Cycling the Elephant Highway

Somerville, Mass - It's hard to believe that only one year ago, I was counting down to my departure to Southern Africa, where I would cycle almost 1000 miles from Victoria Falls to Windhoek, Namibia.

Needless to say, my life has changed a lot in the past year. I haven't been on my bike since August, due to my pregnant state. Instead of watching lions and leopards prowling about the Okavango Delta, I am entertained by the antics of my own wild cats, Ozzie and Lynx.

And although I am about to start research on the updated guide to New England, there are no plans for travel to more exotic destinations in my foreseeable future.

Nevermind, other adventures await. In the meantime, my reminiscence is aided by two exciting developments:

• 
  
  The new guide to Botswana & Namibia is out, and it features my blurb about cycling the Elephant Highway. Read it here.
• 
  
  Lonely Planet TV has released a series of videos - one for each leg of the Tour d'Afrique. Follow my team member Tom Hall and me, as we pedal across Botswana & Namibia (below), or click here to see the other videos.

Props to Union Square

Somerville, Mass - How long have we been saying that our neighborhood - Union Square - is "up-and-coming"? Approximately nine years, since we moved in.

Yes, that does raise a question about how long a place has to "come up" before it actually arrives somewhere. But never mind, roday The Metro Boston featured Union Square on the front page, calling it "a welcoming place for young, creative entrepreneurs."

The article features some of our coolest local places... The Sherman Cafe & Market started as a cozy cafe with free wifi and great egg salad sandwiches, but recently expanded to include a little store selling local produce, Vermont cheeses and other locally-produced delicacies. OPEN Bicycle is a crazy-concept - a bike shop and an art gallery all in one. OPEN Bicycle was also featured in the Boston Globe Magazine as one of the best new businesses in metro Boston. Go biker-artists!

Read more about up-and-coming Union Square...

Indian Summer, Part 2

Medford, Mass - The warm weather continues. Today we decided to check out a new destination. Although I have ridden my bike many times past the Middlesex Fells Reservation, I have never really stopped to explore it.

Today was the perfect day for it. Sunny skies and warm temperatures drew out plenty of dog-walkers and a few mountain bikers, although the trails were remarkably unpopulated compared to our regular destinations. The main reason for this is that there are miles and miles of hiking trails - I mean some 25 miles of marked hiking trails, as well as a mountain biking loop - so even if there are people, your chances of seeing them are slim.

We had no idea where to go. We parked on South Border Rd and picked up the first trail we found, which turned out to be the Cross-Fells Trail. We didn't start at the beginning, which is near Medford High School, but this 4.5-mile trail was a pretty good sampler plate - offering a glimpse of the reservoir, a view of the Boston skyline from the top of Cairn Hill and some lovely secluded woods. (The Fells website classified this trail as difficult, but that's a bit of an exaggeration, really.)

Of course we could not come back the way that we went - that would be too easy. So we made our way back first on the Skyline Trail, then on the Reservoir Trail, with some fire roads in between. I never would have ventured off the Cross-Fells Trail by myself - yes, I do make maps for a living, but that doesn't mean I have a good sense of direction! Fortunately, my husband does and we found our way back to our car without incident.

Funny, after all these years living in Somerville and writing about Boston and New England, I am still making new discoveries!

Three cures for the summertime blues

Provincetown, Mass - Heat got you down? In my opinion, when the thermometer hits 90 degrees, there is really only one place to be, and that's in the water. In anticipation of the summer's first really hot days, we headed to Provincetown on Sunday. That was a good move.

Cape Cod has a reputation for bad traffic and crowded beaches, but there are a few ways to avoid both of these negatives:

Number one, drive to Cape Cod on a Sunday morning. Sure there will be a lot of cars, but they will all be headed in the opposite direction.

Number two, drive all the way to the Cape Cod National Seashore. This is an endless strip of pristine beach backed by gorgeous dunes and salt marshes. Okay, it's not endless, but it is 40 miles long, so it is seemingly endless. The beach will be crowded near the entrance, but you can just keep walking until the humans dwindle out. Walk for 10 minutes and you will have as much sand as you could possibly want - all to yourself.

The sign at the ranger station claimed the water was 63 degrees, but I didn't believe it. It was supposed to be 62 degrees at Crane's Beach last week, and that water was frigid. The Cape catches the edge of the Gulf Stream, which means the water was delightfully refreshing - but warm enough to stay in and float around for as long as we wanted. No waves, though. No boogie board action.

The National Seashore also has about 12 miles of bike trails that wind through the dunes. I had my heart set on vegging on the beach on this particular outing, so we decided not to bring the bikes, but this is a beautiful place for a leisurely ride. Highly recommended for not-too-serious bikers.

We packed a picnic, played Scrabble, read books and flew kites - perfect beach day. In the evening, Provincetown was hopping. We spent an hour or two browsing in the art galleries on Commercial Street. We often end up bringing something home - this time it was a coal-mining dwarf, who is now taking a break in the garden behind the pink house. We have quite a collection of creatures back there.

Afterwards, we decided to forego the gay cabaret, which is P-town's best form of entertainment. Instead we sat at the bar, watching the Sox and sucking down cold beers and Wellfleet oysters.

In case you needed additional reasons to go to Cape Cod, I just gave you a dozen more. Slurpy, salty, succulent goodness, times twelve.

Monday morning was cloudy, so we lost some of our valuable beach time. But we were back out there as soon as the sun broke through. Beach blanket heaven. Sadly, we had to cut the day short to drive back to Boston on Monday afternoon. Still, I was glad we had made the trip, especially on the way home when I saw that the thermometer at Cambridge Savings Bank read 92 degrees. Ooh ma-ma!

In case you are wondering why we had to get back to Boston (seeing that I am a lady of leisure these days), it's because we had to pick up our two newly-adopted family members. The pink house is a cat house once again!

So there you have it:

Get in the water
Eat oysters
Adopt a cat
If that doesn't cure your summertime blues, nothing will!

A Pretty Good Day

Somerville, Mass - If I could design the perfect summer day, it would bear a striking resemblance to yesterday:
#1 - Bike ride from North Reading through historic Ipswich and beautiful salt marshes to Crane's Beach.
#2 - Cycling tour around the Crane Estate and a delicious cooling dip in the 62-degree ocean. That's chilly water, but when you've been pedalling for three hours in the 90-degree heat, it feels pretty good.
#3 - Steamers from Woodman's, a New England institution.
#4 - Cycle back to North Reading through rolling hills, horse country and the shady lanes of Harold Palmer State Forest. The sky threatens but does not rain. (Total distance 66 miles.)
#5 - Massive traffic jam on the way back to Somerville (okay, I might strike that part from the perfect summer day - but at least I discovered a new way to get from I-93 to my house; desperation breeds innovation).
#6 - Fenway Franks for dinner and Paul McCartney singing beneath the Citgo Sign.

Climb to the Clouds

Somerville, Mass - Now that I have cycled across Africa and I know how to change a flat tire, I finally feel comfortable calling myself a "biker".  Plus, I have the gear now, so that pretty much settles it.
That said, I'm not sure that I will ever again ride the distances that I did over the winter and spring. I enjoyed the training - I really did - but it was so time-consuming. And while I would like to do some more long-distance bike tours, I would prefer a route that averages 50 miles a day instead of 100 miles a day.
Since my return from my inter-continental journey this spring, I have resumed riding pretty regularly. Indeed, it's a joy to be out on my bike. But my standard route follows the Minute Man Bike Trail, either its terminus in Bedford (about 28 miles roundtrip) or the slightly extended trip to Walden Pond (35 miles). No strong desire to go too much farther than that at this point in my life.
Today was the first day I joined my old riding group, the Charles River Wheelmen for an organized ride. Although it was the group's summer century, I opted for the shorter 62-mile ride. It's called the Climb to the Clouds because the route takes in Mt Wachusetts in Princeton, Mass. So, yes, there's some serious climbing involved. This year we were warned that the access road to the 2000-foot summit was closed for repairs. Let me tell you, I was thrilled. It was hard enough getting up Mountain Road to the visitors center.
So that was the longest distance - and certainly the hilliest route - that I have ridden in a while. No wild animals were spotted, but the weather was perfect and the scenery from the mountain was spectacular. And after 62 miles, I was beat. What more do I want from my bike ride?

TDA Highlights

Somerville, Mass - All of the Lonely Planet team members contributed to this little slide show about the highlights of the Tour d'Afrique.

The original presentation was actually a PDF file, but I can't figure it out how to post that. Apparently I can't post a video without sharing it with the world on YouTube. So here it is - one more time - as a photo album.

There are a few consistent themes, but for the most part, it's interesting to see how everybody really had different experiences.

One recurrent theme seems the be "The People". Many of the riders said they enjoyed meeting the locals along the way. You'll notice that this was not a highlight for my partner Tom or me - that's because we only met about 7 people in Botswana and Namibia. They are kind of sparsely populated.

Does this inspire you to start planning an exotic bike trip? Visit the Tour d'Afrique website.

Back to Reality

Somerville, Mass - I am done. Three months and three continents later, I am back in the pink house. Back to reality, as they say.
Reality is not so bad, I decided. Here are some highlights from the pink house:

1 - As might be expected, the yard was a mini-jungle when we returned. I was really looking forward to gettng out there and getting my hands dirty. I was dreaming about it (literally). After one long day of weeding and trimming, the garden is actually looking quite lovely. Gotta love those perennials!
2 - We hung our new Polish artwork in a pominent place in the living room, and it looks lovely too! The new addition to the Eastern European collection is a Rodzinsky, ladies and gentlemen. We made the acqaintance of the artist at an exhibit opening in Krakow and now we are proud owners of Murek (translation: little wall).
3 - I resumed my yoga practice and it feels fabulous - sore muscles and all. Have I mentioned how much I love Karma yoga studio in Cambridge?
4 - Three days after we arrived home, the mailman delivered the boxes that I sent from Africa. Very impressive timing, Mr Postman. The boxes contain bike gear, camping gear and - most importantly - my only pair of bike cleats. I was not sure how long I would have to wait before I could take the Klein Q out for a spin, but the answer is I don't have to wait at all.

5 - On the way home, we bought some Campari at Duty Free and we have started experimenting with recipes for lo spritz - with delightful results. If you recall, the spritz is the cocktail of choice in Venice - pro secco, fizzy water and bitters - and it is delish. Perfect for sipping out on the back terrace. I'm not sure why it took us a year to try this at home.
6 - The food being eaten in the pink house is unbelievable. We didn't really use our kitchen in Krakow, since my job was to review the restaurant scene. Actually, I figured out that I didn't eat home-cooked meals for three months, so now I'm making up for lost time. And my personal chef is rising to the occasion! Grilled steaks with corn on the cob, grilled shrimp over fresh lemon fettucini, grilled salmon with mango salsa and steamed asparagus, bolognese sauce over tri-colored rotini... this is making me hungry. Gotta go.

Highlights from Krakow

Krakow, Poland - How time flies when you're having fun. It's hard to believe that I am in my final days in Krakow. One week from today, I will be home in the pink house.
Instead of trying to write a separate post about everything I have been up to, I decided to offer a list of highlights. A greatest hits, if you will.
 1 - Wawel Castle. The number one tourist attraction in Krakow (as evidenced by the hordes of school groups running around). The grounds are gorgeous, as is the magnificent Wawel Cathedral, burial place of all of Poland's most prestigious leaders.
Here, you will also find the den of the dragon Smok. Legend has it that during the days of Prince Krak (the founder of Krakow), this dragon used to terrorize the town, his favorite feast being beautiful young virgins. The joke is that he starved to death.
But the more traditional legend is that Prince Krak foiled him by feeding him a sheep stuffed with sulfur. That must have been some explosion!
2 - Podgorze. Formerly an independent city, this neighborhood on the south shore of the Vistula River is a gem. It is starting to attract some attention, as it is the site of Schindler's Factory, where Oskar Schindler saved the lives of so many people during WWII. A long-awaited museum is set to open in the factory this fall, which will certainly draw the tourists. But for now, Podgorze is definitely off the beaten track.
We spent a day wandering. On the southern fringe of the city, we climbed Krak's mound, the legendary burial place of Prince Krak. (There are a lot of legends in Krakow.)
To the north, it offers a wonderful panorama of Krakow. To the south, it overlooks the vast, unkempt terrain of the former Plaszow concentration camp. The Nazis destroyed the camp as they retreated, but the grounds remain mostly untouched as a memorial to the many people who died here.
3 - Nowa Huta. This massive steel works was built by the communists during the 1950s, apparently in attempt to counter Krakow's intellectual tendencies. It's about 10km east of Krakow, but it feels like a different world. Actually, it feels like Russia, with the wide avenues and socialist realist architecture.
Nowa Huta was always disparaged by Krakovians, but it was here that workers' strikes and artist movements and pro-church demonstrations were most vociferous.
After several attempts at destruction, the statue of Lenin was finally removed in 1989. The ultimate insult: this central square is now named after Ronald Reagan. Ouch!





4 - Camaldolese Monastery - The Camaldolese monks are renowned for being hermits. Really. Their motto is Memento Mori: "Remember you must die". And just to make sure they remember, they sleep with the skulls of their predecessors in their cells.
The Camaldolese Monks live in seclusion. They pray together, but that's about it. There are five days a year that they might contact the outside world - if they wish.
The monastery is open to the public, but only to males of the species. Anyway, it's rare to come into contact with a monk. You might see him praying in the church, but he probably won't talk to you.
I visited the monastery on one of 12 days that it is open to women. There was one bushy-bearded monk entertaining a group of nun, but otherwise the place was pretty quiet.
5 - Auschwitz-Birkenau. It seems wrong to put these notorious camps on a list of highlights. The place is disturbing - no, distressing - but it's an essential part of Poland. As many as two million people died at this camp. Two million people.
I was disappointed with the museum at Auschwitz, which tends toward gruesome photos, without a lot of factual information or analysis (at least not in English). But it's very clear about explaining what different buildings were used for, what daily life entailed for the prisoners and the many many ways in which they were killed. And really, I guess that is the point.
While many people died at Auschwitz, it was primarily a concentration camp. By contrast, nearby Birkenau was a death camp, where people were herded off the trains and straight into the gas chamber. The place is vast. Most of the buildings were destroyed by the Nazis, but the grounds stretch out for miles. All that is left are the ruins of the gas chambers and crematoria, as well as a few barracks - a chilling reminder of the tragedy that took place here.
   
6 - Tyniec Monastery. Nobody is going to confuse the Benedictines with the Camaldolese Monks. These guys are making beer and honey to entice visitors up to their monastery, which overlooks the Vistula about 12km west of Krakow. I even saw one guy going into mass wearing Tevas with his kassock. (I was wondering if he noticed that we had the same shoes.)
There is a bike trail that follows the river all the way from Krakow to Tyniec and beyond. One sign said that it goes all the way to Budapest, but I figured that's an expedition for another day.

Jewish Kazimierz

Krakow, Poland - Krakow has seen a huge increase in tourism in recent years, and one of the drawcards is the city's Jewish heritage. Jews come by the busload - especially from Israel and from the US - to retrace their roots and to pay their respects to their brethren that were killed in the Holocaust.
Even visitors who are not Jewish want to visit the old Jewish quarter Kazimierz. Much of Schindler's List was filmed here, and every tour guide knows where the scenes were shot and where Spielberg stayed. Last week on my bike tour, the guide even brought along a portable DVD player so he could show us a scene while we were standing in the very same courtyard where it was shot.
The renewal of interest in Jewish heritage has led to a resurgence in Jewish culture in Krakow. There is a huge Jewish festival every year in June. The main thoroughfare of the Jewish quarter - ulica Szeroka - is lined with restaurants like Ariel and Klezmer-Hois - all of which promise Jewish cuisine and klezmer music.
I'm not exactly a connoisseur of Jewish cuisine, but Avi - my friend from Israel - claims these restaurants are not really authentic. (When I asked him where to get the best Jewish food in Krakow he answered "Come to my house.") Most of the synagogues are not active - although some house bookstores or exhibits with Jewish themes. There are no Jews playing in those klezmer bands. In fact, the total population of Jews in Krakow is estimated at 200 (down from about 60,000 in 1938).
There is a part of me that is put off by the phenomenon. I mean, I value authenticity when I travel, and this is clearly something that's being invented for the tourists. It seems sort of, well, fake.
At least that's what I thought until I read an interesting interview with Chris Schwarz, founder of the excellent Galicia Museum in Kazimierz. He said that "... it's very important to keep Jewish culture alive to remind the country of what it has lost and what it still retains."
It was 1264 when King Boleslaw invited Jews to settle in Poland. He recognized that their skills in accounting and administration would benefit his developing country, so he granted unprecedented rights and protections to the Jewish people. Slowly but surely, they started migrating east and settled in Poland, especially as they got kicked out of other places like England, Germany, Spain and Italy. Anyway, that's about 800 years of history and culture which are being sustained by about 200 people!
I spent a day wandering around Kazimierz (sans tour guide) to discover "what it has lost and what it still retains."
The Remuh Synagogue, founded in 1553, is an excellent place to start. This tiny building is the only functioning synagogue in Krakow, which is a pretty good indication of something that has been lost.
But it is active. It's honors and remembers the celebrated 16th-century scholar Rabbi Moses Isserles Auerbach, who is buried here. Pilgrims still come to visit the grave and pay their respects to the esteemed teacher. This history has been retained.
The Galicia museum is a few blocks off the main drag of ulica Szeroka. Schwarz was a British Jew who moved here in 2004 to open this museum (though he has since died). When I visited, there were several intriguing exhibits, but the best was a collection of Schwarz's photographs Traces of Memory.
These contemporary photographs capture the remnants of Jewish culture in Poland today. There were the obvious Jewish cemeteries and Holocaust memorials, but there were also street signs in Hebrew and synagogues in ruins ... poignant reminders of what once was - what has been lost. But there were also snippets of contemporary Jewish life - festivals and fairs that are sustaining these memories. What has been retained.

Krakow by Bike

Krakow, Poland - I finally did it. I dared to get back on a bike. It's been exactly three weeks since I finished my epic bike ride across Africa. And since I left my Bianchi in Namibia, I have not had any chance (or desire) to ride since I completed that 942nd mile.
But I think I have sufficiently recovered by now. So I signed up for a bike tour of Krakow.
Biking is almost always a great way to get an overview of a city. Certainly it is my favorite way to introduce visitors to Boston. Like Boston, Krakow is fairly compact. So when traveling by bike you can see almost all the sights of interest in a couple of hours.
Four hours to be exact. Four hours traveling at a very leisurely pace, with many stops along the way. Just the way I like it.
We started in the Rynek Glowny, the central square of the Old Town, in the shade of the Mariacki steeple. At certain times you can climb to the top of the steeple, I learned, but not today. Save that activity for a future date.
From there, we pedaled out to the Planty, the park that circles the Old Town. Today I learned that the park used to be a massive wall - the fortification that encircled the medieval city. The wall was dismantled in the beginning of the 19th century, and now it is a pleasant green space.
The wall still exists in a few places. Most significantly, the Florian Gate used to be the main entrance for royal processions. It is the only gate remaining from the old city wall (which we already know since my flat is right across the street!)
After circling the Old Town, we headed south to the Vistula River, which has lovely bike paths running along both banks - in on direction running as far as the lovely Tyniec Monastery. That bike trip is definitely on my list for future fun.
For today, we rode a few kilometers south to Kazimierz, the historic Jewish quarter. There are only about 200 Jews living in Krakow these days - this down from about 75,000 before WWII. Nonetheless, it's still an important place for Jewish heritage and history. It's also an important place for drinking and nightlife - add that to the list for future exploration.
Then we went across the river to Podgorze, which was the site of the Jewish ghetto during WWII, as well as the point of deportation for thousands of Jews. There are now a few interesting museums, including a new one that is housed in Schindler's factory of Spielberg film fame. Unfortunately it was closed (add it to the list).
From there we headed back across the river and into the Old Town. The total distance was about 15 kilometers - almost 10 miles. It was not exactly the kind of mileage I am used to, but it was a great overview of the main sights of the city. At least it helped me to compile a list of places that I will be returning to explore in the coming weeks.
  

Bikes for Everyone

Windhoek, Namibia - When all was said and done, I managed to raise more than $4000 for BEN-Namibia. This is thanks to the incredible generosity of my family and friends and a few strangers too. I was so grateful for this outpouring of support, and it was one of the things that kept me pedaling all those miles and miles!

Right before I started the ride, I received this note from Michael Linke, the director of BEN-Namibia:

Michael Linke wrote:

Hi Mara,

That's amazing! You're an incredible fundraiser, and this news has made my day! I'm cc'ing Clarisse here, as I'm off to Canada today so it would be best to communicate with her if you need to do any follow up before you arrive. We can allocate more bicycles with the money you have raised (TDA is funding 60) we should be able to deliver around 44 more. This includes assembling the bikes with the healthcare volunteers and providing them with tools and training in bike mechanics.

We hope to have representatives from the organisations receiving bikes attend the handover ceremony (though many are more than 1,000km from Windhoek). The bikes themselves are still on the way from China, but we'll have a few of the same model on display on the day. We'll certainly give you reports and photos so you can feed back to your supporters.

Thanks again, and enjoy the ride!

Michael

PS we can certainly find a good home for your bike, thanks very much.

As Michael mentioned, the Tour d'Afrique foundation also provided some funding to donate bikes to BEN, so there was a small "ceremony" in Windhoek. It was actually more of a meeting, as there were only a few people present. But it did give me an opportunity to meet a few representatives from the organizations that will be receiving the bikes. These NGOs operate in the distant corners of rural Namibia - one providing outreach and support for disabled individuals, and another providing treatment and education for HIV/AIDS patients. I am pictured here with the two NGO reps, as well as Henry Gold, the founder and director of the Tour d'Afrique.

I also said goodbye to my own trusty bike. It was a rather sentimental moment, as my baby Bianchi has been with me for about 15 years. She was one of the first gifts that Jerry ever bought for me when we first started dating. And now she had carried me almost 1000 miles across the deserts and deltas of southern Africa. But I could think of no more fitting finish than to turn her over to some volunteer or health care worker, who will continue to ride her for years to come.

 

 

Day 6: Maun to Bush Camp

Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana - After one decadent day, it was not so easy to get back on the bike, especially since there was another long ride on the agenda. Today we rode 157km - just short of a century.

Alas, the rest day served me well, because I had a fantastic riding day. I rode all day with a threesome - Sonia, Isabella and Viv. Last week I was not able to keep up with them, but today I was. I think I'm getting stronger!

The road continues to be straight and flat. The landscape is mostly scrubby brush, with cows and donkeys and horses instead of wildlife.

 

But there is evidence that we are getting closer to the Namibian border, as we passed many people of the Herero nation, easily recognizable by their fancy dress.

 

Day 2: Kasane to Bush Camp

Nowheresville, Botswana - I think I was the first one up this morning, I was so nervous about the long ride. We were supposed to ride 160km - that's officially a century (100 miles) - farther than I have ever ridden before. Plus, I knew I had to pack my bags up and take down my tent and wolf down my breakfast before starting.

It's important to get an early start because it's nice and cool in the morning so you want to get in as many miles as possible before the sun gets high and hot - which is about 10am. So I was up at 5am, eating breakfast at 6am, and on the road before 7am. 

I was definitely operating according to the old truism: Slow and Steady. A few hills and a steady crosswind added a bit of challenge, but for the most part, the route was flat and straight. Good for the knees. I honestly felt like I could go forever at that pace!

The landscape varies from agriculture to grasslands to scrubby growth. But it's all flat. I was riding with the video camera so I stopped to do some filming for LPTV. I also did some filming when I got to the lunch truck. The problem is that I was really taking my time. There were a lot of other riders phaffing about the lunch truck, but I didn't realize that they were not going to cycle the second half of the ride. They were waiting to hop on the truck. This is perfectly legitimate for somebody who has been on their bike for three months, as most of these riders have been.

But I am only here for 11 days and I certainly wasn't going to hop on the truck on the first long day of riding! So I was actually the last rider leaving lunch, followed shortly by the sweep. That's the staff member who rides last to make sure that everybody makes it. Of course the sweep caught up to me pretty quickly and I felt bad that he had to ride at my dawdling pace for a while. 

Fortunately we caught up to some of the other riders who were making a pit stop, so I was able to "speed" on ahead. And I was not last coming into camp!

All in all, it was a pretty good day, although I learned my lesson about dawdling. Slow and steady is fine, but don't forget the steady part.

 

T Minus One

Livingstone, Zambia - I can hardly believe it, but tomorrow commences my 966 mile journey from Victoria Falls to Windhoek! 

Jerry and I arrived here on Friday - just a few hours before the TDA riders started rolling in. Everybody was looking forward to two days off from riding, not to mention the comfort of a camp with showers and flushing toilets. There are about 65 riders and staff and we pretty much took over the Livingstone Safari Lodge.

I got my bike put back together right away, thanks to the highly efficient TDA mechanics. It has been great to talk to riders who are actually doing this thing, as opposed to the speculation that has been going on in my head. I also met up with several members of Team Lonely Planet. I watched Nate Cavalieri and David Nelson roll over the finish line. David's finish was particularly dramatic as he had suffered a pretty nasty fall on his last day of riding. But both of them were in excellent spirits, having just completed the ride of their life.

The next day, I was pleasantly surprised when Fiona Siesman walked into camp! She is another member of the Lonely Planet team who had completed the previous leg, from Iringa, Tanzania to Lilongwe, Malawi, then she took off on safari in Zambia for 10 days, then met up with the riders again at Vic Falls. Yesterday, my riding partner Tom Hall showed up. So Nate and David passed us the virtual baton so we can continue the LP ride.

Jerry left me this morning to return home. He was doing a very good job hiding any signs of envy about the bike ride! We will be off bright and early tomorrow morning. The first day is relatively short: 80km (50 miles) from Livingstone, Zambia to Kasane, Botswana.

 

Pom Pom Lodge

Okavango Delta, Botswana - Our trip to Botswana went so smoothly it was almost spooky. Aside from a little skirmish with the customs officials who were overly interested in my bike-in-a-box, the trip was smooth sailing. We flew in a tiny five-seater across the Okavango Delta, which was amazing, and then we were greeted by the staff of Pom Pom Lodge, singing a traditional Tatswana welcome song.

Don't ask me why it's called Pom Pom Lodge. It seems like an unfortunate choice of name, but it's really wonderful. Ten luxurious tents (I know that seems incongruous but they really are lovely) set around a lagoon that is teeming with hippos.

There are game drives every morning, with plenty of animals but also a coffee break. Afternoons are devoted to siesta (which we desperately needed after our 24-hour commute). And evening game drives, centered around sundown drinks. It's all very civilized.

I can't possibly recount all of the adventures, but it has been a thrill to see the herds of zebra, impala, red lechwe and wildebeast grazing in the grasses.

On our very first day, an elephant wandered into the camp and startled two women when they emerged after their siesta.

That evening we spotted a gorgeous leopard as she was waking up from her afternoon nap.

Now we are leaving the life of luxury to set off on four days traveling across the Botswana bush.

 

Off to Africa!

Somerville, Mass - In about six hours, I will be getting on an airplane and flying off to Africa. Six hours! I can't believe that this moment has finally arrived. I feel like I have been preparing for this for AGES (and pedaling for ages) and yet somehow it went by so fast. Isn't that always the way it works?
As you might imagine, these last few weeks were more than hectic. Thank you for noticing that I have not been posting as often as usual - it's nice to be missed, Mom! Aside from riding my bike 3-5 hours a day, I was also finishing not one but two manuscripts about Boston - the last of which I turned in at 2:30 this morning!
Yes, it wouldn't be a real trip without at least one all-nighter leading up to it.
But the moment is now. My bike has been fitted with extra water bottles and new "flat-proof" tires. My handy new handlebar camera bag gives me easy access for when I am whizzing past the elephants and I want to get a photo.
Now my baby Bianchi is all packed up in a giant box in the back of my car. She and I have had a love-hate relationship over the last few months, but we have come a lont way. And I know I can trust her to carry me across Africa - as long as my knees hold up!
My bags are packed with extra tubes and energy bars and enough chamois shorts to make Lance Armstrong jealous. I even practiced setting up my tent. Jerry and I ate left-over lasagna for lunch in the living room - inside the tent. Then I took it down.
Jerry and I are going to spend 10 days on safari in Botswana before I start riding. This is a lifelong dream for both of us. We'll spend three days at a lodge in the Okavango Delta and four days camping in Chobe National Park, before we finish up at Victoria Falls. And that's where I get on my bike. (At least it sounds like I will be riding downhill to start.)
Thank you so much to everyone who has shown me support over the past few months. I am so grateful to the Charles River Wheelmen and the small group of biking maniacs who have kept me company all winter long. All I had to do was show up, and somebody (usually Chris!) would lead me around the rolling hills of Boston's beautiful western suburbs. I got free nutrition counseling,  tire changing and some tale telling.
Most importantly, I had the comfort of being surrounded by cyclists who think it's perfectly normal to ride a bike across a continent. Many of them have already done it themselves.
And I cannot talk enough about the generosity of friends and family (and a few strangers!) who have donated almost $4000 to the Bicycle Empowerment Network. It feels really good to know that so many people are supporting me. This show of support means so much to me. It's like having my own personal cheering section - rooting me on and sending good vibes - as I pedal across the miles.
This chunk of change also gives so many people access to transportation, health care, education and income opportunities. This is far more than I expected to raise and I am really looking forward to meeting the BEN volunteers and beneficiaries when I sail into Windhoek at the end of 11 days on my bike!
Incidentally, the BEN-sponsored bicycle team is going to be riding with us across Namibia. Or more accurately, in front of us.
I will end with one final plug for BEN. It's not too late to donate!
On that note, I'm off to Africa...

 

 

 

Life is difficult, we are meant to struggle

Somerville, Mass - Stage three is over. Stage four is on. That means that two more of my Lonely Planet teammates have completed their leg of the Tour d'Afrique without dying.

Actually, I have to point out that Carlo Chierotti and Jim Hsu were formidable riders, both of them winning either 1st or 2nd place in all five of the time trials they did! Way to go guys!

But more importantly, they didn't die, and in that way, they really set the standard for what I hope to achieve on my leg of the Tour d'Afrique.

Now Rana Freedman and Martin Heng are riding their way across Kenya and Tanzania. I love these two! First of all, they have named their mini-team `Lion's bait' which I think is hi-larious. Rana has has been detailing her training on her excellent blog called Highest Gear. A nonathletic girl attempts not to be the slow gazelle. I love it.

That reminds me of some correspondence I had with Mike Coo, who is one of the main guys that organizes the Tour d'Afrique.

Me: I have been reading in my guidebook about Chobe National Park and it looks like we will be riding right through it! Is this the route we are following?

Mike: We do not go through Chobe National Park because there are lions!!

I'm not sure if this actually made me feel more safe, because these guys clearly know what they are doing and they did not plan our route to go through Chobe National Park because there are lions, or less safe, because there are lions!

Anyway, back in Somerville, I am still riding. Last week I rode my bike to New Hampshire - my first 80-mile ride - which was pretty awesome. Unfortunately, it was very hilly and by the end of the day, I had developed a new, niggly pain in my right knee. It has not gone away. It's not bothering me enough to stop riding, but I did make an appointment with my sports doctor. I never had a sports doctor before, but I guess I am now entitled.

In other milestones, I have reached and exceeded my fundraising goal for BEN, which is also pretty awesome. THANK YOU to everyone who helped me reach this goal! It has been truly inspiring to watch the numbers add up. I have gotten an incredible amount of support from my church - First Parish in Cambridge - which is going to donate half of its March collections to my cause! That is in addition to the money I raised on my own, so I am thrilled. 

If you want to donate, it's not too late! All the money goes directly to BEN and they can use more! Click here to make a donation.

Meanwhile, I am desperately trying to finish my manuscript for the Boston City Guide, finalize my travel plans and - of course - keep riding my bike. I admit it, I'm exhausted.

I love this quote from the Tour d'Afrique blog, said by some wise person in answer to a complaining cyclist: "Life is difficult, we are meant to struggle".

Okay, I'm not complaining. 

Meltdown Madness

Somerville, Mass - Well the second leg of the Tour d'Afrique is officially completed. My teammates David and Quentin arrived in Addis Ababa. Quentin amazed everybody by coming in second place in the time trial - this is not expected of the sectional riders! And David posted an entertaining and inspiring blog about his adventures (read it here). David and Quentin have passed the virtual baton to Carlo and Jim, who are currently riding a section called Meltdown Madness - scary - from Addis Ababa to Nairobi.
Back in Somerville, I am having my own fair share of riding adventures. Last week, I got three flat tires in one week. My riding buddy commented that I was having bad karma, but I think it should be called "bad bike-ma".
Sorry, I've been dying to share that joke.
Anyway, I got the first one when I was about 15 miles from home, riding by myself (which is a rare occasion) and Jerry was out of town. It was the middle of the day on a Friday, when most respectable people are at work. So I sucked it up and called a taxi cab, which took me and my bike home for $60. Which is a tax write-off, since I am writing about it right now. I found out later I had a staple in my tire.
The very next day, I had not yet fixed flat #1, so I was riding my other bike, which got flat #2 when I went over a pothole. This time, I was riding with friends, who provided the tube, pump and expertise needed to change the tire, so I could actually continue riding.
Two days later, it happened again. Flat #3. Same scene, except at least I was carrying an extra tube. But I still didn't know how to fix it myself. Embarrassing.
This all happened in the week leading up to the first day of a bicycle maintace course that I signed up to take at my local bike shop, Broadway Bicycles. Honestly, I signed up two months ago. It was just a coincidence that I got three tires in the week before. And what do you think we did in the first class? That's right, we learned how to change a flat tire. I was the only one who actually came to class with a flat tire. I was really prepared.
So now I know how to fix a flat. Which is a good thing, because when I signed up for the Tour d'Afrique I told them that I know how to do that. And now I do.
In other milestones, I am very close to reaching my fundraising goal for BEN-Namibia ($2800 and counting!). I had an article published in Wheel People, the monthly newsletter of the Charles River Wheelmen. I knew that my fellow riders would be a receptive audience for this worthy cause, and they did not disappoint. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated! The generosity of my family and friends (and a few strangers) inspires me to keep riding.

In our society, we tend to think about bikes as a means of recreation. But in rural Namibia, people depend on bikes to get to work, to get to school and even to get treatment for life-threatening illnesses like HIV/AIDS. I am supporting BEN in hopes of providing more bikes to more people in Namibia - a simple and straightforward way to increase access to employment, education and healthcare.

So if you have not already done so, please click here to make a donation. Just because I have reached my goal is no reason NOT to give. Your donation will still go directly to BEN-Namibia.

Your generosity could give somebody a job. Or allow somebody to go to school. Or even save a life. 

Bike Blog

Somerville, Mass - January is officially over, and so is the first leg of the Tour d'Afrique, also known as Pharaoh's Delight. The good news is that my Lonely Planet team members, Sharif Rashedi and Scott Kennedy, completed their African odysseys without dying. Not only that, they seemed to have a pretty good time of it. Now, over the next two weeks, David Else and Quentin Fraye will ride from Khartoum, Sudan to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Good luck, boys!

I have been following the progress of these riders pretty closely, on the official Tour d'Afrique blog, and on One Cog Mind (Sharif's blog) and Adventureskope (Scott's blog).

I have to admit that reading these first-hand "live" accounts intimidates me. It makes this adventure seem all the more real, all the more imminent. The first blog posts were all about average speeds and wind direction and whatnot. I can talk the talk, but the truth is that I'd rather not think about average speeds. I'm really just concerned with reaching my destination, no matter how long it takes.

I expressed these concerns to Jerry, who reassured me. "You'll be fine," he said. "You're not going to die. You're probably not going to win, but you're not going to die."

So that's where I'm at right now: somewhere between dying and winning.

The other good news is that I am riding outside again. I am very grateful that I have the option to ride indoors on the trainer in front of the television. But the fact is that an outside ride is a better workout and a better diversion, especially when I am supposed to be logging 50 miles and up (that's three-plus hours, if anyone is counting).

So my neighbors (and my husband) think I'm crazy when they see me loading my bike on the back of the car in sub-freezing temperatures… but (I assure them) it is a joy to be riding through the snowy landscape, feeling the cold air against my warm body and racking up the miles. And thank goodness for my riding buddies, who know more riding routes than Lance Armstrong, and who are kind of like mailmen in their devotion to the cause.

I won't ride in a snow storm, though, which means that I still ride indoors at least once a week (nice winter we are having here in Massachusetts).  So I am still expanding my movie library at a rapid rate, with films from A to B (Africa to bikes).

Last week I watched the Italian realist film, The Bicycle Thief. I thought this Academy Award-winning classic would be inspiring, but as it turns out it was one of the most devastating movies I have ever seen. Not that it wasn't excellent, just heartbreaking. This is not Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen.

I did appreciate the bicycle theme, however. Here is the story of a guy who depends on his bike for his livelihood. He is offered a job - a rarity in post-WWII Italy - but he can't do it without a bicycle. His wife hawks her wedding linens to reclaim the bike from the pawn shop. You can see where this is going… the first day on the job and the biciclette gets stolen.

We are a long way from the depression of post-WWII Italy (I hope). So I appreciated this example of somebody who relies on a bike for access to basic necessities. We tend to think of bikes as a form of recreation. In our society, some people use them for transportation, but those people are a little wacky, aren't they? And rarely are they actually dependent on the bikes as their sole means of getting to work.

In rural Namibia, many people have no way to get to work (or to school, or to the hospital) unless they happen to have a bike. Healthcare workers walk many miles a day in order to visit their patients. Some kids can't even go to school because they have no way to get there. I am supporting the Bicycle Empowerment Network (BEN) in hopes of providing more bikes to more people in Namibia. The bicycle is a clean, affordable, healthy and environmentally-friendly means of transportation. More importantly, it is an accessible means of transportation.

Thank you so much to everyone who has already donated to BEN. If you have not yet done so, please click here to make your donation. And if you're not sure, watch The Bicycle Thief. Your donation could get somebody a job. Or allow somebody to go to school. Or even save a life.