Cleaning out the locker.

The last 48 hours have probably been the most indescribable two days of my life. We have hit Cape Town at last! It doesnt seem real what we have just done, it is a bit of a dizzy feeling unpacking my locker, boxing up my bike and having to find my own food for a change. I can probably remember experiencing a lifetime of emotions in one day, it is pretty unreal. The last riding day started at 3 degrees, yes 3 degreess celsius. I could literally not feel my hands or feet for an hour until the sun rose, it couldnt have been a more contrasting picture to the previous 5 days and the proceeding few hours.
I cant describe to you how mind blowing the first view of table mountain was, i dont think I have ever wanted to cry upon seeing a mountain but yesterday was a big exception. The sky was beautifully blue, totally clear, namibian blue, we had been having rain all week and we were blessed with the most beautiful day. Everyone grouped up at lunch where we took photos and hugged and chatted with Cape Town in the back ground, it was all pretty surreal. I cant wait to show you the pictures, i am usless at describing how beautiful a day it really was. Our convoy started at around 12 oclock and we pedalled in unison along the bay in a semi circle into the city. Table Mountain kept getting bigger and bigger and the convoy faster and faster. Its amazing to think about what we have done, especially the full tour riders, the EFIers, everyone. Each day is so individual that it is easy to forget the distance we have covered until you look at a map. I can recall the feelings and emotions from each riding day, i can remember specific climbs, long roads, dirt tracks. I can still feel it in my legs, in my hands and arms. Africa has pretty much changed my body and i am going to miss being on my bike every single day.

I would like to finish by saying thank you to everyone who supported me and sponsored me. I didnt believe in myself at the start, if i could even ride a whole day, each day gave me more confidence and I feel stronger on each riding day. Thank you to mum and dad for the amazing bike which has been the best riding of my life, and for the flights to get me here. Thank you to megan and kate for all the love support and messages on the trip and thank you very much to rosie for being there for me and listening to me when i was planning the trip and worrying about everything and trying to train, and also to the Lomas family for the amazing Lumix camera which i have taken thousands of photos on!

I wish i could put it into words, into pictures, into videos but i cant...When i get back make sure i tell you some stories because i sure as hell cant describe it on here. Basically it feels like i can do anything, like i can get on my bike and keep going. I will definately be coming back after uni to do Cairo to Nairobi! Lastly I would like to thank everybody on tour (hopefully some will read this) Everyone made me feel so welcome and looked after me and made every single day an amzing experience.

Anyway, i need to find a hostel now!

See you sooon

Jacob

We ride for Cape Town...

Aloha from the sunny shores of the Orange River from which we can gaze upon the final country of our mammoth bike expedition. Our campsite is situated right alongside the river and South Africa is barely 50 meters away, but we will have to wait until tommorow to make the crossing into our final country. I almost wish we could sty in Namibia for another 2 weeks, it is indescribably beautiful here, each day just gets better and better. We have had 8 days of 'off-road' since Windohoek and it has been a dream, mostly hard packed but with some corrugation and sand to make it challenging. Days have been long but with scenery like this, i was not complaining. Anyway, i wish i could show you some photos but this computer won't read my memory card for some mind boggling reason, maybe i will try again later.

Without a doubt Namibia has been a highlight, 5 days ago we had a rest day in Sesrien and got a drive out to Soussuvlei in the Namib desert at 4 in the morning, scramled up a sand dune and sat there to watch the sun rise, pretty amazing!. We have meandered through mountain ranges, dunes, national parks and a canyon. The road has been bone breaking at times and my wrists, feet and knees are all aching but the scenery has more than made up for it. Also - big news, I didnt get a singl;e flat! In comparison with Tanzania i find this a pretty extraordinary fact as i had around 20 flats in my first week!

People are starting to talk about Cape Town and what we will do when we get there etc. However i just want to savour the last few days of the tour. Botswana was tough mentally because it was long, hard and boring and everyone was wet and just wanted to go home, but Namibia seemed to reawaken our spirits. It feels like i could keep riding when we get to cape town, i seem to have reached some sort of cycling zenith which i cant really explain. I will miss the people, the routine, the adventure but i am ready to lay down and sleep for a month after doing this and looking forward to seeing everyone at home.

So far my plans for Cape Town are: getting a shave (big shaving party at the finish line), climb or cable car table mountain, go to robben island, maybe do a winelands tour and do some souvenir shopping.

I have to say the last 8 days have been a real highlight of the our and i am very sad to be leaving Namibia but i am sure South Africa will be equally amazing. I will try some photos again shortly but if not then its not long until i am home and can show you some more!

Missing everyone back home..

Jacob

Also, i am stil EFI from nairobi!!!

Its all about the milkshakes...

Finally we are here in the amazingly modern Windhoek, where you can get literally anything that you want or need. I am sitting in a massive shopping mall with clothes stores, restaurants, sports and camping stores, banks etc. Okay it may sound weird that I am so excited about Windhoek but it is such a relief to be here. The last 5 days have been the toughest so far on the tour. Each day has been made harder by the previous day, legs are aching, clothes are we, stomachs are rumbling. We have covered over 500miles in 5 days and it has been relentless. Botswana gave us its best shot and we made it through. I feel disappointed though because we didn’t actually see Botswana and the weather was just dreadful which made the riding so much more grueling. In camp we had continuous thunder storms for about 3days, my tent got semi-flooded on two occasions. The second time there was a river running through the front section of my tent. It has just been unbelievable with the weather, it has been so cold and wet and now we are baking in the warm Namibian sunshine. The hardest part of the 5 day section was the ride from Windoek airport in Windhoek. After 4 tiring days we had no energy left and the wind just kept hitting us unforgiving as we tried to climb the rolling hills in windhoek. It was a battle every kilometer, we stopped so many times in the searing heat and the speeding traffic (so far Namibian drivers have been fairly ruthless).
Without a doubt it was definitely worth it, even though I am completely wiped and exhausted, we only have 14 riding days left until Cape Town! Last night we had a really nice farewell meal for Viv and Gerry the two british sectional riders from Manchester. I had a Zebra steak which was super tasty.

Anyway, in reference to the title, it is all about the milkshakes. Since Lilongwe where we first had a taste of the cold fattening dairy concoction, it has soon become the drink of choice when available. Steers does a very good milkshake but it has recently been trumped by Wimpy, which does a really good milkshake. Two days ago we stopped in a town called Gobabis, 30miles from camp and all the riders were there drinking milkshake. So after riding this I am going to get a milkshake and something to eat (quick side note: buffet breakfasts are the best thing ever).

Namibia is becoming more beautiful each day, I can’t wait to get on the dirt in the Namib desert which should be a real challenge. There is only on border left to cross and everyone is getting very excited about the finishing line.

Hope everyone is well at home and I will see you soon.

Jacob

I want to give everybody some advice: Don't cycle in botswana unless you really really love riding in a straight line on a flat road with nothing to see apart from bushes and trees. Don't gte me wrong, botswana is a really amazing country but the last four days of riding have been very mentally challenging. Therefore i have created some games to ease the boredom, such as weaving in and out of the white lines in different patterns. Ok well thats the only game i have come up with but it is pretty hard to keep riding when the road doesn't bend for 30miles!
It has been amazing to see how desolate and unpopulated botswana is, we are used to being mobbed by locals every 500meters but here we see maybe 3 people per day. You reach as sign for a town and all there is are 2 huts and a petrol station. It is very bizarre. On the map all these towns look like they should be big but they are just petrol stations and convenience stores. It is pretty clear that this road is there simply to get from south africa and namibia to northern africa and not much else. We have only seen one elephant on the 'elephant highway' so far, not that i am complaining because i dont want to be trampled. There has been alot of pace line activity which usually makes the day go faster, yesterday we were in a double train of 16 people and absolutely bombed it to lunch which we reached at 8:50 in the morning. I am glad to be in maun because the last 4 days have been very hard because there isnt enoughg variety to keep your mind or body occupied so by usuing the same muscles and riding in the same position causes me to become more and more lethargic and achey. However today has been very relaxing, there was a thunderstorm last night (i think there has been a thunderstorm eveery night in Botswana (another strange phenomenon. The htel is nice with a pool and a bar, last night it was Reiners 70th birthday so he bought everybody drinks for 2 hours which was amazing. The group is really relaxed and chilled out at the moment with Cape Town almost in sight (only 3 rest days left) which will come very quickly. I think the next 5 days will be the toughest and then from Windhoek we should return to a more varied terrain and shorter days. When i look at maps of africa it is pretty astounding to imagine how far i have ridden my bike. Its pretty hard to process in one go.
Anyway, i will speak to you again in Windhoek when hopefully i will upload you some more snaps if the internet is fast.

Love to everyone,
Jacob

South by South West

We are finally here in livingstone on the bank of the great Zambezi river, in the distance we can see the 'smoke that thunders' from victoria falls. Yesterday we took the tour through the national park alongside th falls and it was absolutely breathtaking, it is sooooooooo big and soooooooo loud. There is som much spray that you get absolutely drenched. The best part was standing at the top where the river cscades down over the edge, the water thunders along so fast and we were standing meteres away from it.

Ok but, the best part of the day was doing the vic falls bungee jump (mum and dad i didnt tell you i was doing this for obvious reasons and i am very safe and well and alive!). A large group of us head over to the bridge in the afternoon to conquer the worlds 3rd largest bungee jump. I was third in the line so got my jump out of the way pretty quickly.

I have to say it is a combination of the scariest and the most exhilarating thing i have ever done. I screamed like a little girl all the way down and then lay spinning up and down for an age as they lowered a guy down to come and pull me back up to the bridge. Although i now need to tell you that i jumped off the bridge a second time! I was not planning to do this but as part of the package deal you can do the 'gorge swing' which is where you to the same 111meter free fall but then swing on a line through the gorge. This was even more amazing than the bungee because you could take in all the sights and see the falls it was absolutely amazing. Needless to say i took lots of pictures and have a cheesey video to show when i get back.

We will be entering botswana tommorow which i am very excited about - and i wont be missing the zambian currency (why do they not have any coins!!!!!). Also i may be out of phone signal so therefore i will buy a new sim card and call home via this until i reach namibia.

I cant wait for the second half of the tour to get under way - we are less than a month from cape town...

Jacob

The long and rolling road...

Hurrah, at last i have uploaded a collection of photos for you to look at with the help of Paul porter who kindly compressed the files for me. The photos in the first post are mainly from tanzania and the second is from malawi and tanzania. Aswell you can see the results of my ant attack in the second post where my sleeping mat is covered in biting ants also the cheesey photo of me at lake malawi :)

The last 5 days have been super tough, well they seemed to get progressively harder day after day. Our border crossing day from Lilongwe to Chipata in Zambia was amazing, the race finished at lunch which was at 80kms (50miles) so i 'raced' and managed to pull of a top ten result by coming in 6th with 2 hours 27minutes so i was extremely happy about that. Crossing the border was easy but we were met instantly with the 'rollers' that would be the main feature of the next few riding days. When we got into camp at chipata we learned at the rider meeting that the next riding day had been bumped form 178kms to 200kms (120miles) making it the second longest day in the tour. I have to say it was an easier day than expected. It was long, dont get me wrong but the terrain was easy and it was just alot of kilometeres - we had plenty of coke stops and took it easy. I think i did it in just over 7 hours so not too bad of a day.

However that evening was pretty eventful, halfway through the night i wake up to an itch which somehow keeps moving across my body. I flick on my head torch and look down. My floor is literally moving. several hundred ants have knawed their way through my groundsheet into my tent. I run around outside jumping up and down to clear the ants of. I promptly moved my tent and insect sprayed it all over. It was like in a horror film or something - some of those ants are pretty big :P

Anyways after my lack of sleep the next felt alot harder even though it was only 120kms. Also we dropped alot of altitude to 500meters above see level so the campsite was extremely humid and there were loads of bugs around and all we could do was sit around and sweat. Altough there was a water pump which you could use to wash with so needless to say i paid a few trips down there. The problem with descending whne riding a bike is that more often than not on the next day you will have to regain that descent. Therefore we had a 1700meter climb on the next day, it was mostly slow uphills with the infamous rollers which just kill your rhythm. I literally do the last 50ks on autopilot, just turning my legs and counting down the kilometers...

That night i was blessed with some more uninvited guests, however alot less than last time. Also on the brightside, it was not only me that was attacked by ants this time! there was at least 8 people who all jumped out of their tents at the same time trying to swat the ants off of them...So needless to say i am absolutely terrified of any pinch or noise when i am trying to sleep in my tent.

Time to wrap things up before the time runs out. We are in the rich end of lusaka at a really nice modern mall, there is a subway and a cinema and a hardware store where i have to by a new hammer for my tent pegs (i am sorry emma i have lost yours sorry sorry sorry) I slept for so long last night which helped me catch up with the lack of it for the last few nights. We have three riding days until vic falls and i cannot wait.

Hopefully i will write again soon

All the best and lots of love

Jacob

At long last....

Fotographs!!!

Take us to the internet!

We are sitting in an internet cafe in the centre or iringa - nearly every computer is occupied by a tda rider blogging away feverishly. Internet is hard to come by at the moment and is definately very slow therfore now pictures today :( Our camp is about 3km away in the grounds of a baptist conference centre/ school, so we are camped next to where all these kids are going to their lessons. The last couple of days were tough, due to a combination of tough off roads and tiredness. On tuesday everyone was peppered with flats, i got 4 thorns in one tube and still managed to patch it and get into camp! There has been alot of debate about taking the road or the 'single track' that runs along side it. Basically the single track is what the locals use instead of the road, it is very smooth and easier to ride on than the road. However it is an absolute thorn magnet meaning you are extremely likely to attract a puncture. So i have been staying on the road the last couple of days. Yesterday started with a tough 20km climb up a hill in the rain, it took me nearly 2 hours and was pretty draining. I almost gave up and got on the lunch truck but had a change of heart and pushed for the last 30km into iringa. We have 2-3 more riding days in tanzania and then we enter malawi, probably the country i am most excited about seeing on the tour. From here on we will be covering quite a large amount of kilometers a week so hopefully the weather will be kind on us. I can't believe it has been two weeks already, it has gone so fast, the trip has a very strange effect on my ability to process time. For example, i will rarely think about yesterday or an hour ago,nor will i think about tommorow or next week. I just think about the hour ahead of me and the things i need to do. When i am on the bike i am so present in the moment, time doesn't seem to exist in the sense that i only think about getting to the end of the road or the terrain immediately infront of me. It is a very strange sensory overload, there are some many things to think about in the present moment that past and future don't seem to exist. Cape town feels very far away, it doesn't feel like i am even cycling there, i think i just take it one road and on day at a time and that is how I like it.

Sorry about the lack of pictures, i assure you there are many i wish to share with you, i hope everyone at home is safe and thank you for all your support and encouragement...

speak to you again soon,

jacob

Thats all for now...

I cant upload any more pics i'm afraid, it took me nearly 40mins to do those. Hopefully that gives you an idea of the landscape and roads that i am riding on. I have a rest day in 3 days so i will try doing an upload on facebook because it keeps the file sies smaller. Anyway i hope you enjoy these pics and miss you all very much.

Jacob

What part of all you can eat meat don't you understand?

Hey guys, so i finally found some internet in dodoma, its been pretty sparse as you can imagine! The last few days of riding have been amazing, ther terrain has really changed alot each day which presents new challenges. A quick round-up - on friday we departed from arusha on 110km ride to a bushcamp to the east of lake manyara. This day was my best so far, tarmac all the way, rolling hills and a gentle tail wind. I think i made lunch at like 10:30 or something and into camp before 1 o'clock. Tanzania really is amazing, the scenery and landscape to the side of the road is just breathtaking. The camp site is a bit basic but bearable. Some tanzanian kids come and watch us eat in the evening. Saturday was a 'mando' day - a mandatory day from the riders which means that their ride time has to be included in the final standings - basically its gonna be a tough one. The dirt started 4km from camp and was a mix of dust and rubble, we rode across a flat plain in the morning. Children line the street shouting 'jambo' and 'mzungu!'. Again we are blessed with nice weather and the morning flies past. After lunch I have a big problem, my rear tyre blows out and i discover that the wall of my tyre is torn. I sit by the side of the road waiting for the lunch truck with no clue what to do. A gropu of childeren group around to watch me try in vein to fix the tyre. I tell myself that i don't want to lose EFI (Every fabulous inch) and get on lunch truck for the sake of an inner tube. So i take a risk, i put a new inner tube in the tryre and continue slowly, hoping that it will last the day. 20km later and its looking good. I reach the climb - 1200meters in total for the day - it is very steep to begin with, many twists and endless turns which can make it seem unending. Me and another rider called eric stop for a coke halfway up. Thankfully the rest of the climb is gentle roll across the top of the hill and down the other side. I roll into camp to appllause for making it through my disaster - I bought a new tyre of a guy called tony so I am all good for now. That night we camped on a school football pitch.
Sunday was the hardest day of my life so far - endless endless tough off roads that was a real test. The day started with a climb on tough rocky roads with alot of sand and losse rubble which makes climbing hard. However i find the downhills to be more jarring as my arms ar put under alot of strain from navigating through and taking impact from the rocks. It remains this was until lunch. I expect the afrternoon to be more of a descent, which it is, however this is even harder than before because the road is pilled full of deep sand that is almost impossible to pedal through. It takes alot of energy and endurance to get through this part in the heat, we stop for a coke and then push the last 10km (which lasts a lifetime) into camp. I am completely exhausted but look back on it as a great experience and a preview of things to come.
Today was much, much easier, the roads changed almost instantly and it was mostly flat. However the ride was quite boring because you have to constantly stare at the road to keep your line - also I feel extremely sore from the day before. I go into auto pilot after lunch and simply turn the pedals as I arrive in dodoma into a nice hotel with ICE CREAAAM!!!!

Now i will try to post some pictures...\

Jacob

Day Two

Crossing the border -118kms Namanga to Arusha.

A 4km ride to the border and a 30minute wait gets us through to Tanzania. The landscape is smilar to kenya and so are the roads. Intermitant constructin means a few kms of paved then a few kms off road. The roads are long and straight of 10 to 20kms. My legs feel sore but I still keep a good omentum. People lining the roads are friendly and I have to nearly all of them, they have and expression of confusion and bewilderment as you cycle past. There is an invisible climb so it feels like you are riding n flat ground but there is a very subtle climb, making it feel harder than expected. Today lunch seems to take longer, it is at 70kms so about 50 miles. I expect to see lunch after every hill but i have to wait a bit longer. Finally i see the truck and fill up on food. We have a beautiful view of Mt. Meru which we will have to cycle around in the afternoon. Me dave, andra and sunil set out together after lunch. We soon get spread apart by several hundred meters as we tackle some long roads. After lunch i feel knackered and can only manage a few kmph down a very long road that ends in a steep climb through construction. Luckily there are a few beautiful downhill sections which help to get the adrenaline pumping and i am soon racing across dirt roads and pace. Trying to say jambo to some people but having to concentrate on thedirt track before me is tricky. The descent into Arusha is long but very very satisfying, the city is teeming with people and traffic. Me and dave miss the turn to camp but a nice motorcyclist points us in the right direction. We role into Masai camp to the welcome of a free (but warm) kilimanjaro beer. The camp is realy nice, large and shelter by trees with a big bar and restaraunt. Me and some others plan a safari for the first rest day. We book a tour to the Ngorongoro crater for 5 in the morning. I will let the pictures describe how good it was when I upload them. However it was a long day in the safari truck so I am spending the rest of today relaxing and doing some 'chores' as they are known to the riders. I will post some pics momentarily when i get a strong connection. hope you are all well.

Jacob

Day One

Jambo everybody, I am writing to you from the Masai campsite in Arusha where I have successfully completed my first two riding days of the Tour D'afrique and am enjoying my second of 3 days of in sunny tanzania. Let me skip back to sunday morning where i woke at 6am to the sound of tent zips and bike clicks. Somehow i pack up my tent at breakneck speed and chuck all my bags into the locker on the lunch truck (no. 79 if your interested). There is a definate buzz in the morning when everyone is getting ready, breakfast is served and i try to eat as much as i can. There is muesli with yogurt and bread with jams, nutella, peanut butter, hoeny etc. I eat about 2 sandwiches and one bowl of muesli. After breakfast everyone gets ready to go, there is no official start time so you leave when you are ready, I am raring to go so I jump on my bike as soon as possible with a group of people and head out into nairobi. The morning is beautiful, the road is paved all theway out of nairobi wth gentle rolling hills that provide a good speed downhill. We pass through the outskirts, the traffic is busy, people are strating the day, its quite dusty. After about 20kms (I have to talk in kms now because everything on tour is done in kms!) we make it out into rolling plains and beautiful landscapes. I chat with a few riders which makes the time fly, te scenery is stunning, the roads stretch out before you with amazing views on either side. I spend a while dodgeing fairly big potholes which is good fun for a while. My first coke stop is in a village abaout 20ks from lunch, basically the entire village came to look at us. The road to lunch was A-MAZING, probably the best road i have ever ridden on. Smooth, brand new tarmac and barely an cars on the road. A group of us fly into lunch in what feels like 5mins. I munch down a few sandwiches and bannanas (same fillings as brekky) and refilll my drinks. After lunch is beautiful for about 40kms, where we stay on the same road, the downhills are amazing, you can reach 40 plus kph, it is exhilirating. However, this is where the test came in, the road came to construction and a worker waved us onto a newly built piece of road which most of us decided to do. This was a big mistake as we ended up riding through 3kms of wet tarmac. So on my first day my arms,legs and bike were all drenched in wet sticky tarmac. After this came intermitant road works, new roads, old roads, off roads. I get my first flat but repair it quickly with the help of an american called dave. The heat of the day is tough but it is bearable as long as you take a sip of water every couple of minutes. I role into camp feeling tired and dirty but very happy with myself. I completed 158kms (100miles) in 7hours20mins. Everyone has to wash te tarmac off with petrol so there is a pungeant smell around camp. Dinner is tasty – rice and chicken. Everyone spends time cleaning bike and then heads to bead at around 9ish.

I can't believe I am finally here...

I am finally here, the flight went fine, the bike and bags got here and I have met up with the tour. Yesterday was a crazy day of meeting all the riders and setting up my tent. The campsite is in a large compound and very safe, it is filled with domed tents and muddy bikes (mine sticks out like a sore thumb). The group are very friendly but extremely tired from all the riding. Some are even taking a week off as the trip reaches halfway and therefore they will miss my first two cycling days to arusha where I have three days off.

So far I have eaten pizza, full english breakfast and some mexican food. The riders tell me that this is the most luxurious food they have eaten all tour and Nairobi definatlely seems very modern. It is very hot but not umbearable, there was a party last night at the campsite for some reason so that was a good way to meet the people. I will upload photos next time when i have my memory card with me. I am very excited about my first cycling day tommorow and I will post again when I have some exciting stuff to show you.

Jacob

My Home for the next two months...

Welcome to my tenty wonderland which will keep me warm and snug when I am away. I have spent a few nights in it during the dark nights of winter with thewind hollwing and rain pouring and it stood up pretty well so hopefully it will prove a good choice in Afrikka.


The only problem is that it is not a free standing tent as 'dome' tents usually are. Meaning I have to peg it in every night but this should mean I will sleep easy.

Here is a snap of my bike in a box - next time i see it I will be in Nairobi - Scary.
These pics were taken on my new Panasonic Lumix TZ7 camera which was kindly bought for me by Rosie's parents. It takes beatutiful pics and HD video that I will be sharing with you along the route.

Ciao for now.

The Bike

So its less than a week before I leave and i'm getting very excited. Sorry for the lack of activity on my blog recently, i've been spending alot of time organising bike stuff and packing.
Anyway, i thought i would share some pictures of my beautiful bike with you. It is a specialized 'crosstrail' hybrid bike. Basically, its half mountain bike half road bike, rides like a beast! My favourite features is the 28" 700c rims which are much more stable than the 26" rims i used to ride on. You get more distance per pedal and a better riding position. I have 'modified' some features of the bike (I use this expression very lightly as I have no clue in regards to modding bikes). Without further addoo, here's some snaps:












The saddle I have chosen is the classic british 'Brooks' saddle, extremely comfortable and sturdy. Behind it is my 5litre expanding post pack which will hold my camera, spare tubes, pumps etc. I have been recommended the Schwalbe Marathons from a number of different sources and I hope they live up to their 'bullet proof' claims. These tyres make the bike look very slick and it is a nice illusion as it looks like a hulking beast with its wider 700-45c tyres on. I am having it packed up tommorow so hopefully it will arrive in Nairobi just as you are seeing it today.

Taraa

Sponsorship

It's been a while since my last post, but i am beginning to get very excited as the tour is about to begin in Cairo tomorrow. Somehow there have already been about 5 blog entries and 15 tweets and the tour hasn't even started yet! Check out: http://www.tourdafrique.com/epictours/tourdafrique/blog for any updates about the tour.

I have chosen two charities to raise sponsorship for, which both help to support people in Africa.

'WaterAid' is a global charity that provides clean water, sanitation and hygiene education to many countries around the world. Foremost, all the countries that I will be cycling through receive help from WaterAid. Therefore I feel it will be an extremely relevant cause to raise funds for. To sponsor me for 'WaterAid please follow this link: http://www.justgiving.com/jacobwarner/ (so far i have raised £190.00. To find out more about 'WaterAid' please visit: www.wateraid.org.uk

Secondly, I will also be raising funds for the 'Mark Towriss Bursary Fund'. This fund has been set up to help support the education of G.Ps in Kenya. This cause is very important due to the extreme lack of medical support on a local level in Kenya. Leaving a very small number of doctors to care for a very large number of people. Please visit: http://www.marktowrissbursary.com/ for more information about the charity.

If you would like to sponsor me for the 'Mark Towriss Bursary Fund' , please make cheques payable to AIM International and send to:

AIM International
c/o 2 High Sreet
Swaffham Bulbeck
Cambridge CB25 0HP

Please ensure you indicate that the funds are for The Family Medicine Leadership Development Fund.

Thank you for any sponsorship that you can give...