Journal Comments - Racpat RTW 2015-2017 - CycleBlaze

Journal Comments (page 2)

From Racpat RTW 2015-2017 by Rachel and Patrick Hugens

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Günter Hank replied to a comment by Rachel and Patrick Hugens on To Livingstone: record day and our first flat tire

Hi Patrick and Rachel, thanks again for your message. You may be right, it is a bit ambitious to do this in 2 months. As it is my first tour in Africa I don't want to start to aggressive. My new plan (time still 2 months): Start in Lusaka (Sambia), take train/bus down to the VicFalls, cycle through Sambia to the South Luangwa NP and on to Malawi. Following pretty much your trail, but from South to North. Then on to Tansania and Mbeya (heavy mountains..). There it is possible to take the train (TARAZA) to the east (Daressalam). I checked with TARAZA people, they accept bicycles on this train. Maybe I drop off before Dar and go north to Arusha/Lushoto. The return flight should be from Sansibar (Emirates). Here my questions: 1)What do you think about this plan? 2) Did you take a water filter for water purification with you? 3)I saw in your day-to-day reports that there were quite some flat tyres. Would you recommend to go tubeless? Thanks again for your guidance.

1 year ago
Rachel and Patrick Hugens replied to a comment by Rachel and Patrick Hugens on To Livingstone: record day and our first flat tire

Mosquito net: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ID7E7B4?tag=wimarketinglt-20&geniuslink=true&th=1

1 year ago
Rachel and Patrick Hugens commented on To Livingstone: record day and our first flat tire

Hi Guther,
2 months seems pretty quick, but you could always skip some sections by hitchhiking or busses. We did not cycle between Dar es Salaam and Mbeya so cannot comment on that, but I understand the road is busy. In Malawi don't miss Livingstonia and the Nyika National Park.
2) From Livingstone (Zambia) you could cycle to Kasungula and cross directly into Botswana. The road from there south to the junction at Nata is known as the "Elephant Highway". Search it to read some other cyclists experiences before you decide to cycle it. There are lots of overlanding muzungus in 4WD in this part of Africa though, you could fairly easily get a ride with them.
3) We used a once-a-week Malarone prophylactic and also carried our own travel mosquito net. We would stretch a clothesline across the bed and sleep under our own net. The one we used has a plastic ring at the top that folds up the way you would fold a bicycle tire.
Let us know if you have more questions, Patrick and Rachel

1 year ago
Günter Hank commented on To Livingstone: record day and our first flat tire

Dear Africa-Lovers, your travel experience gave me a lot of motivation over Christmas. I now think about a cycling tour from Daressalam to Windhuk. I plan roughly two months for that. Starting in May to beginning of July. Question 1: What do you think about this plan? Countries: Tansania, Malawi, Sambia (following your "footsteps"), Botswana, Namibia. But: I want to avoid Zimbabwe. Question 2: Is it possible to go directly from Sambia to Botswana? Question 3: How did you prepare and protect yourself against Malaria, Dengue,... all these potential Moskito-bite viruses... Thank you very much for your expertise.

1 year ago
Günter Hank commented on To Livingstone: record day and our first flat tire

Thank you very much for your answer. I will eventually come back to your offer for information. I am now going day-to-day through your daily posts (I am currently in Ghanzi). I write down my questions and put them over to you in one shot. Most probable in January time-frame. To your journal question: I am from Munich/Germany and a member of a German journal (where I have published several travel reports - also including India). But when I tried to find a real good trip report about Africa there was none. So I started shopping around and luckily found your so inspring reports.

2 years ago
Rachel and Patrick Hugens commented on To Livingstone: record day and our first flat tire

Hi Gunter, you'll love to cycle in Africa! Keep us posted, let us know if we can help with information. Will you have a journal here on cycleblaze??

2 years ago
Günter Hank commented on To Livingstone: record day and our first flat tire

I like your daily trip reports very much. I slowly read myself into an African cycle trip.

2 years ago
Ron Suchanek commented on to Boise: time to go home

It's good to re-read some of your journals here on Cyceblaze.

2 years ago
Rachel and Patrick Hugens commented on a photo in Week 30: To Choma: with a little help from the wind

Hi Mike,
Thanks!
Racpat

2 years ago
Mike Ayling commented on a photo in to Kalomo: More bush lands

More likely to be a stationary engine to run farm machinery from leather drive belts. Towed to where required by horses or bullocks.

2 years ago
Mike Ayling commented on a photo in Week 30: To Choma: with a little help from the wind

Might be mullock heaps from individual mini gold mines dug by individual prospectors. You see similar in the Victorian (Aust) gold fields area left by prospectors from the nineteenth century gold rush.

2 years ago
Rachel and Patrick Hugens commented on Turkey Map to Istanbul

Thanks, we are happy too, to be part of building another great site for research, planning, and entertainment

2 years ago
Ron Suchanek commented on Turkey Map to Istanbul

Glad you have migrated these over. Great to read again

2 years ago
Scott Anderson replied to a comment by Rachel and Patrick Hugens on a photo in to Kapkwata ranger station: hardest 43k's ever

And eventually a bit fatiguing, it looks like.

3 years ago
Scott Anderson commented on a photo in To Katunguru: Crossing the equator

Unbelievable, like so many other photos through here.

3 years ago