Highway to Hell!!!

The roads of Northern Kenya, the arid landscape and the weather have made the last few days much like hell. The roads and areas are sparsely populated, all vehicles need to travel in convoy … or get police escorts … due to problems with bandits.

The roads are compact dirt, changing to rocky nightmares. The last 100km to Marsabit are real rocky … larva rocks thrown all over from the Marsabit volcano explosion … somewhere in the past. Severe winds, heat and dryness made it all the more fun.

lake koka

I felt as strong as an ox for the first two days on the dirt roads in Kenya and felt like real shit yesterday into Marsabit … coughing phlegm, blocked sinuses and just pap … so opted for a ride on Doris (the large truck) when she passed on by. Although I think I made the right decision … it was definitely the toughest day of the trip so far, and I just wasn’t feeling strong … I did feel a little excluded when everyone was overjoyed at completing the tough stage and comparing war stories.

patrick getting TLC while sick

Onwards from here

The next three days back down from the crater are to be similar, but a tad better in road quality. We then head over the Equator … yeeha … have our Halfway Party and roll into Nairobi in six days time (from today).

We then have two days cycling – over the border to Tanzania – and then a well deserved three days rest in Arusha – double YEEHA! I was planning to interrupt my trip and go up Kilimanjaro … but that’s probably not the world’s greatest plan if I am still not feeling 100%.