Let me tell you a story.
I think you might laugh. I hope you don't cry. But no matter what happens, I hope you are ready for the ride! By the way, I did both - laughed and cried - and sometimes I got the two confused and let them both out together. It's all good.
THURS JULY 5, 2012: Tanzanian DL officially issued; I can drive motorcycles and non-commercial cars and light trucks. YES!
DAY 1, SAT JULY 7, 2012: (Left to right) The Three Amigos - Javen, John, and Ibrahim gear up, load up, and ride off on two 150cc motorcycles for a 320km trip over dirt roads, mountain trails, rivers, and whatever else the compass brought us to when our coordinates no longer landed on paths. Pay attention to the smiles...
About 2 hours into the ride we hit the Malagarassi River crossing at Ilagala. Do these bikes swim?
Um, you guys look like you know where you're going, do you mind chatting for a while with the lost white guys? BTW, I have an Advil if you have a headache.
Ahhhh yes, Herembe. The animated signage reminds me of Orlando...
...I am so glad that this sign was posted on our way back from washing our faces in the lake. Makes total sense. STOP AND READ THE SIGN BEFORE GOING FURTHER.
One of the disappointing things about the trip was that the gas stations didn't have a nacho cheese spout.
Javen makes it look so smooth. He is an easy rider.
Some guy tried to tell us this was a ferry crossing and we needed to pay to load up his boat and cross this river. Seriously, I am just kidding.
That bottle is called a LifeSaver; it is an awesome water filter. After drinking from some of the rivers we passed, the fact that we are still alive leads me to belive it worked.
That's another way to cross a river.
DAY 1, 8 HOURS INTO RIDING: I must say, the pictures and videos we have don't tell the full story. These trails were at times 50 degree slopes with loose shale or stones. We carried between 50 and 90 lbs of dead weight each, plus I had a rider on the back. So that scream wasn't just heat stroke.
The truth is, Ibrahim got off the bike for many reasons. 25% of the time it was because I asked him to. 25% was because the 150cc go-kart couldn't safely handle the load. 50% was plain fear that I was gonna kill him trying to ride him through some of these trails.
DAY 1, 12 HOURS AFTER DEPARTURE: We made camp at Lubilizi Village. The ride score like this:
JOHN - 2 falls, 1 lost foot pedal, 1 mangled foot brake, and 1 nasty knee scrape. JAVEN - 0 falls, 0 damage.
DAY 2, 1 HOUR INTO THE RIDE: If this is how things are gonna go today, HELP! Again, must I remind you that this video was filmed on a bending 50 degree mountain slope with loose rocks -on a 150cc bike! Stop laughing!
This river crossing means we are close - AND - that I probably should have put the camera down and helped these guys.
I can handle this, no sweat!
DAY 2, 8 HOURS AFTER DEPARTURE: We have made it to Kamabwinsofu - and this man is helping me piece the bike together.
Peter, the makeshift mechanic's son, had a large ringworm on his head. We treated him before we left and are anxious to see the results...
DAYS 3 - 4, IN THE VILLAGE: Javen and Ibrahim takin' a minute to kick it with Bato.
These kids loved our bikes. Can you believe these little toys even had spinning wheels!
This picture was from the last expedition where our team left the village with their first copies of complete Bibles! Nothing like getting into the Old Testament just before some discipleship & teaching sessions...
Now this was fun. First, get your butt kicked by a rooster (see the bloody knee). Second, apprehend the rooster and tell it all sorts of things about Genesis Chapter 1 and how God gave you dominion to rule over it. Third, exact revenge on the rooster and use what remains of him to provide a feast for the Pastor and his family. Redemption.
The utilitarian approach.
The payoff! Chicken in peanut sauce and beans in Sicilian lentil soup over rice...
And this is why we came. Teaching and Q&A about Jesus, walking with the Lord, and the Bible. We even had the women included (progress).
Praying together always rocks. The questions ranged from "what can we eat?" to "when do we repent?" to "how do I walk with Jesus and have 2 wives?" Good thing Mitt Romney wasn't with us.
There is something about worship that transcends language. And the drums are really cool.
DAY 5, 5 HOURS AFTER LEAVING THE VILLAGE: Up to this point, the picture taking was sparse; probably because of the slew of uncool and time-killing things that we encountered. First, 90 minutes into our ride, my gear pedal fell off because I forgot to tighten it before we left. Lost an hour easy there. Then, about 45 minutes later, I wrecked the bike doing about 25mph and used my face to soften the fall (another hour gone). That wasn't the best move, since it resulted in a concussion, temporary disorientation and memory loss. At least Javen got to use the skills we learned as wilderness first responders to keep the situation calm and under control. www.SOLOSCHOOLS.com if you wanna learn too...
Yep, still alive. BTW, notice the slight changes to the smile?
Good thing they made an underwater bridge out of small, uneven boulders. For a minute, we were wondering why that made any sense at all!?
We made it!
DAY 5, 10 HOURS AFTER DEPARTURE: We are camping tonight in a village we have never been before, with a family that welcomed us so warmly!
Dude made us a nice fire. I am delirious.
DAY 6, 2 HOURS AFTER DEPARTING (and only 4 hours to home!): Are you serious!? NOW! On top of a mountain! Ten minutes from the nice road!!!
Gotta say, I am gonna talk to God about the fly thing when I get to Heaven. Seriously, not on the top ten list of best creations in my book.
DAY 6, 5 HOURS INTO THE TRIP: Yeah the first genius way to patch the tire didn't actually prove too genius...At least we moved 20 minutes further before all of the air escaped again. By the time this finished, we lost 5 HOURS ON FLAT TIRES!
It is here we end our story. With about 5 more hours of riding we cruised home in a single shot fighting leg cramps, headaches, butt chaffing, and darkness. But we made it. All for 2 days of Bible teaching and Q&A. It was a blast.
And well worth it. Can't wait to do it again. After I update my life insurance.
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ReplyDeleteyeah boyeee!
ReplyDeleteLooks like an amazing trip... Can't wait to do it again.
ReplyDeleteawesome!
ReplyDelete