Kenya: Off-road up north. Part 2
The second part of this tour takes me from Lake Turkana, back south to Nairobi. While the distance isn’t that far, the contrasts between the northern and southern regions of Kenya are quite stark, more so than regional differences in many countries I feel. The counties of Turkana, Marsabit, Samburu, and parts of Lakipia, might as well be a different country. Wilder, scarcely populated, and largely neglected by central government, the ethnic groups living here have mostly retained their traditional ways of life, predominantly tending to livestock, and remained outside the colonial yoke that influences more of southern Kenya and the peoples living there.
Once I reached Nanyuki, straddling the equator beside the cloud-covered slopes of Mt Kenya, I felt that my Kenyan adventure was mostly over. South from here, the Central Highlands of Kenya are densely populated and home to Kenya’s most dominant ethnic group - the Kikuyu. This part of Kenya, while still enjoyable and interesting to travel through, had none of that feeling of adventure that I felt further north
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Across Lake Turkana
Happy, but somewhat nervous. Boat crossings like this are never particularly safe. You sit onboard thinking of all the things that could go wrong, and that's on a lake full of crocodiles. The boat crossing took 3 hours, arriving shortly before sunset on the eastern side of Lake Turkana.
There were about a dozen of us on the boat. The wind and waves, which had made me nervous to begin with, calmed as we motored across. When I first looked for a boat to cross the lake I was put in touch with someone who quoted me a price of $200. Perhaps a foreigner had paid that before, but I knew if there were small boats transporting locals across I would be able to negotiate a price far less than what is equivalent to living costs of several months for many people here. After a little negotiation on the lake shore I fixed a price of around $15, which is more than double what others were paying, but then I was also carrying my bike across.
Headed to a village called Ngasinyono, which doesn't appear on any maps. In fact it was only one of the online mapping apps that I use (mapy.cz) that showed a track leading south on the eastern side of the lake, allowing me to reconnect with a more marked track.
The most striking image and memory of arriving in this remote lakeside village was all the children that were running and playing on the lake shore. And the pregnant teenage girl walking in front of my camera as I took a picture of my tent and the sunset. Not that this demographic or scene surprised me. In rural locations where there is no electricity and next to no education on family planning or healthcare, family sizes are large, with women giving birth to an average of 6-7 children.
Hot and dry track south
Riding off from Ngansinyono. I had brought 13 litres of water across the lake with me, 5 of which I consumed while drinking and cooking the previous day. Water from Lake Turkana is saline, although communities living along the lake shore drink it. The 8 litres of water I took with me wasn't enough for the long day ahead in the 40°C+ heat, so I ended up taking water from the lake and boiling it.
Now in Marsabit County, but the people here are still ethnically Turkana.
Marsabit County is the most scarcely populated in Kenya.
Rest stop in the shade. I was so hot I ended up resting under this tree for a few hours to avoid the midday heat.
Riding south beside Lake Turkana. Hot and remote.
The sensible option when the temperatures are above 40°C. There are a few remote fishing communities living along the lake shore.
Many of the tracks around Lake Turkana have sandy stretches. A bicycle without wide tyres would require a significant amount of pushing.
Digging for water. There are areas around the lake with fresh water springs. If the government wanted to help people by providing fresh sources of water they could.
Overnight temperatures cool to around 30°C. The skies up here, with no light pollution, are full of stars. I had hoped to reach the first marked settlement on the map where I would find fresh water, but was too tired and decided to camp about 30km short of it.
Last camp by Lake Turkana
It’s a beautiful sunrise, but it’s not long before the rising temperature makes it too hot to be sitting beside the tent.
The track widens as I head to the small town of Loiyangalani, the first settlement on the map on the south eastern side of Lake Turkana.
Loiyangalani. Time for the usual feed of rice and beans.
Loiyangalani is mostly inhabited by Turkana. Hot and dusty, I did consider finding a room here, but opted to ride out later that day to camp by the lake. That was after drinking about 3 litres of water the moment I arrived, and riding off with 10 litres on the bike.
South from Loiyangalani. Beautiful, but not many camping options.
Scouring the land looking for somewhere to camp that isn't covered in rocks, as this part of Kenya mostly is.
A lucky spot. I was giving up on finding somewhere to pitch the tent before it got dark, but a local fisherman directed me towards a cleared area of rocks beside the lake.
And another wonderful night under a clear starlit sky.
Towards South Horr
Climbing up from Lake Turkana. The rise in elevation and strong winds here provide some relief from the heat.
Last views of Lake Turkana.
These tracks have almost no traffic, unless you include livestock.
I had found a discreet place to camp. At least that's what I thought. Shortly after arriving in what was a beautiful spot above a dried river bed, a group of young Samburu came to greet me. The Samburu, like the Turkana, are pastoralists tending to livestock. Most retain their traditional way of life.
Dress and appearance are very important for Samburu. I loved the hair clips on this young man.
Northern Kenya proved to be a much more remote and enjoyable place to wild camp, found or not by locals, than I imagined.
Sandy Tracks Through Samburu
Company in the morning before I set off. The rear tyre had lost some air overnight so I was topping it up with sealant in front of a small audience. None of these encounters beside my tent ever felt threatening. I think people are often more shocked, surprised and confused to see a foreigner camping outside close to where they live. I’m always very aware of potential risks in camping alone in remote places, so ensure that valuables are inside my tent and the bike is locked.
Refreshing to have a cold drink in this heat.
Fuelled by rice and beans as normal.
Onwards through Samburu County. Recent rains mean the landscapes are beautifully green.
Off to a wedding. We both stopped. They wanted water, which I was a bit reluctant to give. In this part of Kenya I was never sure when I would find water again, so I couldn’t just hand it out when people asked for it. Sometimes I was not entirely sure the request was anything more than a way for me to stop.
So they got some water and I asked for a few pics. I perhaps should have guessed that they would drink the entire bottle between them.
I fortunately managed to find water later that day and this great spot to camp. Great because it had a wonderful view of Mount Poi and I could pitch my tent on the soft sand of the riverbed. I was very aware that if there was any rain this riverbed could quickly flood.
Fortunately there were no dark clouds overnight.
School camp without the rain
A beautiful morning, and my tent in the shade for the first few hours.
Riding off-road and camping in the bush means my tyres pick up a number of thorns. I should just leave them all in the tyre. Pulling thorns out means the sealant will escape the tyre, as happened on this occasion. I carried a pouch with extra sealant to top up the tyre.
I assumed at first that finding tyre sealant in Kenya would be difficult, but many motorbikes now use tubeless tyres. I was easily able to pick up this 500ml bottle of motorbike sealant for a fraction of the price of branded bicycle tyre sealant. It wasn't until a few weeks later that I realised the sealant was so thick that it was impossible to put directly into the tyre by way of the valve. I had to pour the sealant directly into the side of tyre before seating the tyre on the rim. Over 1200km later as I write this and the tyres have been fine. For the kind of riding I have been doing in recent months, tubeless tyres are really the only way to go.
Sweating my way through Samburu County.
A lot more camels in this part of Kenya than I thought.
Metropolis at Laisamis.
A heavy downpour the previous afternoon cut short that day of cycling. The forecast and sky suggested more rain, so I asked permission to camp here in this primary school, which was fine. No rain actually fell overnight.
Sandy tracks under dark skies.
I forgot the name of this prominent peak as I rode towards the main road in an easterly direction. For the past few days, instead of riding south, which is the main direction I was heading, I decided to detour around a town called Baragoi. Everyone I had mentioned this place to in previous weeks had warned me that there were a lot of bandits there and that it was unsafe. It may have been OK, but I didn’t want to take that risk.
Bike inspection. While friendly, I found more Samburu, especially children, asking for things from me (usually money). Whether that is due to more exposure to tourists or NGOs in the past I don't know. I didn't see a foreign face during the entire time I spent in the northern counties of Kenya.
Initially I thought these two guys were Samburu, but in the past day I had noticed the appearance of people and their clothes was slightly different. The Rendille are a small ethic group inhabiting this north eastern part of Kenya. Like the Samburu and Turkana, they are pastoralists tending to livestock.
In the town of Laisamis later that day, which is really just a village on the main road connecting Nairobi with Ethiopia to the north, I took a room for the princely sum of £3. Not quite ensuite as there was no toilet in the room, but after a week of camping I didn’t really care.
Fruit and veg, for the first time in what felt like weeks. Small villages in the northern counties of Kenya sell a very limited amount of fresh produce. Pastoralists by nature, the people living in the north of Kenya grow very little fruit or vegetables, regardless of whether the soil is fertile or not.
Into the forest
Riding south from Laisamis on the main highway connecting Kenya with Ethiopia. Initially I imagined this road to be busy with cars and trucks, but there was almost no traffic. Fuel is expensive in Kenya and there are few people living in the north. There is also not much overland trade between Kenya and Ethiopia. While Ethiopia is landlocked, most of its imported cargo comes from sea ports in Djibouti.
A natural poser. Many boys don't finish school in this part of Kenya. The responsibilities to tend family livestock are seen as more important than a formal education.
Riding back off-road into the Mathews Forest Range. I had been carrying many litres of water, unaware that I would cross this fresh stream late in the day.
It was hard to find a flat place to camp in such a dense forest, but this spot worked perfectly.
Elephant camp corridor
The day starts with a rough ascent that required some pushing.
The Mathews Range is a protected area, home to Samburu, and a growing population of elephants, although I saw none of the latter.
End of the road, if you were in a car or any other motorised transport. Fortunately I was able to wheel my bike down this eroded gully and continue on the other side.
Riding out of the Mathews Range into Lakipia County.
Scaring the local kids. Other than a few motorbikes, there is no other traffic on these tracks.
I had already pitched my tent when a Samburu elder came over to tell me that I was in an elephant corridor. I considered moving, but was told that as long as I had a light on overnight it would be ok. Fortunately the full moon kept my tent illuminated.
Elephant alarm clock
The next morning. Taken a few minutes after 2 elephants ran past my tent.
The Samburu elder, who had come to my tent the previous evening, returned in the morning with his sons to check I was OK.
These two young guys had walked past my tent in the night and were returning the next morning. The Samburu are amongst the most colourfully dressed of Kenya’s tribes. Other tribes in Kenya named them Samburu, which means butterfly, for this reason.
Riding on through Lakipia County. The temperatures are still well into the 30°s, but it's much cooler than further north in Marsabit and Turkana.
Elephant spotting again. I saw a lot more elephant dung than I did elephants. I assume most elephants distance themselves from people and roads, sensibly.
Climbing up to cooler climes. Looking back north through Lakipia County.
Company on the climb. As I ride further south the landscape becomes more populated.
Saved by another school
Sunrise at another great camp. Up at close to 2000m and feeling fresh. Some rain fell overnight - a sign of the weather to come as I ride back south into the rainy season.
Riding south towards Nanyuki.
A lot more private and fenced conservancies as I approach Nanyuki.
Thompson gazelle ahead on the track, and a few minutes after taking this picture, several elephants.
Dark clouds ahead. I raced onwards hoping to find shelter, knowing that the skies were about to open.
Saved by another school. It rained heavily for most of the evening and night.
Into Nanyuki
Leaving after the rain and headed to Nanyuki.
Bargain prices in Nanyuki. 500ksh is £3
You get what you pay for as they say. At least there was hot water. I decided to use my sleeping quilt rather than the hotel sheets to sleep under. Places like this I would only ever stay for one night.
Kenyan adventure over
Crossing the equator as I ride south. Nanyuki felt like the end of my adventure in Kenya. More densely populated, cultivated and privately owned land - I was more focused to just return to Nairobi at this point.
Rolling hills of the central highlands
The city of Nyeri. The Central Highlands are densely populated and home to Kenya’s most dominant ethnic group - the Kikuyu. No camping from now on to Nairobi.
A rolling green landscape through the Central Highlands. Any unpaved roads around here were so wet after all the rain that I just stayed on paved surfaces for the remainder of the trip.
Accommodation in Thika. Lucky to make it here just before the rain. This was my most expensive room during the tour. 2000ksh, about £12
Riding out of Thika, which has a lot of pineapples. Kenya is one of the top five pineapple exporters in the world. Del Monte has a manufacturing plant in Thika, and canned pineapple is Kenya’s largest single manufactured product.
I never really enjoy cycling into cities, especially African ones. A few minutes before taking this pic I had been chased down by a bus conductor who accused me of smashing the wing mirror on a bus that was trying to overtake me down a narrow road. A crowd quickly gathered and the police arrested me. I pleaded my innocence (I had fended off the bus but not smashed any mirror) before the bus eventually left and the police let me go.
And relax. Back to where I was 5 weeks previously on the outskirts of Nairobi. A short rest while making preparations to travel to Tanzania.
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