Home » Kenya Ethiopia » Cycle to the Summit Part 15 - Addis Ababa to Nairobi

We visited our first WaterAid projects in Addis Ababa, and saw some impressive progress being made. We then cycled south through rolling hills and past fruit trees at the side of the road. After we crossed into Kenya, we had to hitch a lift on an overland truck for the northern part of the country where there is danger from Somalian bandits. Ruth climbed Mt Kenya, we crossed the equator, and arrived in Nairobi in time to celebrate Toby's birthday at the city campsite.

Cycle to the Summit Part 15 - Addis Ababa to Nairobi

Toby Hammond
2006-06-25 19:58:45

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what life is like aboard these converted trucks full of travellers that criss-cross Africa. Two and a half days later we had eaten good food, met some good people, but also witnessed a fight between passengers, and helped dig the truck out of a quagmire. At one point along the bandit-route the truck loudly blew a tyre, which woke up the armed guard riding with us - it sounded just like gunshot. So we were glad to be back on two wheels when we jumped off in a town called Nanyuki.
Nanyuki presented us with the first cashpoint since Egypt, and even better, a shop selling such wonderous fare as Weetabix, Cadburys chocolate, Pringles, and other 'fine' western processed food products. Rejoice!
While Ruth climbed Mt Kenya (which takes about 4 days) with Bruce, a guy from the overland truck, Paul Owy and Toby beat a path west, in search of decent Kenyan food, after too long living off the sour Ethiopian bread, Injera. Click here for Ruth's account of her heroic climb!
At the foot of Mount Kenya -in a town called Naru Moru- we met a local mountain guide called Charles who tells us the community is facing many problems with their water supply, (despite the deluge of daily rain we've been cycling through). He also says that the tourist industry attached to the mountain is a vital source of local income - the only alternative many people have is producing charcoal - which is highly destructive to the local environment.
The first night heading west, we ask if we can camp on a coffee plantation, and end up spending a very pleasant evening with James Githaieia and his family, who manage a farm. It seems that news has travelled from Ethiopia - James has heard of our journey on the local news too. Though coffee growing is their bread-and-butter, like many Kenyans they prefer tea - we are offered cup after cup. We are treated to a great taste of Kenya, politics and current affairs discussed over a fantastic traditional meal - Ugali (stiff maize porridge, which is like a cross between mashed potato and rice), and various soups and stews whose Swahili names I have unfortunately forgotten. It's a bit of a culture shock when the evening is rounded off by watching a James Bond film on their TV set.
We pass countless school signs, most of them sponsored by Coca-Cola. I'm wearing a Nike-emblazoned cap I found in Sudan. I've been asked for it countless times since crossing the border: "Give cap, give cap". Unlike Sudan and Ethiopia, corporate branding is big in Kenya.
We cross the equator, not once, but three times as we wiggle our way westward. At the equator there is a sign "You are at the Equator" (sponsored by Coca-Cola), and a cluster of souvenir shops, but disappointingly no long black line painted across the road. We spend a pleasant couple of days in the lively town of Nakuru, before heading south to meet Ruth in Nairobi.
We spent a few nice days in Nairobi, avoided any Nairobbery, and celebrated my (Toby's) birthday at a campsite just outside of town. Our thanks to Frances, a friend of Paul's who works for Oxfam, who not only brought us out a consignment of spare parts from the UK, but also treated us to an excellent restaurant meal in the captial - "The best meal I've had since leaving England", says Owy.