• Home
  • About
    • Who’s Alex?
    • Tour d’Afrique
  • Itinerary
    • Interactive map
    • Planned itinerary
    • Detailed schedule
  • Gear
    • My bike
      • Selection criteria
      • Bike specifications
      • Packing my bike
    • All other gear
      • My packing list
      • Packing my gear
      • TDA packing list
  • Countries
    • Botswana
    • Egypt
    • Kenya
    • Malawi
    • Namibia
    • Rwanda
    • South Africa
    • Sudan
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Zambia
  • One lesson a day
  • Social impact
  • Links
ALEX CYCLES AFRICA
  • Home
  • About
    • Who’s Alex?
    • Tour d’Afrique
  • Itinerary
    • Interactive map
    • Planned itinerary
    • Detailed schedule
  • Gear
    • My bike
      • Selection criteria
      • Bike specifications
      • Packing my bike
    • All other gear
      • My packing list
      • Packing my gear
      • TDA packing list
  • Countries
    • Botswana
    • Egypt
    • Kenya
    • Malawi
    • Namibia
    • Rwanda
    • South Africa
    • Sudan
    • Tanzania
    • Uganda
    • Zambia
  • One lesson a day
  • Social impact
  • Links

Category Selected: Countries

SudanVideo

Sudan Video—unembellished footage of what it’s really like

January 28, 2018 2 Comments 1383 Views

It’s a year since we crossed the Sahara and tried to stay cool in 40-50° Celsius. Finally, here’s a video to show you what it was like. This is the real thing, including my footage from both good and bad times. Enjoy 😉

Read More
GalleryOne lesson a daySouth Africa

Day 121: The journey is the reward

May 13, 2017 6 Comments 2069 Views

When I first heard about Tour d’Afrique (TDA) over a year ago, I was instantly hooked. It sounded like exactly the kind of challenge I’d been waiting for—to ride Every F***ing Inch (EFI) from Cairo to Cape Town. However, I was an unlikely candidate for that challenge: I had no particular cycling experience—even just pumping...

Read More
One lesson a daySouth Africa

Day 120: Don’t drink and ride

May 12, 2017 10 Comments 2238 Views

Today has been a mostly enjoyable ride, with heaps of opportunities to stop for a drink and/or snack. Everyone has been in a good mood, knowing that we’ve done it and nothing can stop us now. I joined Liz and her friends (who joined Liz yesterday to cheer her on and cycle into Cape Town...

Read More
One lesson a daySouth Africa

Day 119: Accomplishing something extremely difficult is highly rewarding

May 11, 2017 4 Comments 1361 Views

Yesterday was a very difficult riding day, today was expected to be even harder—the make or break day for our EFI. “Don’t take long breaks”, Rupert had advised me. “Last year, even the best riders only reached camp at 4.30 p.m.” Tough climbing, dirt, and expectation of headwind in the afternoon would make today...

Read More
One lesson a daySouth Africa

Day 118: We cannot control whether people like us, only our own thoughts and actions

May 10, 2017 6 Comments 1443 Views

We generally have quite a good group dynamic. Tallis had commented several times about our group being particularly positive and tolerant of each other. Apparently, in prior years, there had been instances of people openly fighting with each other. Well, we certainly have tribes and sub-groups, people who share more similar interests and thus tend...

Read More
One lesson a daySouth Africa

117: Focus, focus, focus

May 9, 2017 Leave a Comment 956 Views

This morning has been a difficult start: deep sand, heavy corrugation, and downhill right out of camp against freezing air. My fingers had become so frozen that it was painful to pull my breaks or shift my gears. Before TDA, there’s no way I’d have cycled under these conditions, and if, there’s no way I’d...

Read More
One lesson a daySouth Africa

Day 116: Air resistance is an exponential function of speed

May 8, 2017 Leave a Comment 938 Views

Last afternoon, Rupert announced that he had to watch his diet. Because he wasn’t cycling that fast anymore, he wasn’t burning the same amount of calories. That didn’t make any sense to me. Wouldn’t cycling from A to B always require the same amount of energy, no matter whether we’re going faster over shorter...

Read More
NamibiaOne lesson a daySouth Africa

Day 115: Never mess with border officials

May 7, 2017 5 Comments 1463 Views

This morning, we’ve crossed the border from Namibia into South Africa—our 11th and final country. Both countries being relatively well developed (neither of them requiring a visa, at least not for most of us), this should have been a quick and easy procedure. By the way, if you’ve read my blog entry for day 3...

Read More
NamibiaStatus

Day 114: Our last rest day—preparing for a tough home-run

May 6, 2017 3 Comments 1182 Views

Today has been our last rest day on the tour. Next time we wake up and don’t need to ride a bike, we’ll already be in Cape Town! Where has the time gone!? It’s also been our laziest rest day of the entire tour. We’re camping directly at the Orange River, which forms the...

Read More
NamibiaOne lesson a day

Day 113: Tourists hardly ever get to see the full picture of local realities

May 5, 2017 Leave a Comment 955 Views

It’s not all just touristy glamour in Namibia, as this photo of vineyards in Aussenkehr might suggest. This is where the workers live that support the local economy, right next to a top-notch Western style supermarket for tourists—shanty town nicely decorated with straw/wood to fit into the landscape and please our eyes? NB: I...

Read More
1 2 … 13 Next

Stay updated

POPULAR VIDEOS

LATEST RIDES

LET ME HELP YOU EXPLORE AFRICA

I’ve found my purpose while cycling through Africa: To help you too experience the beauty of this continent and the warmth of its people – safely and responsibly.

Visit Fair Voyage

At Fair Voyage, we strive to make it easy for you to find & customize responsible travel experiences directly online.

Fair Voyage

Starting with ethical Kilimanjaro climbs and eco safaris, we only promote trips organized 100% by verified responsible local companies. Been to the top of Africa yet?

Climb Kilimanjaro

I’d be excited to be your personal travel advisor for your ethical Kilimanjaro climb & eco safari in Tanzania!

Facebook Twitter Youtube
  • Popular
  • Recent
  • Interactive map December 24, 2016
  • Packing my gear for TDA—a miracle of organization and compartmentalization January 5, 2017
  • Day 3: Losing EFI is like losing your virginity—supposedly January 15, 2017
  • Packing my Koga bike for the flight in 25 simple steps January 4, 2017
  • Day 120: Don’t drink and ride May 12, 2017
  • Sudan Video—unembellished footage of what it’s really like January 28, 2018
  • Riders sharing their lessons learnt and inspirational stories September 10, 2017
  • Day 121: The journey is the reward May 13, 2017
  • Paul’s humorous Pirate Speech about our staff May 12, 2017
  • Day 120: Don’t drink and ride May 12, 2017

RECENT COMMENTS

  • Alex on Day 121: The journey is the reward
  • Alex on Sudan Video—unembellished footage of what it’s really like
  • Victor on Sudan Video—unembellished footage of what it’s really like
  • Helen Dawtrey on Day 121: The journey is the reward
  • Dale M on Day 121: The journey is the reward
  • Jeannette Gravett on Day 121: The journey is the reward
  • Jeannette Gravett on Paul’s humorous Pirate Speech about our staff
  • Kim on Day 121: The journey is the reward
  • Gun Frisk on Day 121: The journey is the reward
  • Alex on Day 120: Don’t drink and ride
  • John on Day 120: Don’t drink and ride
  • Alex on Day 120: Don’t drink and ride
  • Kirk Vandenbulte on Day 120: Don’t drink and ride
  • Alex on Day 111: Nothing is done until it’s done
  • Alex on Day 112: Speak up and take action to implement your ideas

Categories

  • Botswana9
  • Egypt19
  • Gallery11
  • Gear3
  • Kenya9
  • Link3
  • Malawi7
  • Map1
  • Namibia14
  • One lesson a day97
  • Quote1
  • Resources1
  • Rwanda5
  • Social impact1
  • South Africa7
  • Status15
  • Sudan21
  • Tanzania15
  • Tips2
  • Tour info2
  • Uganda10
  • Video7
  • Zambia10

Get live updates

ALEX CYCLES AFRICA
© Copyright 2017.