Malawi

My electronics continue to defeat me.  I now can't even send or receive emails on my iPad or phone.  We have been in Malawi now for over a week and crossing the border into Zambia tomorrow.  Malawi is extremely poor and many kids are orphaned.  I met a teacher yesterday that said that 16% of her students are orphans. There are so many kids here.  All of the women have babies on their hips,  another tagging behind and often pregnant.

The countryside is lush and beautiful.  The people wear bright wraps and the kids dirty, holey clothes but they seem sweet and happy.  We hear so much singing along the road, it is great. 

On Safari in the Serengeti - March 11th to 13th, 2015

Karen took a few days off from the Kenya/Tanzania portion of the route earlier this month to do a safari in the Serengeti along with some other riders. Here are some pictures.

Mom and cub, hanging out in the grass

Big male lion, satisfied after his recent kill/meal

Cape Buffalo

Lazy hippos

Dining on an early morning kill - the cubs get the head. Other zebras come closer to watch once they know the lions are eating and the threat is gone.

Technical Difficulties - Hopefully a Real Update Soon

(Update from Ryan)

Apologies for the lack of posts. Everything is going well and my brother heard from her a couple of days ago, but Karen is having trouble sending/receiving e-mails on her iPad. According to the Tour d'Afrique schedule, she just crossed from Tanzania into Malawi. Hopefully she'll figure out her internet problems, since she has a lot to update us on. 

Meanwhile, she was able to send me this one picture from her safari earlier this month in the southern Kenyan Serengeti.

Mom and cub hanging out in the grass

March 3rd, 2015 - Marsabit to Laisamis, Kenya - 97km

Great day despite the horrendous roads.  Along the way, met lots of Surrendo or Maasai people.

Hotel in Marsabit - make sure you see a photo before booking a room at the Takbir Hotel online.

 The TDA (Tour d'Afrique) security guards are everywhere.  I'm in downtown Marsabit, a few kilometers from the Convent where we are staying.  The town reminds me of an Indiana Jones movie where people are milling around a market place. Lots of noise, people selling.  Trucks, donkeys and carts laden with produce and goods dash in and out of places.

 Bright fabrics, dishes and legumes for sale here. I got chastised for snapping this photo.

 The Convent where we stayed.  The Sisters were suave business women; they presented us with many opportunities to spend our dollars.  Cold drinks (including beer) appeared, yogurt, chips, ice cream, chocolate bars materialized as though our thoughts were read.  They cleaned our laundry and made us meals.  It was a pleasant stay.

March 1st & 2nd - Lava Rock Camp to Rest Day at Convent in Marsabit, Kenya

The scenery on the early morning ride on March 1st was astoundingly flat in every direction you turned.

How many men does it take to change a flat (or three flats in this case)?  Local road workers help a lady in distress.

February 28th, 2015 - First Day in Kenya!

Today we are presented with a new challenge...deep, fine, thick, red sand.  Most of us dismounted our bikes and waded ankle deep in the red stuff.  As we pushed our bikes along, clouds of red dust billowed from our feet.  Those who tried (and failed) to ride their bikes through the sand pits end up with a covering of red dust from head to toe.

The 'Bumps A Head' sign with the line of camels behind made me laugh.

 New pavement on Kenyan road, courtesy of the Chinese.

 This is what the main road looked like before the Chinese saw economic potential in Africa.

Roadkill - hyena, about 100 lbs.  strong thick back haunches and jaws, and large incisors.  I don't need to meet a live one of these.  I was brave taking the photo but making sure nothing was stirring along the side of the road.

We look for the orange flag and the big white trucks as we approach the given mileage for the day.  Oddly enough we call these temporary camps 'home'.  Here, many of the tents are up, so as usual I'm one of the last ones in ... I've come to enjoy stopping for pictures, taking in a pretty scene, lounging at a coke stop and talking to some of the people along the way.  Getting into camp early can be very boring.

February 27, 2015 - Good Bye and Good Riddance, Ethiopia!

We biked along ignoring the calls of "you, you, you" and "money, money, money", and cringed as we saw the kids pick up rocks and waited for the sting of the airborne projectile.  We were openly relieved as we approached the border crossing into Kenya.  The border town of Moyale was hopping with activity as buses, trucks and people on foot made their way to and from the border.

Here in Moyale, we say goodbye to Ethiopia, the Blue Donkeys (the blue three wheeled taxi shown below), the aggressive kids (and adults), and the green and yellow flag.

We sit at a bar on the Ethiopian side of the border waiting for the immigration staff to return from their 2 hour lunch.  We don't look very happy in this photo, so maybe the relief will come later when we get an Exit stamp from Ethiopia and and Entrance stamp from Kenya.

I made the mistake of having 2 macchiatos and a coke while waiting and hardly slept a wink that night.  Note to self that no matter how good the coffee tastes, zero is the correct number to have after lunch.

The difference in people and attitudes from one side of the border to the other was remarkable.  The border staff actually joked with us but of course we were quite happy at that point.

February 25th-26th, 2015 - Yabelo, Ethiopia

A couple of good days of cycling despite the lack of roads and roads under construction.  Had a rest day in Yabelo.  Didn't do much, took a blue donkey taxi into town and wandered around for a couple of hours.

Rough road to start the day

New road but not quite finished. It was fun, but a bit of an obstacle course.

Another busy village

Typical countryside in southern Ethiopia

Termite mound, as tall as a tree. They are at least equally as big underground.

Typical fence in the area

Many herds of camels along the road or in the fields.  They are extremely funny to watch.  Apparently, they are worth about $1,500 each and are used for camel milk and meat.

Green scenery and just a goat.

 More dirt road but it is smooth and fun to ride on.

Town of Yabelo - daily market

February 22nd/23rd - Southern Ethiopia

The scenery is great but the number of kids and adults wanting your attention is too much. The kids are increasingly more aggressive. We are told that things will get much better once we cross over to Kenya.

There are so many people who stop and migrate towards you. It is claustrophobic and exhausting.

February 21st - Lake La, Ethiopia - 105 km

Hundreds (over 300...I'm not exaggerating...someone counted) people came out to watch us put up our tents, clean our bikes, laze around, have dinner and head off to bed.  As the sun goes down they dissipate but we could hear the rhythm of drums and singing from a nearby village.  The party sounds continued until long after I was tucked into my tent and asleep.

 Good highway but lots of children, cows and donkeys.

 The bulls decide when they want to cross the road and transport trucks, buses, bikes and everyone stops and lets them go.

 We stopped at a juice bar where they make layered juices...I choose pineapple, avocado and mango.  I tried to get a picture here of a guy putting his goat in a blue donkey (the blue three wheeled taxi cabs) but I missed it.

 Dust devils (like a small tornado) form due to opposing winds and temperatures.  They sweep across the land picking up particles of sand and rubbish.  If there is one, there are likely quite a few.  We saw about 4 at once; some very thin and high and others rather fat like this one.

 We camped at a Wilderness Reserve this evening.  Initially, were met by a half dozen or so ostriches who joined us at our campsite from time to time.  Later people saw warthogs (mother and babies) and a group of antelope (or gazelles, can't remember which).  I was on the wrong side of the campsite to see these and unaware that our campsite was being invaded.

 Met hundreds of people walking - obviously to a religious ceremony.  All wearing white scarves.

 We considered ourselves to find this very nice cafe that sold layered juices, coffee and cakes. It was a great way to pass some time before heading to lunch.

 Sweet Ethiopian coffee with milk.

Lunch truck always parked at the half way mark.  On lookers in the background, kept at a distance with a rope fence...every year at least one bike and many items get stolen.

After the lunch stop, 6 teenagers on bikes followed me and another rider asking for things off our bikes, which the answer was always 'no, I need that".  Then they tried to take the other riders phone out of his jersey pocket.  They surrounded us and followed us for several kilometres.  It was obvious that the intent was to rob us; we came to a police hut where the other rider went in to report what was going on.  We don't know if the boys will be chastised but at least it was over for us.  

 Bright orange beard...I suspect that he dyed it.

 Beautiful young woman who came out to the side of the road to see us.

 Common house in the country-side.

February 20th, 2015 - Lake Kola - More Pictures

The storks stand about a meter high and look prehistoric.

 

Furry donkey

Camp - tents, bikes, dinner truck with awnings out for shade.

Impressive (and scary) bulls wandering around our camp

 This young guy wanted me to take his picture holding onto the bull in the background.  I didn't think that me photographing him being gored by a bull would help us to be accepted in Ethiopia.

 

 Our guard for the night - note his AK47 at his side.

 Leaving the site the next morning..the locals are out with baskets of fresh fruit waiting for customers.