Hello and welcome. My name is Matthew Blake and on the 29th April 2008 I left my home in Banbury, England with the aim of cycling around the world. To read all about my ride please click on any of the links across the top of the page or alternatively please follow me on Twitter here.

Thanks for visiting and happy reading!

 

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Latest news

26/01/12 - Certainly an interesting few days. After leaving the blizzard in Karaman the weather hasn't improved and I've been in snow ever since (as the picture below demonstrates). This was fine when the temperature was below zero, however the last couple of days have been relatively warm which means the snow has melted and basically covered me in wet, slushy  ice, leaving me a very cold boy. I'm in Ankara now for a couple of days and am considering buying some wellies to avoid getting so wet on the next leg of the trip. As for other business - I saw my first sign for Istanbul two days ago! I've been there before and am even more excited to go back. I just need it to stop snowing so hard in the meantime, but otherwise life is good.

24/01/12 - Wake up. Open tent door. Take a peek outside. Nope, don't fancy that. 10 minutes more sleep. Repeat.

22/01/12 -I'd forgotten just how much I loved Turkey my first time round and after three days here among its mountains I've fallen for the place all over again. Only problem has been today where I woke up in a blizzard. I camped 3.5 km from the top of a mountain pass, woke up to a foot of snow (and it was still snowing) and then had to push the bike to the top on sheet ice. This took an hour and a half to cover 3km, however when I got to the top a Police Officer told me I wasn't allowed to carry on. This was fair enough, but he somewhat bizzarely told me I had to go back to the last town (60k away), that I had to wait there until next Saturday to take a bus and that he was going to arrest me if I didn't do this. As a bus was heading past in the direction I wanted to go I pointed at it and asked if I could go with them, his reaction was to smack my arm down and then take a kick at my panniers. I've met some thoroughly unpleasant people at times over the last few years, he was certainly one of the worst and I'm still not really sure what his problem was. In the end I went 5k back down the mountain where after a couple of hours the blizzard stopped, the ice started to melt and I was free to continue the ride up over the pass to the town of Karaman, where I am now. Fun but tough day and whilst the pic below shows where the snow has started to melt, the icy conditions and blizzard weather have reminded me that crossing Europe in winter perhaps may not be such a good idea.

19/01/12 - Into Turkey where it's cold, cold, cold. Head towards Ankara tomorrow where the current temperature is -14. It's cold.

18/01/12 - First up, I'm being interviewed on Cypriot radio tonight (in English) at 5pm English time - it's apparently a pretty big thing and if you want to you can listen along on the interweb by clicking here and going to the International Show. Second, a big thank you to the American Academy of Cyrpus for letting me come to visit today; a big thank you for the donation and also for the hot water bottle they've given in preparation for hitting Turkey. Third, as you can see there is now a Speaking tab at the top of the menu. Preparations for getting home are in full swing and a big part of this is organising some more school talks - so if you are a teacher or know any schools who would enjoy a visit from someone like me then please have a read and get in touch. Fourth, things have been pretty stop-start since Jerusalem. Apparently the road calls tomorrow and I am really looking forward to getting back into the routine. In the meantime here's a picture from the visit to AISC yesterday. It's definetely taking longer to wash my face these days....

17/01/12 - There's a reason this site has not been update over the last few days and it's probably time to share it. This weekend - the 15th to be precise - saw my mother turn 60. I hadn't seen her since December 2009 and as a birthday surprise my Dad, Sister and I organised in secret for her to be flown out to Cyrpus to see me. She had no idea until she was taken to the airport and the last 4 days have been here in Cyprus among family. As you can probably work out, I am in Cyprus and whilst we tried to get a boat it wasn't possible and ended up being cheaper and simpler to fly - something which became a neccesity when I had to meet my family. I've been at a school here today (hello to anyone reading from AISC!) and it's another school tomorrow before finding a way off the island to the cold of Turkey. But it really was brilliant to see family again.

05/01/12 - A new year and the first resolution is to get this website up to scratch - so the blog is finally up to date and here is the review of the boat ride from South Sudan to North Sudan - The best $20 I'll ever spend. Hopefully some more stuff to post soon but in the meantime no more news on boats - will keep you up to date if anything does happen though and fingers are getting crossed. I'm also re-writing the FAQ's - I think they're up to date but if I've missed any glaring ones please e-mail them in.

03/01/12 - True to the last few years 2012 so far has been a year of things happening spontaneously and as such I've spent the last couple of days in the Kibbutz of Glil-Yam with a friend I met in Rwanda a few months ago. Been here for the last two nights and off to Haifa today. Tomorrow is a big day as we'll be at the port finding out just how possible it's going to be to get over to Cyprus.....fingers crossed and happy new year all.

31/12/11 - Greetings from Tel Aviv. Not a lot to report (still no boat news - again, if anyone can help with a boat from Haifa to Cyprus then we are desperate) and in the meantime my New Years Resolution is to get this website up to date and keep it up to date. It's going to take a while but a) the South Sudan pictures are now up in the gallery, as are the Sudan and Egypt pictures (but the South Sudan ones are better) b) The Route is now up to date and I'll also be adding and editing a lot more over the next couple of weeks. 7th April has now been confirmed as the home date and I really want to get this place organised in time for that, so here's hoping I can pull my finger out. I'm on the cusp of achieving my 2011 resolution of 'no chain fastfood', so if I can do that then I can do this. Just need to focus....therein lies the problem.....

27/12/11 - So that was Christmas for another year and as per usual it's back to the day to day of real life, which in this case means beginning to work out a way from Israel to Cyprus. Desperate not to fly and this means a boat, unfortunately no public boats currently running and we start trying to solve that problem today. The first small step is trying to raise awareness of the problem and to boost my profile a bit in the hope that someone who can help will get in contact, so we're trying to get some media coverage. I'm hopeless as a self-promoter so this won't be easy but here goes nothing. Also if anyone knows any contacts at all in the boating world then please, please, please get in contact asap, which you can do so by clicking here. Still in Jerusalem and off to Tel Aviv tomorrow...

25/12/11 - Ok, so that didn't actually happen but we are in Jerusalem. Got in late last night in the pouring rain (I don't remember the part of the nativity where it was hooning it down when they arrived and the Kings would have had difficulty following a star with the ammount of clouds that were in the sky) but we're here now. Had an excellent day before the rain yesterday with a bathe in the sulphur springs and a float in the Dead Sea. Now in Jerusalem staying with Roi, a cyclist I met on the road in Aktau, Kazakstan in August 2008 and today we're braving the still-miserable weather to go for a walk round Bethlehem. On a more serious note the last year has been the hardest on the road by quite some distance - particularly since arriving to Africa - and whilst still brilliant the best word I can think of for the last few months is 'tough', so a massive thank you to everyone who's contacted me and followed the ride over the last year and here's wishing everyone out there a very Merry Christmas. Already looking forward to next years when I'll be able to celebrate it with you all! Happy Christmas everyone!

24/12/11 - Due to a mechanical failure we had to arrive in Jerusalem in the dark, luckily a star appeared and guided us to the city. Unfortunately all the hotels were full but we've met some guy who said his mate in some town 10 miles down the road that begins with a 'B' has a stable we can stay in. Off there now, just as well as James' stomach has swollen up massively and whatever's inside looks like it'll be coming out tomorrow. Merry Christmas all!

21/12/11 - Our plan was to get the boat from Nuweiba to Aqaba, Jordan and from there visit Petra before going up to Jerusalem. Instead, we went to the ticket office this morning and next to a sign that said $70 for the fast boat and $60 for the slow boat we were asked for $85 for a ticket for either boat. Once again, since leaving Cairo the Egyptians have continued to be kind people until any form of even the smallest ammount of money is involved. Not paying the bribe we instead rode along the coast to Israel border and - after me being told I had 'a very interesting passport' and having background checks ran on me for an hour - crossed into Eilat. Hoping to be in Jerusalem for Christmas Day, which should be doable at this rate. Israel seems pleasant so far, whereas the best adjective I have for riding in Egypt is 'wearying'.

20/12/11 - A mystery illness and a load of mozzie bites for James, but after 2 rest days in Dahab (pleasant place) we're back on the road heading to Israel. Not sure of the plan yet but if we think we're heading to Eilat and then beyond! All good otherwise but have to admit this still doesn't feel like Christmas yet!

16/12/11 - Wind assisted but we have a new 'longest day'  - 193 kilometres! In Sharm El Sheikh now surrounded by Russian package tourists (which is bizarre for a whole number of reasons) but onto Dahab tomorrow where a more thorough update will come.

12/12/11 - A good days ride (although don't want to get get up at 5 am anytime soon again)  and we're in Suez. James is doing well and I'm enjoying the company. As for us, tomorrow we cross the Suez Canal - officially leaving Africa in the process - and shall be going south around the peninsula via Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab, then up to Jerusalem for Christmas.

11/12/11 - Two years away from family and in 3 hours I remember why I went away in the first place. Just kidding! Mr James Blake has arrived safely and is settling into life in Egypt. Last night we had a few catch up beers, this morning we went to the pyramids (a visit to the pyramids is the perfect metaphor Egyptian travel - pretty darn impressive but at the same time while you're trying to enjoy it you'll have twenty people at a time refusing to leave you alone) and we've also been down to Tahrir Square and had a look round at the protest sites. Neither of us massive tourists so instead we're getting up early tomorrow (5 am apparently, will believe that when it happens) and trying to get to Suez in a day before heading  around the Sinai Peninsula, where we'll go for some snorkelling. Really looking forward to the road now; the road into Cairo was full of stresses and it was pretty obvious I didn't cope well,  whereas Cairo continues only to impress me and I really like it here. Will be interesting to see how we cope on the ride in Sinai, but definetely ready to ride.

10/12/11 - Ok, it's a bit of a long winded effort but as I'll be accompanied for the next 6 weeks and as there won't be many other chances to get this done here's the latest effort covering Sudan up to Cairo - Anything, Not To Be Alone. Other news, off to airport in about an hours time! Just as well really as my cousin is bringing some new shoes, which really look like they're needed!

09/12/11 - Just a quick one today - the blog about Egypt and Sudan is nearly finished and should be up by tomorrow (it looks like the South Sudan one will have to wait though, hmm) and the main message today is to say a big 'thank you' to Miriam from the 7th grade at CAC school here in Cairo. As you can see from my posts a couple of days back the frustration has got the better of me during my time in Egypt (again, sorry for any offence caused) but I'd like to thank Miriam, who has been e-mailing me, challenging my views, helping me understand the current situation in Egypt and making me see a different point of view here in Cairo.  I'm grateful for her help and she's also invited me to come back in the future to see what Egypt will be like when the real changes have taken place, so it appears I'll have to come back here in a few years to see what has happened! A big thank you to her though and after a few more days in Cairo - which still seems so calm compared to the rest of Egypt, which is just bizarre - I'm now really looking forward to tomorrow. For the first time in two years I'll be seeing someone I know, really looking forward to this....

08/12/11 - Morning all, it seems quite a few people have got in contact about the post I put up the other day regarding my time in Egypt (I genuinely didn't realise so many people were reading this website) and as I read it back I can see the ammount of frustration I was feeling at the time pouring out so just wanted to clarify a couple of things regarding it. First, the post will stay up as the feed is as much a diary for myself as it is for anyone else to read and the post represents how I was feeling at the time. Second, regarding Egypt - it doesn't take much to see that I wasn't having a good time here; in every place I have been I have been over charged for everything, whilst on my bicycle I have had people throwing rocks at me, I have had people & children on motorbikes coming and kicking me whilst riding, I have had people coming up and grabbing hold of me in the street and I was also stolen from - by people who took me into their own place to stay the night. These things have rarely happened to me anywhere else - & in the case of the style of theft, never - whereas in Egypt they have been consistent. It has been, to say the least, frustrating. However what my post the other day did, as you so tend to do when letting off steam, is overlook the kindness I have recieved; I've met several kind people, have enjoyed good company and  had laughs with the local people.

I have come across good people and I have come across bad people, much like I have in the rest of the world. However unlike the rest of the world, what I have struggled with in Egypt is seeing the gap between the two. In Central America for example, there were often places in Honduras & Guatemala particularly that I didn't feel safe, however the gap in society also became clear pretty quickly and it was easy to tell who I could trust and who I could not. In Egypt this has not been the case. As I have written above I was stolen from by people who were hosting me - they were kind to my face, we had a laugh and joke around, I trusted them and then they robbed me whilst I was asleep. In contrast, on the ride from Beni Suef I stopped for lunch in a town and a local asked several times for money. An annoyance but nothing unusual and I told him politely no and to go away. He went away and a few moments later he came back from a grocery with a bag of date rolls for me to eat, which he had gone and bought and wanted me to have - a pretty humbling moment of kindness.

It's moments like these that have made Egypt a hard place to travel - I always thought I was a good judge of character but in Egypt I have been really struggling to work out who to trust at times and it has left me feeling frustrated and isolated, which is sad because it takes away from the positive experiences I have had.

That's probably all there is to write for now (apologies for any offence caused), I continue to be thoroughly impressed by Cairo and I have a free afternoon to finally try and get some writing done so will see what I can do today.

07/12/11 - Greetings from Cairo - an interesting few days here and again, hello to everyone from CAC and I hope you enjoyed the visit (and see some of you tomorrow). Just to give a quick update I've still not done anywhere near enough work so the blogs are on hold indefinetely, although I will try to get some South Sudan and Sudan pics up soon. As for Cairo - wow! - it's been a culture shock! We have a metro, we have brand name shops, we have non-generator based electricity 24 hours a day and just wow, the size of the buildings, the lights everywhere, the bustling social scene - I haven't seen anything like this in a while and I've really enjoyed the city! I've also found myself somewhat surprised at how relaxed it's been here; don't get me wrong, it's vibrant and lively, but at the same time the problems I had on the ride up have dissapeared and for the first time for as long as I can really remember people don't seem to care (or even notice) that I'm not a local! Very happy here and thoroughly enjoying it. One last bit of business, I also met with these guys - http://www.cycleafrica.org/ - a couple of days ago and justed wanted to plug their ride quickly. Thoroughly nice guys.

05/12/11 - A big hello to everyone at Cairo American College - I'm visiting you guys tomorrow. Slowly getting things done and the rest of the pictures from Rwanda and Uganda are now in the gallery.

03/12/11 - 11747 Kilometres, 236 days and I'm in C-C-C-Cairo. Cape to Cairo done. Pow pow pow.

02/12/11 - After a lot of thought I have decided to take this post down. Several factors involved but the main one being I don't like to see myself being so angry. For those that did read it apologies, for those that didn't all you need to know is that Egypt is officially the first country to 'break' me.

26/11/11 - Leave Aswan today. Nice place but the people are pushy and to be quite frank, dishonest and as a result having spent the last 2 days attempting to not pay double for every little thing I can't say I'll miss the place. Have been with www.siyashova.com for the last few days so sad to be leaving them but also looking forward to Cairo as this is where I'll be meeting my cousin for 6 weeks. Let the good times come and here's hoping the wind is less on the ride north....

24/11/11 - I made it! Hoorway! Safely into Egypt and am in Aswan now. A day off here then off on the road, hopefully arriving on the 4th in Cairo (wind permitting).

23/11/11 - Well, here goes nothing....hopefully next stop Egypt. Also happy birthday to my little sister! Leaving for the ferry now....

22/11/11 - And with the first (and hopefully last) bits of cheating in Africa done I am in Wadi Halfa. The boat leaves tomorrow, however despite reassurances from several government officials in Khartoum I've been told I may have trouble leaving the country as despite jumping through all the bureaucratic loop holes I don't have an entry stamp and as such, may have problems getting an exit stamp. Despite the fact I've had reassurances from the people in Khartoum that this should be no problem (as I am legally resgistered here) I've arrived in Wadi Halfa to be told that someone in the same position was not allowed to leave 2 weeks ago and was forced to return to Khartoum. I would usually have faith it would be fine, but I've found dealing with officials here to be thoroughly unpleasant (with most of the rules either being unclear or enforced by people who don't know them) and if there's one country in the world that would actively go out of its way to prevent someone leaving over a minute detail of bureaucracy then it's Sudan. Common sense does not seem to exist here. I will leave it at that for now before I go off on a rant. If I don't post tomorrow I'm either on a boat or plotting revenge.

20/11/11 - Sometimes you just have to hold your hand up and say 'this isn't going to happen'. Time has been slipping away over the last few weeks - 3 weeks in Kampala, 2 weeks more than planned on the boat, a weeks delay in Khartoum because of Eid - and needing to be in Cairo for the 10th of Decemeber means I have to be on this boat on Wednesday. 1,100 kms in 9 days was always going to be a tall order however add into that an illness and also, far more importantly, a headwind and it's just not been possible. I've needed to do around 125 kilometres per day - this shouldn't be an issue however the wind has been incredible and for most days I've been lucky to manage a 12 kph/ 7.5mph average speed. With only 11 hours a day of daylight it soon becomes clear the numbers don't add up and it looks like I'm on a bus for the last 400km to Wadi Halfa. Half of the problem has been my poor planning, half of the problem has been that things out of my control have just transpired against me but the sum total is that Sudan is esentially turning into a write off. It's not been fun.

One other thing - last New Years I gave up chain store fast food as my resolution. I'm still on for it at the moment but given the truly woeful food they've been serving in the truck stops on the way up here I could really go for some right now. Or just anything that has even an ounce of flavour.

13/11/11 - Right, I am finally legally in Sudan. It looks like I'm leaving Khartoum tomorrow and to be honest with the heat and the headwind coupled with my desire to not be in heat or a headwind means I think the next few weeks to Cairo could be some of the most testing over the last three and a half years. I've not been well mentally lately and I get the feeling I could be making some personal discoveries over the coming days. Meanwhile, in regards to the blog, my draft of the boat trip ended up being 7,000 rambled words that lacked style and coherence, so a lot of editing will be needed before any publishing goes on. A boat leaves Wadi Halfa next Wednesday for Egypt - I need to be on it. Let's ride.....

07/11/11 - Not a good couple of days. I am in Khartoum via a bus after a bike problem and as it's getting to the stage where a lot of my gear is beginning to give up the last thing I can afford to be doing is losing the bits of kits that are working, which is exactly what I've done; the Primus Omnifuel has been my best bit of kit over the last couple of years but it dissapeared out of my pannier shortly after leaving Kosti (entirely my fault entirely for not locking the pannier down tight) and so it looks like I won't be cooking for a while. As luck would have it I'm also in a country where making an alcohol coke can stove is going to be a non-starter due to the alcohol ban. A very stressful couple of days to be honest and I am not coping well with the heat, but hopefuly some blogs up soon as whilst it may not have been simple (and certainly not fun at times) the last few weeks have most definetely been interesting. In the mean time here's a picture of where I've been living for the last three weeks.

03/11/11 - Someone's in Sudan! Someone also got arrested and detained for 16 hours at the border! A lot of stories to tell but they'll have to wait until I get to Khartoum this weekend, but certainly an eventful few weeks!

12/10/11 - Departure has been confirmed for Thursday afternoon. Hope to not be back online before then but if I'm posting on Friday then you know something's gone wrong....

10/10/11 - 4 kilos of rice, 24 packs of super noodles, a tonne of bread, 2 pots of jam, 15 onions, 10 tomatoes, 14 packs of biscuits, 2 cloves garlic, tang, 50 tea bags, a kilo of sugar, 4 tins of tuna, 8 tins of beans, 3 pineapples, bunch of bananas and I reckon I'm ready for the boat! 9-15 days from here to Kosti with the hippos, mozzies and crocs and then it's goodbye South Sudan, hello Arab world. Another milestone as sub-saharan Africa is completed and another step closer to home....

09/10/11 - Right, interesting few days. The long and the short of it is if (and that's a big 'if'') the barge gets clearance to leave port here I should be on the river tomorrow and into Kosti in 9 days. However I'm being told to take 15 days of food (which it turns out is a lot of food!) just in case and if you don't hear from me in the meantime then this is why. Pretty exciting but itching to get moving. Juba is also the hottest place on earth. Don't know if I'll have to time to post tomorrow but if you don't hear from me I'll be on the water with the crocs and the hippos!

05/10/11 - J-J-J-J-J-Juba, South Sudan - country number 50 of my tour! Eventful week which including - among other things - coming across a fully grown python, having the front half of the bike fall apart (again) and entering the worlds newest country. Have to say it's stunningly beautiful here. It's hot too. Very hot. Off for a relax but hopefully some news on the boat soon....

30/09/11 - I'm safely to Gulu, having a day off so as to have time to watch the rugby tomorrow and then out on the road to North Sudan. All going well and I owe a massive 'thank you' to Johan and Angie at http://www.rhinofund.org/ who kindly took me in at the rhino sanctuary a couple of days ago. Rhino's have been extinct in Uganda since the 80's and these guys are trying to bring them back, good luck to them and their website has all the info you'll need - I'd recommend a visit if at all possible!

26/09/11 - I can't believe I'm typing this but  for the first time since, hmmm, probably Christmas 2009 the blog is up to date! A bit of a rushed effort but A Way Out Of A Dead End covers Tanzania to Uganda via Rwanda. I'm on the road today heading up to Gulu and then on into South Sudan. Thanks to everyone in Kampala for the last three weeks and I'm looking forward to going on the road again......

25/09/11 - The next blog is written but I'll publish tomorrow as I'm tired and want to re-proof read it first. I hung around an extra day to watch the QPR game (good Lord that Ref was a joke) and am now off on the road tomorrow. I bought a malaria test kit and medication today - for £20 I'd better bloody catch it now.

23/09/11 - Ok, one of them is finally published - Things You're Not Prepared For covers the ride through Tanzania. Possibly should come with a warning that it isn't for people who don't like reading squeamish stuff. Other news, will get the Rwanda to Uganda blog posted asap and am meeting my friend from Sudan tomorrow morning to go over all details of the trip north. One other thing, I finally managed to catch up on missing flags and it looks like I may have to stop travelling soon as I'm running out of room...

21/09/11 - Two days later and I have my visas for Sudan and South Sudan, I've got my flag for Uganda, the bike is (nearly) ready to ride and there's not much else I can do until I get to Juba. So let's hit the road.....on Friday. In the meantime two blogs should be up by the end of tomorrow and I also realised I never got round to posting this.....a Nile Perch on the back of a motorbike in Kampala a few weeks ago....

19/09/11 - A decision has been made and the choice is................South Sudan! I've found what looks to be a safe route through (I am indebted massively to Peter Schuurs and George from the Acrople Hotel in Khartoum for this) and the wheels have been set in motion. I collect my North Sudan visa tomorrow, should have South Sudan as well by the end of the day and as I've even impressed myself over the last few days with my mechanical skills I also have a fully functioning bike. When all's ready I ride from here to Juba, then on a steamer up to Kosti in North Sudan, before riding up to Khartoum. Things are springing back to life and I have to admit I'm very happy. 

18/09/11 - Apologies for the quietness out here, things are still a bit up in the air. First of all (and the good news), the bike has new parts and is raring to go. The not so good news is that with political instability, widespread unrest and visa issues in front of me I still don't know where to go. Looks like I have a straight choice between South Sudan and a boat up to North Sudan (obvious risks) or Kenya, Ethiopia into North Sudan (still a lot of risks). No idea what to do at the moment and need to do some serious thinking.

06/09/11 - 359 days, 20,300 kilometres and I'm back in the northern hemisphere. I crossed the equator today and it's good to be back the right way up again. A fair bit to report from the last few days and as I'm in Uganda until at least next Tuesday there's plenty of time to get stuff done. In the meantime let's hope it stops raining....

31/08/11 - A big hello to everyone and anyone who's here after my visit to the International School of Kigali today - welcome. It looks as though things won't be getting any more updated than they are on the website and tomorrow it's off to Uganda on a bicycle that's on its last legs - but new parts await in Kampala. It's going to be a nervy few days so let's see how it goes...before I go I must say Rwanda has been excellent though. EDIT: We've also just passed £7,000 on the JustGiving site too - excellent news and you can of course still donate!

30/08/11 - Quick one today - The Gallery - is now up to date with pictures from Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi & Tanzania now posted.

29/08/11 - And that's 3 years and 4 months now to the day since leaving. Work gradually getting done here and happy to say two more blogs up; Lions don't hunt between 9 and 5 covers Maputo to Vic Falls and Revolution in the air does Vic Falls up to Malawi/Tanzania border. Hopefully more pictures and the last blog up by tomorrow and then........we're up to date!

28/08/11 - Just a quick update - the pictures from South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique are now up in the gallery and there should be more up  soon. Furthermore we also now have a Cyclists I've met article for Africa. Still loads to post but quite a few headaches at the moment including an immobile bicycle.

24/08/11 - Apologies for the delay in updating but it's become apparent that  - particularly in rural areas - finding good enough connections to log on to my web server simpy isn't going to happen, so in the meantime if this page doesn't get updated so much it'll be best to check the twitter feed. In the meantime I've conquered Tanzania's hills, dust roads and tse tse flies - whislt also managing to catch QPR's glorious performance against Everton - and am now in the land of a thousand hills; Rwanda. And yep, there's at least a thousand of them. I have a) internet and b) a few days off, so watch this space and hopefully some pictures and blogs to be posted soon.

08/08/11 - Safely into Tanzania and lots of altitude so far (was up around 2,500 metres yesterday and am expecting more to come). Still undecided on Burundi and am more focused on finding a tv for Saturday's QPR game. Onwards and - judging by the mountains all around - upwards.

06/08/11 - Tanzania here we come! 40 k south of the border and cross today. It also looks like a detour to Burundi could be on the cards. In the meantime the revolution in  Malawi is planned for the 17th of August. I like a country that plans its revolutions 2 weeks in advance

03/08/11 - Well it's been a funny week. I spent a few days with a friend at a refugee camp in Dowa and have since been making my way along Lake Malawi. To be honest I'm a bit behind schedule and also a bit homesick so it looks like I could be heading right through Tanzania without stopping much to Rwanda. Have to admit I'm ready to go home. In the mean time; mice for dinner, anyone? A real local delicacy...