Wallis On Wheels Big Bicycle Adventure

A sigh of relief or gasp of despair!?! A bit of each I think. The grand plan for the big bicycle tour has slowly evolved, now with just a few loose ends to be tied.

Having read many books of other peoples epic tours had lead me to this point. My life was plodding along following the ritual of the monotonous, mundane 9 – 5, I needed a change. After cycling U.S Route 66 in 2008 I needed a new, longer adventure, Africa seemed to tick the boxes of desire. The idea started to fall into place in late 2008, but to achieve this I had other task’s to fulfill first. My house, in order to rent, needed some major jobs doing, both bedrooms re-decorating (and carpeting), double glaze windows fitting and a new boiler. At the time I also had a cat, Kleo. For a 14 year old cat he was physically in good shape, but after being informed by the vet he had squamous cell carcinoma (cancer of the gums), I new the inevitable would follow.

After loosing Kleo I had no commitments, now with more reasons to jump ship than not, things went up a gear. I decorated both bedrooms and fitted new windows in 2009. Then 2010 turned up, I said to myself if I postpone the tour until next year that’s where it would always stay, ‘next year’. January, February, March, tick, tick tick. In April I informed my manager of my plans, quite a big hurdle, as I normally always put other peoples needs before my own and felt it may cause a few ripples in the ‘pool of tranquility’ but personnel goals can’t easily be achieved by putting other peoples needs first.

The end of April came, a critical point on the time-scale as I had to give 3 months notice on my job. With still a few questions marks of uncertainty drifting around my mind I wrote the letter.

Finding a suitable tenant for my house was a task that needed to be addressed. Luckily after calling a plumber friend to talk boilers (exciting stuff eh?) he asked what I was up to, after telling him of my plans he said a good friend of his was looking to rent a house, this suited me perfectly as to minimize wear and tear on the house I preferred a single tenant than a couple, so a phone call later a deal was struck.

With the last major job on the house was done (the boiler!) that once distant departure date gradually moved closer & then started buying the additional bits n pieces I needed such as stove, new tent, water filter, maps etc. There were also vaccinations that I needed to get.

Having run a mobile disco service for the past 20 years (that long!!) I needed to face the fact I’d be ‘hanging up the headphones’, I guess there’s only so long I can keep playing the YMCA before enough is enough, Saturday just gone (7th August) was my last function, standing there with the mic in my hand, observing the crowd, reminiscing about the first function I helped out at as a DJ’s ‘rodie’, when I was at college,…all those years ago (tic, tic, tic).

My parents organized a surprise ‘Bon voyage’ party on the Sunday, that was real nice to see all the relations, and for a change the weather was good.

So here I am, 11th August 2010. I’ve started packing items into boxes that will be stored in my garage whilst I’m away, along with the disco equipment in the trailer. Being a creature of habit it’s not been an easy journey to this point, but I’m sure once back in the saddle, clocking up those miles, it will all make sense. One thing’s for sure I won’t miss, the British weather!!….though my thoughts on that may change when I’m cycling along on some blisteringly hot sections, Western Sahara springs to mind! But for now, the relative ease of European travel awaits me, with some interesting sections of the Pyrenees to take in, but my thoughts are still focused quite clearly on Africa.