I thought riding across all 30 districts of Rwanda on a motorcycle was quite an achievement. Having completed the expedition, I had covered considerable ground exploring my own country, collecting stories and putting together a travel book series. I was rather proud of that milestone. Then I met a Ghanaian biker who gave me a fresh perspective on the meaning of long-distance motorcycle travel.
His name is Daitey Saviour Tulasi Humphreyson. When our paths crossed, he was touring 30 African countries on his motorcycle. Yes, you read that correctly. Thirty countries! A fellow African explorer had taken my little number and stretched it across an entire continent.
Daitey had started his adventure in Ghana, riding through West Africa before venturing into Central and Southern Africa. Along the way, he had crossed countless borders, tackled challenging roads, dealt with mechanical troubles and encountered his fair share of immigration and police-related headaches. By the time he reached Rwanda, he had already covered an extraordinary distance.
Standing next to our motorcycles, I couldn't help comparing our expeditions. Mine involved exploring 30 administrative districts within one small country. His involved navigating 30 sovereign countries across the continent. Suddenly, the difference in scale was staring me right in the face!
For a moment, my 30-district expedition felt rather miniature. Perhaps I needed to reconsider my definition of a long-distance ride. But then again, 30 districts are 30 districts, and I wasn't about to surrender my bragging rights without a fight!
Meeting Daitey reminded me that Africa is full of extraordinary, or should I say crazy, explorers! These are people who look at a map of the continent and see endless possibilities rather than daunting distances, complicated borders and logistical nightmares. They are willing to take the road less traveled, embrace uncertainty and push their adventures beyond familiar territories. Daitey is certainly one of them.
Daitey's adventures were on an entirely different scale. I tipped my hat, or should I say helmet, to him. His story was certainly inspiring. But does this mean an Afrika Nzuri trans-African motorcycle expedition is in the pipeline? Hell no! 😂