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K transport volunteers take on Malawi

21st September 2006
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Page 30, 21st September 2006 — K transport volunteers take on Malawi
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For Transaid's inaugural overseas challenge a dozen volunteers signed up for a 460km bicycle ride along LakeiValavvi, raising £22,000 for Transaid's work in Africa. One of them was

VAVEREs Steve Jones, who kept a diary...

Day 1 (2 September) Heathrow-Lilongwe

Group meets up at Heathrow and flies to Nairobi for a connecting flight to Lilongwe in Malawi via Lusaka in Zambia.

Day 2 (3 September) Lilongwe We arrive at the Kiboku Hotel in Lilongwe at about 2.30pm. After checking in we are each allocated our own mountain bike; we spend the afternoon adjusting the bikes to suit and fitting our own saddles and pedals etc. In the evening we have a hearty group dinner before settling in for an early night ready for the start of the ride early the next morning.

Day 3 (4 September) Lilongwe-Sengha Bay (120km)

Were up early and ready for the off at 6.30am. To avoid the early rush-hour traffic in the centre of Lilongwe the bikes are transported to the outskirts of the city for the start of our journey from there Good asphalt roads today with some very long and challenging uphill sections which feel even harder when battling a strong headwind, as we were for most of the day. En route we travel through many small villages where we are greeted by the warmest reception you could imagine.

Malawi is known as the warm heart of Africa and after experiencing it I can say it is very true. Some of the group have brought pads and pens to give to the Malawian children who were absolutely delighted to receive them.

You don't see many heavy trucks on the roads in Malawi but I manage toget a pic of one ERF EC11 struggling up one of the many hills on this stretch of road. One of the highlights today is the visit to a Transaid workshop in Salima where they build bicycle ambulances. This workshop also builds bicycle trailers.

Day 4 (5 September) Sengha Bay-Nkhotakota (110km)

'today we headed north to Nkhotakota (pronounced KotaKota) on mainly flat asphalt roads and again through many villages and small trading centres. I cycle for 8kin with a fifteen-year-old Malawian boy who was on his way home from school which was a one-and-ahalf-hour cycle ride from his home.

He tells me about his family and his aspirations;we also talk about football and he informs me that he likes Chelsea. I try to convert him to Manchester United but with no success.

At our lunch break today we attract a lot of attention from the local people who are interested to hear what we are doing in Malawi. We have our first taste of travelling on dirt and sand roads today quite hard going and it's impossible to ride on the sand sections.

Day 5 (6 September) Nkhotakota-Ngala Beach (100km)

Initially were on dirt track then we go onto de cent asphalt roads with some uphill sections. Take a slight diversion to a tree where it's said that in 1861 Dr David Livingstone met with Malawian chiefs to sign a treaty to abolish slavery.

There is also a school here and as soon as we arrive we're surrounded by school children and spend some time talking to them before moving on. Our next stop is for lunch, as it happens at another school; again the children come out and give us the usual Malawian warm welcome.

We challenge the children to a game of football: the only problem is that the only ball we can find is a blow-up beach ball but we still have some great fun with them.

Day 6 (7 September) Ngala Beach-Chintheche Inn (85km)

As we get further north the road becomes more and more scenic. We cycle for long stretches alongside Lake Malawi to our right with the Viphya mountains to our left.

Lake Malawi is amazing and absolutely massive; it's the third largest lake in Africa at 365 miles long and 52 miles wide.

There's such strong surf at the water's edge that you could be forgiven for mistaking it for the sea. It's very hot today with the temperatures reaching 39'C.

A cold Kuche Kuche (Malawian beer) is particularly welcome today when we reach our destination!

Day 7 (8 September) Chinthetche Inn-Nkhata Bay (45km)

The initial part of the day's route is on asphalt, climbing most of the time, then we turn onto a dirt/sand track for the final 15km and the most arduous part of the whole journey This is a severe climb by anybody's standards and seems to go on for ever. But what goes up must come down and we start the downhill section and are confronted with the most amazing views. After a slight problem when one of the team falls off his bike it's onwards into Nkhata bay and the finishing line for a group photograph. What a great bunch of people! What a great cause! What a journey we have travelled together!

Tags

People: Steve Jones
Locations: Lusaka, Lilongwe, Nairobi

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