If it's Yellow let it Mellow, if it's Brown, Flush it Down!

These are the words that have been stuck in my head for a few days, highlighting the water problem in South Africa....

After 27hrs of travel, I finally made it home and it was great to see H and the boys having missed them for too long. After a long bath I'm trying to get get rid of some of the swelling in my legs and reduce my ankles as it looks like I stole them from an elephant. My legs & arms are all pretty bruised and stiff and my hands are blistered and sore after the pumilling they have taken. One rider likened it yesterday to riding over a 220 mile cattle grid whilst people threw cement dust and sand in your face, whilst trying to keep the throttle pinned open in 6th gear (the bikes maxed out at about 65mph, but that was more than enough in the conditions).

Well what a trip, I don't quite know how to describe it, I think the dust still needs to settle - quite literally as my kit is about 5kg heavier than when I left and the smell, enough said. I did hear Dave the tour leader apologising to the hotel staff on entering his room as it smelt like a skunk had died in there!

It has been a truly awesome adventure. Highs and Lows, both physically and emotionally - having nearly exhausted myself up a gorge/deep rut in the heat without water to getting up the infamous Qai Gorge without any real issues it's been great from a riding point of view but also form seeing some of the real Africa. There are areas other 'tourists' have never been to, villages you would never see and breathtaking views around every corner. All the children along the route happy just to see us and even happier if you waived back or attempted a wheelie. One day, Joe (a great guy & fellow Gooner in my team) saved up his plastic water bottles and carried them in a carrier bag and then gave them to a group of kids waiving on a corner - it was if he'd given them a bag of Playstations! They were so happy and just makes you realise how hard it is for them to even carry a drink of water, let alone get clean water in the 1st place.

The amount of kids we saw, bare foot with just an old tin can on a piece of wire or a old buckled bike wheel and a stick was a real insight in to the poverty there, but they were happier than most of the kids you bump in to here....The strange thing about the people there was that while the women are out repairing holes (craters) in roads, collecting firewood, washing clothes in rivers and generally carrying heavy sacks of you-name-it on their heads., the kids who are immaculately turned out out, walk up to 15km each way to school and yet the men don't seem to really do anything? Painting the school that Enduro Africa (via Touch Africa) has built and furbished was a great thing to do and the kids were really happy with the school and Jungle Gym we built, yet the men there (except for the teachers and an inspiring headmaster) don't seem to do much or even offer to help - no wonder progress is slow there. I'm sure this isn't the same for all the men there, but it does seem that they could be doing more to help too....

We did get invited in to an 'Elders' home - a simple hut made from hand made clay bricks, then covered in a mortar of clay & painted in either a whitewash or a stunning turquoise and topped with a straw roof. It was about 15ft in diameter, with a bare clay floor which inside was immaculate. There was one 4*6ft 'bed' which was raised off the ground with tin cans to keep away the evil spirits and a few bits & pieces, but nothing to brag about other than he was delighted to show us his 1 electric light.

I am really lucky to have been on this trip, both from what I have seen but more importantly from the support of my family and all of my friends reading this - the money I have personally raised from all your support, is almost enough to build and kit out another entire 4-class school!
That's an amazing fact and one I hope you are all proud of helping.

I have met some great people and made some new friends, but now can't wait to get in my own bed (without having to share with any of them)!

Cheers Gaz