One last note:

I wanted to say a massive thank you to Luke's uncle for giving us the Ride Easy Gel Pads. I would have posted photos of the many ways they came in handy but unfortunately I lost all the photos on my memory card and I have none. What I can say is that Luke and I not only used them while riding but we used them as seats atop our jerry cans, as pillows when sleeping and seats in the African bush.

Check out there website here:


http://www.ride-easy.com/

Kenya - Where The Road Ends

The road doesn't end in Kenya, in fact, it's around half way between Cairo and Capetown. Here is where many all bikers passing through Africa stop and camp at Jungle Junction. The owner Chris is a motorbike guru and has a dedicated workshop for bikers and helps out people with bike work etc... Unfortunately tonight I find myself in a guest house somewhere lost in the capital without my motorbike.

My intentions were of carrying on and stopping at Jungle Junction fixing a few things, meeting up with some other bikers and convoying north to ethiopia through the mighty well known 'stone' road. This roaad offers riders 500 km of testing stone road that often kills tyres. People travel this route in convoys as it is also a rampant bandit area who are looking to loot anyhing they can get there hands on.

The long story short is that the Ethiopian Embassy is only offering visas to African residents. I could send my passport to london and get the visa and send it back to kenya but by that time it would be too late as the process would take just over a week. Then I would have but two and a half weeks left before flying back to London from Cairo. I just don't think its realistic expecting to make Nairobi - Cairo in that time frame on a 350cc bike that needs a lot of caring on the way.

I'm flying back to England from Kenya on Thursday and on the 28th of August I'll be flying to Cameroon to visit my mother for a short two weeks before finishing my last year of uni - scary.

My last week in Kenya I've been hanging out along the coast. Mombassa, Malindi and Turtle Bay Beach. I was only in Malindi for one night, the camping there was $15 US a night, pretty ridiculous to be honest. So I hit up a place in Turtle bay which was like $4 US a night for a while.

In Mombassa the beach was packed. I was there the weekend before Ramadan. It seemed everyone was out in force before hard core fasting had to begin. I was shocked when I looked up from reading my book and saw a camel stroll casually by right before. The beach was more lively than your average market in africa. Right from young kids with their parents, to teenagers with their friends challenging rivals to matches of football, all the way to the lazy old grandad who pulled a plastic chair right onto theshore where the small waves were braking to let his feet wade in the water. It was something I'd never seen before.

Here are some photos:

While in Turtle Bay Beach I met somebody who invited me to a rememberance ceremony of someone who died a year ago. I have more pictures which I will post on my website soon.

This is where I ate while on the coast, usually for around 50 Shillings. 124 Shillings is one pound.

Luke has sold his bike and I have continued north from Dar Es Salaam. I'm glad Luke was able to sell his bike, in my mind it was a near impossible task. First you have to find someone who is interested in a 1986 Yamaha 350. Then you have to convince them to cough up the money even though they will have to pay exorbitant import fees and go through a whole lot of hassle merely to legally register the vehicle in TZ. But, it all proved possible, and Luke got some money back from the bike.

I just wanted to say a massive public thank you to Luke for coming on this trip with me. We've known each other for some time now and he definitely made a great travel companion. The trip has been epic in many ways. On a day to day basis we experienced massive high's and low's. All from witnessing elephants crossing the road to running out of fuel and having to unload all our stuff just to get to the jerry can's, all the way to meeting some of the most generous and friendly people who paid for our meals and drinks. We also took turns re-telling our travel stories to folk who talked to us at camp sites. We also both witnessed Cameroon loose against Denmark and end their 2010 world cup bid. Through it all, I'm sure - in fact, I know, that Luke has put up with me even when I wasn't in the best of moods. For that, I am very much thankful. Luke, see you in Nairobi!

The Kenyan border was surprisingly easy. Just a bit of waiting around and filling out all the documents that don't really mean anything. If there is one thing that brings down the countries of Africa, it's paper work. Everywhere you go they give you a reciept, an official document and they always have to write it out twice so they can have a record. Then you also have to sign a guest book or entry book that has over a few days accumulated thousands of signatures, which, I'm sure are all just shoved into some deep hidden away cabinet never to be seen again. I guess its all got to be done.

To all who have been following the plan is to go to Nairobi get a new conrod and timing chain and continue up north step by step with the purpose of reaching Cairo. We'll see how far is possible on a small 350cc.

Driving from Tanga, TZ to Lunga Lunga the border town with Kenya is all bad road and I was bombing it between 60-70 km/h. When I arrived at my campsite I could smell fuel and I realized that my jerry can had bust where it was lying down on the rack of my bike. I reckon the bumps and all just killed it. It's only leaking at a slow rate, but I will get it checked out and probably welded in Malindi .

Peace.

I was just about to load some photos for you lovely folk and then just realised the internet cafe I'm at can't handle my hard drive. Lame, I guess I'll have to keep you waiting till next time. Jordan

how quickly plans change

Yesterday morning I was picking up my bike from the mechanic's...
This morning I was in discussions with a guy about selling it.

The plan was to go to Nairobi and to sell my bike there, but when Jordan met a guy interested in purchasing it last night, things quickly fell into place for me to sell it here in Dar es Salaam.

So today Jordan left for Mombasa, Kenya while I stayed behind to sort out details of selling my bike. Tonight everything was finalized, so in a day or two I will be buying a bus ticket for Nairobi and plan to meet up with Jordan there where we will finally end up splitting ways while I leave Africa and he plans to continue on for another month.

Luke

Luke is currently picking up his motorbike from the garage. One of his coils had to be re-wired. This problem meant he couldnt start the bike at all... Hopefully, this morning all will be well and he'll be able to drive it back to our guest house.

On another note, we just got back yesterday evening from Zanzibar. It was an amazing and beautiful island. There we got the chance to eat some octopus and calamari, swim with some wild dolphins, see a whale out at sea from shore and rest a lot! The beaches were amazing and crystal clear.

Sometime this weekend we will be heading up to Mombassa, in Kenya. The push to Nairobi will be our final ride together as Luke departs on the 17th of August to visit his girlfriend in India. I have decided to take it step by step and see what happens. When I get to Nairobi I need to find a new timing (cam) chain for my bike as well as a conrod. If I can find the parts I will continue onwards to Addis in Ethiopia and from there assess how everything is going. Everything is a bit unsure but if the bike is putting out well and I'm enjoying it I will try and make the final few thousand k's to Cairo. I have to be back in England by Sept. 13th so I will extend my trip to the 11th or 12th of September which should be plenty of time.

Thanks for following thus far. Here are another series of photos, hope you enjoy!

Jordan

I forgot to mention. Luke suddenly decided to hit up Zanzibar on Monday so I followed behind him. While he took a 90 min express ferry, Hassan (the mechanic whose been working on my bike) took  me to his hometown right opposite the island to catch a boat. What I didn't realise was that it would be Dow's, local sail boats. The Dow I was riding on was roughly 300 meters out to sea, so we had to load the motorbike into a smaller boat and take it over to the boat we were crossing with. I struggled holding the two boats together as tigghtly as possible while Hassan, his brother and a porter lifted the bike over practically dropping it into a huge cargo of fruit. The crossing in the end took 6 hours and 4 other German guys were riding at night because it was cheaper and they were out of the sun's harm.

Hope you enjoyed the photos...

Take care people,

Jordan

Photos from the last few weeks