to Suam, Uganda: Gospel and red mud - Racpat RTW 2015-2017 - CycleBlaze

August 9, 2015

to Suam, Uganda: Gospel and red mud

Pointing back a local tells Patrick "Mama fell". The bad news, Rachel and bike slid in the mud, the goods news, the bike slid into a big trench so the fall wasn't far....but Rachel has mud on her legs and arms. This happened after stopping earlier to take the fenders off because the mud was gumming them up that the wheels wouldn't roll.

We left Kitale hearing gospel music, passing by the Sunday market as it was opening, dodging motorcycles and donkeys. The first 20kms was a nice ride, then we reach Endebes where the pavement ends. Last night's thunderstorm has turned the red African soil to mud in some sections. On a shady downhill section, Rachel was forced into the mud, so much mud the tires could no longer roll. A man helped her get the bike out of the mud to the side of the road, Patrick makes his way back through the mud, a crowd begins to gather to watch Patrick take the fenders off the bikes. Patrick is again carrying a stick, a small one, not for the dogs but to get mud off the rims and brakes.

Each small village we pass through we hear people singing gospel. Long before we see anyone, we hear the tiny voices of children shouting with so much enthusiasm "Muzungu, How are you? How are you? How are you? Muzungu, Muzungu!" Then some kids point and wave running toward us, while others run away. Anytime we stop a crowd gathers.

The border crossing is fluid as many peeople cross without stopping. Kenyan immigration again takes our picture and fingerprints and we get our exit stamp. We cross the river and up to Ugandan Immigration. We pay for our visa, $50 each, and talk about the roads. The Immingration official says "The roads get much worse". We are wished a safe journey and then we are in Unganda.

Impressions of Kenya:

1. Money is a shilling. 100 shillings = 1USD

2. We find we remember some of swahili. Jambo (hello) Karibu (Welcome) Habari (how are you?) Mzsuri (fine) Asante sana (Thank you) Pole pole (slowly, slowly)

3. Ride on the left side of the road

4. Foreign foods available: Chinese, Indian (samosas), Italian

5. Kenyan tea: warmed milk then water added and warmed again, then tea leaves added

6. Red African Soil: slick when dust, quickly becomes mud clay when wet

7. Safari and wild life: Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Elephant, Giraffe, Zebra, Impalas, Gazelles, Wildebeest, Rhino, so many different birds too many to list

8. Enthusiastic children: Howareyou? Howareyou? Howareyou? Muzungu Muzungu. Run toward shouting and waving or run away.

9. Wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables, sometimes don't look so pretty but oh so tasty: the biggest tasiest avocados ever! Potatoes, tomatos, onion, the small tasty bananas

10. Mosquito nets over the bed

11. Colorful painted store fronts of shops

12. Roadside stalls made of rickety wood to sell goods

13. Police checkpoints with spikes in the road, but rarely saw anyone stopped. We would get thumbs up, waves and Rachel got one salute and "hello sweet pea"

14. Towns have speed bumps

15. To enter a grocery store there are guards with wand metal detectors. Sometimes it would beep, but we would be waved through

16. Lots of signs along the way indicating churches, church projects, NGO projects, primary and secondary schools

17. Goats, goat herds with women or small children tending them

18. Handwashing before meals. Either a sink in the cornor, or they pour water over your hands into a basin.

19. Guesthouses look delapidated, but always clean

20. Showers have an electric element that heats the water. Just don't touch!

21. Christain, Muslim, Hindu

22. Wood charcoal used for cooking over a small round stove

23. Hotel does not mean accomodation but a place for food

24. And with most countries, very friendly helpful people

All kinds of things are transported on bikes. This looks like animal feed.
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How about a load of fire wood? And we feel heavy....
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And then the asphalt stops at Endebes, joyride turns to nightmare.
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Soon we get bogged down in the mud, it clogs up our fenders. We have to take them off.
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The kids are awesome, but tiring, all day we hear "Muzunugu, muzungu, how are you?"
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At the Kenya - Uganda border
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Today's ride: 46 km (29 miles)
Total: 5,403 km (3,355 miles)

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