Day 3

As expected this was a long day. 11 hours on the bike. I had to wait an hour for my first fall then 3 came along at once.! We managed 3 river crossings and some steep climbs. The scenery is great and the villages turn out to cheer us on. The children gaze at us when we stop for a break and like to climb onto the bikes and see images of themselves on our cameras. We arrived back in darknes and in the rain giving us little hope for a dry day tomorrow.
An early night again today as as I can't keep my eyes open and we have another full day ahead of us to Port st Johns. Expecting loads of aches tomorrow.
Thanks
 Hector

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Day 1 & 2

Departed Heathrow at 7 pm and arrived at J berg 10 hours later. 10 hours in economy got me out of my comfort zone. 3 hour wait then a short hop to Durban followed by a 2 hour coach ride to Port Edward where we are staying at the TO Strand. Straight to our rooms to change into our kit for a quick ride on our trusty Honda to sort out groups. I am in the green group which is 4th out of 6 groups. We had a good team dinner and talks from reps from all 4 charities we are supporting, followed by a briefing on the next days ride. We have been well looked after and beginning to get to know each other. Tomorrow looks like a tough day. On the road at 7 with 200km to cover to Mbotyi.. The day will be v tough if it continues to rain as the forecast predicts. Early night for me to prepare for another big day......can't wait.
Hector
P.s sorry about the disclaimer below I cannot remove this when updating via my bberry.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: This message is intended for the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential, and/or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that copying, forwarding or other dissemination or distribution of this message is prohibited and that taking any action in reliance on the content of this message is to be avoided. Should you receive this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately via e-mail or call (403) 699-4000 and delete this message from your system. Thank you.
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Time to go

Well its departure day tomorrow.
Its been a last minute scramble to squeeze everything into my bags. Between the body armour, helmet and riding boots there is room left for a toothbrush and a first aid kit?
The weather in Durban is improving from Heavy Rain to Light Rain, looks like the sun will shine when we are nearer to PE.
Many thanks to the blogs of the riders in Group 1, they have been great, hope the bikes are up to the return journey.
Thanks
Hector

Ride for Life - Enduro Africa 2009

Hi

On October 16th 2009, for two weeks, I will join a team riding "off road" through South Africa.

The journey takes us from Durban to Port Elizabeth.

The ride will be challenging the opportunity life changing.
The Enduro Africa Ride for Life asks each rider to raise funds for the following charities in the region.

UNICEF: to ensure that pregnant women with HIV receive the right medicine and care to prevent them passing HIV onto their baby. Given the right medicine and care, the chance that a mother with HIV will pass the virus to her baby drops to less than 1 in 50.

Sentebale: a new charity with a mission to transform the lives of Lesotho's orphans and vulnerable children. The name Sentebale means “forget me not” which is also the charity’s call to action.



The Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund: works with disabled children, their families and communities to encourage their equal treatment, particularly with a view to them attending mainstream school and so having the same opportunities as non-disabled children. Developing leadership potential and skills amongst young people is another key aim of NMCF.

Touch Africa specifically targets the health and education sectors, with particular reference to rehabilitation of schools, clinics and crèches, the provision of basic education equipment, rehabilitation of community halls and the provision of school transport and technology. The requests from the rural villages are simple, they usually ask for clean toilets, gym equipment, sporting equipment, a soccer pitch, a fresh coat of paint and a happy place to learn.

It is with your contribution, that we are able to make these dreams become reality.

Every penny raised will be split evenly between the 4 charities above and any contribuition however small is greatly appreciated.

Please either donate using the paypal button above (remenber to update the total when donating and to enter a password) or feel free to pledge any amount with me directly.

Many many thanks

Hector