Ethiopia to Nanyuki, Kenya

First of all do scroll back to Ethiopia - all the other photos are now up and running!!!

Well, this was an eventful few days. Left Addis Ababa on our second attempt, first time we only got 20kms south of the city and the heavy traffic and the crappy roads sent a rock through our front windscreen and we had to turn around and go straight back. Four days later we were finally on our way again (the workshop didn;t work over the weekend grrrrr....) with one great bonus of being able to enjoy a Champagne Lunch at the Hilton on the Sunday with Jan and Brian. Great fun, really indulgent and a big treat!

The road south was ok but we were just trying to get the kms under our belt. We drove as far south as we possibly could and hit the crazy bustling wee town of Dilla at about 5.30pm. We spotted a white person in one “hotel” car park (no European style hotels round here, all local places which are hard to choose between as they all offer the same lottery scenario) and drove in there to see if we could camp in their compound. NO such luck, it was madly busy and the bar area faced the car park so we would have been the evening’s entertainment. We took a room and squished ourselves in around 2 twin beds and about 1m of floor space. Then i hung up all our laundry to dry at about chest height strung across the room and then the cramped conditions, humidity, irritating wet clothes and mosquito experience was complete. We went out to eat and had our last dose of njeri and Ethiopian fare.

Next morning we drove straight to the border at Moyale – a truly bizarre town which is half Ethiopian and half Kenyan. Bizarrely the Kenyan side is poor and dilapidated and lacking any form of infrastructure, while the Ethiopian side is not bad. Getting out of Ethiopia was all ok and entering Kenya was a pleasure – the men were brimming with smiles and greetings and efficiency. What a pleasure! Then we had to find a place to sleep as it was already after 5pm. We drove to the municipal campsite run by Kenyan Wildlife Services and nearly fell over backwards to discover they wanted $30 for one night’s camping with one long drop loo and some cold water and nothing else. We then drove to the one hotel in town but they wanted $60 to sleep in a room with a cockerel crowing outside the door. So back to the campsite to eat humble pie and set up camp. You can certainly tell the cheap countries are now behind us!

We didn’t get a very early start as Pieter had to find fuel before we could set off (the Ethiopian side of Moyale had run out and on the Kenyan side they discovered they had too!). Returning empty handed we used our Gerry cans and filled up the tank and finally got under way to head towards Marsabit. This road is totally notorious for being terrible and it is the bit we had been totally dreading as our trailer is such a weak point. What a way to spend your birthday – on the worst roads of the entire trip!! We started off and sure enough discovered it was pretty awful. The car was absolutely fine but the trailer was rattling away over the corrugated surface which wasn’t soft, but harsh black rock as it is an ancient lava field dessert. Every hour we stopped to check the trailer, first we found a locked cupboard had rattled open, then the next stop we found the stove had rattled loose and was bouncing around and broken. Next stop two drawers had collapsed and the road was getting worse and worse and i was feeling sick to the stomach with worry about it all.

Last stop to check was about 1pm and we both looked in the wing mirrors and saw disaster had struck. The trailer looked to be sitting entirely on its nose behind us. Pieter went to check and i couldn;t bear to look. When i finally did i broke down by the side of the road. The metal part of the trailer which attaches it to the car had broken and buckled and bolts had snapped. It was now well and truly buggered. So then we were stranded in a dessert in Northern Kenya on a stretch of road renowned for bandits and you are told not to be on after nightfall. We had only seen a car or truck about once every hour so the idea of quick help was unlikely.

Thankfully we had the number of a friend of friend who lives in Nanyuki, about 300kms south of where we were. We dug out the satellite phone and rang him and begged for help. The total star that he is within half an hour he told us about a man who could organise a truck to come and collect the trailer. The truck only arrived at 6pm which meant 5 hours sitting in the windy dessert by the side of the road. When it did arrive it was a mission to get the trailer onto it and they had not brought any ropes or straps to secure the trailer in place. Boer maak a plan and we begged and borrowed ropes from the odd passing vehicle.

So finally at 7.30pm, after sunset, we set off driving the last 80kms to Marsabit in the dark, behind the truck. We stopped frequently as the men paused to check the trailer was ok. I worried slightly about the bandits who were supposed to operate at night, Euan threw up 7 times all over the back seats and himself and everyone was exhausted and roads continued to be horrific. Finally at 11.45pm we reached the dusty town of Marsabit and took the trailer to the garage compound. Then the only option left for sleeping was the local revolting brothel. All 5 of us squeezed into one room with a hole in the concrete floor for a loo. Lovely. What a great great birthday ;-)

Next morning we arranged that the trailer would just continue on the truck as far as Nanyuki. There was little point in repairing it to only then have to go back on the bad roads. By Nanyuki the tarmac had begun so we thought best to get it to a bigger town, with tarmac and then get it fixed. We were able to slightly enjoy the scenery despite all the troubles and the people were so colourful and adorned with beads and vibrant cloth. The car managed the remained of the rocks and corrugations without hiccup, and the only other thing to go wrong was the Gerry can getting to badly rattled that it punctured on a bolt and diesel leaked all over the top of the car, the back window, the doors etc. Late afternoon we made it to Nanyuki and met up with Neil (the Scottish friend) and found our way to a local garage. Finally by 7pm the trailer was tucked away safely and ready to be fixed the next day and we were on our way to a real house with Neil and Claire.

Exhaustion does not quite explain the feeling. 4 days of solid driving, early starts and late nights and worries and emotional breakdowns. Then we arrived at the MOST beautiful house with sweeping views over Mount Kenya, a roaring log fire, hot water and our own bathroom with a real sit down loo and toilet paper and fresh towels. My god.

PS: photos to follow, internet is faster than Ethiopia but not highspeed!!


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