Day 62 - March 12

I started the day with a worry that Day 2 of the safari would be anticlimactic given how phenomenal day 1 was.  So it was with great trepidation that I went into the second day of the safari.  And I can whole heartedly say that my fears were totally unwarranted.  

Day 2 was unbelievable!!!  We started off just before sunrise and headed out.  You could hear noises in the brush but could not see what was making the sounds.  It was kind of eary.  But then the sun began to rise and the animals started to appear.  And the sun rise...  WOW!  The sunrise over the Serengeti was something that I will never forget.  I kept hearing the sound track from the Lion King in my head as it rose.  It began by just silhouetting the trees and sending beautiful rays of reds, yellows and oranges out across the plain.  Then as it was fully floating in the sky, the colors of the Serengeti took over.  The tones of browns grays and tans of the rocks and dirt as well as the reds of the sand mixed with the colors of its inhabitants, the animals, and began to pop.   It was awesome.

Then the animal encounters....  

We saw a pride of lions who had made a kill of a Cape Buffalo just the night before.  There were 14 lions in the pride.  They had pulled the kill up under a tree and were tearing into it.  It was apparent that there was a pecking order of feeding.  One of the larger lions moved away from the kill and laid down in the sun.  His belly was so swollen with his feeding he could hardly move.  Many of the others had red faces and paws from working the carcass.  It was as if we were watching a Big Cats special and we were only about 50 feet away (in the safety of our vehicle of course).

A bit later we saw a set of three cheetahs running through the bush.  One appeared to be the mother and the other two were almost full grown children of hers.  They were very skittish and tried to stay out of the way of us humans.  They were beautiful in how sleek they were.  You could see that they were built for speed, long and thin.

Then we came upon another pride of lions who were working a fresh zebra kill.  This pride was made up of 10 lions.  The biggest were working the chest and tearing meat from it.  The little cubs were relegated to the head.  One of the cubs kept tugging on the ears and jumping back when the head would move.  Then he would leap up and land on the head again as if he was attacking.  There were 4 zebras a short distance from the pride staring intently as if trying to determine which one of their friends was not going to return to the herd.  It was interesting to see the Wilde Beasts and Zebra herds as they had seemed to relax now that the pride had made a kill.  They were not the cautious on high alert types that we had been seeing.  And overhead the vultures were circling waiting for their turn.

This fantastic scene was then followed by a scene right out of National Geographic...  the Wilde Beast and Zebra herds going down to the watering hole to get a drink.  And in the watering hole was a ... crocodile.  We could see the eyes of the croc slightly above the water.  The Wilde Beasts and Zebras were jockeying for position to get down to the water to get a drink.  There were hundreds if not thousands of them. They would drink with an eye upon the water, waiting to see if danger would appear from under.  Once they had a drink, they would try to leap and get back for the water as fast as they could.  Some very brave ones (or maybe they were not experienced and fool-hearty) would wade out into the water and drink.  The croc submerged a couple of times but did not press an attack.  Quite possibly he, like the lion prides had just made a kill and was full.  It was such an exciting treat to see this.  

We definitely were in the Serengeti at the time of the great migration.  The herds of Wilde Beast and Zebras strung on for a great distance.   The numbers of them were too great to count or even try to estimate.  The timing of our safari seems to have been perfect.

I will post photos when I can...  I am having SIM card issues again.  :(

Photos from safari

Here are just a couple of the photos from day 1 of the safari....

This was a juvenile male.  His mane was not fully developed.

Here is a mother cheetah.  She had 3 Cubs with her.

She was cleaning her cub.  Precious....

This was a good shot of one of her cub.  They were adorable!

We were less than 50 feet from this huge male.  I could have stood underneath him and had clearance to spare.  He was the biggest giraffe I have ever seen!

A herd of zebras and if you can see in the background, you can see in the background there is a herd of Wilde beasts.

Day 1 was fantastic and if you can believe it, day 2 was better.  More on that later.....

Day 61 - March 10

Day 1 of Safari....

All I can say is wow!  No, let me rephrase that to put it more in perspective of how the day went... WOW!!!

It was an absolutely amazing day.  Here is a list of the animals that we saw in the wild today:

Golden jackal

Zebra

Giraffes 

Elephant

Rhino

Wilde beast

Leopard

Cape buffalo

Baboon

Grants Gazelle

Thompson gazelle

Lion - young male & large female

Eland

Secretary bird

Ostrich

Rupert's vulture

Crocodile

Hippos

Monkey - black faced vervet 

Duiker - very small deer like 

Cheetah & 3 cubs

Coke Harte beeste

Topi

Warthog

Ringed mongoose

And that was the first day!

We saw the Big 5:  Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Cape Buffalo & Leopard!  The leopard is the hardest of the group to see.  A large one crossed the road less than 30 feet in front of our safari vehicle.  The guide said,  that just never happens.  And a cheetah with her 3 cubs!  It was unbelievably amazing.  The Wilde beast, zebra and gazelle herds were far too numerous to count.  The day far exceeded my wildest expectation.

I will have pictures to come soon.  I just wanted to let you know how well the day went.  I have to get some sleep because we are starting out at 6 am for day 2.  I can't think how day 2 can ever be better than today but here's hoping!

Day 60 - March 9

Today is the chronological halfway point of the trip.  Calendar wise we have done 60 days of the ride down Africa and we have 60 more to go.

Mileage wise we are not quite halfway.  We have a couple of hundred more kilometers to go until we are halfway.  So stay tuned for another Milestone Alert....

Tomorrow I am taking a day off cycling and going on safari.  We are heading out of Arusha Tanzania and going to the Serengeti plain.  There we will do the safari.  The guide we met with said the great migration is in full swing so we are very lucky.  He said the Wilde Beast and Zebras are on the move.  He said the two move together because they rely on each other's strengths.  The zebra has excellent eye sight and can spot danger far off.  The Wilde Beast has a keen sense of smell so they can smell prey at a distance.  Also, the Wilde Beast can smell water and grasses to help ensure their survival.  And lastly, the two do not compete for food since the Wilde Beast feed off the low growth such as grasses and the Zebras feed off the higher growth of bushes and trees.  Seems as if they have this pretty well worked out.

The guide said they saw many lions on the last trip out.  He said leopards and cheetahs might be more difficult to see.

This trip out on safari is so exciting.  I am over the top with anticipation!  We get picked up at 6 so I have got to go to sleep.  More when I finish the safari...

Milestone Alert

Another country down, good bye to Kenya.  Just crossed into Tanzania!!!

Day 59 - March 8

Today was a rest day in Nairobi.  There was a mall, a real mall, near where we stayed.  It was populated by ex pats.  The mall on our standards was pretty small but on the standards I was used to in Africa, it was palatial!

They even had a food court!  A food court!  You can't believe how exciting that can be after two months in the bush. :)   Oh well,  it is those simple things that excite nowadays.  I had KFC, can you believe it...  Kentucky Fried Chicken.  

They had a large full service supermarket in the mall.  Had to stock up on ...  Potatoe chips (crisps in the local vernacular), sun screen, Mars bars, Coke and Baby Wipes.  Baby wipes are the shower alternative when you are camping in the bush.  It is amazing how good you feel taking a baby wipe "shower" after several days of no real shower facilities.  I think I am now becoming familiar with the early pioneers ability to only take a shower once a week (or once a month) and being ok with that.  Showers are highly overrated. ;)

A really neat thing was we, the tour company, had a donation ceremony.  Part of the cost of the tour goes to providing a bike to local charities that are in need.  The tour company donated 52 bikes to two charities.  One of the charities was a group working with the youth in the slums of Nairobi.  The one slum has over 600,000 people living in it. We saw it as we rode in.  It was a huge area of ramshackle small huts collected together.  It looked rather depressing.  The youth group had one of the kids who received a bike last year speak as to how it changed his life.  It was moving...  He said having the bike enabled him to get to school and hold down a job.  It made him feel special, feel rich, feel successful and gave him hope.  Isn't it strange to think that something as simple as a bike can deliver something so powerful?

It also opens up career opportunities for bike repair machanics and even shops.

The other group that received bikes was a doctors group.  They modify the bikes to allow them to carry supplies such as IVs and medicine for shots.  The bikes allow the doctors access to areas that are difficult to get to due to roads not there or in conditions which are difficult.  It also allows the doctors quicker movement through the city due to grid lock of traffic.  Again, something as simple as a bike is delivering something so powerful.  

We are very lucky in all that we have.

:)

Day 58 - March 7

Today we traveled into Nairobi.  What an adventure that was.  We started out on two lane roads that were fairly busy.  We rode for a little less than 70 miles.  It felt like a great deal more due to the traffic.  The route was on A2 the major road into the capital.  The two lane portion was particularly interesting because of the no shoulder condition of the road and the Kenyan drivers constant need to pass.  The road was barely wide enough for two cars and there we were riding bikes on it.  We would be riding along and a car would come up on us and go by with inches to spare, sometimes less.  Then there were the oncoming cars who decided to pass the slower trucks.  They would swerve out into our lanes and accelerate.  They would be coming at us and not move until the last minute giving us less than a foot of pavement.  The edge of the road was a sharp drop off...  so if you went off the side you were going to go down and potentially end up in the road anyway.  

The beginning part was hellish and a bit nerve wracking.  But wait it only got better...  Once we got closer to Nairobi the road opened up into separated highway with two lanes in each direction.  Sounds better doesn't it?!  Not so much. The shoulder of the road was unnavitigatable due to glass, potholes and speed bumps.  Therefore, we had to ride on the pavement lane.  That would be like riding your bike on a major US Highway.  You would not like it if you were in a car and they did not either.  They would come up on you fast and then swerve around you.  Really got you're juices flowing.  I was flying along in the 40's kph (which took one helluva effort) and I was still pissing them off.  :(

Oh well, you can only do what you can do, right!

Needless to say, it was an awesome adventure.  

Once inside the city proper we had to form up to a convoy led by a vehicle in front and one in the rear.  Many of the riders chose to ride in the trucks for today due to the difficulty factors.  I delusional as I must have been decided to ride as there were limited space.  All kidding aside, it actually wasn't all that bad.  It made you move faster than you normally ride which was fun in a way.  :)

It is interesting to enter a major city after having been in the middle of nowhere for so long.  It is also great to see a city from the seat of a bike...  you see it in a whole different way.

Milestone Alert!!!

I have just crossed over the equator and now am in the Southern Hemisphere.  No, wait, hold on a minute...  I just leaned back and now am in the northern hemisphere.  Ok, there, I just leaned forward and am now in the Southern Hemisphere again.  :)

Wait, I have to get my bike which is in the northern hemisphere and bring it to the Southern Hemisphere.  I wonder if I should bring it clockwise or counterclockwise across the equator.  You know these things matter when crossing the equator.  Afterall, water drains counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.  Therefore, it goes to question which way should I bring my bike across???  Should I have the wheels spinning clockwise or counterclockwise? Oh the dilemma of it....

Yes, I know what you are thinking.  He has spent way too much time on a bike or the alternate concept, he has spent way to much time in Africa.  Or there is also the new postulate that since I just crossed the equator I am beginning to think clockwise instead of counterclockwise.  

Well regardless of your point of view...  I decided to just grab the bike and start riding... in the Southern Hemisphere.  Dilemma resolved!  :)

Day 56 - March 5

Today was once again a fabulous day of cycling.  We discovered that Kenya is not all flat or rolling hills.  There are some steep parts to this country.  We climbed 1,450 meters today, roughly 4,700 feet.  The first part out of camp was deceiving because it was a constant 2 to 3 percent grade for over 18 miles.  There were times when you would swear that you were on a flat or even downhill section of road but the difficulty and bike computer were telling you, no you were on a 2 to 3% grade!  These false flats were rough to get up and over.  Then there was a 10 kilometer section of steep climbs.  This was pretty tough as well but actually easier than the previous 18 miles of long slow climbs.  Yet the scenery made it all worthwhile.  There were beautiful trees of all different kinds and golden fields of wheat dotted in the landscape to give off stunning contrast.  Really something to see!  Oh and lest I forget... what happens when you have climbing???  Yes, you guessed it... downhills!  After lunch there were continual fantastic downhills.  I hit 77.5 kph (just about 49 mph) on one section.  Wow what a ride!!!

This is one of the unique trees that stand out in landscape.  It is a Euphorbia candleabra tree.  The guide told us black rhinos like the milk from the tree.  It makes them quite drunk and then sleepy.  The milk would kill a human if drunk.  Also, if the tree is cut into it gives off a noxious odor that burns the nostrils.

The wheat fields with their amber tones.  

A thick stand of trees that resembled pine trees run the ridge to the top of this mountain.

We rode within sight of Mount Kenya.  It is the second highest mountain, second only to Kilimanjaro.  You could see the snow still on top of its peaks.  There were forest fires burning down at the base of the mountain.  A local told us that these were very unusual and had been burning for a week.

At a coke stop there was a little 3 year old girl who was sick.  She was sitting in the lap of her father.  Even though it was fairly hot out, she had on a winter type jacket and hood over her head.  She slept mostly but when she did awaken she began to cry as something was really hurting in her mouth.  There was nothing we could do.  Her father would give her drinks of Orange Fanta to help ease her pain.  It was very touching....

Day 55 - March 4

Today was the travel day that we were bussed 177 kilometers through the potential risk area of Kenya.  The route did not appear to be of any danger that was apparent.  We saw gazelles, baboons, monkeys and an ostrich in the wild as we traveled the road. 

We stopped twice for cokes and bathroom breaks.  At these stops we saw a number of local tribes people.  I managed to get some photos in a surreptitious manner.  :)   Here are some of them:

An old Masai woman who turned quickly away when she saw the camera.  I got this just before she turned.

A couple of young boys.  Notice the necklace collar of beads.

Looked like a family of a tribe.  The women are wearing very elaborate beaded collars as well.

The one in the middle is dressed in a warrior garb.  The one on the right has a stick with the metal end for clubbing (like the one I mentioned in yesterday's blog).

And lastly, as we were riding along we saw a tribal event taking place in a village.  It could have been a wedding or funeral.  All the people were dressed in colorful tribal garb and many had white plumes probably ostrich feathers in their headdress.  They were dancing and chanting.  Also, there were warriors in full garb with large shields and spears who were dancing and jumping in a line around the others.  It was something to see.

Day 54 - March 3

What an excellent ride today...  very hot and very tough but an excellent ride.  We rode 66 miles on unroads.  Unroads can be described as... at one point there was a road and at a later time there will be a road but at the present time there is not a road.  So therefore it is an unroad.  Ok, ok, you spend the time I have spent in the saddle of a bike in Africa then you can start making up words too.  :)

Anyway, it was rough going with rocks and loose gravel and at times red dust about 10 inches deep.  Those were the toughest times because you would come upon it with some speed and it would rob you of your momentum.  Then you would try to power through it.  If you were lucky you would make it.  If not, you would spin out and potentially end up dropping into a big poof of red dust with rocks hidden within or walking.

I know what you are asking yourself... so where is the excellent part that made the day so good???  Well, it wasn't just one thing it was a collection of moments that happened through the day.  Since we were on the unroads there was a steady stream of people walking.  We spoke with a group of boys who were walking to school.  What a delight!  If this were Ethiopia they would have been throwing rocks.  Instead, they were very engaging, nice and polite.  They were amazed that we were making the journey that we are. The boys were part of the Masai tribe.  I asked where their school was, they pointed.  I looked, there was no buildings of any kind in sight for miles.  I asked them if it was a far walk and they replied it was.  They do it every day to and from. That is dedication.

We came across a group of women later in the day.  Several were dressed in colorful tribal attire with an intricate designed headdress and multiple necklesses of beads.  But others were in more traditional attire.  One was an 18 year old school girl who spoke English.  She was articulate and engaging.  It was great to hear about them and their ways. One of the women had a baby and was breast feeding her baby.  It was so natural and beautiful.

Several other tribal women that we came upon later in the day wore tribal garb with multiple beaded necklaces and no tops.  It was like something out of National Geographic.

At the last coke stop of the day we saw several Masai men who I would categorize as warriors.  A couple were quite intense looking and when we greeted them with a wave and Hello were only returned with a very grimacing stare.  Most carried a couple of sticks and had a sheath for their knife.  One had a stick that had a metal piece on the end with holes drilled in it.  Thinking it was a flute or some type of a pipe we asked him what it was used for.  After a bit of time to understand what we were asking, he motioned that it was to hit people over the head.  The other hard wood stick was to do the same.  Then he pointed at the knife and made a motion across his throat meaning it was to kill.  When I say knife I mean more of a 2 foot long oblong blade with a large handle.  Not your ordinary 4 inch blade type knife.  A very serious one...  One of our staff who is from the area says the Masai train the boys by having them walk on thorns.  This teaches them to walk softly and to endure pain.  He says it also teaches them to be aggressive.  

At another time a boy started running with us as we were riding.  He kept up with us at about 25 kph for a good distance, impressive!  And lastly, there was one Masai herder who started running with us as we rode.  He was carrying a steel spear that was about a meter long with a formidable oblong and sharp head.  Needless to say,  the pace of cycling increased rapidly... 

See now you can see why it was an excellent day.  So many varied experiences for the day...

Here was one who was herding cattle along the road.  He was so excited to show us his "western" style shirt that he had on under his cloak.

Here is another cattle herder we came upon.  It is hard to see in the picture but he has pieces of ear with beads that stick from his ear and extend a couple of inches from the top.

I feel we really saw a true picture of Africa that was unfiltered today.  :)

Day 53 - March 2

Well we are crossing our third desert of Africa.  This is the Chulbi desert.  It is a vast desolate landscape that is strewn with lava rocks as it was formed by a volcano long ago.  It is as flat and barren as the eye can see.  It is totally uninhabitable yet every now and then you come upon people in the middle of nowhere.  You wonder where they have come from as there are no huts to be seen.  The wind whips across this flat land as there is nothing to deter it.  As the sun climbs in the sky so does the temperature.  And as the temperature rises so do the winds.  The wind turned into a headwind that was a constant 25+ mph with gusts significantly stronger.  It was a day to recon with.  There were workers that were out sweeping the shoulders of the road.  They had a simple hand made broom that was used to move leftover sand and gravel off the road.  It looked like a tough hot job, one that made no sense that they were doing.  A good rain or wind or just the traveling of trucks would accomplish the same thing in due time.  But it obviously employed a number of men that typically would not be working... so it was good.

We are in Marsebit the regional capital for the area.  Our visit to the town was an experience.  The people as I mentioned before are more tribal than we have seen so far in our travels.  Here are some photos of the women in their dress and beads:

Notice the beaded head piece.

The colorful dress and the baby wrap up to her side.

We were chastised for taking pictures of these women.  People quickly turn away when they see a camera.  

 This is in an open market where they sell their wares.  But as said, they do not like their picture taken.

We have stayed at a convent here in Marsebit.  The nuns are really accommodating.  They have made meals for us, for a price of course.  And I got a room that has a well worn bed.  The room of course since they are catholic nuns has a crucifix on the wall.  The nice thing is that during the day it absorbs light and at night I have a light up jesus.  

The for dinner they made real mashed potatoes and beef bits with gravy!  Can you imagine that...  mashed potatoes and gravy!  I thought I had died and gone to heaven (pun intended)!  And the beef you could actually chew unlike the meat we have been getting from the tour company.  Whenever we have meat from the tour company I want to suggest that they have a refresher course in the hymlick maneuver at the rider meeting prior to people trying to eat it.  :)

Oh well, the trials and tribulations of Africa by bike I guess.