Well, we’ve officially made it half way through this trip.  Thinking back to before I left, I actually never imagined i’d make it this far.  I remember speaking to my girlfriend before I left almost assuring her that i’d be home within the first month or so as a result of illness, serious mechanical failure or some other unforeseen incident.  As well planned as this trip was, I just presumed that the odds were against us.  To be here, at the halfway mark, is an exciting feeling and one which I struggle to explain with words.  This, right now, is by far the biggest accomplishment of my life and I am now 100% focussed on crossing the finish line in South Africa in 2 month’s time.  It’s sounds a little corny to say, but every fibre of me is now committed and focussed to completing this adventure.  The group recently spoke about the balance of our route and the tourist attractions we have ahead of us with a view to striking a balance between time and reward in seeing these attractions.  It dawned on me that I really don’t care for playing the tourist on this trip.  For me (and I don’t speak for the other guys, obviously) this trip for me is solely about starting, spending 4 months with 3 of the greatest guys I know, and finishing with them:  that’s it.

Since my last update from Marsabit, we rode for another 2 days on the worst roads in the world, before finally hitting tarmac about 140kms from Isiolo.  We hit the tarmac after 2 solid hours of riding (and covering only 24kms).  We’ve had some moments of pure happiness on this trip, but I have to say that reaching that tarmac is by far the most happiest I’ve felt on this trip.  It made me laugh how my desires have become so basic that something as simple as reaching tarmac can provide such levels of  happiness.   We had a ceremonial worship of the tarmac as Gavan got down on all fours and literally kissed the ground.  We were happy to be able to sit on increased speeds of 25+km/h averages.  Not having used your standard group of cycling muscles in the 5 previous days (from riding the Highway to Hell, which requires the use of a whole different muscle group set), the increased speed from ‘norma’l cycling on tarmac quickly exhausted me but despite this, with pushed out an enormous day of 164kms into Isiolo where we said goodbye to our Police Escorts as we’d now successfully passed through the ‘danger zone’.  Earlier on in the day, I asked our police escorts just what the risk against us was (with bandits).  They explained that bandits were predominantly desperate cattle thieves who, if they saw us, would rob us at gun point of our valuables (we were assured our bikes would be of no interest in them).  I asked whether there was risk of us being harmed in the process.  One of the young cops replied “if you resist, you’ll quickly meet God”.  I thanked him and reminded him how much I really valued their services.  I double checked his gun’s magazine was full and ready for action.  It was.

Arriving in Isiolo was a bit of a cultural shock as it marked the end of the Kenyan desert and bush we’d just spent the last 5 days crossing.  It also marked a drastic change in scenery, culture and affluence.  Scenery-wise, things became a lot greener and dense (as opposed to the desert, where nothing grew).  For the first time since Sudan, all of our phones received 3G service which we quickly put to use with long awaited email replies back home.  People-wise, the tribal-folk in their cloths and beautiful jewellery with spears gave way to designer clothes and mobile phones.  By some fluke of luck, our Police Escorts had brought us to one of the best hotels in town which had a restaurant menu roughly the size of an Oxford Dictionary and we ate like our lives depended on it.  A new record for me: 5 milkshakes and 4 bowls of ice cream (not including dinner and breakfast) in less than 12 hours.  Any calcium deficiency I may have had (i looooove dairy) had been quenched.

That night we all pow wowed about the route ahead of us and decided that the planned route ahead through Hells Gate National Park (which you can cycle through) was too much effort (i.e.  2-3 days) for very little reward and the route was culled and we would instead head straight to Nairobi which we’d make in 2 day’s time.  

The following 2 days passed quite normally; though for one of the first times on this trip, the days were much shorter as we only had 200kms to complete in 2 days to get to Nairobi.  The first day saw us finish riding at 3pm and I put the afternoon to use by knocking off some chores that I had planned for Nairobi.  Seeing that we potentially had an audience before the High Commissioner at the Australian Embassy in Nairobi, I had a shave and a haircut and also mailed some unused items home.  Just on the subject of mailing items home, in earlier blog I mentioned how I sent some other items home that I wasn’t using and also included a beautiful dagger I’d bought in Sudan.  I realised that I may have SOME issue getting the item into Australia, so included a nice explanatory letter in the box for any Australian Customs official opening the box.  What I didn’t expect was a letter sent to my Mum (who I’d mailed the box and dagger to) explaining that the knife had been seized and she was now to expect legal action on account of receiving prohibited items.  I would like to publically apologise to my poor Mum who I have certainly created an enormous headache for.  I now have to write to Customs and explain myself and ask that any action arising out of my folly be brought against me.  If I do end up in jail, I want the bloody knife back.

So here we sit in Nairobi in more 5-star bliss at the Regency for the next 2 nights.  Today is Wade’s birthday which is all very exciting.  Seeing that we’re going to the Australian Embassy tonight for drinks and some serious shoulder rubbing, we went to a mall before and bought shirt and slacks for the occasion.   We each only have one pair of non-bike clothes and figured that rocking up at the embassy in grubby shorts and t-shirts probably wasn’t kosher.  Being that it’s an Australian Embassy, said new shirt and slacks will be worn with thongs (seriously).  I must remember to cut my toe nails before I go as they currently resemble a bird’s talons (ahhhh, life without personal standards and no girlfriend to impress...).  After presumably drinking VB while listening to Khe Sanh on repeat while eating vegemite sandwiches at the embassy, we’re all heading out to Carnivores restaurant where you were previously able to order just about any kind of African meat (though i’m not lead to believe the menu no longer includes zebra) for Wade’s celebratory birthday dinner.

Tomorrow will be largely dedicated to giving our bikes a much needed tyre change and general maintenance before we start the remaining 5,000-6,000km trek through Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and then finally South Africa.

Again, thank you to everyone for your ongoing contacts.  It’s been fantastic to have had so much contact from people we don’t even know (largely from the article in RideOn magazine), as well as work colleagues, friends, friends of friends and family.   All your emails are shared between the group and we really get a kick out of receiving then.

And, if anyone from Australian Customs reads this, please back off my Mum and give me my bloody knife back.