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.