wildside
Pack Dog
Just when we think ‘woo-hoo.... the roads are improving’ we curve our way around a corner and there’s more delayed construction and we’re slap bang in the middle of a quagmire with a heavily loaded truck axle deep across our path. It looked as if it had been there a while as rocks had been placed underneath it in an attempt for it to get some traction but as of yet no luck. Kingsley and Roxy managed to get past but I slipped down over a rock but with assistance managed to continue. We were now almost knee deep in mud but still with humour intact.
Roxy up front in a deep hole.
Firmly planted on a rock.
Nice n easy on a pikki pikki :
We set off once again onto a new stretch of tarred road...yippee!! We always try to avoid tar but at times it’s such a relief and you just want to get off your bike, onto your knees and embrace it. Picking up a bit of speed was a treat but also short lived as it only took us down the mountain, into a village and then back to mud as we rode out of town. As the morning passed we began to tire and Roxy slipped in the mud, so we took this opportunity for a rest as we had been slip sliding around now for over 3 hours. This was when Kingsley noticed that, to our horror, the nut from Roxy’s back axle had disappeared and the axle had started to slip out. Our ‘limp wristed’ mechanic, who had obviously forgotten to tighten the nut after adjusting the chain the previous day, made a wonderful temporary plan with the, must always have, cable ties. Blondie had no idea of the risk involved. We constantly had to keep an eye on this axle and it became quite stressful. In Njombe we spent a bit of time trying to find a take away coffee but they don’t cater for the coffee craving tourist and even with the help of one of the locals we came out empty handed so decided to continue on our way to Songea, 233km of wonderful tar and about another 4 hours of riding.
Negotiating the busy street of Njombe.
Roxy up front in a deep hole.
Firmly planted on a rock.
Nice n easy on a pikki pikki :
We set off once again onto a new stretch of tarred road...yippee!! We always try to avoid tar but at times it’s such a relief and you just want to get off your bike, onto your knees and embrace it. Picking up a bit of speed was a treat but also short lived as it only took us down the mountain, into a village and then back to mud as we rode out of town. As the morning passed we began to tire and Roxy slipped in the mud, so we took this opportunity for a rest as we had been slip sliding around now for over 3 hours. This was when Kingsley noticed that, to our horror, the nut from Roxy’s back axle had disappeared and the axle had started to slip out. Our ‘limp wristed’ mechanic, who had obviously forgotten to tighten the nut after adjusting the chain the previous day, made a wonderful temporary plan with the, must always have, cable ties. Blondie had no idea of the risk involved. We constantly had to keep an eye on this axle and it became quite stressful. In Njombe we spent a bit of time trying to find a take away coffee but they don’t cater for the coffee craving tourist and even with the help of one of the locals we came out empty handed so decided to continue on our way to Songea, 233km of wonderful tar and about another 4 hours of riding.
Negotiating the busy street of Njombe.
