172 km, 1534 m total ascent, 34°C maximum. About the same distance as yesterday, but given the increased climbing, and hotter temperature, today is going to be more difficult.
Joanne had an accident with an oxcart this morning in a village just a few kilometers after leaving camp. She was looking down and T-boned (not trying to be funny; just using common parlance!) the cow pulling the cart. After she fell, the beast then toppled over on top of her. She said she could feel her ribs cracking. She was diagnosed at the clinic with several rib fractures, and will not be able to continue the tour.
From other signs, I know that the last figure is for 800 kwacha.
We haven’t seen any toll roads since Egypt. US $1 is about 26 Zambian kwacha (K).
Coke stop at 120 km. Generally, we are lucky to get cool Cokes. Very rare to get an ice cold soda.
Tailwind in the afternoon provided a gentle push. It was forecast to be overcast, but it turned out to be partly cloudy, yet quite sunny and hot for the afternoon. The heat adds a distinct element of difficulty. The shoulder also became narrower.
It is now autumn in the southern hemisphere, and we can see early fall colors in the distance.
Small community by the roadside. What I learned to appreciate is that these communities extend deeper away from the road for a good distance, and there are more people living here than might be expected.
A baobab tree.
Destination today is Luangwa Bridge Camp, along the Luangwa River. Mozambique is on the other shore.
Potatoes on the grill for dinner.
It was warm enough that two of the last riders arrived at camp with mild heat exhaustion, but the medics attended to them expertly.
The other major news is that Tim has made the very difficult decision to leave the Tour early. The entire group was very saddened to hear this. We will all miss him. He will post more details about this after he gets home.
No comments:
Post a Comment