Unforgettable!

Friday 28th February

I had a terrible nights sleep as the ceiling fan in my room was actually a large desk fan screwed to the ceiling so as it fought tirelessly through the night against the force of gravity it made a noise like a Castle gate getting wrenched open with every rotation.

This was not the pre match preparation I was hoping for before my possible FA Cup final of a day. I knew today was going to be a long one but i also knew its potential to being a memorable one aswell, so I wanted to make a good start to the day. This didn't happen as I fell in and out of consciousness from 5am onwards after struggling to sleep in the first place, and then woke up at half 8 in a panic that I had overslept and possibly missed out on my free breakfast of 2 slices of bread and a boiled egg.

The fiasco continued as I was given a poxy egg where the shell wouldn't come off without taking 20% of the egg with it. As I struggled with this, the waitress poured me Tanzanians version of "tea." I've had the pleasure of experiencing some amazing hot beverages on this trip but unfortunately, Tanzanian tea is not one of them. The Tanzanians generally have a flask of hot milk (not like home, probably goat's) and water pre-mixed together which they add to a very small tea bag. Now correct me if I'm wrong, this is not tea! Tea is classed as a tea bag and hot water where milk is provided as an optional extra just as sugar is. The people at the chip shop don't serve chips in a jar of vinegar like some sort pickled onion do they! I've tried on many occasions to deny the horrible tea but they seem to either insist or not understand my rejection. I then have to drink some of the stuff as they stand and watch me try not to grimace after every sip.

I'm not even a "tea man" but if you're going make me a beverage I don't like, at least make it so it looks like it should look, brown, and not some oily yellow colour like what sat before me in my cup this morning! I showed the waitress the state of my egg and looked over at another one sat happily in the bowl on the table. She took my one off me and gave me the new one to try again which was kind of her. I began my new one much more hesitantly as she battled with my old one. She must've been trying too hard to finish quickly as she ended up dropping a clump of shell in my tea. I burst out laughing and told her it was ok, I didn't want it anyway. She seemed embarrassed and handed me my original egg which looked more like a rugby prop's ear and then she walked off. 

I hope I didn't offend her by laughing I thought. I only laughed because I was trying to think of ways to get out of drinking the tea, ah well at least I don't have to drink it now, and I got an extra half an egg out of it! Bonus! 

I began to cut up my eggs and put them on my bread and the next thing I know she's back, standing over me...with a fresh cup of Tanzanian tea!!! 

I had my eggs on bread and didn't touch the tea, I was in a rush. It was already half 9 and I really wanted to get back to that smooth black tarmac. I took it easy to begin with, in order to shake off the cobwebs that were making my calf's ache. The first hour or so absolutely flew by and before I knew it I was approaching the National Park. This was probably the most dangerous National Park I would cycle through to date, I knew this because the sign said so, "DANGER, You are entering Mikumi National Park, Beware, Wild Animals" I didn't need much more info than that really! I had a doughnut in my handlebar bag which I ate. I didn't want to be any sort of moving target like that time in France when I cycled through the field of birds with a baguette Bungy corded to Nigel. The African version of that would prove to be a bit more extreme and I was hoping that the only living thing still hungry at this time of day would be me.

So it was finally "Game" time and I'm enjoying myself, having a sing song with John Legend and really not taking much in as there is thick forest either side of me. Then the forest opened up and I am emerged onto the set of the Lion king. Long grass, cool trees and open plains for as far as the eye can see on both sides of the road. Maybe time to start spotting some animals I thought to myself. A coach had broken down on the side of the road so I slowed down to go around it and then stopped to say hello to the driver. As I stopped I saw something out the corner of my eye, kind of galloping through the long grass. It seemed bigger than a gazelle so I watched it as it emerged clearly in plain daylight and stood no more than 10ft away from me in the middle of the road. A Hyena! Ugliest looking thing you've ever seen, I froze stiff. I could've got my camera out and stuffed it in his face but I really had no clue what to do. It just looked a me, made a noise and ran off as if all four legs were different sizes. It wasn't injured, that's just the unfortunate way it seemed to run which was probably why its pack had left it behind!

It's Hyenas that have pound for pound one of the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom but its Beirdre that can turn you to dust just by looking at her so the Hyena did the right thing in clambering off. I looked back at the equally surprised coach driver, gave him a nod and continued on my ride in a slight sense of disbelief. That just happened I thought, that just happened! Amazing! And if that just happened then I may even spot the odd Elephant you know! Ever since I began this ride I've had Elephants in my mind for ages. The thought of cycling to Elephants to me beats any other animal and is the real signature of Africa. They're not even my favourite animal and I'm not fussed about the big cats, its Elephants for me that will make my ride complete. (well the wildlife section of it anyway)

I stopped to make a quick video at a sign that showed a 15,000USD fine if you hit an Elephant. Baboons were 1,500, Pumbas were 4,500 and I forget some of the others. This could prove costly I thought if there's a downhill section and a Gazelle that thinks it'll be a good idea to play "chicken" with Nigel and his dodgy brakes. In my video I mentioned the possibility of seeing an Elephant but I didn't get my hopes up as I thought I would've seen some in Kenya but I was never in the right place unfortunately.

I was still blown away by the Hyena, i was happy with my days work, it was like getting an assist in my FA Cup final. I must've put the camera away and cycled for no more than a minute when I saw some black shadows underneath a big tree about 250m away. There they were!!! I couldn't believe it! Goose pimples immediately ran down my body and I was left absolutely speechless. I had cycled to Elephants! There were about 6 of them. It looked like 4 or 5 small ones and 1 big one but I really couldn't care, if they were rocks then they were rocks with long trunks and big flappy ears, I was literally ecstatic. 

During this ride I have got a lot of satisfaction from a lot of different things. I have also found inspiration from some amazing people and experiences that have helped me to continue but not much has felt like a predetermined reward. It's a different feeling you get from when you work hard for a first place in a running race for example and get it, compared to someone giving you a free lolly for shopping at Holland and Barrett. 

I've always taken seeing Elephants as a huge reward like seeing Victoria Falls and seeing the kids in Lesotho at the end. Today seemed like a massive well done for sticking through the tough times and when I stood there and took it all in, it all got very emotional. I'm equally blessed with the people I've met and the children I've seen but today will be up there with one of the best memories of my ride. The sighting wasn't exactly 5 metres away, looking directly up into the Elephant eye's, it didn't have to be, it was the first sighting of wild Elephants and I had done it all by bike.

I was glowing, I got back on Nigel and my smile could've knocked passing motorcyclist off their bikes. Tanzania had given me a gift and all I wanted to do was tell someone about it. (Mainly my mum) As I cycled onwards I spotted more and more different animals scattered along the road, giraffe, zebras, gazelle, baboons. I couldn't believe it, I felt like I was inside the cage at the zoo, there was absolutely nothing between us. 

The road and the lorries were the least of my worries or focus, I was checking around for anything and everything animal-wise. I stopped at some baboons and took a video as one just walked past me like a boss on the other side of the road. I then pedalled for 5 minutes and stopped for some Zebras at my 3 o'clock. I turned to my 9 o'clock and there was a huge Buffalo drinking from a puddle just 20 metres away. I continued flashing my head side to side and spotting more and more. 100m away on my 8 o'clock were more elephants and 50metres at 11 o'clock were a herd of wildebeest eating grass with gazelle, this was flipping mental!!! The only thing it seemed like there wasn't at this moment of time were humans!! 

I really couldn't believe it, things just seemed to get better and better and more and more extreme. I was in a serious mode for looking for lions now as if one had just fed on some tough meat and was looking for a toothpick then I would be the perfect match. I didn't see a lion which I wasn't too fussed about, I was sure they wouldn't go near the road and couldn't exactly be disappointed with what I did see. The last 10 miles getting to my camp site absolutely flew by but took the longest of the day as I was stopping every 5 minutes to check to see if the sandy coloured rock was breathing or not.

I arrived at Tan-Swiss campsite still in good time considering the miles I put it. The American guy that stopped me during breakfast in Bagamojo had recommended it so I normally take people up on their recommendations. (Unless they tell me not to go to Dar)

There were some very friendly people  waiting at reception that were on their way to Iringa that I got talking to. I found myself talking quicker and more sporadically than usual, the animals had done something to me. I was just soo happy!

I set up camp down by three German motorcyclists that were cycling from South Africa. I got talking to them too and they were very nice. I had some food in the very nice restaurant and spent some time on the Internet and before I knew it it was dark. I was still pretty hungry so I decided to cook some noodles in a picnic area in the campsite. It was a great way to end a truly amazing day and I even had the pleasure of sharing my meal with a mantis that just sat on the table opposite me as I ate my noodles.

Today I was completely and utterly in the thick of it, at one with the animals and loving every single minute of it. Not just one of the best days of the ride but one of the best days of my life! I definately will not be forgetting this day for a while!