North – South bicycle journey
My name is Michał Sałaban and in May 2011 I started cycling from the northernmost point of Europe to the southernmost point of Africa. After almost 19 months on the road I was lucky to reach my destination. During that time I visited 25 countries on three continents. Those days spent on the bike have been the biggest adventure of my life... so far.
581 days on the road, 30,442 km cycled
Latest entries
-
Out of Africa
Jan. 1, 2013 (day 594)
For three days I rested at the house of my wonderful hosts. Before finishing the main part of the journey I was not aware how tired I had become. The last weeks, or ...
-
I did it!
Dec. 10, 2012 (day 572)
Going further west to my destination I had to leave the coast for some time and say goodbye to the beautiful, steep cliffs. The last night in these surroundings I spent tucked among ...
-
Between mountains and ocean
Dec. 7, 2012 (day 569)
It is so lovely to be hosted by other cyclists! Not only you have a plenty to talk about but also the hosts are not surprised by your smelly, unclean and tired appearance. ...
-
Meeting the Indian Ocean again
Dec. 3, 2012 (day 565)
I filled the form and handed it, together with the passport, to the customs officer. My hopes were low and disappeared after I noticed a long list of countries posted on the wall, ...
-
Hospitality over the fence
Nov. 19, 2012 (day 551)
It was just before midnight when police came and woke me up by the strong headlights of their car. A sight of someone sleeping in a roadside shelter was probably something new for ...
-
Table cycling
Nov. 10, 2012 (day 542)
When Rafał finally arrived to Vic Falls, I had my batteries recharged and was ready to go. Unfortunately, the package had not reached his hands and he had to wait again for a ...
-
Through water to the falls
Oct. 29, 2012 (day 530)
On the second evening in Harare a huge thunderstorm came. Once again I witnessed the special moment when African seasons turn from dry to wet. This time, however, it was much more abrupt ...
-
Two capitals
Oct. 15, 2012 (day 516)
During these last months spent away from home it had happened to me many times to be hosted generously. However, our stay in Lusaka was exceptional. Marcin seemed to be very happy to ...
-
Full speed ahead
Sept. 29, 2012 (day 500)
Crossing into Zambia was one of the easiest borders on the continent. Although visitors are usually allowed to stay only 30 days, we asked for three months and got it. Of course we ...
-
An unexpected change of course
Sept. 15, 2012 (day 486)
Big African cities are rarely friendly but I must say that Dar es-Salaam had some kind of appeal. Arriving there early in the morning saved me from meeting the awful daytime traffic. I ...
-
On the Swahili islands
Aug. 22, 2012 (day 462)
It seemed that the journey to Pemba would be quick and not very interesting. A 40HP engine had to push us directly to the island without using the sail. The men who had ...
-
Among wazungu
Aug. 9, 2012 (day 449)
Having a travel blog may come handy in many ways. Sometimes in a form of unexpected meetings when the word about one's travel precedes the traveller himself. Many weeks before arriving to Moshi ...
-
The wild west
Aug. 1, 2012 (day 441)
The morning at the border post was surprisingly cool and windy. Chilled a bit, we rolled the bikes to the immigration office to have our passports stamped. While the officer was flipping through ...
-
A race with time
July 13, 2012 (day 422)
Although the civil war in Burundi finished many years ago, the press the country gets has not improved much. Guides, travellers' websites and even official statements of many governments discourage from visiting it. ...
-
A thousand crowded hills
July 10, 2012 (day 419)
We were already tired by countless hills and the lack of privacy on the road. The number of people, for whom a mzungu is as exotic sight as a lion could be for ...
