Nairobi – Capital of Kenya. The Greater Nairobi Metropolitan Area has a population of about 7,000,000 people, definitely a big city
The first thing I was told by everyone I met in Nairobi was “keep you phone in your pocket, do not take it out in public”. The second thing was “keep the car windows up and the door locked”. Do not walk around alone at night. All had personal stories of theft. The security guards at my hotel would not let me wait outside for my Uber, wait inside and we will open the gate when the Uber turns up. All compounds have tall walls topped with barbed wire and electric fences with security guards armed with machine guns. Very intimidating and similar to the advice I received in Kingston, Jamaica. I still managed to get a few photos when there was nobody close to me. Did not see any tourists wandering around, most tourists get picked up by the Safari Tour company from the airport and dropped back there after the Safari.
I normally use Google maps on my phone to navigate but this was forbidden so for the first time I used my Samsung Galaxy Watch to navigate. People just think you are late for an appointment if you keep looking at your watch hahaha.
The National Museum is quite well done, Azu’s Leather makes traditional leather products, Jamia Mosque, Java House good place to eat, the Basilica of the Holy Family Cathedral, All Saints Cathedral has beautiful stained glass, Karen Blixen Musuem from the Out of Africa film, the Railway Museum very interesting with a huge collection of rolling stock.
Perth to Mauritius to Nairobi is the shortest and fastest route. Mauritius Airlines from Perth 7.5 hour flight, 2 hour layover in Mauritius where I had to go through the rigamarole of immigration and customs and security and get a Boarding pass because they do not have a Transit procedure, only one counter, very slow and annoying. Next Kenya Airways to Nairobi 3 hour flight, the trip was booked through Kenya Airways. Both airlines were good no complaints.
Arrived in Nairobi at 2240, long queue at Immigration, they have a seperate queue for UN personnel and later I saw that the UN has its own little town within Nairobi with their own red vehicle number plates. This is the biggest UN base in Africa. After picking up my luggage I withdrew some cash from an Absa bank ATM where there is a 6.5% markup, a very poor exchange rate and an ATM fee, can’t get ripped off any more thoroughly. I was told later the cheapest way is to bring US$ and go to a Money changer of which there are many, do not change money at the banks they are a rip-off.
Next to the Safaricom Shop which is just outside the Airport exit on the right where I bought a SIM card with 8GB data plus minutes and SMS, cost Ksh 1,100 started working immediately, the staff are fast and efficient. It was pouring with rain, Uber to my hotel in the city area was Ksh 1,400. There is a Toll road that will cost 300 and if you ask the driver to use it which is recommended during the day due to the traffic, you will have to pay the Toll charges. At midnight the roads were deserted.
When I checked into the hotel the Booking.com price was in US$, they used an Absa portabe ATM and it would only let me pay in Australian dollars not US$ using their conversion rate which was about 20% more than the going rate so I said I will pay the official Mastercard rate as shown on their website and I will pay in KSh, remember this or you will get ripped-off again. You will also get charged a 3% bank fee on top of you bill, this is standard in Kenya. I only had a day in Nairobi before I went on a Safari to the Masai Mara.
Perth Airport
Perth Airport
Perth to Mauritius
Wings
Camera View
Coming in to land
Landed
Airbrake
Mauritius to Nairobi
Mauritius to Nairobi
Broadwalk Mall
The local drop
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I booked a private 3 day Safari to the Masai Mara National Park through Balu Travel (Morris Mutiso). I found him through Safari Bookings, a very useful website. Cost of the 2 night 3 day tour included a private Safari Van and a driver and accommodation at the Sarova Mara Game Camp, a luxury tent resort inside the National Park. Cost US$850 plus 3% bank fee of US$25.50. You have to pay 50% at the time of booking. I also went on a tour of the Masai Village US$20 and I gave the Driver a US$30 tip which I was told later was double the normal tip hahaha. I would rather give directly to someone than to Charitable organisations where 80% of donations are swallowed up by the Administration. The driver also did not tell me he had 4 children and one of them had Downs syndrome, one of the many stories I have heard over the years, told to boost the tip.
Day 1 starts with a pickup at 0700 and then a 5 hour drive from Nairobi to the National Park stopping once at the Rift Valley Lookout / Souvenir shop and another Souvenir shop stop later. They both have clean toilets. Check-in and lunch then a rest and out at 1500 for a drive around the park, we saw many deer and a few lions. There are usually about 7-8 vehicles roaming around and once one of the drivers spots the lions or anything else interesting he radios all the others and everyone heads to that spot. It started to rain and we saw some sorry looking drenched lions, headed back at 1800.
Rift Valley
Rift Valley
Rift Valley
Rift Valley
Rift Valley
Traffic
On the road
Souvenir Shop
Souvenir Shop
Souvenirs
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Cattle = Masai Gold
One of many Churches
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Church
Masai House
School
Villages
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On the way to the Market
Regular Police check points
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Market
The Market
Walking Gold
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Mosque
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Masai Mara National Park
Masai Mara National Park
US$100/day off peak and $200/day Peak
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Sarova Mara Game Camp
Masai Mara National Park
Sarova Mara Game Camp
Sarova Mara Game Camp
Sarova Mara Game Camp
Sarova Mara Game Camp
Elephants
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Hyena
Hyena
Jackal
Bird
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Raining
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Drenched Male
Mama and Baby
Day 2 – Masai Mara NP – Breakfast and left at 0730 and returned at 1645, the earlier you leave the more chance you will have of seeing animals. As the day gets hotter they disappear into the bush and come out again when it is cooler. The camp gave us a packed lunch.
A very large mosquito net and NO mosquitoes
Giraffe
Mother and Baby
Mother and Baby
Elephant Family
Elephant Family
Birds
Deer
FIFO
Lions
Zoom in
Lions
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Spot the Mama and Baby
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The Van
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Stream
The Border – Kenya and Tanzania
Crocodile
Pretty
Mara River
Hippo
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New Bridge
Mara River
Old Bridge
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Lunch
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Warthog
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Cheetah
Cheetah
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Old Man
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Hyena cooling off
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The Tent
Day 3 – left at 0800 and a short drive to a Masai village, they did a welcoming dance and showed me the inside of their guest house and invited me to stay the night free of charge. They also made a fire using a stick. After that to their souvenir shops to spend some money, which I did not, they wanted KSh 2000 for a fridge magnet and came down to 500, the same thing is available in Nairobi for 150 hahaha. Stopped at the same two places on the way back.
The advertisements for Masai Mara National Park Safaris will tell you that you are going to see the Big FIVE ie. Lion, Elephant, Hippo, Rhino and Leopard but there was no sign of any Rhino or Leopards. I do not think there are any in this park or we would have seen them.
Zagreb to Regensburg to Veghel to Hastings to Perth – time to head for home 1,700 km to Hastings. Then flights from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur and KL to Perth 14,800 km. Not the favourite part of my journey dealing with airport bureaucracy and being cooped up in a metal tube.
Zagreb to Regensburg – freeway all the way, now that Croatia is in the EU no need to get a stamp entering Slovenia, tunnels and mountains beautiful scenery. Overnight stop in Regensburg.
2023 Tracks
Heading out of Zagreb
Tunnels
Toll
Old EU signs
Border
Another Border
Tunnel
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Tunnel
Tunnel
Tunnel Toll
€10.50
Mountains
Castle
Mountains
Clouds
Tunnels
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Bridges
Detour around Roadworks
Backroads
Backroads
Food
Regensburg, Germany to Veghel, Nederland – a regular rest stop for my weary A.
Smart Car, capable of 150kph
Farms
Solar and Wind
Dark clouds
Blue skies
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Grapes
Take your pick
Frankfurt
Traffic jam
Traffic jam
Expensive
Truck park
Hoilday traffic
Nederland
Horses
Veghel to Hastings – part of my annual commute. Book your Tunnel Ticket from France to the UK a few days before your departure date as the price can double if you leave it too late. Started out in a drizzle which means I had to get fully dressed including my helmet before going out, luckily it only started after I had loaded my bike, not nice. Cleared up after an hour. Next the Antwerp nightmare, traffic backed up for 10 km and a sign said 38 min to the other side of the city but they now have a Bus and Taxi lane which I rode down and avoided the queue hahaha. Still slow going and more traffic around Ghent. Arrived at the Tunnel check-in and managed to get on an earlier train, boarding took ages with the new Brexit rules meaning that everyone has to get their passport stamped. I thought that was the end of my troubles but then just a couple of miles from the finish I got stuck at roadworks for 30 min hahaha.
Veghel Centrum
Heading out of Veghel in a drizzle
Antwerp traffic jam
Blue skies
The Tunnel Check-in
Boarding Pass
Passenger Terminal
Immigration queue twice, France and then UK
Crawl
Crawl
Scanners
Finally
Wait
Only 2 bikes
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English countryside
Last fill – Expensive
Rehydration therapy
Rehydration therapy
Rehydration therapy
Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur to Perth – Malaysian Airlines has one of the fastest journey times, one of my favourite airlines.
Cervignano to Zagreb – this time I took the freeway all the way rather than the back roads through Slovenia, too hot to dawdle. The Slovenia vignette is €8 for 7 days and I can use it on my way back in a few days. This stop was to visit friends which meant eating and drinking large quantities, it is a Croatian tradition and I always do my best to oblige the locals.
Misano to Torriana to Cervignano – late start from Misano so I stopped at Torriana for the night and continued on the next day. Freeway all the way, blue skies and 34c a bit warm in the sun with my jacket on.
Fraforeano to Misano – freeway all the way and a very congested freeway it was. During the school holidays the whole coast is packed with people from all over Europe. I got around the traffic jams by riding down the emergency lane, one of the benefits of riding a motorcycle hahaha.
Heading out
Farmland
Tolls
???
Misano Motor Racing Circuit – I was invited by my Norwegian friends to join them at the circuit where they were participating in a Rehm Race Days meeting. The Lady of the house was riding her track bike a BMW S1000 RR with slicks. These race days are amazing and a great way to experience riding/racing on a MotoGP track.
Pfaffnau to Fraforeano – meant crossing the Alps from Switzerland into Italy, this is always a highlight. I never go through the tunnels, always over the top of the Alps, this time through the Gotthard Pass, beautiful views, winding roads and blue skies, motorcycling heaven. There is no toll for the Gotthard Tunnel, I noticed a long queue of traffic waiting to enter, it happens every year at this time.
Heading out
Mountains and Lakes
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Tunnels
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Enter Italy
Autostrada
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I spent a few days in this area looking around.
Portoguaro – a medieval town used by the Doges in Venice to get away from the humidity.
Gothenburg to Busdorf to Veghel – I took the ferry from Gothenburg to Frederikshavn for a change instead of riding back through Malmo and the Øresund Bridge. Arrived at the Ferry boarding area at 1030, first one there and there is nothing else, just a toilet but they did have free Wifi. A few motorcycles turned up at 1100 and cyclists, no point arriving early, the ferry only came in at 1115 unloaded and we started loading immediately and left on time at 1215. Very slow going at first through the islands then upto 30kph, smooth ride could hardly tell we were moving, ship was packed with people and kids running, screaming, crying everywhere hahaha, off the boat at 1525 early I thought it would be 1600. Straight into rain, miserable for the next 1:50 hours and then fine weather stopped at the 2hr 200km mark and filled up, I was soaking wet and had trouble getting gloves back on, used tissues to dry visor and Garmin and instruments, off again, speeded up to 120-130kph reflected in the fuel consumption which dropped to 17km/L, another fuel stop, struggled again to get my gloves on, arrived at 1925 exactly 4 hrs. After several days of rain and gloves that are no longer waterproof blisters developed on my right palm making it very painful to grip the throttle.
Stena Line, Gothenburg
Express Ferry
First in Line
Big Door
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A few more join the queue
Trailer Loader
Open Sesame
Strapped down
Don’t forget your deck
Heading out
Gothenburg
Gothenburg
4 Wheels
Sailing
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Little Lighthouse
Little House on the Island
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Sun Deck Bar
The Bridge
Cold and Windy
Decks
Packed
Screaming
Rain, Rain go away
My prayers were not answered
A few minutes relief from the rain
Enter Germany
Busdorf to Veghel – Not a fun ride with the drizzle and blisters on my right palm, 571km in 5:45hrs. This is supposed to be the height of summer in Europe hahaha. Veghel is where I make my pit stop and my friend who is the pit boss for Dutch F1 legend managed to find a bike shop that was open (most of them close for Summer as all the employees head for the Sun). I had new tyres fitted, rear brake pads, helmet and a new set of Goretex waterproof gloves (total cost €1019).
Oslo to Gothenburg, Sweden – short ride 3:25 hours, the only reason for this stop was to visit the Volvo Museum and to catch the ferry back to the mainland (Denmark). Interesting museum of not very exciting cars, the complete opposite of the Ferrari or Lamborghini museums hahaha. Volvo pioneered the use of seat belts which are now standard and many other less obvious safety features in cars. In 2020 they restricted the top speed of all their cars to 180kph thus saving millions of lives. I wonder how Volvo would go about designing a motorcycle hahaha.
