The last couple of days have been those long and only satisfying after a hot shower days , spent on the road . The weather has changed dramatically from what I have been used to while riding cross country to and through Kenya.
The border crossing was fairly uneventful with the usual chats and laughs about crossing Africa on a scooter and a chance to hang out in offices with officials getting all my documentation done . Once I had changed some schillings for some schillings I was about to cross into cross into Kenya , I stopped for a security check of all documents , only to be told that the insurance that I had bought in Tanzania to cover all the countries I travel through was not valid , that this COMESA certificates I had been issued , expired in December 2013 , so in actual fact I was riding with a “fake” certificate that had been replaced by the new certificate months ago . So off I went to try and sort it out , when I arrived at the office of the provider , I burst out laughing , comparing this office to the one I had purchased my cover from in Tanzania , that required me to walk through a shop and then down an ally to be squeezed into a tight 2 chair half a desk office , I then realised I had definitely paid and additional non refundable toll to travel these beautiful roads . The official poster on the wall showing the old and new certificates displayed with pride . So I bought my new , new certificate , a couple of bananas and a Kenyan flag from a young boy , sat on the sidewalk , enjoying the sun and company from my usual scooter groupies.
Then off I rode , now legal I hope off into Kenya , this crossing was a dream , 8 minutes all done. Then the ride to Eldoret started , within a few kilometres I had to put on my Tanzanian road armour , those killer busses back , the trucks with the smell of fight from their burning brakes and abused mechanics . The road conditions varied from living in purgatory to heaven on earth , and all the while those menacing clouds hunting Vic and I .
We tried to out run the storm , the 300 cc no match for mother nature and the next couple of hours we shivered , shook and got discoloured by flying mud passing through every small town . Arriving in Eldoret was the worst , the roads a wash with red angry water trying to find a way out . Through the town it was about 20 kilometres to my over night stop , Naiberi overland resort . Only two obstacle’s keeping me from my hot shower , by now I was blue with cold and soaked like a white river rafter . The mud we navigated , the washed out river crossing stopped us in our tracks , was I to take shoes and socks off and wade to check ? I should have , but I just lifted my legs and watched as Victoria’s front wheel left my sight , gave it full throttle and we made it , just .
Hot shower , hot meal and then off to bed only to be woken by a group of drunk over landers , that found it difficult to walk and talk , never mind other activities attempted . So the night a long one , with a short sleep , up early to ride east to then ride North.
Nightmare Naiberi
The ride long , beautiful and once again we could not outrun mother nature and her intermittent down pours , that said nothing more spectacular than riding the great Rift Valley on a Vespa , mother nature in agreement gave me dry times and sunsine to admire her in the right light.
Great scenery , the price of it , the road.
Same line different currency.
The unstoppable beauty of the valley.
The map , the route .
No Rift between Vic and I.
The Kenyan countryside today was very much like travelling through the Berg and riding up the escarpment was just beautiful . My route took me through Nakuru for coffee , then Nyahururu to Nyeri my nights stop in a local hotel away from backpackers and overlanders to have a more local Kenyan offering and wonderful it has been . It was a real treat observing chic West Africa at work and play.
Patio to blog and have a bite.
I unpacked the whole scooter to try and get all my stuff dry by morning , shower , tea and a fillet that was not really a fillet and then off to bed .
The next three or four days of riding through the North of Kenya will likely be the most telling and trying on both Victoria and I , so lets hope those wheels find a home every night before the dark . I will set off for Archers Post today , try and get to Marsabit the next and push for the border town of Moyale on the third day before crossing into Ethiopia . I expect to be offline until Ethiopia so I will see you all on the other side of hell road .
Until we meet again
Riding the rift
