7 July, Sunday: Kiambi Camp -> Eagles Rest, Lake Kariba

Chris tossed and turned in agony last night bumping his painful wounds. The grazes are deep and on the hip, making it very uncomfortable. He wisely did'nt cycle today. We sadly had to say goodbye to our new friends who have impacted our lives significantly. The effort that the Bonekamp couple had gone to to help the K2K team was overwhelming and we cant thank them enough for the kindness they have shown us. We had one last view of the Zambezi and made our way to Chirundu where we stocked up on food supplies in prep for our entry into Zim on Monday and headed for Siavonga. Just Dad and I were on the bikes today and we so enjoyed chatting and sharing my experiences so far with him.

Dad back on the bike

By mid day the temperature had reached 28 degrees and the sun was burning down on us. The road to Siavonga is narrow with no shoulder but it was so quiet, hardly any cars passing by, making it a pleasant cycle. The landscape changed from greenary around the river to dry, barren land, giving a karoo desert feel. There were lots of euphorbias and small shrubs peaking out the hot, red sand. We passed a few magnificent baobabs and few small villages where large bags of charcoal were being sold and grass wooven hats, bags and mats. The cycle was mostly down hill and we managed to klap 43 km in 2 hours just before we reached another mountain.

I put my head down, played upbeat music to keep me motivated and missioned up the mountain. For 10 km my legs did not stop peddling, my face as red as a tomato and the sweat and sunblock dripping into my eyes. I had everyone on the sidelines encouraging me, supporting me, clapping me on, putting a big smile on my face. The support team stayed by my side the whole way up, patiently waiting every km or so for me as I slowly made my way around the bend. I managed to reach the top in just under an hour, reminding myself of why we doing this. From a distance we could see Lake Kariba and I put foot, making my way down the mountain, eventually reaching our campsite at Eagle's Rest.

There's Lake Kariba!

The camp is right on the lake, situated on a private bay and from our tents we can see Zimbabwe on the otherside. We made it just before the sun went down and had a nice hot shower. What a tough last 2 days of intense climbing. It's definitely easier on the tar though haha!

Our campsite for the night

Cycled: 67 km

Time: 3:31 hrs

Ave speed: 19 km/hr

Ascent: 503 m