World’s Most Dangerous Roads | Burundi - The Racing Cyclists | Free Documentary

[Applause] the racing cyclists of burundi are not afraid to take risks whoever wants to transport goods in burundi does so by bike distances are short burundi is one of the smallest countries in africa it's very dangerous and fatal for the cyclists to hold on to the trucks burundi lies in the heart of africa the main traffic route winds itself from the rwandan border down to tanzania the first section of the route leads from kayansa to bugorama [Music] burundi is poor even though the land is fertile on the northern plateau mostly bananas are grown dozens of different types bananas are the staple food in burundi at the outskirts of cayansa the biggest city in this region the farmers sell them to middlemen twice a week pamphlet nazague does his bulk buying here he is a professional beer brewer a banana beer brewer banana beer is burundi's national drink tasian maniarakitsa is responsible for the transport does not dare to cycle the loaded bike himself even if you're an experienced rider you put your life at risk [Music] first i asked for the price then i buy three tights just 3. the beer is supposed to be tasty [Music] that's why i'm a driver and i'm happy to be able to transport poundfield's bananas that's how i struggle alone whenever he is not transporting bananas tarzan offers rides on his bicycle taxi [Music] [Applause] tarzan has loaded eight clusters onto his bike together they make up for 160 kilos he has to transport them 15 kilometers luckily the first part is downhill [Music] so [Music] three kilometers from his destination there is a long ascent now tassian must really pedal tarcian is 22 years old he never went to school riding my bike is all i'm good at i never did anything else i don't even want to except if i found less tiring work i definitely don't want to be carrying anything on top of my head like the women do after 45 minutes tarzan reaches his destination the banana beer brewers village is one of the poorest countries in africa owning a bike is worth a great deal here but tarzan must already support a wife and two kids in his early twenties how can i save money with a job like this it's just about enough to sustain my family and myself nothing more look i can't even afford new trousers i'm no dreamer this job holds no future whatsoever pamphlet has been brewing banana beer umbobera on the farm next to his house and is in for 15 years now [Music] he lets the bananas ripen in a pit for another week the farmer can only process the bananas if they have developed enough sweetness otherwise the fermentation process might not take place properly bananas with a thick skin are especially well suited for producing banana beer his own family and a few workers from the village assist palm field with the production the workers use fresh cleaned hay to help them squeeze out the liquid the hay also creates pamphia's banana beer special flavor [Music] my life as a beer brewer is a good one really i mean we can't afford to buy new shoes and things like that but i don't have to go around stealing things the family has enough to eat and we can send the kids to school nobody tells me what to do and i don't need to go chasing after my money i am my own master is still only banana juice [Applause] to turn it into beer the liquid has to be stored for a few days the brewer's yeast allows for fermentation it takes two days for the beer to be right two bottles of this and everything spins round is in does he doesn't know the alcohol percentage he never measured it [Music] drinks only after the work has been done drunk driving much too dangerous when you're on the road of the racing [Music] cyclists here in the north not only bananas are grown but also coffee tea and rice the road leading to the banana beer brewers village continues on leading south to boyumbura the capital city of burundi it's a hundred kilometers and it's up and down the hill the whole way [Music] the road serves as a transit route between rwanda and tanzania antoine kabura has been driving it for 10 years with his truck normally he only drives during daytime driving at night would be too risky these many bends luckily i'm a good driver but for a main road it's definitely too narrow antoine arrives at gitega the second largest city of burundi with 45 000 inhabitants [Music] alex irraducunda works as a reporter for the local radio station humorisa her job is to report on the traffic which primarily means the situation for the cyclists [Music] tell me what are the difficulties for us cyclists the trucks are worse they make life difficult for us it really is a tough and exhausting job not to mention the bike thief their numbers are increasing it's bad when the bike is gone and don't forget the accidents and injuries gitega situated in the center of the country used to be the capital of the kingdom of burundi it was also the administrative center at the turn of the century from the 19th to the 20th century when burundi was a german colony today the city is an important traffic junction 26 reporters work for radio homoresa alex is done with a report on the cyclists it's difficult for the cyclists here even those just transporting other people but for those who transport bulky goods it's even more difficult but they have no choice their wives and kids need something to eat [Music] another 60 kilometers to buoyanble uphill downhill [Music] antoine kabura could drive faster but he knows what's happening behind him so he doesn't want to risk an accident whoever wants to save time and energy holds on to his truck antoine finds this really annoying what they are doing poses a lethal hazard not only for them but also for us truck drivers i often have to abruptly dodge due to approaching traffic or because of a pothole the cyclists that are holding onto the chalk can't see it coming they're surprised by it some die i think they should stop it it's prohibited [Music] eric nitzitunga has been transporting bananas from the north to the capital for five years he fixed 14 clusters to his carrier that's about 250 kilos a lot even by burundian standards [Music] i have to tie the bananas to the carrier in such a way that the center of gravity lies in the middle no one mistake and i would lose my balance in the curves and crash i also have to make sure that the bananas don't get bruised [Music] even eric can't resist the temptation to let himself be pulled up the hill it doesn't always turn out well [Music] some road sections are unpaved difficult to drive for the truck drivers there are some drummers with their heavy instruments along the road near geshora their destination is a nearby hill it is considered the cradle of the burundian art of drumming [Applause] [Music] they used to perform before the kings today they play the drums for whoever pays and to preserve peace just a few years ago burundi saw the end of a long civil war [Music] [Music] the 74 year old antimaybaran picada is the leader of the geshora master drummers [Music] i became a drummer because my ancestors were drummers my great-grandfather my grandfather my father they all drama for the kings this tradition must survive [Music] the police have been checking more often on the burundi highway lately a welcome opportunity for the street vendors to offer their products a nuisance for the drivers security check the horn blinkers and headlights i check the papers and inspect the vehicles it's all about increasing safety on the road the officers also punish cyclists that hold on to trucks whoever gets caught must pay a fine eric the courier puts up with that i think the cyclists should really stop holding on to our trucks too many accidents happen because of it it should be banned the police should enforce it or the cyclists could fix a little engine to their bikes for going uphill eric heard the policeman's whistle just in time to let go the burundi government has almost doubled the amount of traffic policemen over the last years too many accidents occur on the roads in burundi also due to technical defects but the main problem are the racing cyclists more action should be taken against these cyclists holding on to trucks it's simply too dangerous it is prohibited but they just won't respect us [Music] [Applause] another 40 kilometers to buy the closer you get to the capital the busier the narrow road becomes [Music] [Applause] [Music] the kibira national park with its 400 square kilometers runs along a small side road once the splendid mountain forest used to be the king's holy hunting grounds [Music] the batwa live in a small village close to the national park in busicara up until a few years ago the hunters and gatherers lived in the midst of the rainforest in 2007 the government decided to transfer them to the area next to the main road viola is 40 years old and has eight kids [Music] i was born and raised in the jungle this life is not easy we have to collect wood and have to fetch water from far away that's exhausting but i enjoy the pottery i learned it when i was a kid watching my mom now i can sustain my family with my partner i'm teaching my kids how to do it too that's why it's going so well for us here [Music] next door the men sit together and carve wood they have lost their traditional hunting grounds since the resettlement but being so close to the main road opens new opportunities for them and their families they can now sell their carvings and pottery to travelers [Applause] more than half of them are children apart from their handicrafts the butva are farmers and breed cattle on the land they were granted by the [Applause] government [Applause] [Music] the next stage on the cyclist road leads from bugorama to the capital city buyombora already early in the morning the first cyclists are on their way to supply the markets the bogorama cyclists are famous throughout the whole country they transport the heaviest and bulkiest goods and are the fastest riders bugorama situated at the southern tip of the kibira national park is a traffic junction two federal roads meet here and unify to lead to the capital of burundia bicycle courier eric lives near bugorama the bananas here are cheaper than in the capital today one cluster cost eight thousand burundian francs about four euros together with his girlfriend eric lives in a small house right on the road to buyumbura they have no children yet they want to wait until eric has found a less dangerous job [Applause] [Music] the 200 kilo load literally pushes eric downhill he quickly reaches speeds of up to 60 to 70 kilometers an hour he can't apply the brakes his tires would burst [Music] if the roads are wet you're likelier to slip but since he can't apply the brakes he must wait for the next ascent until then it's brace yourself and hope for the best nobody knows just how many accidents occur and how many cyclists are actually involved there is no such thing as traffic statistics in burundi often the poor condition of the bikes is responsible the last ascent up to buoyambora is tough without help no one would manage to move forward and so a new profession emerged the pushing assistant the men earned 10 cent for the 15-minute tour at the end of the long ascent a little shop offers food and beverages eric doesn't always have enough money to buy something for himself after this exhausting ascent lucia the shop assistant knows eric and puts it on the tab if he can't pee she feels for the cyclists you need to be really strong in order to do this so you need lots of energy that's why i eat mainly carbs for example corn and i drink hot milk every day kind of wanna mata [Applause] [Music] from here to buoyambora is another 15 kilometers and it's only downhill [Music] [Applause] eric trusts his steering abilities he doesn't have much choice he already had quite a few accidents but up to now he only suffered some bruises and bone fractures arrival in buyumbura the cyclists have to push their way through the traffic of this lively metropolis the first shop eric is delivering to lies at the far end of the city there are many little shops and restaurants along the capitol streets most of them can't afford professional advertising that's why they hire artists like clovis malawi the 26 year old makes a living of that but if people ask me i'd also answer them i take between a hundred thousand and one hundred and fifty thousand burundian francs for such a picture it's not bad that would amount to the equivalent of 50 to 75 euros [Music] is the largest city in burundi it is the economic center of the country around four hundred thousand people live here it takes a very specific technique to park the bicycle in such a way that it doesn't fall down with the 200 kilo load on it five times a week eric delivers two banana clusters to the little shop for each cluster he gets 12 000 burundian francs that's six euros two euro of an income [Music] remains here in the heavy traffic of the city the challenge for eric is of a different kind compared to his cross-country ride it's not about steep ascents downhill racing or the struggle with truck drivers and the police the difficulty lies in maintaining the balance and being careful not to get hit by other vehicles because then he'd fall the sioni market is in the northwest of the capital 85 out of 100 burundians work in agriculture and they all try to sell their surplus on the markets [Music] since the main market in the city center burned down in 2013 the number of traders and customers at the cione market has doubled one of the reasons being the government banning the street trade everyone had to turn to the remaining markets is 42 years old she has been working as a market woman for 10 years now when the main market burnt down she not only lost both of her stands but all her goods went up in flames too she had to start again from scratch i have four kids and no husband when the market burnt down and the hard times began he just ran off he never gave me any money to feed the kids and myself i had to take out a credit loan that helped us along and i was able to build up a new stand here eric delivers bananas to alice as well today he is running late due to the rain normally he would get 15 000 burundian franks for a cluster of bananas would you lower the price a bit i can only pay ten thousand today alice pays eric five euros per cluster which makes one euro an hour for eric to keep with the thousands of cyclists in burundi there is always something to repair or to patch you'll find bicycle repair shops everywhere in burundi especially near the markets where most cyclists deliver their goods [Applause] alexandre has been the boss here for five years most bicycles in his shop come from china and break down easily these bikes are basically like all the others we have to reinforce the carrier with iron bars good tires are important though by courier eric also comes here if he has enough money to afford new tires the work is being done fast here and he gets some good advice as well almost 100 mechanics work for alexandre some customers live nearby most of them come from some are foreign eric appears unruffled by the fact that he has to spend a portion of his narrow income in order to keep his bike in good shape it's very important to change tires they were totally worn out if there's rain like today you can easily slip and fall the tires burst more easily too especially when you brake i already patched the tube four times it's just too dangerous eric cycles back to bugorama on new tires [Music] [Applause] the burundi racing cyclists have divided up the district there are those who cycle in from the north and go back in the evening the others serve the southern route the burundi highway runs along the banks of lake tanganyika for 200 kilometers heading south right up to the tanzanian border [Music] [Applause] [Music] instead of bananas people grow lots of oil poems here they are being transported on bicycles as well a bunch can weigh up to 50 kilos the landscape in the south of burundi is less hilly than in the north so the bike couriers can travel greater distances up to 100 kilometers per day if i don't have so much to carry i enjoy my work like today that's fine i'm bringing the fruits to a palm oil factory i then load the filled oil cans and take them to the market where they're sold cleaned the job is all right so long as you hold the road well and don't have to worry about crashing in the cars it's then i enjoy the work [Applause] palm grove is situated directly on the main road together with his son patrick he looks for ripe fruits which he can later process in his palm oil factory which is 10 kilometers away patrick is a gifted climber m only when the fruits have taken on an orange red color are they ripe for harvesting and are easy to pick patrick transports the crop from his father's palm oil grove to the oil factory himself they have to be kept there for a few days before they can be processed to oil patrick much prefers climbing up the trees to carrying the heavy load on his bike i still go to school and i only do this in my spare time to earn some money later i want to take on a proper job but right now i do both work as a bike courier and study [Music] lake tanganyika is the second largest lake in africa it shapes the landscape in southern burundi the riverbank is lined with little fishing villages along the road neon gabo slowly comes to life [Music] at six am the men returned from fishing they spent the whole night out on the lake today they didn't catch much the waves were too high for a few years now they are only allowed to fish every second week in order to protect the fish stock cesare has been and the fish can breed in those seven days that's a good thing after school patrick earns some extra money working as a bicycle courier he doesn't have to sustain a family so he feels less pressure the bike courier has arrived at faustin's palm oil factory the production is in full process the ripe fruits are loosened from the bunches and are cleaned first of all [Music] [Applause] the oil manufacturer has meanwhile gotten used to the traffic in the ado on the adjacent road faustin has been in the palm oil business for three years now it always gives us oil which we can use for cooking we use the palm fronds as broomsticks the remaining pips we use to make soap are shampoo the fibers also a byproduct help to light a fire an oil palm provides everything we humans need a camaro about 20 palm oil farmers have joined in a cooperative and operate the old squeezing machine together everyone can process his own fruit there faustin is checking the production flow the water cools the machine so the oil doesn't go rancid [Music] 20 families make their living from this their existence as well as the economy of the whole country depends on the timely deliverance of fresh supplies and the racing cyclists of burundi will take care of that [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Free Documentary

Views: 18,517,732

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full documentary, HD documentary, most dangerous roads, most dangerous journeys, worlds most dangerous roads, worlds most dangerous journeys, deadliest roads, deadliest roads in the world, dicing with death, deadliest journeys, dicing with death burundi, most dangerous roads burundi, deadliest roads burundi, dangerous burundi, deadliest journeys burundi, hot roads, hot roads burundi, Road to Death, burundi, Burundi Highway

Id: C_gQiOoUwfk

Length: 43min 19sec (2599 seconds)

Published: Sun Jun 20 2021

Reddit Comments

[u/darkszluf]

yeah i'm not sixteen anymore, and i'm glad for that.

[u/Stayinthewoods]

Personally, I need $2000 bikes and $300 bags if I'm going to carry even a single banana...

[u/imbutawaveto]

busted up when this truck drove by

[u/HlIlM]

If you want to learn how to build rear wheels, there is a guy in Burundi.

[u/Cargobiker530]

Flying down hills with 500 pounds of bananas with rod brakes on a 40 year old chinese flying pigeon is penultimate x-biking. No 80's steel frame rebuild is beating that.