Tuesday... or is it Wednesday? Sun with some pile clouds, a nice breeze caresses our skin. In the panniers all our stuff. That's all we need. Hour after hour our legs turn around thoughtlessly. They don't know any better. Crickets encourage us. High up in the sky a bird of prey prays, waiting for its morning meal. Farmers in the fields straighten their backs and wave. The harvest is almost in. In front of us the road bends slightly to the left: the promise of another magnificent view...
In the summer of 2019 we close our frontdoor behind us and get on our bikes for a trip from home to Africa.
Africa stimulates our curiosity. We know the continent mainly through the headlines: corruption, hunger, war, boat refugees and other suffering. But we cannot believe that in a continent almost three times the size of Europe, where 14.2% of the world's population lives (against 11.1% in Europe), there is no other story to be told. A good excuse for us to leave and search for the nuances, the charm, the versatility, the laughter, the intimacy and the untold stories...
How can Africa inspire us?
This question is the thread that runs through our journey south. We are curious about original insights, fresh approaches and colourful initiatives. For a year we are guided by surprises and by encounters with inspiring people. How do they view new developments? How do they stand in life? Where do they get their inspiration from?
For us, it’s self-evident that we make this trip by bicycle. While cycling, the daily distance we can cover is limited. We have to spend the night in local villages and do our shopping at the local market. We move at the pace of the local population. And since we're not seated behind a window, it's easy to have a chat, if necessary with hands and feet. Another nice thought: we hardly disturb the lives of people, animals and the environment, because our two-wheelers leave no trace of oil stains, diesel smell or motornoise. We leave at the most a tire track and some sweat drops....