The African Brew Ha Ha is a 15,000-mile overland motorcycle trip from Lancashire, UK, to Hout Bay in Cape Town, South Africa.

It is a Tea Tour of Britain and Africa in search of the ultimate cuppa.

I leave the UK on October 1 2007 and hope to arrive on February 22 2008 at Original Tea Bag Designs (www.tbagdesigns.co.za ) where a tea party is planned.

Check out where I am on www.abhaha.com

You may have seen or heard that Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman did a similar trip recently (well done them!) but there are some important differences between their approach and mine:
    They rode donated BMW GS bikes with a wodge of add-on gizmos
    I'm going on my six-year-old Triumph Tiger with a little help and a lot of expertise from Philip Youles Motorcycles in Blackburn, Lancashire
    They had a team to sort out their visas, carnets, plan the route and all the other paperwork
    I've gleaned information from the excellent website www.horizonsunlimited.com and from the Lonely Planet Guidebook
    They had back-up from two 4X4 vehicles (travelling some way behind but still ...) to carry extra spares and supplies
    I'm carrying all my own spares/service parts and took a basic motorcycle maintenance course at Blackpool & Fylde College (which I passed!)
    They brought satellite phones, GPS and all the latest techno toys
    I'm going to ask for directions if I get lost

But we do have something in common: we both think Riders for Health is a great way of keeping motorcycles on the road (or track) in Africa as a way of ensuring families/villages can access vital healthcare. Sometimes a bike is the only transport that can reach certain areas, especially when it rains.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

Many thanks for your support, and cheers!
Alan
www.abhaha.com