Donga Day

Donga is a ditch - a furrow in the track. If you get stuck in one, you've had it. You will fall off your bike. Don't ask how I know.

We have a great support team with us - Our cooks, Claire and Sean (great barbecue tonight, racks of ribs, simply delicous), Our guide, Big Blonde Hank who is master of the understatement. We were confident as we approached the 'slight incline' .... muscles are still aching. We also have Dr Raj who is following from behind handing out iodine swabs and blister plasters. In fact he ran out of iodine today such were the number of scratches, cuts, bruises and dents from the dongas.

The conditions were challenging, more so than any of us could have imagined and certainly not ideal for those amongst us who haven't been on a bike for over 2 years. We keep quiet if we're badly hurt, we want to cylce not travel in the car of shame with Dr Raj. One of us, who shall remain nameless, could probably apply for a vacancy as choir boy in Liverpool Cathedral such was the pain he suffered crashing from his saddle.

We visited a school this afternoon and gave out two of the footballs - one for the girls and one for the boys. They were delighted, as were the headteacher and staff - all 8 of them. So that's 8 teachers and 1,000 pupils, quite incredible.

Today we traversed tarmac, pot holes, sand, pot holes, dirt, pot holes, dongas and more pot holes. The fiercest animal we saw was a butterfly.

Tomorrow we head off to the lake where the roads are sandy, but with more dongas. Hank tells us it is downhill. We wait and see. It'll be a terrific adventure no matter what the undulating roads bring us.

Number of punctures: 0

Number of injuries: Many