Cycle 5 Travelogue: Bikepacking Tanzania

Tanzania: Day 4, Tarakea > Mitadi

      

• Up at 6:30 AM. I had a terrible sleep as I read too late. Then there were people running outside, then people in the hallway, then people in the hallway in the morning, and then blasting preaching, we think.
• Either way, it’s a beautiful sunny day and we should make our way around Kelly today.
• Breakfast was hard-boiled eggs, bread, peanut butter, and jam, coffee, hot chocolate, and tea. Basic but good. We made up all the bread for PB&J sandwiches along the road.
• Packed up and on the road at 8 AM. A beautiful sunny morning with lots of people on the road. Quite a bit of timber production here in Tarakea.
• A beautiful view of Kilimanjaro to our left for the morning. A lot of banana plantations as well, and a ton of avocados. Saw a big black-and-white thing that looked like a big skunk in the tree. Not sure what it was, but it was big.
• Stopped for PB&J sandwiches and my lemon lime drink at 10 AM. So far so good.
• Soon we hit a dirt gravel section and came into this little town. Met a ladies motorcycle tour. A few from Canada and all around the world. Multigenerational. They had a support bike lead and also a vehicle. Soul & Ride. Super cool girl gang!
• Came upon a bunch a smaller kind of villages with lots of kids running out from the field. It’s amazing how they can see you or hear you from that far away. A few were begging, which was a bummer but oh well. We just said no or hello and kept riding.
• Basically rode the same road all along the Kilimanjaro National Park boundary line.
• Stopped for some Fanta, gave her the bottle back, and watched her toss it on the ground…lol. Not a lot of recycling happening here.
• Then stopped for water and had a bit of fun with some local kids. Taking pictures especially with PL‘s bike.
• Continued on down the road to have another peanut butter and jam sandwich. About 20 km left to go for today. Definitely harvest season here.
• Made our way back on tarmac with about 10 km to go. I was just saying I choose tarmac and trucks over this rocky gravel right now.
• PL and I were just saying, 2% grade and headwind and you feel like you’re flying. After that gravel, I just think everything seems easy…
• Turned off at 80 km to Simba Farm Lodge. It’s a very big farm that has a lodge with rooms and camping. It was a 2km climb but it is a great place. No mosquitos, warm showers, and WiFi.
• Started setting up our tent at 3pm. Had some avocado and chips and then had hot showers and washed all of our gear. There’s even a close line to hang our stuff up on.
• I am completely wiped though. I’m really hungry or I just need to sleep! Over to the lodge to have a beer and some snack snacks before dinner at 6:30.
• PL had a zoom call with Hans from Ethiopia, and I read for a bit. Then he ended up chatting with the owners who are from Holland.
• Dinner was at 6:30 which was great and then we watched the rest of the Argentina / Egypt game, which was a crazy ending.
• Had some more discussions about staying connected and learning about the family farm here and then headed to our tent at 9:30 PM.
• Lights out at 10.

 

Tanzania: Day 5, Mitadi > Kisongo

   

• Up at 6:30 AM to have breakfast just after 7 AM. Had a great sleep in the tent so we feel pretty good.
• By the time we got packed up and paid and had breakfast, we were on the road just after 8:30 AM.
• More great connections with plans to reconnect as the owners are Dutch and they have family and Abbotsford. Can’t make this shit up!
• Rode for about an hour straight into the rain. Just light drizzle so it wasn’t so bad. Turned off onto the first gravel section, but it’s been amazing. Rainy but warm and really quiet roads.
• Saw more traditional Maasai villages than previously. Lots of small villages, but nobody running out to chase us or ask for anything really.
• Stopped for snacks just after 11. Starting to clear up and get sunny again.
• Long nice sections with some kids here and there. A few ran beside PL for quite a while.
• Up and down over some lower bridges and then stopped for a snack at 1 PM.
• Turned onto the T2 at 1 o’clock. Tarmac and 6% claim. But we think a tail could be worse. Definitely not a tail wind and a 5 km climb. Both put our earbuds in and listened to a book for a bit.
• PL‘s fitness is definitely better than mine right now so I felt that bit, which was fine. Then we finally made it up and over and had a nice long descent all the way down into Arusha. Thank goodness cause I’m pretty tired.
• Rolled into Yellowstone Campsite and Lodge at 4 PM. Says there’s camping, restaurant and rooms. We’re just waiting to see.
• Ended up getting a room for 31,000 shillings as it was the same as the campsite which wasn’t really ready. And there is a restaurant so it’s pretty good.
• Had warm showers, washed my gear, hung them in the sun to dry, and then went for dinner.
• Had a great dinner with Pilau, which is spiced rice and chips, mayai en salad, which is french fries in fried eggs with coleslaw.  Had some Kilimanjaro beer and it was perfect for a post ride meal.
• PL got a mosquito bite so the ladies brought him some cream repellent. It smelt so nice, he was joking about rubbing it all over his body. Made the ladies laugh! He loves that.

Tanzania: Day 6: Kisongo > Magugu

 

• Up at 6:30 to go for breakfast at 7.  PL doesn’t think he slept at all.  I did, but not great. I put my ear plugs in as we were by the busy road. Riding out at 8am.
• 95% of the traffic are Safari vehicles. It is high season here.
• Sprinkling in some 5 and 7% grade claims.  Then some head winds.
• Stopped at Lions Bakery & Bafe. Very popular for the safaris. Met a bunch of people who followed us and thought we were cool.  Had a pizza and Fanta and lemon loaf.

   

• Heading into a Makatuni Wildlife Area where all the tours are starting. Hoping to see some wild animals.
• Spotted some wildebeest, zebras.
• So many Maasi all in black. Are they about to be circumcised or already? We’ve definitely hit the season for it as we have seen quite a few.
• Once we hit the National Park sign there were no more safari vehicles. Mostly trucks with a few motorbikes.
• Rolled into town hoping to find a place to stay as we’re pretty done. Nothing pops up yet. Decided to keep going – another 10km.
• Rolled into Magoo, found a few of the places that were on iOverlander and Osmond. Decided to keep going a bit and asked a gentleman on the side of the road. He took us down a side road to the farm lodge. Feel good about staying here.
• The bed is a queen with a footboard, which is not great for PL, but it’s clean cheap and has a good shower.
• PL went to the restaurant 100 m away to find it while I had a shower and washed my clothes and hung them to dry.
• After we are both clean, we walked to the restaurant on the main drag. Had an excellent meal and met some locals. Joseph, Daniel and Silas are all family members and have their own initiative of helping kids get bikes and involved in sport. We had great chats about serving and giving back to the community.
• Back to our hotel room to look at the route for tomorrow and head to bed early.

Tanzania: Day 7: Magugu > Katesh

 

• Up at 6:30 to head for breakfast at 7 at the same restaurant. We both had pretty good sleeps.
• Walked to the breakfast place but they didn’t have any food – just tea. So we’re going to eat our pancakes from yesterday and then start riding out.
• On our way at 7:45 AM. An overcast day.
• Quiet riding for the first hour.  We are both saying how it feels like we’ve been riding for so long but it’s only been seven days. I think just cause we’ve been away for a month already.
• Saw some vervet monkeys along the road
• Put our audiobooks on 8:30 AM as we have big claims.
• Ran into a 2 bikepackers from England: @always_tailwind.

 

• Looks like we are taking the same route that they took so we got some good intel and they have us in WhatsApp so we can communicate.
• Had our first immigration officer try to stop us and grab our passports. We wouldn’t pull it out so I think we were being scammed. Just waited it out.
• Stopped at 10 AM to get some more food and water. Got cappuccinos, donuts, Spanish omelettes and chapatis. And mango juice. I was so stuffed from the donut, I couldn’t eat anything else🤦🏻‍♀️
• Climbing next for about 6 km. Up onto the plateau with quite a bit of green and crops. Lots of corn and something else, just don’t know what it is.
• Descending down the road with some broken pavement, and PL’s rear pack popped off. Right in front of a truck so it could’ve been sketchy. His sandals and the luggage tag saved some damage.
• Stopped for some food at that point. 35 more kms to go. Looking forward to this day being done! Starting to feel the pain in my shoulders.
• Rolled into Katesh and found the Summit Hotel At 3:50 PM.  A couple from England stayed here and said it was good except for the breakfast.
• Showered, washed our clothes and hung them to dry and then lounged until dinner at 6 PM. In bed at 8:30.