Friday 19 March 2010
100% Fantastic
People have been so generous, thanks so much for all your donations to Love Africa. We are humbled and really grateful. You can still give for a while yet do just click at will!
Saturday 6 March 2010
Wednesday 3 March 2010
Photos
Some are posted at this URL no subtitles as yet but gives a sense of the trip!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153214&id=542648887&l=c39cf3fe4c
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153214&id=542648887&l=c39cf3fe4c
If I had my time again...
From a kit point of view there are some things I (MW) would have done differently if money were no object these include;
A decent helmet that would handle visor and or peek removal. My cheapo could only have both on or both off. The peek gets caught by the windrush of passing trucks and nearly rips your head off at the neck...!
A centre stand. I think it would have been the best £150 I had spent...the side stand bends, is too steep and doesnt hold the bike on poor ground or in the back of pick up trucks!!!
Take some GPS that would have guided us on key routes, asking the locals for directions was initially amusing but in the end fairly fruitless! Left and right were usually a problem plus distances were normally estimated +/- 100% wrong. We met a couple who were doing Europe to Cape in a Land Rover, I chatted to them in my underpants (you don't want the detail but it was harmless!). They used Track for Africa and said it was excellent. More kit though, more to get nicked etc...but worth a thought.
Get rid of the ridiculous plastic rear mud guard thingie. Mine flew off at the first sign of bumpy roads as did Paul's! Nonsense! Remove and never replace. Bike looks better without it anyway!
Taken a Camelback. How many times did I dream of the Camelback sitting in my garage at home. It is simple. You need to drink 3-5 litres of water a day if you want to have a beer when you stop on the evening and not have cramp in the middle of the night. Stopping to drink out of the water bottles is hassle. So you don't drink so you get heat exhaustion (actually I had Malaria!). The only way to get the fluids in and keep riding is a Camelback...essential kit, one more bit of paraphernalia but worth it!
Maybe Paul will other views.....
A decent helmet that would handle visor and or peek removal. My cheapo could only have both on or both off. The peek gets caught by the windrush of passing trucks and nearly rips your head off at the neck...!
A centre stand. I think it would have been the best £150 I had spent...the side stand bends, is too steep and doesnt hold the bike on poor ground or in the back of pick up trucks!!!
Take some GPS that would have guided us on key routes, asking the locals for directions was initially amusing but in the end fairly fruitless! Left and right were usually a problem plus distances were normally estimated +/- 100% wrong. We met a couple who were doing Europe to Cape in a Land Rover, I chatted to them in my underpants (you don't want the detail but it was harmless!). They used Track for Africa and said it was excellent. More kit though, more to get nicked etc...but worth a thought.
Get rid of the ridiculous plastic rear mud guard thingie. Mine flew off at the first sign of bumpy roads as did Paul's! Nonsense! Remove and never replace. Bike looks better without it anyway!
Taken a Camelback. How many times did I dream of the Camelback sitting in my garage at home. It is simple. You need to drink 3-5 litres of water a day if you want to have a beer when you stop on the evening and not have cramp in the middle of the night. Stopping to drink out of the water bottles is hassle. So you don't drink so you get heat exhaustion (actually I had Malaria!). The only way to get the fluids in and keep riding is a Camelback...essential kit, one more bit of paraphernalia but worth it!
Maybe Paul will other views.....
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