A typical day in the life

Wake up is around 6 and for me I don't need an alarm - the noise of everyone else deflating thermarests, folding up tent poles is enough. I put my cycling gear on, cream up (a very important part of the day for the prevention of saddle sores!) pack up my tent and gear inside my tent. Then it's time for breakfast which is typically either oats, cornmeal, and bread and spreads. I put my sunscreen on, make sure all my gear is in my locker on the truck and jump on my bike and start my ride.

I usually ride alone because I like a bit of personal space and we live and camp quite close to each other. But sometimes I ride with Sven, and sometimes with Jolyane. And sometimes with someone else. I usually ride non stop to lunch which somewhere between 40-75km from camp depending on the road and how far we are riding that day. If it is a hard day I might stop for an energy bar though.

Lunch is bread and tuna, egg, or cheese, and bread a spreads. I usually arrive at lunch between 10 and 11am. I fill up on water and reapply my sunscreen so I don't burn like crazy with the malaria tablets I take and jump back on my bike, trying to cover as many kms I can before it gets quite hot.

Then its back on the bike and time to keep pedalling. If there's a coke stop somwhere halfway between lunch and camp then I'll stop and get coke, or ginger beer, or fanta. And its amazing how so many people who don't drink much soft drink back home all crave coke - it's cold, its sweet, it contains energy.... and caffeine :)

When I get to camp I make sure I drink. Then I go help out in the kitchen to help get dinner ready - this is a highly optional activity that is always appreciated by the staff. There's 65 mouths to feed and lots of stuff to chop. Lots of garlic to peel. Lots of beans to top and tail. Beetroot peeling. I like helping though. Mostly I like it on the principal that I'm not here for a luxury expedition and helping cook food makes me feel like I'm not taking the easy way out. Eddie (our current local guide) jokes that the first thing I do after I jump off my bike is head straight for the kitchen.

I set up my tent and then there's a rider meeting around 5:30pm then dinner after the rider meeting.

Bed time is never long after dark after such a long day. And I always sleep well.