It was only a half day ride from Naivasha to Nairobi and we’d been warned to expect heavy traffic entering Nairobi, so we were prepared. But to our delight, the predictions were wrong. It was actually a very easy ride, made easier by the fact our hotel was on the outskirts of the city.
By the time we reached Nairobi, we’d been riding for about 6 weeks and had travelled about 7500 klms. This was about the half way mark, time-wise, and Nairobi was our first major scheduled bike maintenance stop.
While most of the guys got some time to relax over the three days, Bayne, our mechanic was kept busy assisting everybody with chain adjustments, oil changes, repairing brake callipers, replacing mirrors, windscreens and of course a few tyres. He certainly deserved a well earned beer at the end of it all.
We’d also been warned that Nairobi could be a bit dangerous, but that also wasn’t our experience. The people were very friendly and extremely helpful. The people at BMW Nairobi couldn’t have been more accommodating, helping to organise various bike parts and some mechanics. They even put on a morning tea for the group, it was a really nice conclusion to our Nairobi experience.
From Nairobi we rode to the Kenyan/Tanzanian border. This is where Massai country really begins. Massai warriors, women and children could be seen everywhere on the side of the road or herding their cattle in the fields. Like the Sunburu, the men are magnificently dressed in colourful checkered massai blankets and carry clubs, spears or sticks. The woman also wear colourful massai blankets, along with traditional round beaded necklaces and shiny ear rings. They are very proud and well respected people.
Crossing into Tanzania was pretty straightforward and that afternoon we rode into Arusha, camping at the Meserani snake park. Owned by Ma, a South African lady, it was fascinating to check out her amazing display of snakes and crocodiles. Later in the bar, Jack our tour leader, spotted an old photograph of a truck he once drove back in his overlander trucking days. Many a story was relived that night over a few beers with the group.
But it’s the next few days that will remain with us forever. The Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater are without doubt the best game reserves in the world and should be on everybody’s “must do” list. We visited both.
We must have been blessed. Over the three days on our game safari, we counted over 30 lions, dozens of elephants, thousands of wildebeest, zebras, a family of cheetahs, leopards, buffalo’s, giraffe’s, warthogs along with a huge variety of other species. It was a game spotters paradise. We even witnessed a coalition of lion brothers stalking a herd of buffalo. Life and Death on the African plains right in front of us!
But after 3 days in a vehicle, spectacular as it was, most of the guys were itching to get back on their bikes. And it feels good to be riding again. Our next major destination will be Zanzibar. Although we hear there might some problems with the recent election. We shall see. The adventure never stops!
For more information about our Major Motorcycle Expeditions visit – http://www.compassexpeditions.com/tour/major-expeditions/