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.
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