Leaving Iringa…

The first hurdle after leaving Iringa, would be to get up and over that mountain range...

I am a little apprehensive about today’s ride… I am aware that it is a gravel road, but everybody who I ask, tells me it is a “good road”… But by whose standards, I wonder? I could take the long way around, via Morogoro, which would mean another bum-numbing 600 kms, or go for this shorter option… My time on gravel in Namibia, was still fresh in my mind, and the serviced Ohlin’s shock had not really been tested…

The busy bus terminus, as seen from my balcony... Noisy 24 hours a day...

I had a restless night, kept awake by the buzzing of mosquitoes, as well as the noise from the bus station a short distance away… I was up at 6.00 am, packed all my gear, ate a leisurely breakfast, (mainly because it took20 minutes to fry two eggs..) and later, with the assistance of the porter, carted everything downstairs to the waiting bike… I sent Ezekiel to go and buy some cellotape, as I wanted to “strap” the rear brake light cover to its mounting, in case my repair of yesterday was undone on the gravel road… I busied myself ensuring that everything was strapped down securely, the panniers were locked, and the tyres wouldn’t be making contact with the brake light cover again…

The Big Fella before our departure...

Ezekiel first came back with a roll of masking tape… I patiently explained that one could not see through masking tape, and sent him back to wherever he had got the masking tape from… He re-appeared a few minutes later with a roll of red electrical tape… I cut a piece off, and holding it in front of my eyes, said,

Ezekiel, the porter... Making ready to say farewell to the crazy Mzungu...

“I can’t see you Ezekiel…!! There must be something wrong with this cello-tape…”

Off he went again, and returned empty-handed… “No clear tape, Bwana….”

“Okay then, I’ll have to use the red tape then…”

He gave me a long look and then dashed off again, and returned with the red tape… I packed it into my tank bag and turned to see him looking a little perplexed…

“Is Bwana not using..?” he asked, pointing to the bag where the tape was…

“No, I just like the colour….” I replied… To which he shook his head and looked down at his toes… The look on his face could roughly be translated as “This Mzungu has had much sun…”.

It’s almost 9.00am… Time to get going…

This photo, taken by Worldrider Allan Karl, in February 2008, is in the courtyard where the bikes over-nighted… The container has changed (see above), but the rest of the MR Hotel is exactly as we left it…!!!