By Henry
104 km, almost 1700 m elevation gain, 26°C. A three-fold challenge today: border crossing, a 20 km climb, and over 40 km of unpaved road.
We had fabulous views of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru as we left camp.
Kili is a spectacle to behold, and does not disappoint. One of our riders summited Kili on January 22, before joining uor bike tour in Kigali.
Border crossing at 19 km from camp.
Expected queue at passport control entering Tanzania, but we were through in less than an hour. The visa for USA citizens was $100, and for most other countries only $50.
After the border crossing, we engaged the 20 km climb, working our way from 1600 m to 2100 m elevation.
Immediately after entering Tanzania, there were endless cornfields.
In addition to the corn, there were also fields of these tall trees, which were harvested for lumber.
Strikingly realistic scarecrow.
Because of the time involved for the border crossing and subsequent climb, lunch was at only 47 km.
We hit an a 41 km stretch of unpaved road at 53 km. The road condition was generally better than advertised. Our tour director said the road had been vastly improved compared to last year. Also, we had a helping hand from a generous tailwind.
We encountered again some bratty kids, who threw stones or hit us with sticks. One rider had sticks stuck into her front and rear wheels. Fortunately, there was no mishap, and she was able to ride through.
Mysteriously, there were about 40 dump truck loads of rocks in the middle of the road at one point.
Campsite tonight is Simba Farm Lodge. Mount Meru is in the distance. This farm has 5,000 acres, and is on a 99-year lease. 35 years are left on the lease, and the family is applying to renew the lease with the Tanzanian government.
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