KIGOMA TO KIGALI RWANDA 630KM 12 HRS

Woke up due to a slight drizzle and did not have my fly on so got up at 4:45 am. thinking sunrise was at 6. Got all packed and checked my Garmin and sunrise was only at 7:02 , so went for a swim in the pitch dark to kill some time. I met a young Dutch guy who was on KLR and been on the road for a year and had left the day prior. He was in a hurry as he was leaving for back home next week and had a lot of ground to cover. So I went up to the reception late afternoon and there he is , battered and bruised. He was on the road I had come up and his panniers came loose and fell off unbeknownst to him. So he turned around to find them and hid a slaggat and lost control and came off with the bike landing on him. So ended up driving all the way back 170km back to the camp , never finding his panniers which had all his tools and spares and medical bag. He had back pain and was a little shaken up undestandably . I gave him what I could and he was going to rest up for a day and hoping he would be able to leave the following day, so hope it panned out for him.

I couldn't go through Burundi cause of visa issues. So I went North right up to Burundi and then south to Kisulu on an amazing dirt road which climbed for about 2500ft through many villages. In Kisulu I had a chicken soup brekfast at a local eatery and then got going again cause I wanted to make Kigali by nightfall, plus I had a border crossing. The road to Kibondo was packed red dirt in excellent shape and a lot of fun with a slight glazing of loose pebbles which made it interesting. From Kibondo to Nyakanazi the road was not to good and that's where the Dutch guy came second. Then it was tar to the border which was terribly potholed and slow going to the border. The border was a breeze, 30 minutes was into Rwanda. Paid US $30 for a visa and the Carnet was all that was required, real easy. Was 157km to Kigali and it was noticebly wealthier country and the first thing that struck me there was no garbage and filth anywhere, was unbelievable, I did not see a coke can or plastic bottle or bag the whole way to Kigali. Being a Sunday, there were lots of people around the entire route and they seem to dress so well compared to the countries south , maybe cause it was their Sunday best , but real noticeable. Was a long 12 hour drive , with no food or drink since my lovely chicken soup , so was ravenous and rather thirsty when I arrived at the hostel which was full and so had to pitch my tent in the garden. They then told me they did not have food for me , so I explained to them that was not an option and needed to eat. A huge, I mean huge plate of food arrived which I scoffed down like a little piggy.

Went to the Genocide Memorial today in Kigali , hard to believe it only happened 22 years ago and the world turned its back on them, real disturbing. What a beautiful lush clean country that is recovering remarkably well.

KIGOMA, LAKE TANGANYIKA

KIPILI TO KIGOMA. 530 KM 10 HRS

Got to Sitalike at noon and not such a great campsite so decided to push to Kigoma. Was dirt all the way except last 90km into Kigoma. The truck and bus drivers do not budge and the'" road" is one lane and not user friendly, so I just stop and let them have at it. My top box housing plate has broken in two places which holds it on ,so had to strap that down . Got it fixed today, but think I may have to abandon it in the near future.The roads just beat you and the bike up continuously, but the bike has held up rather well. My new tyres are not as good as my last set in the sand unfortunately , but hopefully won't be seeing to much more sand, which is wishful thinking. Have decided to shoot through Burundi to Kigali tomorrow, some people say not to do it and others say it should be fine , but to leave early before the soldiers get drunk !

KASAMA, ZAMBIA TO SUMBAWANGA TANZANIA 309KM. 4 HRS.

When I got to the Thorn Tree camp last night I went straight to the bar for a beer as I had not drunk all day again, actually I had a warm coke in some village. Anyhow there's a guy in the bar in a fancy shirt and slacks and we start yakking and he's from Salt Lake City, with one of the NGO's over here just visiting for a week, certainly no Mormon I come to find out. I showered and came for some chow and a beer and my buddy now has a lady with him at dinner, obviously there on official business I imagined. He asks me if I will be there in the morning and I said no I am gone at seven and he wishes me goodbye and buys me a beer almost happy he is not going to see me again. I wake up at sparrowfart as usual , having breakfast way after seven and then the lady from the night before comes out of his room, soon followed by him, he ducked and ignored me and never had breakfast. He told me that he and his wife paid for a borehole at the school, which is a generous thing to do, wonder if his wife knows he is boring some holes of his own. Since I can't stand being illegal in a country, I went to the Immigration Office, the owner drove me there as he was concerned and was a real help. I explained to the officer that I did not see the border office and no problem they stamped me in. Then my import papers for my bike I obviously did not get , but that is Customs and they don't have an office in Kasama, so after a phone call I was cleared and they will inform the border customs officer. Once again I was legal and heading North to Tanzania on a beautiful tarred road thanks to the Chinese, but it abruptly ended and then on dirt the rest of the way to the border. The custom guy knew all about me and I was gone in no time . The Tanzanian officers were quick , did my Carnet and Immigration , did not need insurance or road tax, nothing, seemed to simple. Going through a small village a cop pulled me over, showed me my speed 41km, and welcomed me to Tanzania and said have a good day and safe journey. Went to the Moravian Church Centre where I got a nice room for $4.34 and dinner was $3.40. Walked around town and had a Tusker Beer at a fine downtown bar , I don't think too many mazunga's do that cause they just stare at you. Anyhow went to bed and and up at 3am, bloody roosters going their gums , can't fall back asleep. After breakfast I headed for Kipili on Lake Tanganyika, 105km North East and only took 3 hrs with 50km of tar and the rest fairly good dirt road. Had a damn milk container break in my top box which made a bloody mess of everything. Campsite is just behind the bungalows on the lake, very , very pleasant. People are real friendly and theyall greet you and then welcome you and then tell you their name. In Zambia they always ask you" how are you ?" The kids don't seem to beg here as much as in Zambia , but the poverty is endless. It is a sad state of affairs seeing this day in and day out , and who wouldn't beg ?

MFUWE TO KASAMA. 1273KM

Left Mfuwe at 6:20am after a great night game drive where we did find a leopard . Drove to Chipata then N to Lundazi and then into Malawi through Mzuzu to Remphi , which was 773km and getting dark after 11 hours riding I was little tired. Got my first speeding fine just before Rumphi. Was no campsite so found a place in an old camp not in use but people live all around but found a patch of grass, pitched my tent in the twilight and then had the best dehydrated spaghetti and meatballs ever ! Got into bed at 6:30 cause there was nothing to do, I collapsed and only woke at 4am, must have been tired. Got up and had my Weet box and packed up and left at 6 am. Crossed over the mountains back into Zambia. Yesterday crossing into Malawi was the quickest and easiest border crossing in my life took 15 minutes, took longer to find the officials to come tend to me. Then I had to take a photo of one of them on my bike who was wearing a short with Marijuana leaves being the pattern. So today when I crossed the Malawian border it took mere minutes ,but could not find the Zambian Customs so kept on going figuring they did not have one, but I was wrong. Was an insane ride today doing 300 km. of knarly dirt ,clay and sandy road. Took 6 hours to do 180 km, went down in the sand and ended up in the bushes, was a fun day and after crossing with the pontoon it was tar for the last 110km , like a super highway all the way to Kasama, thanks to the Chinese. Did 500.4km and another 11 hour day , got to stop this , could not help it cause from Mfuwe I could not cross over and had to do a 800 km detour. Was able to shower tonight and had a great curried chicken , except for the hair I found on the plate which I didn't order, the waiter wasn't too perturbed , just as I expected.