'We're on an epic 13,000km-long cycle - and ended up with a police escort'
A pair of pals have been welcomed with open arms and also pelted with rocks during their epic bicycle journey across Africa.
Florence Ryan and Roberto Helou set off on an enormous trip earlier this year from Cairo, making their way to the end point of Cape Town through 13 countries - Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa.
If they make it, they'll have travelled the same distance as a return flight from London to Manilla in the Philippines, while contending with punishingly hot highs, freezing lows and ferocious rains that have left them completely waterlogged at several points.
"This is by far the longest and most challenging adventure I’ve ever embarked on. It will take more than a year to reach Cape Town. I’d never even been on a multiple-day hiking trip before this. So everything is new to me. Cycling, camping, living on the road as a nomad. You just have to have the mindset for it and a willingness to learn and figure things out," Florence told the Mirror from Uganda with 5,00km behind them and 8,000km to go.
The pair have been pelted by rain and roasted by scorching hot heat (noflomo/Instagram)
They will end up travelling 13,000km by the end of the trip (noflomo/Instagram)Florence, who partly grew up in Senegal, and French-Lebanese Roberto started plotting the year long trip after they met four years ago but only got onto the saddle in mid-2023 after Covid delayed their start several times. Although Florence, 24, is cycling on only the second bike she's ever owned and despite insisting she is no pro, she has been eating up roughly 70km each day on average, occasionally making it to 130km.
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Along the way the pedalling duo have got into a few scrapes, including with the law in Egypt.
"The police don’t let foreigners travel outside of tourist areas for fear that something will happen to them and it can ruin the country’s reputation for tourism. So every day, for two weeks, we had to argue with them to let us cycle instead of taking a train down the country. It became a game of cat and mouse and we documented the whole thing on YouTube! It was hilarious, the Egyptian police escorted us for 800km straight," Florence explained.
Similarly Ethiopia - a country she says is "full of surprised" presented the pals with some difficulties. "It’s rich in history, culture, with some of the oldest tribes in the world are found in the Omo Valley. We witnessed Lent and Easter celebrated by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians. They have fascinating fasting and celebration traditions," Florence said.
"But it’s not an easy country to travel in, by bicycle. We were met with hostility from children and adults daily, throwing rocks and sticks at us, and pushing us from the bikes when we refused to give them money. That, plus the intense mountains we had to climb made it the most challenging country to date. Beautiful, but challenging."
On the flipside of things, Sudan provided a string of far more positive surprises. Florence and Roberto left the country a week before war broke out last April, making them some of the last- foreign travellers to make the journey. This spring war broke out between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, resulting in the displacement of over 3.3 million people, according to the UN.
"In northern Sudan, a region called Nubia, we encountered the most hospitable people I’ve ever met. The first words people said to us were’ Tfadal’, which in Arabic means ‘welcome’ or ‘join us’. We were invited for tea almost every day, hosted and fed," Florence recalled. "The locals taught us about their culture and traditions and took us in as if we were family. Sudan is a harsh place: it’s hot and remote, and there is little food and water on the road, yet the people we met were incredible and made the experience amazing.
"Nubia has a special place in my heart, and it saddens me that the country is in such a terrible state at the moment. I sincerely hope for peace to be restored and that more people can experience Sudanese hospitality and kindness soon."
The friends' trip has been an overwhelmingly positive one so far and has left Florence with an even stronger conviction that cycling is the best way to see the world. She has done so on a steel-framed touring bike equipped with little more than a couple of panniers containing basic of camping equipment, a few items of clothing and sunscreen.
"It’s a human-powered trip. No fuel emissions or cost, no machines, no noise. Just you and your bike. It’s rough, there’s physical effort involved, so it gives the journey a lot more merit. You push yourself every day, and you’re proud of yourself at the end of the day," Florence said.
"You appreciate and enjoy all the little things more. You spend 90% of your time outdoors, it’s a very healthy lifestyle. Walking is too slow in my opinion, it’s also harder to carry this much weight and gear on your back compared to a bike. I carry 50kg, including the bike, which is a challenge as I’m quite small and weigh the same amount, but still doable and I have everything I need with me.
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"Driving, taking the train and flying are a completely different experience. On the bike, you’re present, you see, feel, smell, and hear details you would completely miss out on in a vehicle. You make eye contact with everyone on your path. I’ve said thousands of hellos to almost everyone since I left Egypt. You can’t do this in a car. That’s what’s led us to incredible interactions that have truly made this trip special.
"Trains and flying are good to get somewhere, but travelling by bike isn’t just a means to an end, it’s part of the adventure."
Florence's journey can be followed on her Youtube and Instagram accounts, while Roberto's accounts can be found here and here.
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