Moyale, Ethiopia...and the road from hell

is that a mercedes in the back of that truck? (isiolo, kenya)

Jeremy (the white guy). Very cool guy from my hometown of Calgary. He's now living in London as a music producer...

The desert north of Marsabit. Ethiopia is somewhere over the horizon...
I was walking around Isiolo last night hoping to spot these transport trucks that were suppose to materialize. Isiolo's a dump but I needed provisions for the eventual ride to Ethiopia. The supermarket described in LP no existed. So, I tried some of the hole-in-the-wall stores on the main street.

Isiolo wasn't as scary as I was led to believe (even at dusk). There were a lot of people on the streets but they all seem to be busy. I came across a truck. Unusual load I thought. In the back was a yellow car. A mercedes benz! The same people whom I met at the Upper Hill Campsite in Nairobi... They had to be here, somewhere. What were the odds of meeting them again? I started my semi-desperate inquiries.

"Where are the mzungus who own this car", I asked the closest loiterers around the truck. Some guy leads me to a street front hotel. The reception said they were gone (checked out). They're supposed to be in a bar. Which bar? For a one street town, there was a shitload of taverns in Isiolo. DON'T PANIC, I thought to myself. First bar nothing. Second, nothing. Third, zip. We entered the fourth bar, got past the sleazy owner, to find the familiar mzungu faces of a wild haired man and a hot blond woman sitting at a table littered with beer bottles. Our eyes met. They were as surprised to see me as I was to see them. At the same table were 2 other mzungu men (later I found out they were Spanish - Luis and Antonio.

They (Anna and Jeremy) insisted that I join them on the truck. I didn't think twice and took them up on their offer. I went back to the hotel to pack. Hastily bought some provisions. Went back to the bar to meet them. We loaded up the truck. It was dark by the time we took off at 8 PM.

Within minutes, we ran out of tarmac. The road was horrible. Full of potholes. The truck shook like the devil as we drove over brutal corrugations in the road. The chattering of my teeth would give me a headache. Anna and Jeremy was in the back with the mercedes while I was up front with the Spanish guys. The reverberations of the truck didn't seem to affect the Spanish as they kept up with their contiguous bantering.

After the first break, Anna suggested I move to the back. I wholeheartedly obliged. The rest of the time I drank sweet wine, had shots of whiskey, and listened to good music. Suffice to say, the road didn't seem so bad after that.

We reached the sleepy town of Marsabit, almost at the halfway point, at 4 in the morning. The streets were deserted. We stopped in a nondescript compound lit by a single lonely street lamp. I was exhausted but my legs begged to be stretched. I walked out into the darkness. The starry sky was brilliant. Being so close to the equator, I could see the North Star and the Southern Cross in the same sky. I was exhausted and headed back to the truck hoping to catch a couple of hours of sleep before moving on.

We were rudely awakened by the blast given off by the truck's engine. Damn, it was only 6 AM. Seemed like everyone had deep slumbers. During the night the Mercedes hood ornament went missing. Some kid was walking around with a nice piece of bling hanging around his neck. Further inspection revealed damage to the paint job. Sometime last night a chair had fallen on the side of car. Jeremy and Anna were pretty pissed. "The Manager" thought the situation was rather amusing. He would suffer the wrath of both my friends. They just railed on him. Let's just say he fell into line for he rest of the trip.

As were were departing, we encountered a white guy walking by the road. We stopped. Apparently, Jeremy and Anna knew him. Tom had arrived a few hours before us. He too was on the way to Moyale but this was as far as he got. He climbed on board. En route he informed me that he didn't have an Ethiopian visa!

The scenery beyond Marsabit was surreal and pretty stark. Just outside the town, I saw a huge crater (at least 2 km wide and 500 m deep). I suspect the remnants of a volcano. We were surrounded by plains of scrub and broken by numerous brown volcanic cones dotting the landscape. Occasionally, we encountered camel trains and flocks of sheep tended to by nomadic tribesman.

We finally reached Moyale at 1500h. Only the last kilometre stretch of the road to Ethiopia was paved. We could have spent the night on the Kenyan side but after the torture of the past 36 hours just wanted to get the hell out. The border routine went off without a hitch except for Tom. The Ethiopians wouldn't issue him a visa on the spot. The only legal options were to head back to Nairobi and apply for one or have his government plead his case. Two daunting prospects. He walked off rather pissed off at himself for checking the visa situation beforehand.

See also, this entry...

Moyale is here: N03 31.909 E39 03.123.

Out of Canuckistan - A travel blog, Mar 15/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Isiolo, Kenya - and the road to hell...

crummy picture of mt. kenya, tallest mountain in, you guest it, kenya at 5199 m. my apologies for the the high tension wire in the frame. I had to climb over someone to take the pic.

came all this way to africa only to find longview, alberta...where's ian tyson when you need him?

isiolo's main street...a few metres behind me was the end of civilization as i knew it (until Ethiopia)...

one of isiolo's back streets. i have no idea why people live here. there's absolutely nothing here...

[ed. note: for those keeping track, isiolo is located here: N00 21.106 E037 34.901]

Ok, I'm here in the feared town of Isiolo. First took a matatu to the town of Nanyuki (two hours). Road was fine. The climate has certainly changed. Palm trees in Nairobi have given way to rolling fields of wheat. Reminds me of the prairies of Alberta. I wanted to take a picture of Mt Kenya but was sitting on the wrong side of the bus. On the map, the mountain is on the wrong side!

It was a quick matatu change in Nanyuki and then a really short ride (along more fields of grain) to Isiolo. It took 1.5 hours on a painfully slow matatu (180 KSH). LP (lonely planet) said the trip would take 3 hrs! Normally I'm pretty alert when entering a new town, but I was caught dozing. When the bus stopped on what seemed to be the main street, I had to ask the lady beside me to confirm that it was indeed Isiolo. I felt like such a confused tourist stumbling off the bus, stunned by the intense midday sunlight and ever present dust.

10 seconds didn't go by when I heard the word mzungu. Next thing I knew I was accosted by 2 kids asking me for money and jobs. Gimme a break people...I'm half asleep. I then dragged my sorry backpack, sitting in a sea of dust, to the veranda of the closest building.

I sat there for awhile trying to gather my senses. I just remember alot of people milling about, some in colourful tribal dress. Close by were a group of nattering young men huddled together like they were playing some sort of gambling game. I swear I stepped into a spaghetti western starring black people. All that was missing were horses and a gunslinging sheriff.

A young man in perhaps his twenties (hard to tell) spotted my clued out face. He asked me, in the worst broken English, what I was doing and whether he could help. I asked him about the trucks to Moyale (the Ethiopian border town). He pointed to the main street. He wasn't sure about the details though. He said he could find someone who could help. We walked to the Morcharo Hotel. By this time, we were being shadowed by a tout claiming he was a "broker". Brokers, as it turned out, are low-life middle men (annoying yet essential buffoons), who put together those looking for rides to Ethiopia with truck drivers headed that way and negotiate things like cabin seats - for an extra fee of course. I had lunch at the Hotel after telling Livio (the original helper) what I was after in terms of a ride.

After I had a lunch of generic meat, I went to reception for further clarification. Caroline, the receptionist, informed me that I had preceded the transport trucks (leaving Nairobi) by 4 hrs. Most if not all trucks get here at about 4 PM and leave at around midnight. 1000 KSH (or 14 USD) for lying on top of the load (often the load was cattle) and 1500 KSH (21 USD) for riding shotgun in the cabin. So many options... Damn that's alot of money but I was hardly in the position to negotiate.

About 45 minutes ago, a guy calling himself an assistant driver (he was lying like a sidewalk as I found out later - he was a lousy tout) approached me in the restaurant to announce his truck was leaving right then and there. Remembering Caroline's advice, I told him to push off.

Looks like I was gonna take the red eye!

[It's getting weirder here as I'm writing this. Martha Stewart's blaring on the restaurant's vid with guest Kenny Rogers crooning a long lost hit single...]

This morning in Nairobi was pretty rough. I can say for certain that I had a great time there. I've written a few times about this, but sometimes it's very difficult sayin' farewell to friends. In this case, saying goodbye to a certain girl was awful tough. We had grown to be good friends in the short time I was there.

Out of Canuckistan, - A travel blog, Mar 14/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Nairobi, Kenya, Day 9 - Stop the donuts!!

Tiffany's race number on her really sweet koga-miyata bike.

Tan lines galore, eh...

Now that's my kind of "water" bottle...
I still have a bit of research to do but did zip/nodda thing this morning. Got off the TV couch at noon. That was life drainingly difficult. Managed to tap into the WWW. No reply from Aaron, the dude I met in Kampala. He's got critical data for the stretch into Ethiopia. Do have to take the plunge myself? Do I really need to put myself into danger again and again... Damn it's like I'm on a giant adventure or something. Ok, Ethiopia here I come. Ready or not.

Later on, "the gang" and I went downtown for chocolate covered donuts (i.e. me and thomas were the only ones cramming donuts) and cafe lattes at a "fancy" cafe. Newest gang member today was Tiffany from the States, a cool cyclist/burnt out lawyer from S. Carolina but working in London.

What's a nice girl like Tiffany doing in a place like Nairobi? Well, the Tour D'afrique (not to be confused with the Cirque du Soleil) just rolled into Camp. She's gonna be a participant! The famous Tour is a bike race from Cairo to Capetown. It's legendary. It also costs something like $12,000 USD to enter the race. Yikes...that's some serious money. Thomas reckons it would pay for a four year bike ride, non-stop.

Well, the Camp grounds are now packed with cyclists' tents now. There must be at least 25 bikers. That's a whole lotta tan lines...

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 11/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Nairobi, Kenya, Day 8

that's thomas on the right...
I've met some very interesting people here at the Hilltop. First there's Thomas from Germany (he's riding his bike from his homeland to Capetown). He's living the life I'm supposed to be living. He's a journeyman traveler/cyclist/author (i.e. he's a pro). He's been all over the world. He gives slide shows. Writes articles. Makes a living doing it. Talking with him for the last few days has really inspired me. Maybe this travel "career" isn't over quite yet. I must work on a strategy to earn money and travel at the same time. Anywho, Thomas is an amazing guy.

If you can read German or wanna see some pretty pix, check him out at his webpage, here.

that's leonard on the left...
Another guy I have to mention is Leonard from Kelowna. He's the guy setting up the slum tours. He looks exactly like the goal keeper for the German National Soccer Team. He reminds me of Don Cherry in his forthrightness. But he's an anti-Cherry-ite. He's much more intelligent (not a stretch for anyone I guess, ha!). He's sharp as a tack. A man of his convictions. To do what he's done here is an incredible feat.

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 10/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Nairobi, Kenya, Days 4-7

One of the few postcards I sent home. There isn't a whole lotta selection. However, I think Kenyans and Africans in general have more important things (like disease and poverty) to worry about...

Yep, that's my lovely prose, eh...
Still alive and kickin'....not much happening other than I've been procuring equipment and books for the last few days. Yes, books! That's one of the best things about Nairobi: it's bookstores. I've bought 3 books since I got here. The latest book? Rich Dad Poor Dad... It's not my kind of read but what the hell. I hope it's not an Oprah book. That makes a total of 6 books (including 3 guidebooks) I'm hauling around. I really can't carry that much.

Good news: I managed to purchase a dense foam sleeping pad. I missed my yellow one so much (the one I sent home with Sal). It would have helped so much earlier on when I was hitching in the back of flat bed trucks.

Bad news: on the visa front, it appears the Sudanese visa won't be possible in Nairobi (unless you're a business person). I'll have to try Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) like I originally planned. It's a little stressful not being able to get it here. I'm not sure if obtainable in AA either.

Good news: I was able to get same day service at the Ethiopian embassy. I'm really excited about getting there.

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 9/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Nairobi, Kenya Day 3 - stayin' alive...still

life's real rough in the slums...
Most tourists come to Kenya expecting to see lions, elephants, and other safari fare. Others have ambitions of climbing peaks like Mount Kenya. But, if you really want to venture off the beaten path to go to the slums of Nairobi. Thomas and I went down fellow Canuckistani Leonard to Muthare. Unbelievably, with a population of 800,000 people, Muthare is the smaller of two giant slums on the periphery of Nairobi.

[ed. notes: Leonard is from Kelowna. He is the driving force behind the Pamoja Tunaweza Single Mothers Group, a small group of at risk mothers in Muthare whose husbands have abandoned them or died of AIDS or violence. The goal of the group is to raise funds through slum tours such as the one we were on or donations to start a micro-loan program that would provide members with seed money for starting small businesses. If you would like to help out, click the link. Trust me, a little donation goes a long way...]

As the taxi sped along, I noticed an endless row of roadside food stands and behind them rows of tin roofed shacks. The scene reminded me of similar shanty towns I saw in India. I knew then that we had arrived in Muthare. The taxi would stop abruptly. Before I even stepped out of the cab, I was overwhelmed by the stench; a wall of aroma composed of sewage, smoke from burning rubbish and human waste wafting from the slum.

didn't mean to startle you ma'am...
We entered the maze of tin shacks, following closely at the heels of Leonard. "Habari...mazuri...", he'd greet everyone we passed in the narrow corridor. Occasionally, he'd stop and have fun with the kids along the way; thus, breaking the "untouchable barrier". Unquestionably mzungus (white people) like me and Thomas take their lives into their own hands when coming down to the slums unescorted. Leonard's been down here at least 15 times by himself, he purports, but I couldn't help but feel a bit vulnerable (especially with my camera hanging around my neck).

lots 'o kid in the ghettos...
Minutes later, we emerged from the narrow alley way. We found ourselves standing on a small promontory overlooking a sea of corrugated tin shacks, all hastily arranged into long rows: stretching a couple of kilometres across a medium sized river valley in front of us and perhaps 5 to 10 kilometres stretched either side along the valley floor. Huge. There was no noise other than kids playing nearby and a howling wind that streaked through the labyrinth of shacks that we just negotiated.

The stench seemed to follow us like tsetse flies chasing a water buffalo's butt. No wonder, raw sewage ran along an open ditch in the middle of lane. Despite the freeflow of milky white fluid I observed, the ditch is often clogged with millions of plastic shopping bags that litter ground.

One of the few toilets serving the entire population of Muthare.
We scurried like rats on a sinking ship. The path narrowed until we reached a cul de sac. There we found Vicky's home, a single room shack with a double bed, a couple of chairs, and a hot plate on the foot of the bed. Vicky would be our official guide. An attractive young woman with an equally impressive handshake, like most young women in the slums, she is a single mum. Leonard informed us that the future of these mums are depressingly bleak. There is massive unemployment in Muthare. The young mothers are desperate, driving alot of them into the sex trade in order to make the money to support their families.

She offers Thomas and I a drink of water. I could not refuse. In the meantime, we met her little boy, her sisters, and neighbours. Despite the horrid conditions in which they live, they seemed so happy.

Vicky's sisters...

Muthare's Portage and Main
Vicky took us down to the "main street". Everyone's pretty friendly, shaking our hands, shouting out hello's. We couldn't help but notice that there people were completely sloshed. I mean men AND women were hitting the sauce. [ed. note. we'd walk along the river and Vicky would point out men, often members of gangs, and their primitive distillation equipment in the stream. apparently, more than a few people lose their lives in this trade.] Vicky would move us along if someone got too friendly. But, overall, she reassured us that things are cool.

Street art: damn Rastafarians are everywhere... Bob is hope, as is soccer using a tin can for a ball.

no, i'm not related to bruce. maybe jackie but not bruce.
Next, she took us to a school. We looked in and found the class, waiting for their teacher, was taking a nap! Ha!

you'll recognise this little boy from the original blog entry.
Next on the tour was the Good Samaritan orphanage.

Ladies with big hearts...
The orphanage was a breath of fresh air. These lovely ladies (above photo) manage the orphanage. They provide food and shelter for 40 to 50 kids of all ages every night. The dorm is packed to the rafters with kids at night and, unfortunately, many other kids are left out in the cold. Eva, the lady on the left, gave me a tour and pointed out the two story orphanage had an significant lean and could topple at any point.

3 to 4 kids share each bunk bed.
All is not doom and gloom however. A replacement building is being constructed next door. Progress has been halted though until more money is raised through donations.

the incomplete orphanage.
The aim of the orphanage is to become self-sustaining. Across the road is a plot of land where the orphanage raises cows, pigs, and chickens for food. The ladies have also started making handicrafts to sell to tourists (see the above pic of the lovely ladies) fund. There's also a scholarship fund in place that has give orphans the opportunity to go to college. Those kids and other alumni usually comeback to help out.

an orphan

dude-like orphans...
It was getting dark having a bit to eat at Vicky's sister's place. Not a good time for mzungus, let alone those who live there, to be in the slums. We hurried back to the main road for the bus ride back to the Campsite. It was a great day. Certainly an eyeopening experience. I couldn't help but envision a positive, hopeful outlook for the people of Muthare, like Vicky (and the other single mums) and the kids at the orphanage.

[ed. notes: the slums, in light of recent Kenyan elections, became the focal point for alot of the violence. i can see socio-economic factors playing a roll in the riots, but when you start introducing tribal grievances into the mix, these slums indeed are sitting on a powderkeg. Anyway, I got a email the other day from Leonard saying the situation in Muthare was insane. Vicky's sister was sent to hospital when she was hacked on the arm by machete wielding thugs. She's OK. so much for progress...]

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 5/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Nairobi, Kenya Day 2 - Stayin' Alive

the Upperhill Campsite (1°18'2.14"S 36°48'43.11"E) is a pretty good hangout. Good crowd. Good beer. Good security. Centrally located. Satellite TV. Dorms were kind of grotty so I stayed in a prefab tent (right) instead for a pricey 6.42 dullah per night. Not bad.

Still alive. Decided to bust out of the fortress today. Headed downtown to get some ATM money with a newly made Kenyan friend, who laughed at my paranoia. After getting a stack of cash (kind of stupid of my carrying such a stash), Tony drove me to a "suburban" shopping mall where I did a little shopping. [ed. note: Tony was apparently drunker than a skunk. Why can't I spot these guys?]. I ended up buying 2 books: the Bradt guide to Ethiopia and a lil' book called "the constant gardner". The guidebook is supposed to be the best and "gardner" is supposed to be good. Both are pretty heavy. Ugh. More crap to carry around. Besides I'm still trying to finish the power of one. Anyway, the more I think about it, the more frivolous the purchase was. I hardly spend money on creature comforts like books. So, I guess this was worth it.

Finished an important task today at least. I met with Surinder tonite at the Campsite. She's my contact here. [ed. note: I was mugged by 4 knife wielding thugs in Vilanculos, Mozambique (here: 22° 0'1.30"S 35°19'24.05"E) earlier in the trip and lost my Visa card.] She gave me my new Visa card. I was quite relieved to finally get it because it should offer me a bit more financial flexibility than just the Mastercard. Surinder was really nice and invited me to supper one night this week. Not necessary... I thanked her profusely.

Slight change in plans tomorrow...thought I'd start the diplomatic chores but I might be headed out to the slums (on a tour). I'm a bit worried about the security arrangements (ie. none) but what the hell...

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 4/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Nairobi, Kenya

the new and improved nairobi...obviously way more people are well to do now.

Nairobi II, bring it on. But first, the drive in from Eldoret. Eldoret to Nakaru was just brutal. It was easily the worst "paved" road I've ever been on: bone jarring and bone rattling. Hilarious, I just saw one road crew repairing potholes the entire length.

Theoretically, traveling at 100 Km/h, it should have taken 3 hrs. to get to Nairobi. Instead it took 7 painful hours. What can you do?

Rolled into Nairobi at about 4 PM. Plenty of daylight left. I paid particular attention to my surroundings as the bus puttered along the traffic choked roads. Past Westlands, the rich suburb. And into an unrecognizable downtown packed with soaring skyscrapers (back in '91 Nairobi was pretty much a government town with ugly low-level bland characterless buildings). Past the infamous River and then Lagos Roads, each located in the sketchiest part of downtown where violent crime is a common occurrence. Unfortunately, for most travelers, the bus stops in front of the Akamba bus station smack dab in the middle of Lagos Rd.

The streets are just jam packed with people, presumably going home after work. Not too many loiterers. No burning garbage. Those were positive signs.

While waiting for the luggage, a lady, on the same bus, told me to be careful with my stuff. She was nice enough to ask me if I knew where the hell I was going... I showed her the map in the guide book, pointing to the Upper Hill Campsite. She and a few other ladies, concluded that a taxi ride was "the most comfortable way" to get there. She negotiated a taxi fare for me (initially, the ladies were in an uproar over the first quote...I just laughed). I thanked her profusely for her kindness and off I went to the Campsite. I'm beginning to really like Kenya.

The Campsite was indeed on a hill, overlooking downtown. Perfect spot for getting things done. I arrived to find John and Klaus, the Swedish and Danish guys on my Nile rafting trip!!! Holy crap! I thought I'd never see them again [ed. note: they were driving their 4x4 truck all the way home to scandinavia.] They're STILL waiting for their Sudanese visas. [ed. note: long long story. if you're interested in the logistics of "expedited" service, leave me a message.]

Also at Upper Hill is Brittany, an American girl who I met in the Backpackers in Kampala. Damn it's a small world, eh. I think she's been here for about a week. Apparently she has latched onto John & Klaus and been made part of their crew for the trip to Ethiopia. I didn't know this beforehand when I offered to split gas with them for the same trip. They have room for 4 but there's a possibility that they have to take on an armed guard for at least part way after Isiolo. So, I, again, am outside looking in. I wouldn't mind a ride to Isiolo...at least. It's a long shot.

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 3/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

Eldoret, Kenya

bit of catching up... hope you didn't miss the recent lunar eclipse. it was a beauty, eh? couldn't resist taking out the ol' camera. man, i'm a geek...

[ed. note: Eldoret, located at N0 30.954 E35 16.439 in the Rift Valley, has been one of the hot spots for recent post-Kenyan election violence. looking back at the brief time i was there, there was absolutely no signs of inter-tribal rivalry or conflict that has set Kenya on it's current path of tragic self destruction. i'll comment further in the Nairobi postings.]

Long day on the bus, but I finally made it to Eldoret.

Eldoret has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Without violence I guess it's like a mini Kampala. Chaotic and major air pollution. My lungs are not liking it.

My return to Kenya feels kind of weird. Like the first time I was here, I already have an urge to get out. Is it just me? Or, is it really that bad? I'm getting some bad vibes. The people just seem more desperate. Compared to Uganda, the population seems much poorer. Men were sifting through mounds of garbage on my way to the hotel.

I'm gonna have to give it a chance. Just exercise caution...

The saving grace of Eldoret seems to be the local Creamery as reported in the Lonely Planet. I went this aft after checking in. I thought I could taste some of the different cheeses they made. When I asked the counter guy for samples, he just gave me the usual dumbfounded face scrunch. He did know what chocolate ice cream was. So, I bought a small tub (half a litre) and took it "home". It was soooo good. It'd been so long since I had 'scream. I ate the whole damn thing. I feel a lil' sick from it right now...

Tonite should be interesting... the club next door has got the house music cranked. really cranked. I think I booked myself into a brothel. Oh, lucky me...

Tomorrow should be really interesting. It marks my return to the place where I started my pathetic travel career, Nairobbery. Sorry, I meant Nairobi. This time I feel somewhat more confident. Pack light, no night time romps and hopefully, I escape within a week unscathed.

Quote of the trip (so far): "good but not better..." - Indian guy running a petrol station (where I was waiting for the bus) on the outskirts of Jinja commenting on how he felt about living in Uganda. He and his parents immigrated from India. I'm not very good with cliches but I think that's a good example of "out of the frying pan and into the fire" or at best a lateral move.

Out of Canuckistan, Mar 2/07
Bigtubofgoo.com
Buy Bubba a Beer Now!

out of touch...again.

middle: anna on the left and jeremy on the right. mercedes below. africans scattered in the rafters. desert outside marsabit all around.

hello my friends,

it's been awhile since i've been able to log in at all or when it's financially feasible.

let's get started. where did i leave off... yes, in kenya. the big crossing. suffice to say, the trip exceeded all expectations with regards to being bounced around. to summarize, i got to isiolo fine. from there i bumped into friends from nairobi, anna and jeremy. fantastic people. jeremy's from calgary originally. living in the uk now. anna a full blown english girl. their adventure involves driving their unmistakable yellow mercedes from capetown all the way home to london. last i heard from them in nairobi, they were trying to have the car shipped from to moyale on the ethiopian/kenyan border. there's no way the mercedes could have made it.

well, i'm in isiolo, another story in itself, and voila! there's this yellow mercedes in the back of this transport truck. i found anna and jeremy throwing back brewskies in a local watering hole and i ask for a lift.

half hour later, i find myself in the back of the truck riding in the backseat of the merc with 20 or so africans hanging onto the rails

the torture lasted through the night. the ride in the merc didn't help smooth out the jarring potholes. the saving graces were the brilliant starry night, outstanding music selection from jeremy's ipod (it played john lennon singin' imagine. how appropriate, eh?), and bottles of red wine and cheap whiskey to dampen the pain. let's just say everyone in the back was having fun.

i overheard one of the kenyans mention, "traveling's fun..." now that's hilarious.

we reached moyale within 48 hrs.

mursi woman. lip plate is not conducive to good kissing but will fetch alot of cattle for her family when she marries (if that hasn't happened yet).

from moyale, i and a couple of spanish guys, luis and antonio (also on the truck from kenya), headed for the Omo valley in SW ethiopia. the original plan was to head to Addis Ababa immediately, but i nixed that plan because of the anticipated rains. travel in the Omo Valley would have been impossible.

how can i describe Omo in the least no. of words? national geographic. it's a living ethnographic museum of sorts. there are 5 or 6 tribes there that still live traditionally. each having it's own language. in theory, they have the occasional dust up because of rustling each other's cattle, but it was pretty peaceful while i was there.

i can get into the subject of tourism and the effects of it on these and other tribes around the world but that would require me to write some kind of dissertation. but it's safe to say, the traditional ways will not last long in the Omo. the influx of outsiders, africans and tourists, and the bloody road they're building.

oh, i forgot to mention 2 birr for a photo. i would kill the first tourist to offer money for photos.

after 7 days in Omo, i'm in AA. my task is to try to get a sudanese visa. pronto. the canadian embassy is not expediting the process...

if i don't get the visa in a reasonable amount of time, it's plan B.

i have an idea of what plan B should be but i ask my loyal readers for their suggestions...

thanx.

update: anna and jeremy, spur of the moment, decided to marry yesterday. i arrived too late to video tape it. oh well... they hired a coptic monk to perform the ceremony.

i'm outta here...part 34

hello my friends...

tomorrow marks the beginning of perhaps the most interesting part of the trip.

i'm headed for ethiopia. for those with atlases or keeping score, i'm headed to the kenyan/ethiopian border via isiolo, marsabit, and finally moyale at the border. the tarmac ends at isiolo. public transportation ends at that point as well. thus, i will have to resort to hitch-hiking (in this case paying for a reportedly torturous bumpy ride on top of a transport truck all the way to the border.

after reaching moyale it's a 2 day torturous bus ride through the land of rock throwing kids to the capital of addis ababa.

i am so looking forward to getting there.

in the meantime, i'll be wrapping it up here in nairobi. you won't believe it but i had a great time here especially with the most interesting people/fellow travelers at the upper hill campsite. i'd like to mention a few of them. forgive me if i missed anyone. there was thomas (the german bicyclist - check out the link on the side bar), leonardo (the crazy kelownian who specialized in swedish chef impersonations), john (a true swede), claus (the mumbling dane), maria (the german girl), leo (the swiss marathon bike rider without a tent), frank and amanda from calgary, and tiffany (the american girl/burnt out lawyer cycling to capetown on the tour d'afrique - yes, the tour was in town).

well that's it from nairobi... i survived!

nairobi...

nap time in the school of hard knocks.


more school kids...

not much time today kids.

arrived back in nairobi a few days back. i must admit it was with much trepidation. i started my "travel career" back whenever here. it was not a positive experience. those who know me know that i spent the first 4 days back then sequestered in my hotel room immobilized by fear.

my observations so far have confirmed a significant improvement in the security situation.

such an improvement, i ventured, on a tour, to one of the ginormous shanty towns that surround nairobi.

local tradition has it that tourists are scammed in downtown nairobi and shot in the slums.

well, it's not that bad...

it's a long and heart tugging story that i will write, at length, about later.

suffice to say, it's a must do tour when in nairobi. a full on, in your face experience.

will be in nairobi for a few more days getting ready for the biggest road trip so far.