Cairo to Cape Blog
9 - 24 December 2008
All Best Plans
So here we are sitting in the green gardens of our campsite 10kms from the city centre of Nairobi, the Capital of Kenya. Although I had the best intentions of emailing a blog entry from Addis, the Capital of Ethiopia, a combination of frustratingly slow internet access and a little tiredness from a couple of long driving days saw the blog take a back seat for a while. Refreshed and showered here is an update of our stay in Ethiopia and travels through Northern Kenya.
We left Bahir Dar for a long dusty drive through the Ethiopian highlands to the number one tourist attraction in Ethiopia. Perched high in the mountains at over 3000m above sea level is the famous site of Lalibella. 11 churches carved by hand out of rock. Legend has it Angels came to help build the churches and they were completed in 7 days; scientist say it took more like 100 years to finish. Although most of the religious artifacts have been removed the sheer size and lack of accessibility makes this place very special. The churches are still manned by monks and priests who guard the few remaining artifacts.
The group headed off in the morning with a local guide to explore the region. As some of the group is interested in seeing all and everything others are keen to sample a taste of the tourist attractions as much as mix with the local people and sharing a yarn and a beer. We organized a local guide for half the day with the option for those wanting to explore all 11 churches could continue.
 St Georges Cross, Lalibella |
 Peter Driving Through Ethiopia |
Thiemo spent the morning checking the landies after the long, bumpy and dusty drive the day before while I went on the hunt for fresh bread. The main problem I encounter is finding food that we eat! Simple things like bread are not necessary an essential part of every cultures diet hence it took me 2 hours to find 40 fresh rolls! Thiemo worked away on the vehicles until a thunder storm decided to strike and gave us all a good showering. The first rain we had experienced since the trip started. The storm lasted a couple of hours but cleared in time for us to cook and enjoy a meal under the stars.
Ironing Out The Little Issues
It is always a little difficult when running in convoy to keep a consistent speed that everyone is comfortable with. Something we have been struggling with since the beginning of the trip. Everyone is different and drives at different speeds; not that we are racing along but we do have 17,000kms to cover and want to spend time and enjoy places; some of the group prefer to drive along and arrive at the final destination early enough to have a shower and relax while others are wanting to take the whole day. For Thiemo and myself our main concern is everyone arriving at the final destination well before dark for safety and security reasons. So we decided on the way back from Lalibella to let everyone leave at the time they wanted, drive at their own pace, stopping along the way to take photos and drink cups of tea while Thiemo and I tailed at the end to fix any problems encountered. A couple of minor problems but nothing serious - Hans ran over a sharp rock and sliced the side walls on 2 tyres and the welds on the roof rack on Fred's car began to crack. A quick stop on the side of the road to fix the minor problems and we were away again. This system seemed to work well with Thiemo and myself arriving a few hours after everyone else. All seemed to enjoy their day at their own pace.
The Flower
Addis Abeba in Ahmaric the local language means "The Flower" and in some ways the peaceful, calm, welcoming city reflects its name sake well. Addis Abeba is, like the rest of Ethiopia, a wonderful city nestled in the mountains. Addis is split into sections; a city which has grown slowly over the years. The Old City is where the local Merkato (markets) still exist and the main trade takes place; the New Town boasts 5 star international hotels, restaurants with extensive French, Swiss and Italian dishes, modern patisserie and coffee shops. The extremes are noticeable but for some reason seem to compliment one another. Addis is a city that has something for everyone; museums, cathedrals to nightclubs and fancy restaurants. Hans, Jenny, Sue and Russ went off in search of "Lucy" the oldest person in the World (remains of!) while Peter, Linda and Fred went to seek out milkshakes and cake!
Hit The Road Once Again
As our time in Ethiopia was nearing an end it was time to make our way south toward the border of Kenya. We took 3 days to reach the border stopping to soak in hot springs near the Rastafarian capital of Shashamene. As we headed toward Kenya we started to descend from the highlands; the land became drier and more arid; looking more like how the media portrays Ethiopia. The further south we traveled the warmer the days became and the less populated the area. Finally we reached the border town of Moyale, topped up diesel and crossed into Kenya.
This Is Real Africa
We crossed the border and after a slight delay from customs on the Kenyan side unable to find the receipt book for our foreign vehicle permit all went smoothly. From here on having a carnet de passage (passport for the vehicles) makes crossing borders a lot easier. Finally we have arrived in what most people describe as "real Africa", the land of the Big 5, acacia trees and grassy savannahs.
We still had 2 full driving days on what we believe are the worse roads in Africa. Dirt roads which officially have been tar sealed 3 times (paid for by the World Bank!) however this road has not seen a grader for years let alone road building machinery! The "road" had been built out of sharp volcanic black rocks; where there are no sharp tyre chewing rocks there are deep wide corrugations made from heavy desert trucks making the trip from Nairobi to the far north of the country. Officially this is the Trans East Africa Highway!!
 Peter And Linda Chatting To Local Kids |
 Northern Kenyan Roads |
In total we had 250kms on the first day to cover and 260kms on the second - all in first or second gear with a top speed of 30kms per hour. This road tests patience! The first morning we were spoilt for game - a reminder you are in Africa. As we bounced our way along tens of dik diks (little antelope) nervously darted off the road into the bushes, most of us spotted Nyala (large grey antelope and quite unique to Northern Kenya), vultures flew over us and Weaver birds busily renovated their houses. The going was slow but we made it into Marsabit in good time.
The following day we started out at 6am once again. For the first 50kms we were driving through a protected area and everyone was on the lookout for Elephants. Thiemo had to stop to let an old bull and young elephant cross the road; putting on a show flapping his ears and shaking his enormous head. Realising Thiemo had stopped to give way he calmly wandered off the road with the young bull following.
The road conditions did not improve although the locals in Marsabit were very convincing when they told us the road was in good condition. The sharp rocks were not really an issue however the corrugations never seemed to end. By the end of the day tempers were short and we were all exhausted - something to be expected after driving over 500kms in 1st and 2nd gear!
After a few tusker beers, a good night sleep and back on tar spirits had lifted and we were on the final 300km stretch to Nairobi.
2 Lanes Can Make 6
We headed off at our own pace agreeing to meet at the Equator before tackling Nairobi traffic. Driving through Nairobi is not unlike Cairo; fast and furious and if you leave a single gap between yourself and the car in front 3 vehicles will promptly squeeze in.
We decided the best way to tackle was to try and stay as close as possible; Thiemo in the lead vehicle and myself with Fred at the rear. The theory being if some could not stay with Thiemo I could collect them and direct to our campsite.
We made our way up Thika road without incident; as we edged toward Nairobi the traffic thickened and we were absorbed into the chaos. It is amazing how 2 lanes on a road can quickly turn into 6; matatus (local mini vans) driving up onto the footpath and centre strip; vehicles squeezing between vehicles and the odd donkey also stuck in a traffic jam. The thing about Nairobi is everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere hence driving etiquette is lost for horns furiously honking, arms waving out vehicles and drivers looking for the next opportunity to move forward or sideways whichever they feel will get them home quicker.
Driving in Nairobi is stressful - that is without a doubt - even Thiemo and myself who live here still feel the pressures and shake our heads at the chaos created.
Arriving at our quiet campsite with the thought of steaming hot showers and cold tusker beer was a welcomed relief.
 Tight Squeeze Through Nairobi Traffic |
 A Tribute To Those Who Served |
Time To Chill
After the harshness of the northern part of the trip and reaching our halfway point a few days of well deserved rest was the reward. Rest for some; Thiemo and Francis (AES driver/mechanic) were not so lucky; half way point means major servicing on all the vehicles, replacing worn parts and generally preparing them for the coming 2 months.
Are you game?
Nairobi National Park was high on everyone's list to visit - and took the opportunity to spend a day out in the Park exploring and game viewing. Linda, Peter and Fred were the first ones to go in and took the day to explore pretty much all the park had to offer. Hans, Jenny, Sue and Russ went in the following day. Nairobi National Park is a hidden treasure boasting black rhino, giraffe, lion, leopard, crocs, hippos, eland, gazelles, tortoises, vervet monkeys, baboons, zebra, warthogs and hundreds of bird species all with Nairobi city skyline in the background. It is rather amazing that a game park with wild animals live and co-exist so close to 4 million people!!
Over the days in Nairobi some took the opportunity to visit the city centre, casino, the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and the Nairobi Giraffe Centre. Everyone made at least 2 visits to Nakumatt - a huge supermarket chain in Kenya to stock up on Christmas goodies.
At the moment I am preparing for a Christmas brunch feast of Smoked Salmon, Roquefort cheese, smoked ham and turkey, olives, various dips, smoked mackerel, Swiss cheese, camembert, aged cheddar, fresh tropical fruit, chocolates and sweets served with chilled sparkling South African wine and fresh orange juice. We may be in Africa but there is no excuse to not celebrate Christmas in style!
The plan is to leave Nairobi on the 26th of December and head for Lake Naivasha and indulge in afternoon tea at one of the homes of Joy and George Adamson ("Born Free").
So I guess the next time I will be back will be while we are in Jinja - the adventure capital of Uganda on the shores of Lake Victoria, the source to the mighty Nile.
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