Old Legs Tour Angola 2024 – Days 11 & 12

We had two options:

1. A shortcut from Manyinga to Mwinilunga via the logger’s road
2. The tar road from Manyinga to Solwezi and then back to Mwinilunga (much longer)

By now you all know that we are allergic to shortcuts, and so the tar route beckoned.

But first, we had to get to Manyinga.  The error in all these calculations by the so-called Old Brains Trust was that first, we had to get from the fishing camp to Lukulu, 30km North, prepare the 2 punctures, fill up with fuel, cross the Kabombo River by pontoon, and then get to Manyinga before we could even start!  We also had no local money to pay for fuel or tyre repairs.

Chef Humfrey at Barotse Tiger Camp must have been eves-dropping on the deliberations that night and diplomatically suggested that he could perhaps guide us as far as Lukulu.  He proceeded to lead the convoy, on his scooter, through the bush, on a route that shortened our previous day’s 4-hour trek to less than 30 minutes, winning him the coveted Navigator of the Decade award.  Alas, no sooner had Humfrey left us, than we settled back into the usual rot of getting stuck and making a meal of bumbling our way through the bush.

More bumpy rides, potholed roads, tree-canopied pathways, and sand – oh, so much sand!  But we had Linda, Lady Dakar, the sand whisperer! She once again wrestled that white Isuzu (with trailer) and the trusty Christopher out of the sand like popping a cork. A veteran of multiple tours, she has become the consummate 4×4 driver, a task she now performs like she was driving to Borrowdale shops.

Lukulu was a tiny village with surprisingly good tyre repair services, but unfortunately, no diesel. While there, Alastair The Forager, miraculously procured scones for a makeshift roadside tea party with butter and honey, whilst the other men took turns to see who could inflate our flat bike tyres fastest using Nick’s Milwaukee mini air compressor. … no prizes for guessing who won, but at least it was entertaining!

Next stop, the Pontoon – 73km down a poor dirt road where average speeds of 30km per hour would be considered fair progress. We arrived mid-afternoon and were amazed to find a competent and efficient pontoon service. We’d expected a delay here, but all three vehicles were loaded simultaneously.

***Content Warning coming up – Do not read the next paragraph if you work for, or are in any way related to, the Management and Staff of Alliance.***

To be honest, Alliance had no idea that their insurance cover would be tested to this extent, with the entire Old Legs Tour, equipment, people and vehicles now perched on a rusty pontoon in the most remote part of Zambia. The minor fact that the front vehicle and rear trailer were balancing rather precariously on the loading and offloading ramps didn’t seem to faze the ferrymen at all.  If this was a TV series this would be the end-of-season finale, and you would have to wait for next year’s tour to find out if we had crossed, but it’s not and we floated merrily across, disappointing a few crocs and hippos along the way, as the pontoon slid gently into the opposite river bank, incident-free.  We drove off and up the other side, marvelling at how easy it all actually was.

(Thank you Alliance for always having our back, you can open your eyes again, the scary part is over.  For now.)

We found fuel at the tiny town of Kabombo, but we couldn’t fill up until we could find some way of paying for it. Inexplicably, the ATM’s do not accept foreign cards and there is no swipe machine at the fuel station. You won’t believe it, we barely do, but the manager of the fuel station eventually allowed us to pay in USD because he had seen us on TikTok (!!) and was excited to see us in person. How on earth…?!

We were finally fueled up, with tyres repaired and water tanks full, but time was ticking. The sun was beginning its descent, and we knew we’d need some daylight to set up bush camp. Worryingly, we hadn’t even reached Manyinga, the crucial point where we’d decide between our two routes. It was looking like an Epic Fail!

The Old Legs Tour Brains Trust is an oxymoron of global proportions, and now we needed to go back to the drawing board. With a daunting 600 km of tarmac ahead, we opted for the shorter, 280 km logging road. However, darkness was closing in, so first, we needed to make camp and stay the night. And so it was that Mangana School and headmaster Mr Mbumba and Deputy Head Pyele came to the rescue, generously offering us their football field as our makeshift campsite for the night. If you are working in this area, please support this school, they have so little and yet didn’t hesitate to open their doors to us.

When we left Harare, we wondered where winter had gone. It had been sent to Manyinga, where we experienced the coldest night yet. The icy chill penetrated our sleep from 3 am onwards. Everyone, that is, except for Naison, who’d opted for Christopher’s backseat over his camping gear. He claimed to have sweated through the night, his peaceful slumber only interrupted by the whining from the rest of the gang.

On Day 12, we arose before 5 and started breaking camp in the bitter cold.  We appear to have misplaced our usual slick camp efficiencies, and we don’t know why it took us until 7:30 to leave camp and start our drive to today’s starting point on the edge of the Manyinga Forest Game Management Area. But we better find it soon.

The ride today was stunningly beautiful, starting through ancient leadwood forests that towered over us. Despite the cold, we were captivated by the pristine woodland. What an honour to witness these forests firsthand. Over the past two days, we’ve witnessed the devastating impact of large-scale logging operations.some covering tens of hectares of land, all stacked with colossal, ancient tree trunks or transformed into piles of timber in giant sheds.

These irreplacable forests and the people living here have coexisted harmoniously for centuries, and a system of nomadic agriculture has evolved. The farmers cut down branches at the end of the wet season, let them dry out, and burn them ahead of the coming rains as a form of fertilizer. The trees are generally tall and unbranched but healthy and host to all manner of life. The loss of these forests will not only devastate the environment but also deprive the community of their traditional livelihoods, including wild honey farming. It’s a heartbreaking reality, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have witnessed this unique ecosystem before it’s irrevocably altered.

Keegan must have been particularly distracted by the beauty of his surroundings because, as we rode along, Adam noticed the shocked expression of people walking towards him, and turned round just in time to see Keegan vanishing into a cloud of dust, having spectacularly flown over his handlebars and landed with a heavy thud in the road. The usually springy Keegan took a moment to recover, a sure sign that tonight he will be nursing some tender bruises. For now, he is completely coated in a fine pink hue from head to toe.

Gus and Jaime spent the first part of the ride engaging with the local children, who were incredibly friendly. Zambia’s warm-hearted people have a way of brightening your day with their smiles. It felt like a mini-celebrity tour as children would rush to the roadside to greet us, their enthusiasm infectious.

Laurie has also embraced the adventure, documenting her newfound “Friends along the way” on Instagram. From adorable piglets to ducklings, she’s captured the heart of rural Zambia. We’ve all been touched by the kindness of the people, the beauty of the forest, and the wonder of the wildlife. It’s a privilege to experience such incredible moments. Feeling blessed for all the things we’ve seen today!

At 65km, we re-entered the communal areas and had run out of cycle time. We loaded the bikes and started our 140km uplift to Mwinilunga, hoping to arrive by 4:30 in time to do some much-needed laundry!

And that’s us, all caught up, and ready to tackle another day, as we Pedal For Pensioners, Have Fun, Do Good and Do Epic.  What a privilege.

Thanks for following us.  In case you’d like to donate, here’s the link: https://oldlegstour-gdg-j1141n.raisely.com/donate

#OldLegsTour #Angola2024 #PedallingForPensioners #HaveFun #DoGood #DoEpic