Day 48 Wednesday February 28 Rest Day in Nairobi

By Henry

Relaxing breakfast at the hotel. Plans were discussed and made for the day.

Linda walked to Wildebeest Eco Camp with Tim and Jeff to retrieve some items we ordered and had delivered to Goeff’s wife Christine. She was kind enough to collect and pack many such items from various bikers, and schlep them to Nairobi all the way from Philadelphia. We look forward to riding with and getting to know her in the coming weeks.

My task for the morning was to get my duffel bag zipper repaired, as it was starting to tear out. Hotel staff informed me that there was a tailor 200 m across a field at the nearby church.

On the grounds of a church just adjacent to Radix Hotel. 


Also, just outside the church was this shed where a Catholic nun was selling her wares. Behind her is a tailor who repaired the zipper on my duffel bag for $0.70.

When Linda and Jeff returned, I joined them on an excursion to the local bike shop.

Jeff then took off on a boda boda to do other errands on his own.
Linda and I went to the Decathlon store to pick up some additional supplies.


Following that, we made the trek to the Karen Blixen Museum, a branch of the Kenyan National Museum. She chronicled her colonial coffee plantation life in the 1937 novel “Out of Africa” under the pseudonym Isak Dinesen. These days, Karen is the name of the very wealthy southern suburb of Nairobi.


This 1922 Ford model F tractor remains on the Blixen property.


Late in the afternoon, I took a dip in the pool at the Radix Hotel, with chapel in the background.
We dropped off our permanent bags at Wildebeest Eco Camp, repaired a flat tire for Linda, attended the rider meeting at 5 PM, and returned back to our hotel to partake of another dinner purchased from the grocery store, then got organized for tomorrow’s ride.

We were surprised to see that there were 3 new bike riders (of 13) who had just arrived at Wildebeest at 5 PM, and were unloading their bags and starting to put their bicycles together. We saw many new faces, but did not have a chance to meet anyone tonight. There will be much time to get to know them down the road.

Day 47 Tuesday February 27 Rest Day in Nairobi Part 2 of 2

By Henry 

Continuing with our downtown stroll, we stopped for a visit at the Nairobi Railway Museum, which provided another informative glimpse into colonial times.

Railway inspector’s motorized bicycle from the early 1950s that was rigged for the tracks.

Train that was used in the movie “Out of Africa“.

Meanwhile, back at Wildebeest Eco Lodge campground, we heard that monkeys had invaded the property, and were all over our bikes and tents.

They are aggressive if you leave any food lying around. This chap is cleaning out an empty yogurt container. 

A number of the biking group had a field trip to the local giraffe sanctuary, and were able to hand feed them.

Apparently, this baby giraffe was born yesterday.
Linda was able to get her bike derailleur replaced successfully, so that was a great relief. $36.50 in total to pick up the bike, replace the derailleur (including the new part), and deliver the bike back.

Tim’s 72nd birthday was today; this was at lunch with Jeff, Pam, and Lois.

We picked up some items at the grocery store for a simple dinner at the hotel. Afterwards, Tim enjoyed a piece of this incredibly dense chocolate cake.

Day 47 Tuesday February 27 Rest Day in Nairobi Part 1 of 2

By Henry

We had breakfast at Hotel Radix, then met up with Jim and Sandi for a field trip to the National Museum of Kenya.

A view of downtown Nairobi from our taxi.

Sculpture in the circular driveway of the Nairobi National Museum.

Unfortunately, during our visit, the power went out twice in the museum. Nevertheless, I was able to glean a superficial understanding of Kenyan history.

Eye-catching and thought-provoking piece “Orders from Above”, with the artist’s interpretation of human mortality.

Oddly, there was a herpetarium exhibit paired with the National Museum admission ticket.

After the museum, we were able to walk through the iconic Norfolk Hotel, a 5-star property which has a colonial history dating back to 1904.

Holy Family Catholic Basilica in downtown Nairobi.

Austere interior, with modern architecture consistent with its dedication date of 1963.

Day 46 Monday February 26 Thika to Nairobi by bus

By Henry

Today was a transportation day. We are being bussed into Nairobi, because there is no way to ride into the city safely with so many bikers, given the state of its roads and traffic.

After today, we will have two additional rest days in Nairobi, so we will not be biking for three days.
We had the luxury of not having to drop off our bags until 7 AM, so most of us slept (or stayed in our tents) until 6 AM. Breakfast buffet was served by the Sunstar Resort staff at 7:30 AM.

Waiting to be loaded onto the bus after breakfast.

We departed for Nairobi in a caravan with the other TDA vehicles by 9 AM.

Big church as we approached Nairobi.


Major city; five lanes of highway in each direction.


Vendors encroaching upon available space for vehicles on an overpass.


As this truck passed our bus, no one was sure if the gentleman in the red jumpsuit was hitching a free ride, or actually works for the trucking company.


Many bigger, more modern buildings noted in Nairobi.


A few modest skyscrapers seen downtown in the distance.


Bikes being unloaded after our arrival at Wildebeest Eco Lodge in Karen, a neighborhood on the southern edge of Nairobi. TDA staff is incredibly skillful at getting bikes up onto, and down off of, the trucks.
Wildebeest Eco Lodge did not have any upgrades available, and the 4 Spokane riders checked into rooms at the nearby Radix Hotel.

Linda met with a local bike mechanic to get her derailleur replaced. She hopes to pick up her bike tomorrow.

Geoff from Philadelphia also met with the mechanic as he had five spokes pull out of his rear rim 2 km from the end of the ride yesterday. When the spokes popped out of his wheel, they thrashed his derailleur, so he needs both his rear wheel and derailleur replaced. The timing could not have been better for this type of incident to occur. It’s also an exciting day for Jeff because his wife is arriving in Nairobi today to join us on the tour.

I went to the Decathlon store at The Hub (a mall) on Langata Road with Jeff to look for extra tube patches and some socks. Jeff was looking for disc brake pads. We had lunch at the mall.

After a brief return to the hotel, Linda, Jeff, and I went to another bike store at the Galleria Mall, in the other direction on Langata Road. We had dinner there at a Java House, which is a chain of restaurants similar to Panera. Because it was dark by the time we were done, we hopped onto a matatu, minibuses that are used as shared taxis everywhere in Kenya. The matatu ride cost each of us $0.20.

Day 45 Sunday February 25 Othaya to Thika

By Henry

Funny story this morning: Mia had a dream last night that I stole her bike and sold it for $600 to finance my safari costs in Arusha.

91 km route, almost 1500 m elevation gain, maximum temperature 27° C. There was good cloud cover for most of the day, so it didn’t feel as hot. This is our last day riding in the “Jewel of Africa” section of the tour.

Lunch was at 63 km, and the entire section before lunch involved rolling hills, one after another with lovely scenery of the Kenyan countryside. The hills were variably steep and long with corresponding descents.

Morning view of Mount Kenya in the distance as we rolled out of camp.



We navigated many hairpin turns, both climbing uphill and careening downhill.



A shot of me and Linda navigating a hairpin turn as we climbed yet another hill.



Some trees had a Dr. Seuss-like quality.



The dirt here is very red, but obviously fertile. Agriculture is Kenya‘s #1 industry, followed by tourism.



Disappointingly, we see piles of trash and plastic as we ride through communities. It seems as if the villagers have mandated certain locations as the local dumping grounds. Whether it ever gets cleaned up is unknown.



Coffins for sale at a roadside stand. There were half dozen coffin vendors in a row.



Destination today is SunStar Resort in Thika.



Upon arrival, our bikes were loaded onto all the TDA trucks and vehicles in preparation for transport into Nairobi tomorrow. Not pictured is the pickup truck. Both the truck and the SUV have bikes on top and also on a Thule hitch rack. TDA has worked out maximum bike-carrying capacity for all their vehicles.

Prior to dinner, we had a small party to say goodbye to 2 departing sectional riders, Peye and Job, both Dutch, although Peye is an ex-pat who has lived in Oman for decades. They both joined us in Kigali, and are flying home from Nairobi. They cannot stay any longer with us due to job obligations. We are told that there are 13 new sectional riders joining us in Nairobi, so our group will be significantly larger (+11).

Both our medics are also departing in Nairobi, and they will be replaced with two new ones.


In an unusual twist, this resort did not allow TDA chefs to prepare any food, so we had a catered buffet dinner, and will also have breakfast prepared by the hotel staff tomorrow morning.

Day 45 Sunday February 25 Othaya to Thika

 Tim’s Garmin

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/14121700458

Day 44 Saturday February 24 Nanyuki to Othaya

By Henry

I was glad for the hotel upgrade, as apparently last night there was a party at an adjacent property with loud music blanketing the campground until 4 AM.

Breakfast was included with the hotel stay, and the hotel staff agreed to open the breakfast buffet line at 5:45 AM for us, instead of the usual 6:30 AM.

90 kilometer route today, with just over 1100 m total elevation gain. High temperature 22° C, and there is supposed to be some rain later in the morning.


I would be terrified to be a construction worker on this 12-story building with wood scaffolding.

We apparently crossed the equator one last time today at about 3 km from our starting point. This is the last time we will cross it; we are now going to be meandering generally southwards.


Fun restaurant sign. Fish tends to be served whole, rather than as filets. 


No bells and whistles at this railroad crossing, literally.


We turned onto this road that stretched endlessly, and it reminded me of Montana. To the right is Solio Ranch and Conservancy. We rode slowly along this road with Mia from South Africa; she is an excellent wildlife spotter. She pointed out springbok and eland in the tall brown grass that we would’ve otherwise completely missed.


There was a short section with numerous acacia thorn bushes by the roadside. Why would God design a plant like this?


In the same vast landscape, in the trees ahead to the right, we came upon a troop of baboons.

After the first 45 km, we turned into a headwind and left the blissfully car-free road alongside the Conservancy.

We had rolling hills all day. Lunch was at 60 km. After lunch, the hills became a little bit steeper and longer. Even so, the day was so much easier because we were not riding on a rocky washboard road. Gliding over smooth tarmac was glorious.


We’re still continually amazed at what people will carry on their motorbikes.


It started raining about an hour after lunch, and we stopped under the big hospital sign for a few minutes of shelter.

Our group campground today was at Thayo Place in Othaya. I was tired, and snuck a nap on a lounge sofa on the covered patio.

Linda took her bike to the TDA mechanic this afternoon because her rear derailleur was not staying in the lower gears. Both mechanics took apart her rear derailleur and determined that it needs to be replaced. She called ahead to a few Nairobi bike shops and hopes to find a replacement there.

We had a special meeting this afternoon to talk about Serengeti safari options once we arrive in Arusha (in Tanzania). It was amazing to discover that so many of the riders had already been on safari, many of them more than once.

There was a new injury today. Pam from Whitefish, Montana caught her front wheel in a rut, and was ejected from her bike. She landed pretty hard on her head, but her helmet protected her from that impact. Her right lower leg and thigh were scraped up, but not severely. She also sustained a mild right shoulder AC joint sprain.

In other health news, we received a personal update yesterday from Jannes the flying Dutchman, who is currently parked and recovering in Nairobi. His MRI showed grade 1 tears of his obturator externus and pectineus (pelvic) muscles, and a hematoma in his thigh adductor muscle. No pelvic fractures. He was able to ride a stationary bike for two hours yesterday. He hopes to rejoin the tour after our Nairobi rest days.

We also heard indirectly from Eero in Finland. He is recovering well, and his desire is to rejoin us after his fibula is healed; he really wants to celebrate his 75th birthday in Namibia.