Warner’s World

Overview of Burundi: It is a very poor country that is only just beginning to recover from years of civil war. The large presence of UN and other NGO’s have made for a two tier price structure in the country. The locals live on less that a dollar a day where Westerners all drive around in brand-new 4×4s and the cost of living is comparable with that in any other large European city. There is very little budget accommodation (except in Bujumbura) and eateries that would appeal to travellers are in very short supply. On the few occassions I did stop for something to eat the fuss it caused was off-putting. So much so that on occasions I was going to stop and changed my mind when I saw the gathering crowd. There was nothing nasty about it but to have a drink would cause a crowd of over 50 to gather.

The kids (and adults) find a Mzungu cycling so strange it is like ‘Beatle mania’ at times and any stop will cause a minor incident. You will be shouted at, ‘Mzungu’ from the moment you start in the morning to the time you leave the road. All very friendly, but a little tiring after 12 hours or more of it. I would see how long it took me to hear my first Mzungu of the day. It was never more than 30 seconds after I hit the road. It is impossible to be alone anywhere and camping is totally out of the question.

It is a small country that hasn’t got a lot of natural attractions but it is a destination that may appeal to those who like something a little unusual.

5th Nov ‘09: I paid the 20 US dollars to enter Burundi and I am in. To my surprise the road is of good quality and the big hills have been replaced by a rolling terrain. It is much hotter now and the people are noticably poorer in comparison to Rwanda.

In Rwanda a ‘mzungu’ causes quite a stir. Here it is open-mouthed amazement. On the hilly sections the kids still follow me everywhere, but as the countyside flattens I am able to leave them behind.

There is a small town about 8kms from the border and I manage to change some money and grab a bite to eat. Communication is a big problem as people only speak the local lingo.

The road becomes pancake flat and I am travelling so fast I sail through Cibetoke without noticing. Only 65k extra to the capital so I continue onwards at a blistering pace. Weeks in the mountains and poor roads have made me strong and I sweep all before me. Several locals take me on, but I can reach speeds of 40kph at will.

There are lots of army and police patrols and a massive UN base on the outskirts of Bujumbura. Just as well as the DRC is very close, just over a river to my right and a long running civil-war has recently ended.

I decide to spend the night just outside the capital at place called Sagga Beach. It is a resort on the northern shore of Lake Tanganyika.  It is just over the road from the UK base and probably at the end of a runway. That is what it seems from the occasional plane that almost lands on my roof. Tomorrow a short run into the capital.

6th Nov ‘09: Morning update: Into Bujumbura. Find the Rossignol Inn. Need to email Di, get some more cash, new simcard for phone, update website and stock up on food. Nightmare. Takes forever to do anything and nothing works. Prices are very high due to the UN being in town. Must stop now. Lots to do.

Evening update:Things change rapidly here. There was lots of problems at the bank. The only bank in town (Burundi) that takes Visa was really busy and it took over 90 minutes to withdraw some cash. This is not unusual  here apparently. A lady helped me through the lengthy process who is the wife of the European development attaché. It took so long to do some business at the bank that it was not possible to complete all the other things I need to do in town. I have been invited to stay at their residence for a day or so and they will be able to give me some advice on sorting things out tomorrow.

So currently I am in the European development residency in the hills overlooking Bujumbura. With its own swimming pool and armed guard it is a lot nicer than my cheap hotel in town where I was probably going to spend the night alone reading a book.

A gentleman from the Congo came to visit tonight to sell some masks. They are made in the Congo, but being off limits to most people the only way they can sell their products is to take them across the border to places like Burundi. They are amazing value compared to what it would cost (if you could get them) in the developed world so I brought one for Diane`s new kitchen. Not the most practical thing to buy when travelling by bike. As yet I havn`t decided if I can take it with me or have to post it home.

7th Nov `09: Morning update: Spent last night in a large house (the ex. Libyian Embassy) in the hills above Bujumbura. Burundi suffers from a lack of power generation capacitiy so there was rolling power-cuts around the city last night. However, because this residence is situated in the diplomatic quarter of the city with the other embassies and the Presidents house we seem to be spared this inconvenience. Should I have stayed in town then it would have been a different story.

I still have lots to do to day. The family that have befriended me will be able to help me around town. In spite of the outdated press reports the city and country are safe and stable. The peace accord signed last spring is holding and thing appear normal on the streets. Most people  are surprized to see a `Muzungu`tourist in town, but there are lots of other NGO`s around and a large UN presence.

On my first night at Sagga beach I heard a lot a chanting in the morning. I assumed this to be some sort of civil disorder. My guest informs me that there is an organised run every morning in most parts of the country and the noise is the runners being led. If Ihad my trainers I could join them. Running seems to be a national obsession here as it is not unusual to see people in sports gear running everywhere.

Afternoon update: Just returned from a place I never expected to see, Bujumbura`s prison. Luckily for me I wasn’t one of the 3,500 inmates in a prison designed for 700. Pierre and Christine had an appointment to watch a show performed by the inmates and I was able to go to. Burundi is one of the poorest countries on the planet with an average income of around half a dollar a day. Spending of prisons are not going to be one of the priorities so you can imagine what the conditions were like inside. We returned home in the early afternoon and I took to my bed. I have had a slight cold for a day or two and suddenly felt fairly unwell.

8th Nov ‘09: Dennis is obviously still feeling too poorly to update the site today, but he’s in the best place. Let’s hope he’s back in the saddle and on his way real soon……

Dennis`s Update: As Diane rightly guesses I am a little under the weather at the moment with this sickness bug I must have picked up a day or so ago. Been sleeping quite a lot and not eating near enough. Today has been a bit of  a non-event as not much has happened. I did go down to the beach with Christine and her daughter. There are some of the best beaches in inland Africa a kilometer or so outside the city. As with Entebee there is a large ex.pat community here and lots of people from various aid organisations assisting in the reconstruction of the country from years of civil war. The beach is only a kilometer or so from the border with the DRC and reportedly the largest crocodile in Africa can be found a short distance from here in the feeder river that enters Lake Tanganyika. I managed a few lengths of the pool, but that was all.

9th Nov`09: Morning Update: Woke this morning and feeling much better. Fixed my puncture in the front tyre (the third in a week) and made plans for today. These include, getting a haircut (I am beginning to look like the wild man on Borneo), change some money, buy some chain lubricant to replace that stolen in Rwanda and stock up on supplies for the journey south. My plan is to leave here tomorrow (Tuesday) and take 2 days to reach Nyanza Lac, about 140k south of the capital. Then it is a quick hop over the mountains into Tanzania to rejoin the lake at Kigoma. From here I intend to take a ferry down Lake Tanganyika to Mpulungu in Zambia. The overland route through Tanzania is really remote and even cars go in pairs. Should Paul have been here with me it may have been possible but on my own it is too risky.

Evening update: Spent most of the morning at the local orphanage with Christine and her friend. As with the prison visit it was a side of Africa that tourists never get to see. For obvious reasons I was not allowed to take any photographs of conditions inside, but to describe them as tough would not do it justice.

I have now completed all my outstanding tasks and am fit and able to continue onward. My bike is the cleanest since departure and with the purchase of replacement lubricant is running as smoothly as new. Even managed to buy some gifts for Di and Chris from a local craft outlet. They are made from a nut found in Burundi and resembles ivory. In fact they call the product vegetable ivory.

10th Nov `09: Big storm this morning. It has finished now and cleared the air, so hopefully it will be relatively rain free for the next day or so. Soon I will leave the wonderful house of Pierre and Christine and venture out into the big wide world alone once more. As far as I am aware I have no need to reach Kigoma until next Monday morning to book my ferry ticket so the need for long hard days in the saddle are over for the time being. Today I expect to reach the small town of Rumonge, with tomorrows target being Nyanza-Lac. The road follows Lake Tanganyika and is reportedly dead flat. Being well rested and the bike thourghly overhauled I expect it to be a couple of easy days. The only problem I can foresee is the Rumonge is likely to be a very small settlement and may not have much, if anything, in the way of accommodation.

As I write this Christine and her cook are preparing me a monster packed lunch. They really have been the most wonderful of hosts and I am very grateful for there support and help over the last few days.

Evening update: It’ just as well I had a big pack up, I ended up travelling considerably further than I had planned today. The initial plan was to reach Rumonge today which I did late morning. I met a guy (Mr. I Speak Very Good English)**. Who  said there was a nice cheap hotel just down the the road a few kilometers. He even described the place, told me it was run by a Mr. David and cost 7,000 br. frs.  There was nothing to doubt him as I had carried out most of the checks I normally apply to information from local sources. So I cycled a few kilometers but didn’t come across any hotels the next person I asked said the same it’s just down the road and so it went on until I reached tomorrows destination of Nyanza Lac. Considering it was supposed to be an easy day after my illness, I ended up doing another 100k +.

There were several points today where I was asked for money by the military but I refused to hand any over. I have found Burundi to be extremely expensive, this hotel is £30 a night which for backpacking is a bit extravagant but the evening curfew means I need to be safe between 5pm and 9am. Police checkpoints monitor movements and I had to insist they allowed me through to reach my hotel. Managed to speak to Di so she knows I’m safe and well. I’m a bit frustrated that I overshot my destination today as this is an expensive tourist destination and I can’t afford two nights here so will have to leave early tomorrow to cross the mountains into Tanzania.

I’ve had a hard day and need to rest up, unfortunately I’ve got yet another puncture to fix before I can leave tomorrow. I do not know where I will end up tomorrow…

** Throughout most of my travels in Africa (Uganda was probably an exception) it is normal to come across this type of person. Invariably they are young males (never wormen) who appear by magic whenever there is a Mzungu in town. They profess to speak on your behalf and the only consequence is that when they are around prices will double or more as they fix a ‘Mzungu’ price for anyone you encounter. They are incredibly hard to get rid of as they stick like a leach to their prey. Telling them to get lost has little effect and sometimes the only alternative is to move on to another location. If trapped in a small town at the end of the day there is little chance of escape I am afraid.

11th Nov ‘09: Made an early start, it was very hot when I left. Seemed to spend nearly all day climbing higher and higher into the mountains, the best thing about the altitude is that the higher you climb the cooler it gets. Some of the gradients are the steepest so far. Normally I can select my ‘granny gear’ and just turn away. Not on they hills. I have to resort to walking for long periods of the morning. One thing to note for anyone mad enough to want to follow my route. Mabanda is the small town at the top of the biggest climbs (and the end of tarmac). It is still 18kms from the frontier, but the immigration post is here. I nearly missed it even when expecting it, as the building is off to one side. Luckily they sent someone to call me back, otherwise I would have reach the crossing point and have to come back (Merd). I was even charged 15,000 Burundian francs to leave the country. Changed my remaining Burundi cash at the border. First time I have known a border guard double as a money-changer.

Long time in no-mans-land until I reach the Tanzania side. I am so high up there are pine forests which look like Scottish scenery. Still nice and cool though. Do the formalities on the Tanzanian side, which include paying $50 for a visa (expected).

Crossed the border from Burundi into Tanzania without incident. Reach the small town of Kamonanira sooner than expected.  Lots of small cheap hotels to bed down in here and much cheaper than Burundi. £2 a night compared to £30, but the town is no bigger than a small village and there is no electricity,  just a solitary candle to keep me company. A phone call from Di brings good news about the DVD of our white water rafting, Adrift have kindly replaced the ones that went missing so Di can take a copy to Paul. I expect to reach Kigoma tomorrow where there should be internet access and I can update the website. If the internet speed allows I will upload some more photos.