4 Countries 4 Days

Kenya - Uganda - Rwanda - Tanzania .... and back to Kenya
 

 

 

I would argue that at almost 62 years of age, I'm still in reasonably good health and aside from a "Dad Bod" and matching tummy -- am still capable of continuing to do the things I enjoy doing in my life. A recent physical confirmed these suspicions. Marry that -- with a sense of adventure and a dash of foolishness, and why not ride through 4 countries in 4 days in what is a dangerous and remote part of the world? In my head, it was a few days of sun on my face and a gentle breeze smelling slightly fragrant. Blocked or not considered was 

> A flat tire > Bandits> Terrorists> An engine failure> an accident> getting lost>

 

and other concerns that could crop up. Pffftttt why let those pesky and highly unlikely issues complicate and otherwise fine adventure?

Here's the plan ....

The 3000 km adventure started with work. Visiting MGas depots would take me all the way to the Uganda border. So with my last visit concluded -- off I went -- for the Uganda border!

Before reaching the border with Uganda however, I rode into small town where a super fun-filled protest against the current government was in full swing. Broken glass littered the road that was packed from side to side with motorcycles, cars and the local towns-people clearly unhappy with the status quo. 

I was not really noticed at first stranded in the middle of the jam but slowly the attention turned my way. One after another they started to shout at me. There was no way to escape... the road packed and not moving an inch. I felt the sweat trickling down my neck and back. Dumb-ass! What to do?? -- obviously -- join the protest. Kicking down my stand and jumping off the bike I started yelling. " fucking government - enough is enough!!! and so on. Surprisingly that worked and in all honesty I enjoyed being part of the unhappy masses "giving it to the man".

There are no pictures of Eastern Uganda and here's why. That road through to 50 kilometers West of the capital city Kampala is as shitty (x5 million) as any road as I've ever ridden. Potholes like craters, trucks and buses driven by demons and always a steady drizzle to make things a bit more miserable. Twice I had to ditch as those oncoming demons saw little reason to let me use their road. The trick was to get behind one of those demon bastard trucks and be content with rolling along at 50 - 60 kms per hour. Add to that getting some bad gas and bike engine groaning and complaining more than Donald Trump - it was not the highlight of the journey and not a good start.

The picture above - however, was the Western side of Uganda well past Kampala -- where sugar cane and banana trees covered the hills in blankets of green. Gone were the demons and in their place farmers and locals going about their business of small plot farming and chatting with one another. The region sports more  hills, valleys and curves than Sofia Vergara. This is a motorcycle enthusiasts dream come true (the region -- no offense Sofia)  and with no speed limits or enforcement -- I had a ball! 

Tricky but not fatal was my lack of local currency or a SIM card as I entered Rwanda. It was another fine day of riding through lush hills but found myself lost, hungry and my credit card not accepted. Enter this little band of merry souls on the left who took the time to get me fed, oriented and back on my way to Southern Rwanda. Let me say that the act of solo motorcycle travel is emotional. Highs and lows, fears and confidence ricochet in your head like bullets in a barrel. As I pulled into this little stop, I was hungry and my hearty sense of adventure was ebbing lower and lower. Thank you to this wonderful troupe for their kindness. "It's the books you read and the people you meet"  that make the difference  as my mother often says. More on this later.

I've written elsewhere about Rwanda but it bears repeating. A wonderful clean, safe and organized country that is an absolute pleasure to visit and I encourage anyone to visit.

Speaking of highs and lows - above is a video of somewhere on the road. I panicked at one point as 200 kms had passed without a gas station. Note to self - carry extra fuel just in case - dumb-ass 😏 A fuel station miraculously appeared at my most apprehensive moment. Karma? Divine intervention? fluke? Hard to say but I am grateful.

Not long (11 kms later to be precise) after the fueling challenge came a flat tire. Note to self: carry a spare tube. Dumb ass! I literally could not believe it! And then speaking of fluke, divine intervention or Karma - a tire repair shop was 50m away from where I discovered the flat. What are the odds ? 😋 

I reached the south end of Lake Victoria and caught a small ferry across. Watching the people come off the ferry I can see why on occasion there are terrible stories of boats capsizing. The topography changed to dry and rocky as I made my way to the second largest city in Tanzania - Mwanza.

From the rooftop of my hotel in Mwanza I gazed into the darkness over the lake and sipped a nice single malt scotch. My trip almost over,  I reflected on the adventure to this point. Highs and lows percolated like my Dad's old coffee maker from the 1970's. I castigated and rewarded as I sorted through the decisions I'd made both on the trip and in my life. A moment of existential clarity emerged from my foggy brain reminding me that this is life. Not the cozy day to day in my office chair and the monthly shopping trips to Carrefour. This is living. The highs lows disasters and triumphs are the stuff that makes life (for me) such a wonderful thing.

And now for something truly spectacular

I was overjoyed receiving this candid snap of my Mom earlier this week. Radiating a lust for life while at the same time humble, graceful and infinitely cheerful, I couldn't be more fortunate to have such a terrific mentor in my life. 

 

Though I have to point out one thing she may have missed in her dispensation of infinite wisdom. I recon she ought to add, " the places to visit and the things you see" to "the people you meet and the books you read". 😉

 

 Many thanks to Katie from Long Island NY for her generous donation to the kiddies at Malezi school in Majengo.

If you would like to donate to help hungry kids - you can email me to chat about it or do so through:

MPESA -- +254745237248 (Kenya)

Or interact -- Laynemahon@live.com (Canada)

I'll be going in with a food donation in September and helping feed 250 kiddies! I'd appreciate any assistance you may be able to offer.

50 bucks would really help!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for reading ...Layno somewhere on the great rift in Africa!