Africa Again

[lars de wit]

Hallo trouwe lezers,
Komende weken komen hier mijn reisverhalen door kenia en Tanzania.
As zaterdag vlieg ik op Nairobi voor een tocht van 4 1/2 week door dit gedeelte van Afrika, kijk er erg naar uit.

Groetjes en tot gauw

[johntelleman]

Hoi Lars,

Ook ik kijk uit naar de typische Lars verhalen! Heerlijk!
Met een beetje geluk heb je daar nog een beetje aardig zomer weer.
Ga je daar ook nog paalkamperen?

Veel plezier!

John.

[lars de wit]

Hai John,
Paalkamperen weet ik niet hoor, wel hoop ik geregeld mijn tentje in een afrikaans huttendorpje neer te mogen zetten van de dorpsoudste of het dorpshoofd. En eigenlijk is dat net zo primitief als ons paalkamperen idd.
Een plekje voor je tent en water wat gefilterd moet worden wil je het drinken.
Ha ha heb ik eindelijk weer eens wat aan mijn filter wat ik altijd meezeul !

Wel jammer dat ik jullie allemaal mis as weekend, in ieder geval heel veel plezier !

Ps gaat jullie reis nog door met Gudy haar gebroken arm ?

Groetjes en tot later dit jaar.

[johntelleman]

Hoi Lars!

Met paalkamperen bedoel ik die enorme knuppel die je altijd prominent op je bagage hebt liggen.
Misschien kan hem gebruiken als er s'nachts veel Huttu's en Toetsies rond je tent dansen.

Onze Pakistaanse plannen gaan de ijskast in. Als Gudy weer 100% is zijn de passen daar dichtgesneeuwd.
Voor ons poldervolk valt er dan niets te zoeken. Serieus fietsen komt 2006 wel weer. Gelukkig kan je zonder fiets ook veel leuke dingen doen.
Misschien gaan we een weekje naar Georgië om te fotograferen.

In Harskamp zullen we aan je denken!

Groeten, John.

[lars de wit]

Just below equator now...
Arrived at Noirobi at night so I and two othetr dutch travelers took a cab to Upper Hill campsite.
Next morning I put my bike together and went for a ride...which I hope will bring me to Zanzibar.
Driving around Nairobi wasn't that great, didn't feel safe and much trafic. Many people warned me that it wasn't safe indeed. Many people looked at me in not a pleasant way, not really angry but also not that friendly.
When I was far away from Nairobi, driving the minor roads and even sandy roads real adventure began !
And loughing to the friendly people now, laughing and wavind and shouting : Jambo ! which means hello.
Imaging me, riding here in Africa, in Kenya, great I feel !
I saw monkeys along the road.
I drove through Hell's gate National Park, driving through zebra's en gazelles. Amazing !!!
Sometimes I had to kick some zebras off the road, haha. It was really amazing.
Driving a sandy road, road ? no a path is a better name or a track, when suddenly three maasai man jump out of the bushes ! With spears and very nice dressed in theit typical red clothes they just looked great ! Maasai warriors on my way, man man, It's so nice !
Or when I was looking for a campsite and saw zebras and gazelles next to the road !
I saw a pretty neat place to put my tent but I was seen by just one young man so I decided to leave that place. It's one of the rules of camping in the wild, make sure nobody sees you !
And the place was so nice, I could have seen zebras and thompson's gazelles just out of my tent !
But I went on, looking for another place.
Then I saw a farmer waving at me. He was standing in a corral with his ' house ' within.
A perfect place so I rode to him asking if I could place my tent within his safe compound.
Don't ask how I managed.....I speaking english and he only swahili.
But with hand and feet we understood each other.
Put on my tent, washed 3 kiloos of sand of my body and drank my well deserved beer, not cold but what the heck, it tasted so good !
Making diner three other maasai came by and looked how I made dinner on my petrol stove.
It was a great night and I went to bed at no shit 1930 ! Tired as I was.
I am biking here at 2000 meters all the time with only hills so my best day sofar is 77 km.
I stop when I am tired ( did something wrong on this computer hi hi so letters are now cursive )

On my way to Maasai Mara National Park, I am now in Narok.
Wishing you all the best.
Lars

[renaw]

Hi Lars,
We hebben het weer netjes geprint om vervolgens als avondlectuur, vlak voor het slapen, te lezen.........
Groet,
Rena

[johntelleman]

Hi Lars,

It is to crasy that you are in Kenia and having a very good time!!!!!

Nederlands is voor mij toch handiger... Het is fantastisch om jouw sappige verhalen te lezen.

In Harskamp hebben we voor het eerst sinds tijden een 100% droog en zonnig nazomerweekend gehad.
Gezellig als altijd, toch misten we iets....

Leg je knuppel bij de ingang van je tent, je weet maar nooit met al die beesten daar.
Ook is een truc met allerlei boobytraps van Harm ook wel handig. Je weet wel, toen ie werdt lastig gevallen door een viezerik op een paalkampeerplek.



Groeten, John.

[lars de wit]

Hello everybody again, not so much internet cafe's here...too bad !
Left Narok with food for 5 day's, 4 can's of beer and a liter of wine, on my way to Masai |Mara N P. On my way saw many wild life, gazelles, gnoe's, zebra's and yeah, also giraffes !
It is really amazing riding here on my bike, tough also.
it is very warm and also high, 2000 meters with very bad roads. Some asphalt but that is so bad people drive next to the asphalt on the grass. also many dirt roads or sand roads or rocky roads. \masai mara was beautifull, now in Namanga to see Amboseli. have to go here from the computer shit shit. All good bur very hard. See you later.

[Marco Meijerink]

Hoi Lars,

Het gevoel wanneer je op je fietsje zit en je kijkt recht in de ogen van een zebra of een kudde giraffen loopt met je op....dat gevoel is onbeschrijfelijk. Daar kan geen pretpark, gameboy, winkelzondag tegenop. Leuk om te lezen waar je nu zit. Heel herkenbaar, zou zo weer terug willen. Pas wel op voor het noorden van het land. Daar zitten redelijk veel bendes.
Veel succes en geniet van de slechte wegen......slechte wegen maken nou eenmaal mooie verhalen...

[lars de wit]

Hello everybody, sorry for last time, was in a office and they were closing down...

So, where were we, left Narok with food and alcohol for 5 day's.
Saw many wildlife, just riding on the road. really great !
In Masai Mara N P booked a game drive which wasn't that easy, normalyy you book in Nairobi.
But I was lucky and could join in in a truck.
Masai Mara in the northern part of the famous Serengeti. We saw 4 cheeta's under a tree, 10 or 12 lions, 1 with a killed animal, just finished lunch I think and 100.000 gnoe's...
Really, so many, amazing !
Saw also giraffes, buffalo's, vultures, gazalles, zebra's and many more. Not much elephants though.

After this adventure I went for really an adventure....a shortcut through the hills to Shombole and Magadi. In Entesekra heared from lot's of people the road which was on my map didn't excist, so I had to go back. Now I have this little problem....when something is in my head it is almost impossible to get it out...the only was is doing it. S I was talking to thes two man, one of them was a guide. He said the only way was walking, no cars, no bike. We had to go down this enquarpment, a very steep path down a mountain. Only walking ? I said , well, if you can walk it is also possible with a bike, ain't it ? The guide looked at me and said, well, I can take you to the edge and then you can look for yourself, oke ?
So the deal was made. The guide hired a bicycle and on we went. After 10 km his bike broke down, hey. we are still in Africa, right ? So he went on by foot. That evening slept in a masai village, close to the edge.
That night I was thinking, if the path is really that bad maybe it is better if we hire a porter to carry my bags. 1 porter for my bags, my guide the other bags and I the bicycle. Guide thouht it was a good idea so we did.
Next morning we went on.
Lookind down this mountain I thought we could make it, carrying all my stuff and just hike down. So we went for it !
My god it was heavy, and hot...
And the path so bad, over rocks of half a meter high and that for hundreds of meters...
What were we doing, crazy ! And it was so hot and it went hotter and hotter because we were going into this valley, almost a 1000 meters down.
Sometimes the path was so steep my feet slipped away...
But we were doing it !
And we made it, yesssssss !!!!!!!
We did the almost impossible, haha, later my guide said if I ever see a dutchman again with a bicycle I run away and hide in the bushes, ha ha ha.
I got a necklace from him and I gave him one of my short trousers.
Bit I was not yet in Magadi, there were two roads, one long vere sandy one ( so much walking ) and one shortcut....which went through a river with no bridge...
Now you guess which road I took...
Yeah, the shortcut !
Again asked help from the local people to help me out.
Carrieng my bags through this riverdelta.
It was maybe a 1000 meters wide but the water never was higher then my knees ( so for these small people to their chin, hahaha.
No, we did again a great job and finally I reached Magadi.
From there another shortcut over this vary bad road to Kijado, in fact it was so bad and I was so tired, really needed a resting day, that for the last 20 km I took a ride on top of truck, transporting sand.
In Namanga were I had a hot shower since 6 days I took a day of from the bike.

Went to Amboseli N P on a game drive !!!
Saw lots of elephants, one of my favorite animals, really close also, sometimes only 6 meters from the truck !
Was unfortunate not to see the Kilimanjaro, bad luck.
Als next day very cloudy so I have to come back sometime !

On my way slept in many masai villages, which is really great. I like to see how these people make a living and they have fun watching me in my tent and preparing my meal on my fuel stove.

So now I am in Arusha, just booked for a game drive into Ngorogoro crater on wednesday.
I cycle in two easy day's to Karatu and they will pick me up there wednesday morning, looking forward to it !

Okay, that's all for now folks, have fun, so will I

[Fietsertje71]

Hey Lars,

What a great adventure trip you're making. It's great to read along. Thanks' for sharing your stories.

[johntelleman]

Hoi Lars,

Ook zonder jouw een leuke trektocht gemaakt, windmee tocht zonder wind....
Toch misten we weer iets!


John.

[De Vakantiefietser]

Mzungu!

Habarai gani?

Safari njema

[lars de wit]

Hello all of you,

Today I' ve been a good tourist...
I bought an little wooden elephant in a gift shop, it's my favorite animal.
Normally I say to all the people that are coming to you trying to sell you all kinds off things : no sorry, I am a bad tourist, I do not buy anything, go and try some other mazungu ( white people ) ha ha ha. But today I was good.

Cycled in two day's from Arusha to Karatu, where I am now.
Tomorrow is a big day, we go into Ngorongoro crater !!!
I think it's one of the most known parks in Africa, lookig really forward to it.
I hope I can see the one large animal I haven't seen yet, the rhino ( neushoorn )

People here are friendly although some try to get some extra money from the mazungu.
As today, I asked a guy if he knew a store where they sell milk, cold milk.
So he say's yes, I bring you. We go to the shop and he gets a carton of milk, warm. I say, no, that one is warm, I don't like. The girl from the shop opens a fridge an there is a cold one. I ask, how much is it ? HE say's 1500 shilling ( 1.5 euro ) and I say, that much ? Yes he say and I say no, that is too much for me. He say's how many you want to pay ? I say normal price , not a mazungu price. He say's 1000 shilling but I was little pissed that he tried to get more money from me ( some times I do not care, but not double the price ! ) and I say, no now I do not want it anymore !
Later he showed me an internet cafe and I asked him,what was the real price of the milk and he say's 800 shilling. I said, well, because you tried to pull my leg I do not want it anymore !
So not a good tourist I guess...

Here is my new plan : tomorow, after Ngorogoro I go back with the jeep to Arusha and there arrange a bus to Tanga, at the coast !
Looking forward to some nice beaches and I am little tired so a little relaxing will do me no harm. Also I' ve seen the nicest nature here in northern Tanzania.
Except for mount Kilimanjaro, maybe I see it on my way to the coast !

Okidokie, that's all for now, see ya !!!

[lars de wit]

Ha die Erik, ja alles is goed hier.
Ik moest wel de vertaling vragen hoor, ken nog maar weinig swahili !
Beloofde kaartje is onderweg.
Groetjes


Hello piepeltjes in cold and rainy Holland ( and some in warm and nice Peru ) !

Two day's ago visited Ngorogoro Crater N P, arranged game drive in Arusha.
Jeep should pick me up in Karatu, where I cycled to from Arusha, at 08.00 hours.
08.45 ...no jeep. Just as I want to make a phone call to the ofiice where I booked the jeep showed up. pff, what a relief !
The ride to the top of the crater was great but nothing compared the look from the rim of the crater into the crater itself....it was an sight never to forget, amazing !!!! We could see the other side of the crater, 27 km far away and 800 meters below us the bottom of the crater. Flat like a pancake, filled with many animals. Really a fantastic vieuw !

The game drive in the crater was also great, saw many animals with always the side of the crater as a perfect background.
We saw lions hunting ! Surrounded by 50 jeeps, they didn't bother, walked just through them. I've got pictures two meters away from the lions ! There were 6 or 7 of them and they went into the high grass, chasing down a zebra. 1 lion did the job, the others wait. And so did the 50 jeeps, all looking and waiting. The lion crawled very slowly to the zebra, the wind was good...
But still the zebra sensed something and was alert. Closer and closer came the lion...
But not close enough. Our driver told that the lion has to be in a range of 10 meters to have a change, otherwise the zebra will outrun him. Now the distance was still 50 meters and in the end the zebra run away, survived for this time.
So we had a great day in Ngorogoro !
Unfortunately enough didn't see a rhino, for that I have to come back one day to Africa.

Took a bus from Arusha to Tanga at the coast to save some time.
Will try to ride to Dar es salaam along the coast, have to cross a bridge which is very bad ( crocodiles in the river ) and have to go a little bit through another National Park at the coast which isn't alowed. Looking forward to ride again after two day's not biking. Look also forward to a dirtroad again allthough sometimes they are really bad and it is hard to bike.

Okay, that's all for now, seeya !!!

[lars de wit]

From Tanga, where I saw the Indian Ocean for the first time in my life, I cycled south along the coast. It is as Marco said, the worst roads makes the best stories. I try to rember that when my kidney's are bumping out of my body or I push my bikes for many kilometers through very fine, unbikable sand...
But the scenery is nice, all the palm and banana trees.
Sleeping at the beach, under coconut trees...
Ah, you know what happened there, under these coconut trees ?
Well, I was in my tent, just closed my eye's for a good long sleep.
Suddenly it gets a little darker in my tent and I look around. Guess what...
I see this huge shadow next to my tent...my mouth is dry in one second, amazing how fast that goes ! What is it I think. I see the animal walking and hear it eat. It is aproximately 130 centimeters high and very fat. Maybe two meters long...
Then I see his or her, didn't ask, little tail and now I know for sure, a Hyppo ( nijlpaard )
This close to my tent I am a little scared, a little ? I know that these animals kill more people than lions, cheeta's or leopards. And it is so close to me. I am lucky to have my tent around me, 0.1 mm thick, that will help holding the hyppo out ! I cannot do anything so decide to go back to sleep. Beng ! I feel the animal walking now...ow men ow men, so close to my head...
I manage to fall in sleep afterall, tyred from biking.

Next day still alive so everything worked out just fine. And further I went to Bagamoyo.
To reach Bagamoyo I had to ride this dirt track, crossing a river whitout bridge but with crocodiles. Now I heard from locals that there are little boy's with boats to help you cross the Wami River. I reached the river early in the morning and it looked good.
But, no boy's with boats. A young man came from the other side as I was getting my shoes off and unpacking my bike. Water was onnly knee deep and I asked this young man also, are there crocodiles here ? No, he said and remember these two letters...N and an O.
Like 3 or 4 other paople whom I asked he said the same so I thought, well, let's go for it !
River was only 50 meters wide and the young man was helping me with my bags. After the first trip we went back for the rest of my bags ( carry a lot of them, hahaha)
And, in the middle of the river where there was a sand bank he said, look !
And he showed me his leg with this huge and ugly scar.
What's that I asked and he said : crocodile.
Crocodile ? I asked. Where was it ?
Here he said and I stumbled, but, but, I thought here no crocodiles !
NO, he said, not today...
Now, as I was hoping ALL the crocodiles had the right day on their calander, not to be here I looked the water very good on our last trip through it...
Ha ha ha, no crocodiles today, can you believe it ?

Now I am in the city translated as Haven of Peace
Dar es Salaam
And I like it here, tomorrow a resting day before going to Zanzibar with a ferry for the last day's of my trip.
Hope to see you all soon, ha ha ha, no crocodiles today, man o man !!!!

[johntelleman]

Hoi lars,

Een collega heeft tijdens een safari in Oost Afrika een fietser met rieten hoed met veer waargenomen!
Met zijn telelens zag hij zelfs een NL sticker op zijn spullen!
Ook een houten knuppel is op de bagage waargenomen.
Wat een toeval h??

Groeten, John.

[lars de wit]

Ha John,

Dat is zeker een toeval zeg, geweldig !
Waar was het ergens, misschien herinner ik het me nog.

Okay, nu een kort verhaaltje

Haaidihaai !!!

Had a last good evening in Dar es Salaam.
Did you know you can eat fish curry with rice and vegetables here for only 1.75 euro ?
And today here in Zanzibar in Stone Town I had lunch, potatoes with tomato sauce and two chapati's ( sort of pancakes ) for the amount of 21 euro cents !

Today I walked through Zanzibar town, the old part, Stone Town which is something like a french or an italien little town with its narrow streets, real nice !
But I look forward to be on the road again tomorrow, going to Nungwi in the north.
White beaches, blue sea, palmtrees and I hope beautifull women hahaha.

A short story this time, not that much to tell with two day's not on the bike...

Greetings

[lars de wit]

Hello everybody,

These las day's here on Zanzibar Island and in Zanzibar town are really great !
First I cycled to kendwa, north of the island with a little paradise...
Imaging a see so blue, sand so white, beers so cold, a bar on the beach making the most wonderfull cocktails...liggend in een hangmat....under palmtrees...
This side of the island we see sunset above the ocean.
Day after I was on the other side, Kiwengwa where I see sunrise above the ocean.
Cycling through little villages, road lined with banana and coconut trees.
Little houses selling fruit, a warm soda and all kinds of other things.

Now back in Zanzibar town, just packed my bike in a box, now going for a swim and wander through these nice little streets here where you can even walk safe at night !
Eating tonight in forodhy gardens or something like that. All kind of BBQ fish and meat, good and cheap !
A nice end of a nice trip, see you all soon !

Ciau

[Koen Zeilstra]

Hoi Lars (en anderen).

Ik begrijp dat je van Nairobi naar Zanzibar bent gefietst en vanaf Zanzibar naar huis bent gevlogen. Hoeveel km fietsen is dat in totaal en hoeveel niet-fietsdagen heb je in die 4 1/2 week gehad?

gr,

Koen