Riding a bicycle from South Africa to Uganda

The bicycle adventurer. Canadian Dave Conroy gave up his job as a computer consultant and set off on the adventure of his life, cycling to different countries in the world. He has already been to 10 African countries on what he calls a “one of its kind” bicycle.

Done with the US, rather than board a plane back to Canada for his best friend’s wedding, Conroy preferred to travel the journey, in its hundreds of kilometers on the bike. After the wedding and winter season, he boarded a plane, en route to South Africa.

On Uganda

Conroy says way before the thought of travelling the world crossed his mind, he had always wanted to visit Uganda. While in Kenya where his father flew to check on him (he last saw his mother 20 months ago), the thought of coming down to the pearl of Africa kept ringing in his mind.

Last week, he rode from Kenya down to Malaba, Busia, Kumi, Soroti, Lira, upto Kampala. He mentions each of the names with distinctive pronunciation of their names, one would imagine he has been a resident.
“My only challenge has been the bad roads all the way from Busia. Other than that, Uganda is such an amazing country,” he says. His eyes glow with passion as he talks of the Ugandan people. While in Northern Uganda, he visited a school and spoke to its pupils who shared horrific memories of the Joseph Kony war. As he retired to sleep in one of the classrooms, a group of over 20 bodaboda riders came knocking at his door.

“We have come to say thank you for visiting our area. We wanted to check if you are fine and wish you a good night,” they told him. It was such humbling experiences, which he says has characterized his experience in Africa that keeps him moving even when he is not sure of whether his resources will take him through the journey.

Unforgettable experiences

As he went about his journey in Zambia, a nine-year-old boy who was waving at him and was knocked down by a car. Conroy gave him first aid, but the boy passed on, compelling him into a search in vain for his mother.
“My life has never been the same again. My perspective of life changed completely. I could be ridding and a car knocks me dead tomorrow, life is unpredictable,” he emotionally says, adding that he now collects clothes and donates them to less privileged children.

Calling his ego which keeps deviating from his original plans the biggest challenge of his adventure, he recalls dramatic incidents that almost claimed his life in Africa. In Portuguese speaking Mozambique, apart from the language barrier, he there are times he would be awoken, ready for confrontation, only to see men armed with a machete in a straw mat sleeping outside his tent. “We would communicate in sign language and they would tell me they were only there to ensure I was safe.”

In Botswana, he was attacked by two elephants. As they moved closer to him, he screamed madly, one hand recording the melodrama with a camera and the other on the bike. In Canada, 22 buffaloes besieged the road, ready to charge at him. How he survived, he doesn’t know but all he recalls is riding past them madly, screaming like a mad man attacked by a colony of bees. He has since shot a movie, together with other bikers he has met on the way entitled, Riding North which will show in Canadian channels till 2015. In Tanzania, one day lions defecated just outside the entrance of his tent and he photographed the excreta, searched about it on the internet and confirmed it belonged to lions.