Eldoret, Kenya
Posted by: Charley Boorman | Date posted: 05/07/2007
Pictures
The guys checked in with Chris Moyles again this morning on his show and talked about the bikes, elephants… and circumcision! You can listen to the interview above, or read below for the highlights. You can also listen to the whole show again and download the podcast at the Chris Moyles site.
Ewan told Chris all about the 'horrible' road conditions they've been enduring in Kenya, 'it's like riding across corrugated iron, and the whole bike's getting shaken to bits. I got to the point where I couldn't feel my fingers and my toes - it was nasty!'
There was a treat in store though, as they stopped for the night to see the elephants. 'It was the first time we've seen elephants in the wild, and we were able to sit in the front of this little lodge and they come quite close at night, and in the dark you can crawl forward on your stomach to this ledge, and be really about 12 to 15 feet away from them. So that was unbelievable. Riding somewhere on your bike where there are elephants is a real mark of how far you've come, you know, so it's pretty cool!'
The next night was slightly different, as Ewan explains. 'We spent another night with the Samburu tribe. We just went off the main gravel road onto a sand track, and we followed it for about 50 miles before we came across this tribe, the Samburu tribe, and they were moving their village to this other place for this massive male circumcision festival'.
Handing over to Charley, Chris wanted to know about this festival…'Yeah well when we arrived there they were getting ready for this big ceremony', he says. 'It's very important for people to go through into their manhood, and, you know, the father gives his son some cows and goats and things like that so he can start his own herd, all this kind of stuff. But the important thing is that when they do it, the kid's not aloud to even flinch even like his toe or anything, he's just supposed to take the pain'.
Ouch. He went on to talk about the team work involved when it comes to obstacles en route. 'We came across this like 100 metres of mud with this small little river, and it took everybody - we all turned up there at the same time with the trucks and everything, so it was quite a lot easier to get the bikes across, we kind of walked them across with this mud spraying everywhere. And poor Russ and David got the trucks stuck and had to winch them out using trees to haul them out and all that kind of stuff. It was hilarious actually, a lot of fun!'
We can see just how trying the road conditions in Kenya have been in the video above. It looks like they’ve been having fun trying to get up that hill…
'So we've got a little ascent here,' Charley points out, 'it's not much really. We just got unfortunate that the car slowed down and we had to stop, and then Claudio went for the ground when he stopped but there was nothing there so he just toppled over.'
As they say, these things are the most dangerous when they're stationary. But there's a nice little escapade coming up there now'.
The guys wanted some suggestions for places to visit in Tanzania and Malawi - head to the fact files to find the recommendations you sent in.
Comments
Comments 1 - 10 of 23
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At 06:49:42 PM on 05/07/2007, Stacey (Ellerslie, GA USA) wrote:
OWWW
All I can say is "That's gotta hurt!". I won't even bother to read this log to my husband or little boys. It might haunt them!
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At 07:39:09 PM on 05/07/2007, Emily Alp (Brooklyn, NY) wrote:
Tips
Hi, I lived for 10 months in Kenya and traveled to Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. You must, must, must go to the coast of Tanzania (you will likely not make it to the coast of Kenya I think). Take a ferry out to Zanzibar and enjoy amazing seafood, culture and people. Kilimanjaro is a must see as well -- the Amboseli game park surrounding it is among the best in the region. Mix as much as you can with locals for they teach you a lot about life!! Arusha is nice too. You will see to that Kenya has a lot of trash around compared to its neighbors who were more communist at independence and therefore more involved in keeping up the conditions around them, poor as the people remained. Please greet the wild animals for you are in THEIR home now!!
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At 08:04:39 PM on 05/07/2007, charlie christensen (Great Falls, Montana USA) wrote:
Great Ride
To Charlie and Ewan, Great to track your progress, only watch out for the Mohel :) Get home safe and in one piece ... LOL Charlie C
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At 10:04:12 PM on 05/07/2007, David Gray (Malvern) wrote:
Heard Moyles!
Heard Chris Moyles interview this morning! Rang my wife to let her know you are at it again - she loved Long Way Round. Funnily enough, when I rode my Triumph Trident around France in '99 my friends gave me a picture of Ewan as Obi Wan to put in my tank-bag map 'window'! They said it would encourage Jedi-like calmness... Best of luck chaps - you're an inspiration and we're all behind you every day.
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At 10:35:41 PM on 05/07/2007, Su (Bristol) wrote:
Roads
I'm wincing at the idea of you guys on hose roads in some parts of Kenya... I well remember how jarringly jangly bumpy they were and I was in a car at the time... your poor butts and knees! Glad you are stopping for the wildlife as you go... if you have the opportunity to go on guided walkabout in the bush... go! Gives you a whole different perspective on your place in life... suddenly you are in the bush on the animal's terms... it'll make the hair go up on the back of your necks. Keep safe... have fun
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At 10:34:27 PM on 05/07/2007, Michelle (Ringwood Australia) wrote:
Malawi or Tanzania
No havn't been to either, but have been to John o Groats!!! Hope the roads get better for you guys - good luck. Danksy
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At 01:16:41 AM on 06/07/2007, Ute (Stuttgart, Germany) wrote:
Charley
I'm not surprised you have your own circle of fans. Whenever things seem to be getting on top of me, I tell myself 'broken hands', something clicks in my head, and I can do whatever is needed. So, thanks a lot for that, Charley!
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At 09:00:54 AM on 06/07/2007, Frazer (Goma DRC) wrote:
Bagamoyo
Hi Ewan and Charlie..When you get to Tanzania, visit the small town of Bagamoyo north of Dar Es Salaam..great ruins of an old Arab trading town..really great place to relax for a day or so.
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At 10:12:41 AM on 06/07/2007, Antonie Minnaar (Pretoria South Africa) wrote:
Compare
Ho do the current bikes(1200) compare with the previous(1150) bikes?Should you say they are better or not.
At 06:38:13 PM on 05/07/2007, Richard AW Tortorella (Langley, BC, Canada) wrote:
Quick Question..
Hey Lads, have you lost much weight on this trip - I know Charley lost a few stone on the LWR series, anything on this one?? Take care, try to enjoy the terrain! - Richard T.
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