Dairy of the 2008 ride

Day 1: Windhoek to Witvlei 160 km

Good day of riding. The wind was at my back, helping to push me along at a nice pace. The area outside of Windhoek is beautiful, with rolling hills making the riding interesting. These would be the last hills I would see until Kanye. In Witvlei, I visited an orphanage run by a woman named Nora Napenda. With minimal help she takes care of 17 children in her small house. Seeing the good work she is doing was incredibly inspiring, and gave me hope that positive changes can occur here with enough effort.

Day 2: Witvlei to the Border Post (Buitipos) 173 km

Unfortunately the wind shifted direction and I battled a headwind the entire day. This slowed me down considerably, but it was still a nice ride to the border. We saw warthogs, ostrich, and wild horses along the side of the road. No lions yet. We stayed at the East Gate Rest Camp and had dinner in their small restaurant. I was so hungry I ate an entire chicken.

Day 3: Border Post to Chobokwane (near the Ghanzi turn off) 150 km

Excellent ride today, although still with a crosswind/headwind. We arrived at Chobokwane at around 4pm. I had seen a sign for a campsite in this village so we followed a side road for about 4km into the town. Unfortunately the campsite was no longer up and running (this fact was made obvious by the many cows now residing at the campsite and the snakes we saw in the tents). So we made our way to the local police department and asked where we could camp. We ended camping at the police station itself, and had a good night sleep after a meal and campfire.

Day 4: Chobokwane to Lone Tree 170 km

The first 30 km of this ride were terrible. I was a little tired starting out and the winds against me were strong. However, when we made the turn at the Ghanzi turn-off I was now traveling with the wind, and I flew towards Lone Tree. Baboons were sighted today- a common site here but a rarity and treat for me. Seeing them running down the road was amazing. We camped at night at the Kalahari Anti-Poaching Camp, an interesting place where they monitor for and work to prevent poaching. My crew has become experts in tent building and cooking with minimal supplies. Next year I will need to buy more food and cookware.

Day 5: Lone Tree to Kang 100 km

I’ve been looking forward to this day for a while now- a short ride and a great place to stay. The Kang Ultra Stop is a gas station, but also has excellent rooms with TV, good showers, and comfortable beds. There’s even a pool (filled with ridiculously cold water). We arrived there at midday and had the afternoon to hang out, eat, and watch movies. Again, I ate an entire chicken.

Day 6: Kang to Sekoma 165km

Not the most exciting day of riding. Again not a single cloud was seen. The road is flat as a pancake, making for easier yet monotonous riding. No animals were seen today either (aside from cows and donkeys which seem ubiquitous here). The place we stayed in Sekoma was interesting in that is was on the premises of the customary court. There is no formal police station in Sekoma, and instead grievances and law matters are dealt with at the customary court under local laws.

Day 7: Sekoma to Kanye 168 km

Today’s ride was excellent. For the first half of it, the Jwaneng Bike Club joined me. Close to 10 riders rode with me from Sekoma to Jwenang, a fairly big town which is the site of one of the large diamond mines in Botswana. It was great to have their support, and riding in a pack of cyclists is always fun. I was surprised at how fit their cyclists were, and we kept up a respectable pace throughout the ride. At night, we stayed in a motel in Kanye and ate at the motel restaurant. And yes, another entire chicken, as well as some wine, was consumed by yours truly. I can’t believe how hungry I have been during this ride. I make sense though given the calories I must be expending.

Day 8: Kanye to Gaborone-the finish line! 95 km

This was a just a great day, period. My colleague, Ryan Phelps, joined me in Kanye to ride the last leg with me, and we were also joined by a bunch of BDF soldiers and a few COE workers in Gabane. The support was fantastic. When we arrived at the Baylor COE in Gaborone, we were greeted by over 100 people from the Baylor Center and PMH Hospital. I was blown away by the support. Speeches were made, food was eaten, and everybody seemed to have a good time. I can’t thank everyone enough for the support shown for this project. And I can’t wait to do it again next year!