Friday 15 February: Day 32

We are in Nairobi at the home of Ted and Andy Russell who are putting us up for a few days to gird our loins for the next big push, well aware that this 35% of the trip has been the easy part and from now on it should get harder. One and two thirds degrees north of us lies the equator and we have 6 950ks on the clock.

This morning I woke early after a bad night - noisy and hot. Gareth sleeps through anything. The discovery that one of the thieving bastards who crowded about us as we struggled with the tyre two days ago had stolen the radio out of my bag didn't help my mood. Unfortunately one thief taints one's attitude towards the entire society, unfair as that might be. And fantasises of catching the bastard with his dirty fingers on the radio and punching his face in swarm in my brain, a vicarious pleasure that frustrates more than relieves!

Anyway, robbed twice in one month. With at least another two months of the trip still ahead, that implies another 4-5 robberies. We resolve to be even more vigilant.

The cracked pannier was welded at a side-of-the-road welding 'shop' (man with welding rods crouched in the sand next to gas bottles) while I bought eggs and bread for breakfast. Then off by 8.30 to a lovely cool day despite an almost cloudless sky. It was so good to feel the chilly air on my skin again, that and the greenery of the countryside, the emergence of green-barked fever trees and some hills made the dry countryside almost pretty.

We are travelling slower today - about 70kph - to baby Gareth's bike along. It will need to be treated tenderly if it is to make the rest of the trip. Road not potholed, but bad - bumpy and amateurishly surfaced. Along the way we passed burned-out petrol tankers, a still-smouldering burned-out bus and an upside down truck, the detritus of the Mombassa/Nairobi hell-run and local drivers.

We reached Nairobi at 1.30 - a pretty town, clean and progressive and very unlike Dar and Mombassa. Ted Russell, who met us at the post office, said he at first thought I was an Indian, my skin is so well toasted by the hours of exposure to the sun!)

With the aid of the map, we managed to locate the Ethiopian Embassy (closed), the Sudanese Embassy (no overland visas for Sudan at all) and the Zairian Embassy (border to the north still open according to the receptionist!). Visas only issued between 9 and 12, Monday to Friday so we will have to come back on Monday.

So, a door seems to have opened, but we are treating the Zaire information with caution. Our original route of Uganda, Zaire, CAR, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, Algeria, Morocco, Spain and France might still work. I am excited but fearful. Last night Gareth and I opened our North West Africa Michelin map and fitted it to the Southern Africa map; our mere 7000ks is puny indeed when measured against the frightening vastness of central and north Africa. We are, as yet, merely dipping our toes in the ocean that is Africa.

I have become aware that part of me is secretly hoping that the Sudan and Zaire routes will be blocked and we can go the 'easy' Ethiopia, Eritrea, Egypt, Libya, Algeria route without losing face, but I know that if that happens, I will always be a little disappointed. I know Gareth has been very excited about the challenge of the north-west route which shows guts. He expresses so little and is so damned reserved that he frustrates the hell out of me; but rather stoicism, I suppose, than a weak sentimentality or a shallow gushiness. He just takes whatever comes - good or bad - with calm indifference. I think one day he will create a great sadness in his wife and kids with his lack of OVERT enthusiasm, even though I (and, hopefully, they) know it is there, felt but unexpressed. Must chat to him about it.

Then on to the Russell household, a warm welcome and (oh, joy!) a cup of tea and cake; later (oh, bliss!) a cold beer as the sun set; then (oh joy of joys!) roast pork and all the trimmings and a glass of wine, and then (oh, heaven!) a cup of good coffee and a hot bath and a clean toilet to sit on (not squat over!) and a phone call to Glyn and Jem!

And now, to bed!

Saturday 16 February: Day 33

Serviced the bikes, relaxed, watched Wales vs France rugby.

Back to plan C regarding route: today's newspaper tells of Tutsi rebels having taken the town of Isiro, just south of where we hoped to scrape through. Furthermore, Sudan air force bombed a town in northern Uganda last night which won't make things any easier! The Sudanese rebels not only control the whole of the southern border with Kenya now, but also patches along the Ethiopian and Eritrean borders as well. Although I'll check at the Zairian Embassy on Monday, I have spent a number of hours planning a route through Ethiopia, into Eritrea and then by boat to one of the ports in southern Egypt. Will refine this and check about visas tomorrow.

Sunday 17 February: Day 34

A relaxing day physically but a taxing day of mental turmoil as I waited for Glynis' phone call at 1, knowing that news would be bad. It was. No job, money running out rapidly, bounced cheque to pay for the move, my old BMW motor cycle in customs with no papers etc etc. The trip, which ought to have been such a once-in-a-lifetime adventure is ashes in my mouth. It now seems an ill-conceived and selfish ego trip and the urge is upon me to head doggedly north ticking off the miles until I am home. I feel physically ill like I did at the start of the journey.

I don't for a moment blame Glynis for letting me know her position; it is important that I DO know, but the mood of the trip has changed. The whole principle of letting the trip dictate our pace and not us force the pace on the trip must change now, but I must bear in mind the strain on us physically and on the bikes mechanically. Every puncture, every problem, every border delay or sign of sickness will now be a potential disaster instead of an expected and inevitable delay which, with patience and ingenuity, we would be able to overcome.

Anyway, despite this, I am still confident that our emigration and Gareth and my trip have God's blessing and that all will be well. I must cling to that and indulge in some earnest prayer.

Perhaps, now, in the light of this, it is better that we are forced to go the 'easier' route east. It seems that we should be able to leave on Wednesday, be into Ethiopia within four days and then straight through to Eritrea.

Glynis is worried that I will be killed and asked me to take out life insurance. I am convinced that it won't come to that...

Monday 18 February: Day 35

A productive day: visa for Ethiopia sorted out; visa for Eritrea tomorrow; managed to obtain the oil seal for Gareth's bike's final drive shaft and proper master link for the 'O'-ring chain, pannier re-welded and strengthened. Also managed to find a Michelin map for north east Africa. Our camera, unfortunately, is irreparable, the workings rusted from the wetting it got in the bad rain through Zambia. Then, when we collected the three spools of slides from the trip so far, it was only to find that about one-fifth are totally ruined and three-fifths over-exposed to varying degrees. Such a pity because the shots I have taken ought to have been good.

Tuesday 19 February: Day 36

Frustration! Collected the Ethiopian visas with no problem, then handed the forms to the Eritrean Embassy only to be told that the letter of introduction which we obtained from London is not acceptable. I must obtain one from the South African High Commission in Nairobi. Found it, filled in the necessary forms (asked for an introduction to the Sudan Embassy as well to save hassles later), but they said, "Come back tomorrow"! Another day's delay.

Called in then at the Egyptian Embassy: good news and bad news. The good - no visa required. The bad - our carnet excludes Egypt (a big worry to me all day). Our carnet must be validated for Egypt by the Kenya AA. Managed to locate this office, however the official said,

"Can only be validated with permission from the issuing society. Will I please contact AA of SA and get it done." I managed to persuade them to fax for me. Call back at 3 tomorrow and see whether there is a reply.

Anyway, at least the necessary documentation is being obtained albeit slowly; and rather here in Nairobi - English speaking, very civilised, pleasant people to stay with) than out in the desert somewhere at an obscure border. Just grin and bear it, I suppose.

Wednesday 20 February: Day 37

Glyn phoned last night. She sounded happy and chirpy which is good.

This morning I collected the letter of introduction from the South African High Commission, dropped off the documents at the Eritrean Embassy then next to the AA. The fax had arrived, but the South African AA has refused to validate for Egypt.

All roads north now blocked.

My devious mind working, I questioned the AA official in detail regarding the procedure required to alter and validate a carnet. He was most helpful and I paid careful attention. Ted has lent me his Kenya AA card and, with little effort, I found a street rubber stamp maker and have ordered a duplicate AA Kenya rubber stamp for R40. I will validate the damn thing myself tomorrow!

In South Africa, three weeks before we left, I discovered that the AA wouldn't issue an international driver's licence to someone with a learner's. Gareth is 17 and then still had six months to wait before he could get a licence. Without an international driver's licence, he couldn't do the trip. There was only one solution: I had to forge! I applied for and received my licence but realised that it was too sophisticated for me to reproduce. What to do? After a week of sweat, fear, midnight brain-wracking and earnest rationalising with God, I set this plan in motion:

With Glynis and Jemma with me, all of us feeling that the word "CRIMINAL" was emblazoned across our foreheads for all te world to see, I made application for another International Driver's licence, hoping I wouldn't be recognised. I am not. Hand over MY driver's licence for checking - yes, it is me and the licence valid and un-endorsed. Fill in Gareth's details on the form, except for the first two digits of his ID number which reflects date of birth (I do NOT look as I was born in 1979. Hand over form with shaking hands. The official takes it and hands me back my ID book which I slip into my pocket and hope she looked at my photo and not my name or, if she did, that she has a poor short-term memory. She carefully copies details onto the licence and asks for my photo. I pass it over and she sticks it in and stamps it firmly with an official-looking stamp and hands it to me. I open it and memorise the position of the stamp and by how much it straddles the photo-edge. Now comes the devious bit, carefully rehearsed: Glynis buys a camping torch and pays for it. The official stands and goes to the till. Nonchalantly, with sweat pouring from my arm pits, I reach over and pick up the official stamp. Gareth's passport photo is held against the palm of my hand with one finger. Without glancing around to advertise my guilt, I press the stamp against Gareth's photo in the correct position and overlapping just the right amount, then, just as nonchalantly replace the stamp. It is done!

Outside, Glynis says, "No wonder so many people take to crime!"

Later I peel off my photo and replace it with Gareth's. It is a perfect fit! Judicious use of Tippex alters the 51 to 79 so the ID number is correct and we have an International Driver's Licence!

I couldn't do it for a living, though. The fear and guilt would kill me!

Gareth and I spent the afternoon and night with friends on a coffee plantation near Thika. A lovely old early colonial style farmhouse and 6 dogs! The few ex-pats we have met in Kenya live a good life. The frustrations of Africa are accepted with wry tolerance and a "what would you expect?" attitude, but they isolate themselves as best they can and have their servants (2-4 per household), the sunshine and a relaxed pace of life. But many of them also have their guns at hand for protection or a guard on the gate. In Kenya the roads are bad, petty crime a nuisance, the electricity goes off every day at about 8 for a few hours, but they plan their lives around it. At times certain basics are unobtainable in the shops, but they can cope; the corruption of politics - local and central - is noted with cynical complacency as the newspapers are glanced through (the so-called "two-minute silence"!); racial comments are made with a smile and a "aren't we naughty!" And so, quality of life is weighed against the frustrations of Africa and found to be acceptable. There's no great rush to get away.

Thursday 21 February: Day 38

After a relaxed breakfast, I collected the Eritrean visa, then picked up my street-made AA Kenya stamp. A work of art! The Carnets were quickly self-validated with stamp and red pen as instructed, with a little prayer that all will be well and that God will understand (if not bless) my small deception!