world
biking africa: questions souvent posées.
Voici quelques unes des questions qui reviennent le plus souvent. Cliquez sur la question pour voir les réponses.
Having backpacked
throughout
Asia and
South America we know all too
well the hassles and constraints associated with relying on
public transport. We want to really get off the beaten
track--
not just visit the sites listed in the Lonely Planet and spend our
evenings swapping stories with other backpackers. Cycling
will
offer physical challenge, adventure and
closer contact with the locals.
We're flexible.
Probably about 18 months to reach Cape Town,
but we're under absolutely no time pressure and will take as long as we
need.
Back in 2001 Amaya ran
across
a book written by 2 sisters who
had cycled from Paris to Beijing.
They had absolutely no experience cycling long
distances or even traveling for extended periods, yet they were
able to realize their dream. That summer we spent 10 days
cycling in France and, although we enjoyed the trip immensely, no other
trips followed in the next two years. In spring 2005 we set out on our
bikes again, having been inspired by some of Amaya's students (thanks
Sylvia and Winfried!)who were planning cycling trips. And all of sudden
Amaya got it in her head that the long planned backpacking Africa trip
should be
done on bicycle. 'Are you insane?' was Eric's knee-jerk reaction 'There
are deserts to be crossed in Africa, wild beasts to confronted and half
the continent is either in the midst of, on the verge of or recovering
from civil war.' Undaunted, Amaya continued her subtle techniques of
persuasion and eventually Eric too became convinced of the trip's
feasibility. So, to sum things up, apart from a few week-long bike
trips in France and Germany, we're new to long-distance cycling.
The trip is entirely
self-financed.
Based on costs of prior long-haul trips in Asia and South
America
we estimate average costs excluding medical insurance and
equipment shouldn't exceed €10 per person per day.
Of course
the
trip could
easily be done on much less, but we want a certain amount of comfort.
Many people ask us if we just plan to travel until the money runs out.
Of course not. At our ages that would be nothing
short of
foolish.
Amaya:
Hot showers on a daily basis. My record to date is
three
days without a shower during a trekking trip in Peru. This was a real
stretch for me. It will also be hard to do without
my yoga
classes.
Eric: A comfortable
bed and unlimited access to the internet.
Well....yes.
But
not overly
worried. It seems aggressive incidents against
travelers
occur primarily in touristic areas. We plan to avoid these
areas
for the most part and thus will greatly reduce our chances of
being attacked. We were robbed by four machete-toting men in
Guatemala in
2001 and have since redoubled our security efforts. That
said,
the vast majority of individuals we have encountered around the world
have been warm and welcoming.
Perhaps. We
may
continue on cycling to India where
we will
spend some time in Rishikesh doing an intensive Iyengar yoga course.
Or we may find a job opportunity somewhere else.
Being
satisfied with a simple lifestyle means we have been able to put money
aside quite easily and therefore have achieved a certain degree of
financial freedom.
Amaya: I ride my bike almost everywhere and I also workout
about 5 times a week at a local fitness club. Nothing too
strenuous--spinning classes, aerobics and power yoga mostly. I'm not
too concerned about being in top shape when we start the trip as we'll
have plenty of time to build up our endurance as we cycle through
Europe. I expect the real physical challenges to come in Africa. Eric:
I cycle to work daily, but other than that I'm not really doing
anything special to get fit.
We'll do wild camping when no accomodation or campsite is
available. In Europe we'll be camping exclusively in order to
keep costs down. Once we reach Africa we'll stay in guesthouses or with
locals when the ocassion arises.
