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Hello,
Now Sundayevening I write this from a hotel in Dodoma, the
capital of Tanzania.
Yes, I have done some miles so I will start at the beginning
of Saturday 24th.
After 2 days in that beautiful lodge I had to pack and go
again. Unfortunately the 2 days had
rains in the afternoon and the road to the lodge from the main road is only a
dirt road so there was some mud when I left.
I almost crwled back to the road for about one km since I had no urge to go
rubbers up again and get more damage.
Anyway , I made it safely but the clean boots were like
before, totally covered in mud.
I headed for Nakuru since I had planned that and to go
further to Uganda from there. But,
since I had cancelled the Uganda/Rwanda trip I decided to drop Nakuru and head
for Nairobi and onwards to the border.
All went well till Nairobi which is not a tiny village but a
city that starts at 45 km before reaching the centre. Luckily It was Saturday so all civil servants
do not show up and its a bit more quiet on the road. Sunday is even better.
But badluck struck again by choosing th wrong road and ended
up in the melee of downtown Nairobi.
Nice to experience but to ride a hot bike in that heat makes your helmet
slip off your head with all the sweat that runs down. But I got through with the help of some
traffic policemen who are very friendly and helpfull. Got out of Nairobi on the road to the
border with Tanzania.at Namanga.
Soon the road was for
me alone and I flew on. In the whole of
Kenia I have seen hardly any pothole.
Fine roads and that helps for the confidence. Of course, I hate these bad stretches as in
Ethiopia.
I reached the border by 2 PM and its a super modern border
with all-in 1 building , both Kenia and
Tanzania together. So it went all very fast and within 1 hr I was
on the road again. I wanted to take a
hotel at the border but the customs officers said to go to Arusha at another
100 km.
Did so and it was a good thing. On the way along Kilimanjaro through the Serengeti I met a herd of approx
20 Girafs and a large herd of zebras.
All next to the road and it was as if you could touch them.
Those 100 km were quickly done this way and very
pleasantly. Arriving Arusha I had no
idea for a hotel but the tourist lodges can be very pricy so I was carefull. Found a big hotel and I was the only
customer.
Wonder how they survive.
So I got all the attention of the personnel and enjoyed the beer, the
super mixed grill and the SA wine. What
more do you want after a good 400 kms ?
All was not that clean and on the way to the toilet in the night
I met some crawling creatures that we call cockroaches and I greated them since
they reminded me of my years living in
Africa and sometimes battling with large cockroach families that invaded the
house at night with a favour for the towels
and hence they jumped out and ran down my back when I used the towel. Funny feeling but women do not really appreciate
that and so I always fought with these animals that hide during the day in the
septic tanks of the houses.
Did not sleep that great but felt fine so I took off at 8 AM
to Dodoma at 400 kms and I was there before 2 PM. Plenty hotels and chose a simple one but it
has good wifi, a restaurant, looks clean and has cold Heineken.
The trip went that fast since I rode one of th nicest roads
I ever travelled in Africa. A brandnew
road through the hills and valleys of the Rift
and not a soul or animal to be seen.
I enjoyed every second of it and it was a pity I ended up so quick in
Dodoma.
Reaching Dodoma I wondered what to do.
2 options I have and thats to continue to Zambia and on to
SA but I will do that within 10 days and that was not my plan.
With these nice roads here in Tanzania I can also bend to
Rwanda and return to the Original plan but not coming from Uganda but from
Tanzania to Rwanda.
Took the decision and so I will take off tomorrow to Kigali which
is good for a 1000 kms.
If the road is good It will take me 2 days, but rain and
traffic can prolonge that. No hurry.
Hope the food is good tonight and that I sleep well.
Tiil next.
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