April 11, 2025
You may wonder about the infrequency of my posts this trip. Primarily, this is because it is difficult to have a strong enough internet connection to make posts to the blog. However, there is a second reason.
This trip is far harder and far less scenic than my past adventures. Africa has some beautiful places just not along the the roads I have been traveling. Added to that is a fair degree of physical discomfort that I have never experienced on my previous adventures. Saddle sores are virtually unknown to me but the rough roads coupled with a degree of heat I have not yet become accustomed to have produced some very uncomfortable rides. The scenery is nice enough but much the same over the past 600 kilometers. Additionally, the riding distances some days are leaving me exhausted and sore, something that I have never felt on other trips except for one or two isolated incidents.
There is very little wildlife to see other than domesticated cattle, goats and the occasional donkey. Overall, the scenery combined with the heat and my body issues is making for a miserable experience instead of the joyful highs of my other adventures. For these and other reasons, I am going to do something I’ve never contemplated before; quit a trip before the finish line.
It is not an easy decision to make and I’ve tossed it over many times in my mind over the past few days. The problem is not with the tour company, TdA Global Cycling. They are top notch and the best in the business. The staff have done everything possible to help me along and I only have praise for their efforts to keep me rolling. I have done two other tours with this company and loved both of them. However, this time I am joining a tour that has already been rolling for over two months with riders already hardened to the distances and conditions. Coming into the heat and grind from a Canadian winter with a 73 year old body, that while physically able, just doesn’t seem to adapt fast enough despite trying my best to train hard over the winter.
The deciding factor for me was that one of the hardest sections of the trip lay just a few days ahead: the rough roads of Namibia. Even though Namibia is reputed to be one of the most beautiful sections of the trip, the roads are the worst. There is very little pavement and unpaved surface is a mix of wash-boarded gravel and loose sand. After all, it is a desert. 100 kilometer plus days riding those roads with a sore bum is a discouraging thought. It will also be very hot and with no shade, even at the campsites in the evening. I’ve done desert riding in both the southwest USA and Australia but I was a bit younger on those two trips and the daily distances were shorter. I could see no joy in this and I’ve nothing to prove to myself by enduring it.
All of the above might let you know what a difficult and emotional decision this has been for me. Please don’t let it discourage you from trying Africa if you are interested. Africa is a continent and not a country and I have only ridden a tiny part of it. Maybe had I tried this when I was younger or started at the beginning, this would be a different tale. As it is I can look forward to returning home with some good experiences and I can add another continent to my list of places where I’ve ridden my bicycle. One bright spot in this is that I will be back to my home and with my loving wife and family all the sooner.
Will I venture forth again into places unknown to me? The answer is not clear at the moment. Another month long ride is not particularly appealing at this moment but shorter adventures will definitely happen so long as I am able. At my age, each year brings new challenges but my spirit will push on.
Bob Peltzer, writing in Maun, Botswana. April 11, 2025. Still 624 kilometers from the shortened end of my ride.