Cycling Through Namibia

Eric and Amaya have cycled all the way to South Africa from France. The trip has taken more than 18 months and they've pedaled through 30 countries, covering more than 18,600 miles (30,000 km's). Their last trip report comes from Namibia, a wonderful travel destination, but less so for cyclists. I often advocate renting a car and traveling around independently in Namibia since the roads are in decent shape, but it's all relative since they're mostly dirt and you definitely need a 4x4.

Here are some excerpts from Eric and Amaya's Namibian adventure:

For a cyclist, 500 meters of sand can mean 50 minutes of additional agony under a scorching sun. 10 kilometers of corrugations rattle your bones for an hour. Crosswinds can bring you crashing to the ground and uninhabited terrain means a parched throat as you ration your diminishing supply of water.

In Namibia we'd been offered accommodation by a complete stranger who saw us in front of the supermarket. Tina gave us the guest room, introduced us to her family, cooked us a delicious dinner and then insisted we stay another day to rest up. When we knocked on a farmer's door in Seeis, Patrick answered, and again we were given a room when all we had requested was a patch of grass. I'm sure nobody in this part of the world would turn us down for camping.

During the night, the cool breeze turned into a gale and sand streamed into the tent through all the minute holes that have multiplied over the months. By morning the force of the winds had barely diminished and packing up camp was a nightmare. Cycling was no better, as we were caught in a crosswind and it took most of our strength just to keep the bikes upright.

For Amaya and Eric's full account see their website and you can also donate to the charity they're doing it all for.

_{Namibian Highway -- Image © Amaya Andrea Williams and Eric Schambion}