14 Mar : Nairobi - Ilbisil

Thank you Yvon Hunter for sponsoring R500 to celebrate her son, Roy. Yvon is one of Xtremeforkids top fans!

UPDATE - 14 MARCH
A long 160 km, but a beautiful ride from Nairobi to the Tanzanian border. Green bush after the first rain and we get the first sights of Kili! Sleeping at the border and crossing tomorrow for our cycle to Arusha, where we will have a well deserved break!

13 March - Update

Will call today's stage "staying alive". Cycled 140km with rolling hills in very heavy traffic. Last time I am cycling into big cities as the risk is too great. Two people were involved in accidents, but not serious. Had a rest day in Nairboi & some good shopping.

12 March - Sagana River Camp to Nairobi

Today sees a joint effort between our supporters and Jos. Thank you to the following sponsors for you generosity :
Judy Muigai (R200)
Henter & Monica Aggenbag (R200)
Pastor Ndaba Mazabane (R500)

Update - 11 March

Crossed Equator and had a wonderful ride a down lush, green tropical valley. We are sleeping next to the Sagana River, 90 km from Nairobi. This is a beautiful spot.
(It sounds to us that Jos is finally beginning to like the camping thing!)

11 March - Nanyuki to Sagana River Camp

Thank you Christine de Clercq for R1 500 towards today. Are you perhaps celebrating a birthday?

Update - 10 March

Rude awakening: heavens opened as we got up, I fortunately in 1 of 5 rooms so started the day dry. But the 1st 30km we climbed 1450meters up mount Kenya. last night was the 1st time we camped at a fully stock & cold bar so things got rowdy and such a climb was not the best start for most.

Had "lunch" at end of climb (at 2400m) and as we were sitting eating french toast (great treat as it is normally tuna sandwhiches) the clouds lifted to reveal the snow cap mountain peaks of the mountain, quite spectacular.

From there it was downhill all the way to camp at a hotel in Nanyuki (and I got a room as the rain clouds are forming again) and we cross the equator t/row am. Great day so far!

10 March - Isiolo to Nanyuki

Thank you Henriette de Villers & Rudy Anker for sponsoring today! May Jos have a dry ride!

Update - 9 March

An easy ride of 87km. In camp by 11.30. Got the last hotel room and the first hot shower in weeks! Even showered my bike to get rid of the mud. Back on tar roads and crossing the Equator. Order a braai with 10kg of lamb for 10 people - tired of the bad food! (Heard via the grapevine that it was goat, not lamb, Jos! Well hec, after 2 months of no braai - any meat will do!)

9 March - Bush Camp to Isiolo

http://www.coachingforchange.co.za
Esmé Ehlers
esme@coachingforchange.co.za
Mobile : +27(0)82 339-3835


Thank you to coaching expert, Esme Ehlers, for your continued sponsorship of Malta A Bana Projects.

UPDATE - 8 MARCH

A day to remember. The heavens opened on us as we got up. We left the camp soaked for a 87km dirt/mud road. Got my first flat of the trip after 2km. The next 40 km was a struggle throught the mud at the best at 10 km. Got saved by the Chinese building a new road which was in a better condition. Got to the camp at 15:00 soaked and full of mud. Camping next to the raod and hoping the rain will stay away!

Update 7 March

Cycled 96 km with last 40 km on very bumpy road - had fun! Washed under a local's waterpump and sleep in dry riverbed. Let's hope it stays that way.

Finally an update and photos! Well done Jos!

ADDIS ABABA TO YABELLO (written Sunday 28 Feb)
Sitting in my hotel room in Yabello with rain pouring down. Not a town you need to visit if you don't have to. Past week riding was quite hard with a Mondo day with some 2500m of climbing. In total we climbed more than 5000m in 4 days. My borrowed tent got flooded the night before the Mondo day and we cycled the 1st 60km in pouring rain. Ethiopia has definitely no flat roads but I enjoyed the hill climbing, just not very fast up the hills. Completed all the days. Due to the chaos in northern Ethiopia they shorten this section by 1 day. We are now back on schedule.

Chatting to a local at a “coke” stop.

YABELLO TO MARSABIT(written Saturday 6 March 2010)
We had 2 days cycling to Kenya border. We cycled hard to get to border crossing before it closes from 12 to 3pm. Arrived at 11h05 to to told it closed at 11am. After some negotiations it was re-opened. The general mood of the group improved as we crossed the border. Spend the night at Moyale on the Kenyan side of the border. Wednesday we tackled the the 1st dirt section. Road was in fair condition and was quite nice change from tar, although very hot. Spend the night at small village, Sololo, we could use their local drinking water dam, which is just like a small “plaasdam” for a wash.

The next day conditions the road conditions deteriorated and we hit the infamous lava rock dessert the afternoon but managed it quite well, except for the heat, 41.5 degrees at noon. Spend the night next to the road sleeping between the lava rock. Not a night to remember but at least the rain stayed away.

At warm “coke” stop just before lava rock section.

Friday was another Mondo day (considered the toughest day of the tour), 86km of lava rock to Marsabit. To cycle on the stuff is difficult as it is dirt road covered in loose stones/rocks. I made lunch and did another 10km thereafter but then decided to quit as the heat was unbearable and had lost control over the bike twice falling down and did not want to get injured just to try and do another 30km. Only about a third of the riders finished the section.

Sitting in Marsabit only hotel (charging R30 a room) and waiting for food, while the rain is pouring down. Marsabit is another town you do not need to visit. We have another 2 days of dirt road before reaching Isiolo, that is if the rain stop

The cellphone reception should be good from their and will hopefully be able to send daily updates again. Still enjoying myself, although camping is though especially the lack of facilities. Have no idea what is happening in the world.

At another coke stop with David (Sa born Canadian, Peter (Sa), Eric (Canadian). Don't worry we do cycle between coke stops.
My number in Kenya is + 254 71 940 9009.