DAY 69 NAIROBI TO SAUDI FOR DAKAR 2023

ALL PACKED AND HEADING TO SAUDI ARABIA FOR THE DAKAR RALLY. FLAGS ARE PACKED ,BIKE IS STORED AND WILL MEET UP WITH MY DUTCH COUNTERPART WILL JOOSTEN, FROM WE4DAKAR.

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On YouTube it will be roydakar 2023

PHOTOS IN SEQUENCE OF PRIOR POST.

 

NAIROBI - MASA MARA - MT. KENYA

TO MARA WEST LODGE. DAY 61. 320Km. 8hrs.

Got going late cause they didn't finish my bike service, so only left at 10am ! 

Got a new tyre , the old one lasted for 11K km. which wasn't to bad and also got my oil changed and new brake pads on the back.

Found my way out of town and then dropped down the escarpment on a long and busy pass and then it was tar all the way to the main gate of Masa Mara, but they don't allow bikes in unlike Uganda so had to go back for hours around the park. Had to have a guy on his piki piki ( small motorbike) guide me to where it was supposed to be easy to follow the track which got me rather lost. I got another guy to take me up to the road which took an hour through grass plains with Wildebeest and cattle roaming around and then it began to rain cats and dogs and the fun ride turned into a miserable wet challenge. We got to the main gravel road where we got shelter for twenty minutes and then they left as they were concerned about the rivers flooding, it was getting dark so I pushed on in the rain for the last 20kms and arrived at 6pm just drenched. 

The camp overlooks the Masa Mara and you can see forever, an amazing view. Had to assemble my tent in the dark and then showered and had a good dinner at the lodge ($30) the place is not cheap, camping is $30 and the facilities suck, that's the most expensive camp so far and the beers are $4 a pop. Stayed two nights. The second day I walked down to Loloonga Gate and chatted with the warden and heard all about the great migration which takes place mere kilometers away.

TO MOGOTIO DAY 63 285km

So Masa Mara is way south on the Tanzanian border and Mogotio is north, so had to ride on knarly rocky roads which were horrible in every sense and slow for about 100kms till the asphalt road which was good the rest of the way, thought it was never going to end, worst road yet. I don't even know why I came down here, the planning was poor, but I have seven days to kill and no paper map made it difficult to asses. Anyhow found the camp but got a room as the camping spot was just awful. The room wasn't much better but was clean with only a bed, nowhere to place your clothes or a chair or hey maybe one shelf, but had six outlets on a twenty foot wall, go figure. 

TO SANDIA FARM 

DAY 64. 201km

Was gone at 7am and it was a great ride all the way, especially that I took the wrong road which was actually the right road and only 200ks, arrived just in time for lunch. Had no idea what the place was about but when I arrived and walked in ,it just felt so good and the people so welcoming and then the lunch was over the top, and being Xmas weekend ,was lucky to get a room which was decorated so well and spacious with a lovely bathroom and they even put a hot water bottle between the sheets at night !

The place was packed , Germans, Kenyans, Swiss,Pollacks and Americans and everyone got on so well. At dinner we had about 32 people at the table, it was so much fun and food was so good and then of course I always stay till the bitter end which is always the best crowd plus I can't sleep anyway.

The next day was Christmas and Petre who owns the place is quote remarkable, as 

she puts on a Christmas play with the local orphange and all the kids come over and play and have dinner and then Santa arrives with gifts and then they all go home and then we all feast and open our gifts with a few egg nogs to finish off the night for the few that remaimed, it truly was a super nice day. Early in the day about nine of us went on the archery tour where you shoot at various targets ,fourteen in all and it took hours and lots of laughter and lost arrows. 

So Petre's daughters boyfriends family came up for the weekend, the parents,Frank and Margaret and the daughters, Jo Jo and Liz who is married to an American chap Scott and they have two kids Isiah and Eli. Phew. They were all so friendly and warm and we all got on so well, well I think we did, well I did. Even Jo Jo gave me a Christmas card with the a touching messege inside. Such a great family and kids. Isaiah had a dirtbike and we ended up going out for a ride and then the rains came and once again I ended up on the ground in the mud but for a good cause .

Petrol then had us select few make candles, which takes a long time, dipping that wick in the wax over and over and over, you need patience. The we all gathered for the last supper together as most of us are leaving on Monday. We had a great feast and most retired to bed except a few of us. 

MONDAY 26TH DECEMBER 20222

After breakfast everyone trickled out to wherever there next adventure was and we all bid evrone farewell and it was all over. Was the most amazing time, so unexpected, I found it on iOverlander and had no idea what to expect, staying on a farm. 

White Castle Lodge was my next stop which is at the base of Mount Kenya, 255km away cause I thought if I went around the mountain the views may be good and what have you, what a dumb ass, it took four and a half hours and didn't see anything except speed bumps and more speedbumps, never did see the entire mountain all weekend. The campsite is very basic with limited facilities but is fine for one nigjt. The ablutions were a little raw but the campsite was on green grass. The restaurant was good and enjoyed a nice meal and a beer under the nigjt sky which was a little chilly. Slept surprisingly well going to bed so early and without any egg nog. 

TO NAIROBI. DAY 68 

Was only 140km to Jungle Junction and had to drive through another rain storm and got soaked. Only took two and a half hours and then was able to shower and dry out my kit and get organized. Did my laundry and re packed my kit and caught up on this blog 

.63ly lef t at 10 am

SIPI FALLS TO NAIROBI DAY 55 to 59 517km. 10hrs.

SIPI FALLS UGANDA BY MT ELGON. DAY 55 AND 56.

Left Moroto after two days with nice clean riding gear for Sipi Falls, which was all gravel roads and a lot of new road work being done so was slow going towards the end, but a scenic ride for the most part. Did get lost for awhile which worked out in the end, you're never really lost cause you always end kup on some track that leads you there.

Stayed at the Crows Nest in a room, very, very basic which is on a steep hill and overlooks the falls. The village is five hundred meters away and they have their music blaring till 6am, it's unreal and sounds like it's outside the front door.

The hike down to the base of the falls takes about forty five minutes on a narrow path.It cascades over the rock for 100m, just .8 shy of Vic Falls.

DEPART SIPI FOR NAIROBI DAY 57     

The ride around Mount Elgon to Kenya use to be quite a rough narrow dirt road but now is like a super highway but still not fully completed , so was easy going compared to last time.

Along the road I came across a large group of people jogging and singing in with their sticks and two guys in the middle of the bunch with their faces painted white.The one was in a trance like state with his eyes as big as saucers.So I passed them cautiously as I didn't know what was going on, so stopped and asked two guys down the road and was told it was a traditional circumcision ŕitual and I should come and see the ceremony, which I did.

The whole community comes to the ceremony to celebrate their manhood and they can't show any sign of pain as that would not be good for them. So everyone clambers to get to where it takes place to see the actual slicing. The guy that I met lead me to the front ,holding onto my arm pushing through the crowd to the front so I could video it. They get lead in to where the two knives are waiting on the table and two seconds later it's over and they did not flinch and then everyone brings offerings to them, food , money whatever to bless them.

Video is on YouTube Roy 

Cape to Cairo circumcision 

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Continued on my journey to the border post which was one of the quickest so far and didn't have to p a y for a visa or road tax and they were real welcoming and friendly.The gravel road ended and all the way to Nairobi it is a narrow tar road and being a Friday the roads were jammed and they drive with no respect to mopeds, guys will see you, flash their lights and overtake and come straight at you, so you have to drive off the road, it's nuts.

After ten hours, 517km I 

finally arrived at Jungle Junction, which is a big overlander hangout where people store their vehicles and Chris has a garage where he works on cars and bikes and has a huge area where you can camp and also provides meals and cold beer.

JUNGLE JUNCTION DAY57 TO 60 19-12-22

Am real happy to have made it here, knowing I can get a new ture and an oil change which should get me the rest of the way, wherever that is.

Met two young guys from Germany that just flew their bike from Saudi, because of the Ethiopian border issue. They are heading to Cape Town so we discussed routes for hours as they only have six weeks to do what has taken me three months.

Went with them to watch the World Cup which was great game if you were an Argentinian fan. Met a Swedish couple that visit Africa a lot and drive a pink bus with twenty tourists from Sweden, quite a story.

The Germans left for their African stage of the trip but only got seventy five kilometers when the battery started to smoke and that was the end of that days travel as they had to limp back to Jungle Junction and the departed two days later.

K

SIPI FALLS

KIDEPO NP TO SIPI FALLS 514km.

DAY 53 KIDEPO TO MOROTO 273km.

DAY 54. MOROTO      

Planned to stay two days in the park but the ranger said you are not allowed to drive on a bike in the park, after driving around for three hours the day before. So I packed up, went on a safari drive, then left the park. Came across the remains of a Cape Buffalo that a lion had devoured, as the animals hear the bike they bugger off. 

Was all good gravel down to Moroto, everything is dry and the landscape has changed dramatically to semi desert and even the people are taller on this side and wear blankets and all the guys have a thin stick they carry. Found Mount Moroto on 

iOverlander and it is a decent hotel with decent food and a TV so will be able to watch the World Cup, Argentina vs Croatia. 

Was able to wash out my riding gear, for the first time, and what a difference it makes having a nice and clean suite, feels so good after 11000km of dust and fumes.   

DAY 55. TO SIPI FALLS 5

5HRS.

Was slow going as the Chinese are putting in storm water pipes across the road and building new roads ,so the first half was great with graded gravel. The suddenly I was on a gravel track for hours kinda off track and the ended up at the main road and on the right road again. Have seen more graders broken down on the side of the road where they never move again and then a huge truck on it's side, they'll probably build the road around the truck eventually instead of moving it.

It is so amazing to see day after day is that everyone walking along the road is carrying something and if the kids aren't  strapped on the back of someone they are hauling water or wood on their head, from like four years old. The poverty is endless and there is little hope they will ever get out of it. When I stop in a village about thirty guys will surround me and there's always one that can speak English and I always ask what's  happening today and it's always the same answer,  we have no money, no work. Then they ask why are you driving around here, what's the purpose ? Anyhow that's how it is, hope I never complain again about anything again. 

Arrived after  five hours at Crows Nest Camp and got a shack for two nights ($12) , so will hike to the Falls tomorrow,  the camp overlooks the waterfall, it ain't  that great but worth seeing and it's on the way.

FALLS. 231KM

 

TO KIDEPO NP DAY 51 10-12-22

MURCHISON TO GULU 293km

Did a game drive, drove over the new bridge and super highway to Pakchan which is only 25km and got a Sim card and 9GB for $7.

Plenty of Elephants and buffaloes and Hartebeest along the route, Some Giraffe aswell. The new Chinese road is wide and brand new, doesn't feel like you are in a game reserve, I guess it's progress.

Then headed to Gulu the long way around and wrong way. The roads have no potholes, quite amazing, but speed bumps up the yahoo. Found a nice bungalow owned by an Indian and had a great curry, a nice change from goat meat. 

Was going to go all the way to Kidepo but my eye flared up and was bothering me the entire day, so decided to stop. Changed my contacts, after three months they begin to act up, and now my eye is good to go. I also worked on my windscreen again to secure it and secured my spotlights with some Pratleys Putty !

DAY 52.     256km to Kidepo

From Gulu it was still tar and the the last 134km was dirt/gravel but well maintained and fun to ride especially cause there are no speedbumps so made good progress. 

Park fees are $40 and the bike was $5 and the Rondawel was $12 per night,  but it is very basic with a cold shower, but is clean. Drove around the park which borders South Sudan. Stopped by where Idi Amin had his resort which has been totally revamped and is still under construction. Very beautiful  mountains and valleys with absolutely nobody there, I drove aroound for hours lost on the roads and then eventually got to camp. Only came across buffalo's and Hartebeest and Warthog.

KIDEPO NP