Where the hell is Chris?
If you’re going to travel from Alexandria to Cape Town overland, you’ll of course want to get wet in the Mediterranean, Indian and Atlantic (not to mention the Nile). So when you get to a beach town in Kenya, it’s time to check off the Indian Ocean!
In a charming little bay here, there were kids climbing on a neat little rock island out in the water. But… the swim was way too far. Something didn’t add up. Continue reading “On schoolchildren and other wildlife”
Getting into Kenya was surprisingly easy. Once across the border, we wanted a quick, short ride to a stop like Archers Post or Isiolo, but it wasn’t to be. All the buses from the border left together at 1500 and it seemed like a waste of a travel day not to go as far as we could. “Fuck it”, I imagine one of us said, “let’s take the overnight bus straight to Nairobi.”
Getting out of Bahia Dar wasn’t as simple as we expected. We really wanted to leave the next day, but the only available coach we could find left the day after. No big deal, right? But we’d already lost so much time waiting for my Sudanese visa! So we booked the coach as a backup, then got up at 0330 the next morning to pack and try our luck at the bus station.
What’s the worst that could happen?
Coming down off the mountain hike (literally and figuratively), we stopped at a little settlement for single mothers. The staff teach them arts and crafts so they can support themselves and their children. This was the first time I’d seen a loom operating in person.
Let’s recap.
Egypt: desert, brown, hot, no clouds
Sudan: desert, brown, hot, no clouds until crazy thunderstorm
Ethiopia: “hold my beer”
Hey, it happens to everyone. Sometimes you’re in a sexy new continent and Google Maps hasn’t caught up. Good thing you thought ahead and brought proper paper Michelin maps! Surely now you can handle anything. Continue reading “When it rains, it pours”
The night in the northern Sudanese village of Wadi Halfa was very short. Dave’s alarm accidentally went off at 0300 even though we’d planned for 0400. It was another travel day! After so many days stuck in Aswan, it was a blessing to be able to move around. Plus we had all(*) of Sudan to explore!