Thirty-six amazing photos from Mario Rigby, the Queen West-er who walked 12,000 kilometres across Africa
The Proclaimers have nothing on Mario Rigby. Sure, they say they’d walk 500 miles (and even 500 more), but Rigby, a Queen West-er and former fitness trainer who recently returned from a two-and-a-half-year trek up the eastern side of Africa—from Cape Town, South Africa, to Cairo, Egypt—travelled a whopping 12,000 kilometers (almost 7,500 miles) entirely on foot.
Rigby started training slowly. First, he walked from his home near Queen and Ossington to the Eaton Centre, then up to Bloor Street. Once that five-kilometre trip felt easy, he kept increasing the distance, walking from Toronto to Hamilton and, eventually, from Toronto to Montreal.
He opted to walk his way through Africa because there is evidence that the eastern part of the continent was home to the earliest migration routes, and he wanted to follow them. Once he got going, Rigby walked about 30 kilometres a day. “If I really needed to push it, I could make it about 50,” he says—that is, if it wasn’t one of the days that blisters, dog bites, cramps or malaria didn’t slow him down.
Rigby missed the “buzzing restaurant life and diversity of food” in Toronto while away. But now that he’s back, he says he misses rolex—not the watches, but a street food with fried eggs stuffed in a crepe-like roll, and he hopes someone in Toronto will bring the dish here.
Rigby’s next journey will also include African destinations. The trip will focus on renewable energy and sustainable transport—he intends to travel using only electric and solar vehicles—and is set to take him from Norway to Morocco to South Africa and back to Morocco. Before he takes off again, we asked Rigby to share some pictures from his journey through Africa.
South Africa
Cape Point in South Africa—at the extreme southwestern tip of the continent—was Rigby’s official staring point:
Rigby in Cape Point, getting used to the fact that the wildlife is a little wilder than the occasional crafty raccoon or squirrel:
The first of many pairs of insoles Rigby wore out:
With a view of the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa, the world’s highest commercial bungee jump site:
The tiny inflatable vessel that Rigby used to carry his gear over the waterlogged portions of his trip:
A map of Rigby’s revised route:
A donkey and a puss in Amapondo Port St Johns. All they’re missing is an ogre named Shrek:
More than a year after his trek began, Rigby was still in South Africa, at Leopard’s Rock:
Getting up close and personal with some rhinos (probably not recommended for the average tourist):
And a zebra, for good measure:
Next time someone thinks they’re clever for MacGyver-ing an apple into a pipe, show them this picture. It’s a cow horn:
Mozambique
Once in Mozambique, Rigby visited a town called Ponta do Ouro:
North Americans may forget there’s an ocean to snorkel or scuba in Mozambique:
Malawi
After 5 months in Mozambique, Rigby moved on to Malawi, where he did more snorkelling:
Here’s Malawi’s 3,002-metre Mount Mulanje, which Rigby climbed:
There were roadblocks, like a nearly sunk kayak in Lake Malawi. Here’s the kayak in question, with curious locals, many of whom had never seen a black person speak English:
Rigby says this picture of him and some children in Malawi is one of his favourites of the whole trip:
Tanzania
Rigby was welcomed to Tanzania by more kids:
It’s not quite hot dog legs, but here’s Rigby’s beach picture from Zanzibar:
Here he is in Dodoma, Tanzania, his halfway point:
Kenya
After two months in Tanzania, Rigby landed in Kenya:
Here he is with the Turkana people near Turkana Lake in Kenya:
Ethiopia
Rigby stayed in the homes of the Hamer Tribe once in Ethiopia:
He also dove into some tibs:
More baboons, this time in Ethiopia:
Plus, 17th-century castles:
Sudan
Rigby made it to Sudan about a year and a half into the journey:
These are taamia, an Egyptian falafel made with split fava beans:
The Temple of Amun dates back to the 13th century BC:
And these Sudanese pyramids in Meroë predate the Egyptian ones:
Egypt
Two years in, Rigby arrived in Egypt:
Here’s a pretty majestic sand dune:
Construction on the Luxor temple began in 1100 BC. It looks a little different than the place it inspired in Las Vegas:
Another shot from the Luxor:
And here’s the money shot—a shirtless Rigby posing in Cairo with the pyramids in the background:
Uganda
A detour to Uganda led Rigby to a school for displaced youth, where he gave the students a memorable talk:
, but Rigby, a Queen West-er and former fitness trainer who recently returned from a two-and-a-half-year trek up the eastern side of Africa—from Cape Town, South Africa, to Cairo, Egypt—travelled a whopping 12,000 kilometers (almost 7,500 miles) entirely on foot.
Rigby started training slowly. First, he walked from his home near Queen and Ossington to the Eaton Centre, then up to Bloor Street. Once that five-kilometre trip felt easy, he kept increasing the distance, walking from Toronto to Hamilton and, eventually, from Toronto to Montreal.
He opted to walk his way through Africa because there is evidence that the eastern part of the continent was home to the earliest migration routes, and he wanted to follow them. Once he got going, Rigby walked about 30 kilometres a day. "If I really needed to push it, I could make it about 50," he says—that is, if it wasn't one of the days that blisters, dog bites, cramps or malaria didn't slow him down.
Rigby missed the “buzzing restaurant life and diversity of food” in Toronto while away. But now that he's back, he says he misses rolex—not the watches, but a street food with fried eggs stuffed in a crepe-like roll, and he hopes someone in Toronto will bring the dish here.
Rigby’s next journey will also include African destinations. The trip will focus on renewable energy and sustainable transport—he intends to travel using only electric and solar vehicles—and is set to take him from Norway to Morocco to South Africa and back to Morocco. Before he takes off again, we asked Rigby to share some pictures from his journey through Africa.
South Africa
Cape Point in South Africa—at the extreme southwestern tip of the continent—was Rigby’s official staring point:
https://www.instagram.com/p/-3TQAUlIlw/?taken-by=mariorigby
Rigby in Cape Point, getting used to the fact that the wildlife is a little wilder than the occasional crafty raccoon or squirrel:
https://www.instagram.com/p/-3RUfEFIj9/?taken-by=mariorigby
The first of many pairs of insoles Rigby wore out:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BAXKBvjlIs1/?taken-by=mariorigby
With a view of the Bloukrans Bridge in South Africa, the world’s highest commercial bungee jump site:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BApbbPclIlk/?taken-by=mariorigby
The tiny inflatable vessel that Rigby used to carry his gear over the waterlogged portions of his trip:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BBFiVGRFIlK/?taken-by=mariorigby
A map of Rigby’s revised route:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BB6fby9FIil/?taken-by=mariorigby
A donkey and a puss in Amapondo Port St Johns. All they’re missing is an ogre named Shrek:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDDLOvWlIvB/?taken-by=mariorigby
More than a year after his trek began, Rigby was still in South Africa, at Leopard’s Rock:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEBk8B-FInm/?taken-by=mariorigby
Getting up close and personal with some rhinos (probably not recommended for the average tourist):
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEoNOPllIoe/?taken-by=mariorigby
And a zebra, for good measure:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEpsb7TlIjB/?taken-by=mariorigby
Next time someone thinks they’re clever for MacGyver-ing an apple into a pipe, show them this picture. It’s a cow horn:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BE9nCtQFIj6/?taken-by=mariorigby
Mozambique
Once in Mozambique, Rigby visited a town called Ponta do Ouro:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFBzcy1FIjD/?taken-by=mariorigby
North Americans may forget there’s an ocean to snorkel or scuba in Mozambique:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BGRFa6VlIp5/?taken-by=mariorigby
Malawi
After 5 months in Mozambique, Rigby moved on to Malawi, where he did more snorkelling:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHe7lPYB-at/?taken-by=mariorigby
Here’s Malawi's 3,002-metre Mount Mulanje, which Rigby climbed:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIO3bcVBMsE/?taken-by=mariorigby
There were roadblocks, like a nearly sunk kayak in Lake Malawi. Here's the kayak in question, with curious locals, many of whom had never seen a black person speak English:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJOXzaMB7tG/?taken-by=mariorigby
Rigby says this picture of him and some children in Malawi is one of his favourites of the whole trip:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BK464uTB5cA/?taken-by=mariorigby
Tanzania
Rigby was welcomed to Tanzania by more kids:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLYfuhvBeUm/?taken-by=mariorigby
It’s not quite hot dog legs, but here's Rigby's beach picture from Zanzibar:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMW2dIWh1lY/?taken-by=mariorigby
Here he is in Dodoma, Tanzania, his halfway point:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQffPtcBUYJ/?taken-by=mariorigby
Kenya
After two months in Tanzania, Rigby landed in Kenya:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRla5GTg30X/?taken-by=mariorigby
Here he is with the Turkana people near Turkana Lake in Kenya:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTzKrw2AN2p/?taken-by=mariorigby
Ethiopia
Rigby stayed in the homes of the Hamer Tribe once in Ethiopia:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUFuCzmAIVD/?taken-by=mariorigby
He also dove into some tibs:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVSYvmGA1Ll/?taken-by=mariorigby
More baboons, this time in Ethiopia:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BXomRzuAc4n/?taken-by=mariorigby
Plus, 17th-century castles:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYJtnSmAFOD/?taken-by=mariorigby
Sudan
Rigby made it to Sudan about a year and a half into the journey:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BYbvkoZgDnP/?taken-by=mariorigby
These are taamia, an Egyptian falafel made with split fava beans:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZDgMEiA1Yx/?taken-by=mariorigby
The Temple of Amun dates back to the 13th century BC:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZYwMjoAs9u/?taken-by=mariorigby
And these Sudanese pyramids in Meroë predate the Egyptian ones:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbTRHdZgYf_/?taken-by=mariorigby
Egypt
Two years in, Rigby arrived in Egypt:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcUTdyHAWOR/?taken-by=mariorigby
Here's a pretty majestic sand dune:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcp2Y5fgNU3/?taken-by=mariorigby
Construction on the Luxor temple began in 1100 BC. It looks a little different than the place it inspired in Las Vegas:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdWp2EKALOT/?taken-by=mariorigby
Another shot from the Luxor:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdddcN7gPcd/?taken-by=mariorigby
And here’s the money shot—a shirtless Rigby posing in Cairo with the pyramids in the background:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BemvvxTgPkU/?taken-by=mariorigby
Uganda
A detour to Uganda led Rigby to a school for displaced youth, where he gave the students a memorable talk:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcsg8ClglNO/?taken-by=mariorigby
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