Chris has a birthday in Africa!

Hi there from Windhoek the capital city of Namibia!
It's been a big week for two reasons.
One being the 840kms of cycling in five days - close tot he type of mileage that pro riders do - flat long sections 160km, 160km, 208km in Botswanna, 150km to the Botswanna/Namibia border and 160km into Windhoek. The last two days had cross winds and full on head winds that made us question why the hell we were on bikes!!!! The last half of Fridays ride was tough going and so it was with a big exhausting sigh that we headed into two rest days. Saturday and Sunday have been spent relaxing and swanning by the pool for Chris and I who opted to stay at a hotel instead of camping up the road with the rest of the group. Some of us hit the mall for ice cream and a spot of retail therapy in our first European African city since Cairo. It was odd to see western shops including a Vigin Gym and Pool. It showed that we had got quite used to the typical African stall on the side of the road and at it's best a Shopright or Spa Supermarket. Windhoek is very German and so hence all the shops. We did however capitalise on the German influence and spent quite a lot of time adding calories to our diet in the form of German pastries and cakes. Oh la la they were good!!! We also found a great bike shp called Cycology and and repairs were made to bikes that have been making too many creaking noises and Patrick the owner is going to ride part of the course in the morning. HIs wife also gave us massages and so the body is in a better state than when it arrived on Friday.

The second reason why it's been a big week is because Chris turned the big 'four 0' last Thursday and he celebrated that by riding 150km to a bush camp. Champagne wasn't available in the middle of nowhere Namibia and so he had to settle for a belated celebration. The other crazy thing is that he and Adrie the race leader share the same birthday and so the TDA staff organised balloons and a treasure hunt/race for both of them as the actual TDA cycle race always ends up with the two of them sprinting for the line. In this case Chris got all the clues first and so was the first to the chocolate and yoghurt that they had hidden in the Toyota. When you are in the last stages of a cycle tour through Africa, celebrating a birthday with choclolate and yoghurt beats champagne anytime...(according to them..me..? I would have gone for the champagne!!) He did however eventually get cake! Dean the TDA bike mechanic was very generous and beat me to it. He went ahead to Windhoek and had a couple of days off and in his travels came across a superb bakery and had a piece of cake that he knew Chris would love. So when we arrived on Friday night he presented Chris with an entire chocolate cake that was so decadent that there is still half of it in the fridge!! I had a slither and it sent me into a sugar coma, as for Chris I'm sure he'll polish it off for dessert tonight.

So..we head to Fish River Canyon in the morning which is on the border of Namibia and South Africa and we will arrive there in five days time. 12 more days of riding and then we hit Cape Town. Can you believe it? We are in the home stretch. We ride 155km tomorrow and the first 30km is hilly and then it is flat for three days before we hit two off road days and a time trial. WOW!

I spoke to my dad tonight as he is in Joberg and quite jetlagged having travelled from Auckland New Zealand, via Melbourne and Dubai to be in Joberg today. He heads off to do a Soweto tour then a safari tour of Kruger Park and then Vic Falls before meeting me in Cape Town on the 12th. It will be a blast to see a familiar face at the finish line. We've all been told that it will end in tears and that the finish is quite emotional as we have all been living and riding together for 4 and a 1/2 months and so are now very close and our own kinda family. It will be strange not to see their faces at 5.30am over a cup of tea and the bicycle pump..hmmmmmm.

Anyway, Chris has just arrived back from sorting out his rear wheel and the crisis is now over..we can relax and have dinner. To my nephew Nicholas..hope your 21st birthday was a lot of fun..I'll see you later in the year..and wonderful Dan in La Jolla California ..you have a great birthday May 7th..tell Michelle to give you hugs on my behalf!!!

Love ya guys
Over and out from Windhoek, Namibia