10/7/2015 Musanze to Gisenyi
D80, T5 Av15.87, max78, 42,796 7,767
Clear warm day, about 25 degrees
After a day rest in Musanze, we were feeling ready to roll again.
The hotel was very rustic with a couple of prostitutes operating from rooms next to us. They were working hard and loudly in the early mornings and in the showers.
Yesterday we went out to the Rwanda Riders camp. This is where they train the national team.
The mechanic Kikki was a great guy he gave us information on the road down lake Kivu. We also met Jock the coach, he was also very helpful but was a busy man.
Other than that it was just a case of resting and visiting the great local markets.
We decided to ride over to Lake Kivu and then across to Kigali. So we will be with Pedro for another few days.
The road out of town was very busy with pedestrians and cyclists carrying produce in bags. It was a steady climb for the first few hours. There were people literally everywhere. It was even hard to have a leak.
It was so much like Ethiopia.
We stopped at one of the many villages to get some food to eat but could not find a restaurant. Here in Rwanda this is very noticeable, the lack of restaurants.
We bought some chapatti and rode on. Everywhere we stop a huge crowd gathers around. Like Ethiopia they are young children.
About 2km up the road, some children were following me running along side as I slowly rode up the hill.
All of a sudden one of the boys reach over to my handlebars where I carry my camera and grabbed the strap. He was off with it I dropped the bike and took off in pursuit. Yelling as I went. The guys heard me up ahead and came back. I could not keep up with this boy in down the steep slope and across paddocks and through housing. By now others were in pursuit. I had to rest. Cal had joined the chase.
Pedro and I rode down the hill to see if we could find them. Sure enough with dozens chasing him they caught him. The police turned up. I was incredibly thankful to the older school boys htat caught the little bugger.
I gave them a bit of money for their efforts.
We got going again. I am used to this, after two months of often similar issues in Ethiopia it was soon forgotten. We seeked refuge in a gated building for lunch. At the gates were about 50 people peering through the bars watching us, as soon as we got the camera out to take a photo they scattered.
Some distance on we finally got to the top of the days climb. It was almost 20km downhill to Gisenyi.
Again as the villagescincreased, there we people everywhere. One cyclist carrying at least 100L of water past ban ,he must have been doing 80km/hr on his Indian built bicycle. They ring their bells all the way down these hills at their break neck speeds.
During the descent my stomach started rumbling, then the tell tale signs of the dire need to go to the loo started. I hung on and came upon a large shed in what looked like a desert compound. Riding in a guy asked what I was doing. I told him I desperately needed to go to the loo.
He pointed to some loos in the back paddock. I didn’t make it there and just had to down trou against the shed. Well it was another new experience within 3 minutes I had a small audience watching me go to the loo in the open. I laughed, soon everyone was laughing. I needed a second sitting in the designated loos.
So it looks like another small dose of diarrhea is upon me. Again, I am used to this now,.
I caught up with the guys. We all rode the effortless 10km into town. Once there we stopped at the foreshores of Lake Kivu.
Here we had a swim in the coolish waters and relaxed for an hour or so.
Of interest there is free wifi from the resort at the beach.
We then headed up into town to find a hotel.
After much chatting to people we found the Hotel Planeta, in the side street just down from the mosque.
They only had rooms with large double beds in each. We decided to share the beds and booked two rooms. The guys and Pedro stayed in the rooms once settled in. I wandered down to the lake to get a sunset shot and continue updating my phone apps. Which has not been done for months due to the slow internet.
It had been a huge day with lots going on. We wandered into town and had a great buffet meal which are very common here in Rwanda.$3 for all you can eat, though with only one piece of meat, great value.
D80, T5 Av15.87, max78, 42,796 7,767
Clear warm day, about 25 degrees
After a day rest in Musanze, we were feeling ready to roll again.
The hotel was very rustic with a couple of prostitutes operating from rooms next to us. They were working hard and loudly in the early mornings and in the showers.
Yesterday we went out to the Rwanda Riders camp. This is where they train the national team.
The mechanic Kikki was a great guy he gave us information on the road down lake Kivu. We also met Jock the coach, he was also very helpful but was a busy man.
Other than that it was just a case of resting and visiting the great local markets.
We decided to ride over to Lake Kivu and then across to Kigali. So we will be with Pedro for another few days.
The road out of town was very busy with pedestrians and cyclists carrying produce in bags. It was a steady climb for the first few hours. There were people literally everywhere. It was even hard to have a leak.
It was so much like Ethiopia.
We stopped at one of the many villages to get some food to eat but could not find a restaurant. Here in Rwanda this is very noticeable, the lack of restaurants.
We bought some chapatti and rode on. Everywhere we stop a huge crowd gathers around. Like Ethiopia they are young children.
About 2km up the road, some children were following me running along side as I slowly rode up the hill.
All of a sudden one of the boys reach over to my handlebars where I carry my camera and grabbed the strap. He was off with it I dropped the bike and took off in pursuit. Yelling as I went. The guys heard me up ahead and came back. I could not keep up with this boy in down the steep slope and across paddocks and through housing. By now others were in pursuit. I had to rest. Cal had joined the chase.
Pedro and I rode down the hill to see if we could find them. Sure enough with dozens chasing him they caught him. The police turned up. I was incredibly thankful to the older school boys htat caught the little bugger.
I gave them a bit of money for their efforts.
We got going again. I am used to this, after two months of often similar issues in Ethiopia it was soon forgotten. We seeked refuge in a gated building for lunch. At the gates were about 50 people peering through the bars watching us, as soon as we got the camera out to take a photo they scattered.
Some distance on we finally got to the top of the days climb. It was almost 20km downhill to Gisenyi.
Again as the villagescincreased, there we people everywhere. One cyclist carrying at least 100L of water past ban ,he must have been doing 80km/hr on his Indian built bicycle. They ring their bells all the way down these hills at their break neck speeds.
During the descent my stomach started rumbling, then the tell tale signs of the dire need to go to the loo started. I hung on and came upon a large shed in what looked like a desert compound. Riding in a guy asked what I was doing. I told him I desperately needed to go to the loo.
He pointed to some loos in the back paddock. I didn’t make it there and just had to down trou against the shed. Well it was another new experience within 3 minutes I had a small audience watching me go to the loo in the open. I laughed, soon everyone was laughing. I needed a second sitting in the designated loos.
So it looks like another small dose of diarrhea is upon me. Again, I am used to this now,.
I caught up with the guys. We all rode the effortless 10km into town. Once there we stopped at the foreshores of Lake Kivu.
Here we had a swim in the coolish waters and relaxed for an hour or so.
Of interest there is free wifi from the resort at the beach.
We then headed up into town to find a hotel.
After much chatting to people we found the Hotel Planeta, in the side street just down from the mosque.
They only had rooms with large double beds in each. We decided to share the beds and booked two rooms. The guys and Pedro stayed in the rooms once settled in. I wandered down to the lake to get a sunset shot and continue updating my phone apps. Which has not been done for months due to the slow internet.
It had been a huge day with lots going on. We wandered into town and had a great buffet meal which are very common here in Rwanda.$3 for all you can eat, though with only one piece of meat, great value.
