Welcome to Cairo

The trip has started ... and if I was thinking of starting to chill out from day one - FORGET IT!!! Cairo is a bustling, 18 million people madhouse ... no offense - but the traffic is hell and it seems to dominate every sense, every second. Not sure if anyone has, or needs, a drivers license? Every car definitelly has a hooter and they seem to test it routinely every two or three seconds.

It is a city with a very different vibe to any other place I've ever been. I will enjoy it here, but I'm quite sure I'd rather settle in Poffader than in Cairo.

I had a good flight - Egypt Air is very good. And the Cataract Pyramids Hotel is also quite decent - with a very decent breakfast.

Wish me luck as I still ferry between the South African and the Sudanese Embassies to finalise my visa for Sudan ... been to both and hopefully just need to go back to both once more.

Many thanks to Janeen, Mike and family for popping in at the airport in Jo'burg. Nice to see the Micklethwaites as well. And Sarah - good luck with the little monster.

Body Dimensions

Aagghh … the last minute stress! Easing up slowly as I get closer to departure. Basically I just need to pack my bag for the plane and tidy up last minute irritations. Some good-byes, hopefully a good night’s sleep and off to the airport.

Besides my pre-tour weight (91kg), I’ve entered some body dimensions for an interesting comparison after the four month ride.

Calf (@ Infra-Patella tendon insertion)
Right – 37.5 cm
Left – 37 cm

Thigh (15cm above Patella)
Right – 53 cm
Left – 52.6

Waist (Across ASIS)
95 cm

Belly Button
96 cm

Chest (Across Nipple Line)
107.6 cm

Biceps (RHS across mole)
34.8 cm

Forearm (RHS across mole)
29 cm

Any takers on guessing how these figures will change? E-mail me your guesses and we’ll see how close you are.

Many thanks to the little helper, who helped compile the measurements ;-)

Otherwise cheers all for now … next time I log in here I’ll be 12000km to the north in a cold, bustling city called … CAIRO.

91kg

Well, one goal for 2007 has been reached ... I officially clock in at 91kg pre-Tour weight. Lots of muscle [;-)] and some fat. I have been strongly encouraged ... by previous Tour participants ... to go well above my normal/ideal/racing/sexy weight as Excess Storage Fat is vital.Although we get to eat very well, we will be burning off much more than we can really afford over the next four months.

So ... you can all take a guess and comment on what my End-of-Trip weight will be on 12 May 2007. 12 000kms of cycling over four months ... I'm thinking around 78kg ... ?

End of 2006 and No Space!

Well another year gone by ... and a special one to come! I hope the next four months are as peaceful as the last weeks have been stressful! I have no idea how and where to pack everything I wish to take with ... it is absolutely impossible ... aagghh! Living out of a suitcase, packing for the trip and storing everything else is a mission itself. Then shops and embassies are closed and still more than enough work to fit in. I've got two more days of horses to fit in and then serious switching off and relaxing before my departure.

In one week today/now I'll be roaming thru bustling Cairo - haggling for everything and the kitchen sink.

Herewith wishing everyone a very pleasant, happy and fun 2007. Hope all your hangovers are not too bad ... I had a very quiet and enjoyable evening with my Boet and a few friends and felt fit as a fiddle this morning.

Some thanks must still go out to some help and effort for my trip. Firstly many thanks to my Ou-Boet, Andre, and Mel for their help in moving all my stuff. Thanks a mill also to my other Boet, Elmar, for the lekker financial support ... truly appreciate it!

Also many, many thanks to Geco Cycles - your time, effort, advice, help and discounts are greatly appreciated and needed.

Lastly also a big hello, thanks and greetings to my Godchild ... Skye Tayla Micklethwaite. We had a very nice Baptism yesterday - beside really enjoying the morning, it was also a very welcome break from the year end Silly-Season.

The Rest of the Gang

For those of you interested in who the other crazy participants are - check out the Tour website for more information and Profiles ... www.tourdafrique.com

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all out there.

I hope you all have a peaceful, quiet, relaxing Christmas ... not rushing around and stressful like mine. Just sold my car, packing up my flat - on Christmas Day! Working on Boxing Day. Hopefully cycling a little here and there.

... And following on from the previous entry and comments ... I WILL NOT BE RACING!!!

to race or not to race

Organize, organize, organize ... that is all I seem to be doing at the moment. I did manage two moderately long rides on the weekend - which were made that little bit more fun by having our usual summery South Easter gusting non-stop! Otherwise I've booked the movers (everything is going into storage for several months), booked the carpet cleaners, made my lists for packing, buying, do-on-return ... man I really am more German than I thought.

Many of you are asking whether I will be racing or touring ... I'll be damned if I know yet. What if I say yes - and then I end up competing against some Kazakhstan National Mountain Bike Team and don't live up to all your expectations!

Basically I have entered as a racer - but then I believe most or many of the entrants do so. If the competition is good and fair I may end up giving it a go. But, to be honest, I don't think I really wish to spend four months just watching every move, pushing it and going flat out. I really want to see something of the continent and wouldn't mind meeting one or two locals on the way. Furthermore last year only 25% managed to complete the whole trip, cycling all the way (EFI - Every F...ing Inch). So realistically Injury, Sickness, Cycle Damage and other causes can also interfere with a successful racing result.

So ... for all those other eager 2007 Tour d'Afrique entrants surfing the web and trying to see who is going to challenge you for glory ... you going to have to beat me to first place ... ;-)

early farewell bash

Thanks to everyone that came round to celebrate a belated birthday, early Christmas spirit and an early farewell to me. Thanks also to everyone that bought raffle tickets ... the final flood of purchases was greatly appreciated. Thanks also to Ross for your auctioneering efforts.

Congratulations to Jane Landau of Franschhoek for winning the Stubben Bridle and Magnetic Boots and Philip Head for taking home the Cape Point Cottage Accomodation and Massage. Also to my family for not being too clued up on how auctions should really function ...

Well I should be heading out now to do a good 100km - but the miserable weather doesn't make it look like much fun.

why thru africa?

How many of us have dreamt and planned an amazing holiday? Planned to take several months off to travel and explore? But somehow we never get round to it!

We so often sit around the dinner table with friends or family and plan that inevitable trip thru Africa. Those glasses of Pinotage or Sauvignon Blanc always help make the trip all the more real … we decide on the countries, tents, time frames (always in a year or two), who to take with (everyone at the dinner table is always welcome – obviously) and how cheap it would be. We do get a little stuck on … Land Rover or Land Cruiser? Which one is better? And then there is the problem of couples or no couples, who likes whom and which person never pulls their weight…

And… inevitably… the next day, once the haze of good food and booze wears off, our partners have scolded us for being so far-off from reality and we trudge off to work, see our workloads and log-in to our banking website… we cannot believe we even considered such a foolish thing as a trip thru Africa.

I’m not too sure about everyone else… but I know I’m only going to live once. I may be a little selfish – but then this is my life. And more than likely I am a little crazy after all. I also don’t mind a little debt to make this awesome experience come to life. Furthermore, a friend/colleague of mine also helped me realise that something like this is possible – Billy and Christy are currently going by horseback through Africa, albeit quite a bit slower than I intend to take (see their website: www.africanhoofprints.com)

I heard about the Tour d'Afrique about two years ago when a fellow cyclist/runner – a member of both my cycling and running club – completed the same tour. I immediately started playing with the idea to do the same and haven’t looked back since.

about me

I am Patrick. 32 years old, 184cm tall, currently 89kg, blue eyes and sporting a real shocking cycling tan. A little German, more South African. I’ve lived a lot in Cape Town and a little in Germany and a little in the Eastern Cape. I’ve travelled a lot, studied a lot and played a lot of sport.

I studied Physiotherapy and have a Masters degree in Public Health. I have a physiotherapy practice concentrating solely on Horse Physiotherapy – thanks to Tammy for holding up the fort while I am travelling thru Africa.

Although I have tried my hand at many sports disciplines – to greater and lesser degrees of enjoyment and success – I have a specific passion for cycling and triathlons. Over the years I have had numerous achievements … or rather sporting experiences:

• Eighteen Argus Cycle Tours (the world’s largest timed cycle race)
• Two Double Centuries (205km team cycle race)
• One Marathon and many half marathons
• South African Iron Man Triathlon (2005, 2006)
• Many smaller local cycle and triathlon races

Besides my work and play I am an avid reader, love travelling, enjoy good food and wine and cannot sing to save my life.