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Blog | Shanny Hill Icon_16x16_light_rss RSS

TDA 2013 – An Extra Rest Day in Aswan


With the 2012 Tour d’Afrique now in its final stretches, we begin to look towards the 11th annual tour.  

The 2013 tour details are now online – with prices, and dates, and all the juicy details.

One of the changes is that we will start a day early in Cairo on a Friday – which means we get an extra rest day in Aswan! This is great news because Aswan is a fantastic town.

In the words of travel blogger Norbert of GloboTreks: 
Of the major touristic cities in Egypt, Aswan is, in my opinion, the one that still keeps a sense of slow pace and warmth that allows you to experience the city without much hassle.

Here are 7 things you should not miss while in Aswan. And believe me, you won’t want to miss them.
Read Norbert’s full post here.

With two rest days in Aswan, Abu Simbel will now be within reach for our cyclists if they wish to arrange a tour to this stunning site.

Don't miss out! Register Now for the 2013 Tour d'Afrique.

sites of Abu Simbel
Flickr photo by eviljohnius

Posted May 01, 2012 by Shanny Hill
Egypt | News Briefs 		Btn_share_twitter Btn_share_facebook


The Words (and Voices) from Mbeya

sunset at Stockholm Hotel
photo of Stockholm Hotel campsite in Mbeya, 2008

With a decent internet connection in Mbeya last night, the rider blogs were being updated faster than we could read them. Here's a sampling...

I Wear Zip-off Pants by Catherine Hardee
Otherwise I wear spandex. I’ve tried to convince myself that bike shorts don’t look “that” bad. And that having a big padded seat doesn’t make me look like I’m wearing an adult diaper. I don’t find myself that convincing.
http://catonabike.wordpress.com/

Flowing Waters and Streams by Paul Porter (audio blog)
http://paulporter.cfans.umn.edu/?p=1658

Mbeya, Tanzania by Tim Thomas
These trucks are not robots, so the people who operate them are really the ones who are our lifeline. Although there have been a couple of times when one of the trucks has not been at its expected rendezvous, there has always been an effective back-up plan.
http://www.thisisafrica2010.com/2010/03/mbeya-tanzania.html

Big wheels keep on turning by Rick Wasfy
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM cold beer is something usually only available on rest days so I thought it was worth the chance to have one.  It was great, but as cold beer does, it made me pretty hungry.
http://rickwasfy.wordpress.com/

Posted March 30, 2010 by Shanny Hill
Tanzania | Tour Updates 		Btn_share_twitter Btn_share_facebook


Financial Reporting from Sudan and Ethiopia

crunching the numbers
We have just received the latest 2010 Tour d'Afrique financial report from our field staff enroute in Ethiopia. Here are a few of the entries we have just reviewed...

Feb 2       Sudanese Pounds 30            fine for having bike on roof of 4WD vehicle
Feb 2       Sudanese Pounds 20            for labour digging vehicle out of sand at Abu Dom
Feb 16     Ethiopian Birr 100                 for car wash at Blue Nile River
Feb 16     Ethiopian Birr 3500               for purchase of 8 sheep
Feb 21     Ethiopian Birr 500 .               for "mule payment"
Feb 23     Ethiopian Birr 1800               for Addis Ababa Convoy accident damage

So we sit here asking ourselves what exactly Revenue Canada and its auditors would think of these!?!

Posted March 04, 2010 by Shanny Hill
Ethiopia | Sudan | Tour Updates 		Btn_share_twitter Btn_share_facebook


Addis Arrival

Its been a busy week in the Ethiopian highlands for riders on the Tour d'Afrique and communication problems have meant that we haven't seen many photos or updates from them.

That will all change today and tommorow as they arrive in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa for a one day break. You can expect a flurry of blogs being updated, tweets being twittered, and pictures being posted.

Stay tuned...

Posted February 21, 2010 by Shanny Hill
Ethiopia | Tour Updates 		Btn_share_twitter Btn_share_facebook


Tour d'Afrique 2010 has already begun... for some

The riders on the 2010 Tour d'Afrique will roll out of Cairo on January 16, 2010, but the tour has already begun for the South and East African support crew.

Congregating in Nairobi over the last week, they have finalized their Sudanese and Ethiopian visas, cleaned and tuned the vehicles, bought supplies, and they are now set to embark on the long drive north to meet the Tour d'Afrique in Cairo - it will be Christmas and New years in Sudan for this group.

The truck convoy includes two overland trucks and a Landcruiser - all customized to Tour d'Afrique's needs.
The support trucks
These fortunate few will have the pleasure of taking the ferry to Egypt from Sudan to meet us in Cairo, only to turn around and start heading south again - supporting the riders on the eighth annual tour.

For the Tour d'Afrique riders, if you see the crew around the hotel looking a little tired, and dirty, just remember how they got to Cairo. I am sure none of them would say no to a cold beer if you offered.

To the crew currently on the road - safe travels and see you in Cairo - inshallah.
The crew
from left to right: Peterson, Janet, Ferdi, Sharita, and Errol

Posted December 15, 2009 by Shanny Hill
News Briefs | Tour Updates 		Btn_share_twitter Btn_share_facebook


Hardship

374

Today was tough. No two ways about it. The accumulated miles so far on the Namibian dirt roads have taken their toll on many of the riders – even some thought to be amongst the strongest.

 

Namibia has been in a word, beautiful. Red sand dunes, steep descents, wide open spaces, panoramic views, stunning skies at night, springbok, ostriches, oryx, and more.

 

Today, for some, the suffering and frustrations of the tough terrain outweighed the beauty that surrounded them. We have another very hard day tomorrow – 155 km all on gravel roads with patches of corrugation and soft sand. The winds today were generally cooperative, but they can also be fickle, so we will see how they blow tomorrow. Most of the roads we have been on have been pretty good gravel roads, but there have been some long stretches (like the first 70 km today) they were brutally tough. Tomorrow will also feature more climbing than we have seen in the last day and a half of riding also.

 

It will be tough, but my belief is that this is going to be a place and a time that they all look back on and remember more vividly than other stages where they arrived to camp early and had time to check their email – those luxuries are nice from time to time on this trip, but the riders will look back and remember the challenging days, the exotic days, the scenic days and the days like tomorrow. I think many will be proud to say that they helped pioneer a new and improved route for the Tour d’Afrique and the riders in 2010 will be given a refined version of the first year dirt route.

 

With tired bodies and morale a little low at camp tonight, there was only one obvious solution – Spaghetti Bolognese. One of the simpler dishes for James to prepare (and most certainly not his favourite to prepare), it is always a favourite with many riders - one that gets finished off entirely by the group. Some riders coming back for third and fourth helpings.

 

On a full stomach, at 7:30pm, most are already sound asleep, dreaming about the challenges and future memories ahead.


Posted April 29, 2009 by Shanny Hill
Namibia | Tour Updates 		Btn_share_twitter Btn_share_facebook


Chef’s Specialty

344

Malaysian Spiced Chicken for 60 on rice, with side coleslaw made with purple cabbage.

 

1. Mix together 80 pieces of freshly butchered chickens (best to butcher away from clients, unless the intension is to impress them with your butchery skills or to intimidate.) with coriander, cumin, tumeric, paprika, and cloves.

 

2. Separately mix water, vinegar, sugar, pineapple, corn flour, and set aside.

 

3. Stir-fry ginger, garlic, onion, red peppers, lemon. Add chicken stir-fry until no longer pink inside, and nicely browned on the outside.

 

4. Separately make a smaller portion of Malaysian Spiced Chick Peas for the vegetarians.

 

5. Pour in the sauce you made in step 2. Cook on low for 20 minutes. Set aside until dinner time.

 

6. Cook 20 kg of rice, so that it finishes just in time for dinner.

 

7. Once the pre-dinner rider meeting is called, put the Spiced Chicken / Chick Peas back on the heat in anticipation of dinner (rider meetings are generally 15 min. before dinner).

 

8. Set out the massive pots, find some big spoons and start serving.

 

Enjoy…


Posted April 15, 2009 by Shanny Hill
Botswana | Tour Updates 		Btn_share_twitter Btn_share_facebook


Sectionally Challenged

330

Most Td'A participants start in Cairo and hope to go all the way to the end in Cape Town- this tough bunch can say they have crossed the entire continent.

There is another, smaller contingent on the tour each year who either believe they could not endure four months in the saddle or are unable to because of family and work commitments that allow them to stay for just a matter of weeks at a time. These are known as the sectional riders, and for them they quickly have to catch up to the pace of the tour, and the routines that the rest have become accustomed to. 
           
Our current section is called the Zambezi Zone- from Lilongwe to Vic Falls covering over 1,200 km in a mere 8 cycling days. The brave souls for this leg are Simon, Alex, Nate, Markos, Ian and David. Having already completed half their cycling days they have done their best to overcome the challenges; and this welcoming group of cyclists have embraced them.
           
It can sometimes be difficult for the sectionally challenged to wake up so early, pack up tent, find their plate and cup, get some breakfast, fill their water bottles, pump their tires, put on sunscreen, put their gear away in their locker, copy down the directions, get on their bike all before 7:30am and then ride between 140-170km only to unpack and set up all over again. For the sectionally challenged, its never easy and just as they start to figure out their routines, and just as we get to know them a little better they are gone again and a fresh group takes their place, and the challenges start again.

Hats off to all this year's sectionally challenged riders. Great job, and hope to see you all back here again someday.

Posted April 06, 2009 by Shanny Hill
Tour Updates | Zambia 		Btn_share_twitter Btn_share_facebook


Done.

Tour d’Afrique 2008 is finished. From a brief conversation with founder Henry Gold amid the chaos and excitement at the celebratory dinner in Cape Town, he reports that everyone was glad to be finished and a bit of rain at the end couldn’t spoil the celebration of relieved cyclists and their families. Everyone is happy and healthy with four months of memories now to sort through. On the competitive side of things, Canadian Deb Corbeil takes the women’s title in a time of 469 hours, 31 minutes ahead of Dutch rider Joya van Hout while Jos Kaal of Holland leap-frogged Austrian rider Bernd Prorok in the standing to claim the Tour victory in the men’s category.

The race rules worked in Jos’ favour as the removal of the grace days meant that his five worst times were omitted and it made up the difference (and then some) to make him the second Dutchman in a row to become Champion of the Tour d’Afrique. Full standings can be found on the Results page of the Tour d’Afrique website.

Posted May 10, 2008 by Shanny Hill
Race Updates | South Africa | Tour Updates 		Btn_share_twitter Btn_share_facebook


Done.

Tour d'Afrique 2008 is finished. From a brief conversation with founder Henry Gold amid the chaos and excitement at the celebratory dinner in Cape Town, he reports that everyone was glad to be finished and a bit of rain at the end couldn't spoil the celebration of relieved cyclists and their families. Everyone is happy and healthy with four months of memories now to sort through. On the competitive side of things, Canadian Deb Corbeil takes the women's title in a time of 469 hours, 31 minutes ahead of Dutch rider Joya van Hout while Jos Kaal of Holland leap-frogged Austrian rider Bernd Prorok in the standing to claim the Tour victory in the men's category. The race rules worked in Jos' favour as the removal of the grace days meant that his five worst times were omitted and it made up the difference (and then some) to make him the second Dutchman in a row to become Champion of the Tour d'Afrique. Full standings can be found on the Results page of the Tour d'Afrique website.

Posted May 10, 2008 by Shanny Hill
South Africa | Tour Updates 		Btn_share_twitter Btn_share_facebook