of the day was dry enough though.

I hadn’t met a village since I left Mpanda yesterday, and didn’t really expect to meet any today either. After a few hours of cycling I did however see a settlement of dirt huts including a tiny restaurant. I was very happy that I could order a chipsi mayai, a typical potato-egg omelette very popular in Tanzania. I think this is one of the most remote villages I have ever visited. I would have liked to ask the villagers about their life out here; smiles and waves was all I received, but nobody spoke a word of English.

With my stomach full, I was ready to face the dirt and mud.

When the other cyclists I met had talked about the mud madness in Tanzania, I suddenly understood what they meant. Now that I was here I had no option but to push on. Because of the mud the few cars and a single bus that had passed yesterday were all gone today. There was only one way to go, and that was slowly forward…

Once my bike and clothes was covered in mud, I did in fact had a great time while feeling like a kid in a huge mud playground 🙂

Little by little the mud situation improved, and I could start to ride again. This was good news, as it was now realistic to reach Uvinza before darkness. I had loved being out in the middle of nowhere, but a shower and a real bed to sleep in also sounded tempting.

Shower time 🙂

The last hour into Uvinza was all downhill, and after crossing the Malagarasi River I was there well before sunset. Yes! I had made it through one of the most remote dirt roads in Tanzania, and I hadn’t given up! Good stuff indeed.

From here the tarmac starts again.