BYE BYE KENYA...

Another green dash on the board, and that is next to "Kenya" this time. The 160 km long stage today took us right to the Tanzanian border. Departing Nairobi on Sunday morning early was good idea. It spared us the danger of riding in the mad Nairobi traffic and within an hour we were out of the city boundaries on a small "tarred" road heading south towards the Tanzanian border. Tarred, is a bit of a over statement as the surface of the pot holes was definitely beating the surface of what was left of tar... Anyway after km 50, we turned into another road and things got better for while until we hit the section they were rebuilding. That is where the day's unexpected challenge hit us. There was a choice to go right onto a dirt road that browsed along the road work or to keep on straight and make our way between the heavy machines. Being Sunday, the roadworks looked almost stopped, so most riders went straight through and did not use the side road. Mistake... Many paid a heavy price for this... They had just poured fresh liquid tar on that section and within seconds the riders who had chosen this way got splashed with warm liquid tar, all over their bikes and themselves. Some even fell in it.... At camp later, it took them hours to wipe that tar of their bikes.

Kenya gets the full marks as far as I am concerned. I enjoyed this country and was impressed by the level of education everywhere. I was also impressed by the way they have embraced Internet and cell phones. Both are available everywhere with different operator competing and at very reasonable prices. A healthy sign for the future. I have never seen as many schools as here in Kenya. They seem to have bet on the future generation through education and I can tell you that the difference between here and Ethiopia or Sudan is obvious. Kenyans I have met were mostly friendly and educated, they were all interested about our journey and I felt a lot closer to them than any of the other nations we have met so far.

I am now looking forward to discover Tanzania where we are going to spend 15 days crossing it diagonally. Tomorrow we will reach Arusha where the TDA takes its official mid way break, a full 3 days off the bikes! Yeah!!!

                                                         Dan cleaning his bike full of tar

                                                                          Termite nest

                                          Amazing indigenous trees fashion the landscape

                                                                The bark of that tree

                              The landscape we crossed today were magnificent. Untamed Africa....

                                                       Church in the middle of the bush

                                           Dana was also one of the riders who got "tarred"

                         Josh, Gabriel, Jim and myself on a dirt portion of today's 160 km long stage.

                                      Eric did not only liter his bike with tar, he also fell in it...