The early start wasn't too much of an issue. I couldn't sleep anyway so I was wide awake and listening to music when Antonio gave me the call. The car was packed and ready to go and I just waited for the driver to sort his stuff out and then we were off at around 2:40.
The driver wanted to leave early so he could take his time to get to Lodwar, I'm guessing this was because the road conditions were terrible. They were terrible but I'm not sure what he was taking his time over! Putting his seatbelt on maybe? We were flying over corrugations like a pebble across a pond. It was great, I was getting a 4x4 adventure experience for free.
Once again it felt like I was on a different planet. It was still pitch black, the stars glittered the sky and all we could see of the road was where the beams headed. Awakening camels, hares and all sorts of birds as we climbed over ridges and through thick sand sections, I was on a safari without the daylight and the REALLY wild animals, or the really cool ones at least.
A few hours in and the tiredness kicked in. I was sat in the middle and giving it the Stevie Wonders as i nodded from left to right, bouncing of both the lads with every bump in the road. How the driver stayed awake I have no idea, I think even he nodded off once but we eventually got to Lodwar at 7am. I was worried about how Nigel would get on in the back but he survived unscathed and we found a nice hotel to chill out in for the next two nights. The lads were staying for New Year's Eve so it was only right I stayed too to celebrate it with some people I knew.
I went to get some money out and annoyingly missed out an extra "0" so only withdrew 2000 shillings, about £15. When I tried to get more out my card had been blocked! Not again I thought. I absolutely love the security at Natwest but when you've experienced this once in Sudan and told them you will be away in Africa for 8 months, you don't expect to have to deal with it again. It's without a doubt the biggest inconvenience for a traveller when you're bank is so secure it ends up costing you a fortune to get the little money that you have left after international calls to their maximum rate phone line.
I was too hungry to care for the moment so we had breakfast and then I would have to go about thinking how to sort just another little situation that I have the ability to do with my eyes closed now. I was in a catch 22 situation, bank had blocked my card and so the only way to unblock card is call bank. When I called bank they spent so long with their automated system, my phone credit ran out. How do I top up phone? With my blocked bank card! Lesson 1 in the travellers guide book, always have a credit card incase of emergencies. I didn't like using it but it had to be done. Credit card used but then still had to run the risk of the natwest operator being quick enough to understand what the problem was before my maximum of £20 credit ran out.
"Hello I'm in Kenya my card isn't stolen....I need to unblock my card and then transfer money to pay off my credit card" "it's ok sir there's no need to shout, you want to transfer money?." Clearly there was a need to shout because she missed the main reason why I was calling, I unblocked the card and then still had a text 10 minutes after my call from the fraud team.
As always, after broken contact with family and bank due to a combination of poor Internet, phone credit running out and power cuts. I managed to set everything back to its original settings, at least until Tanzania!
It was good to catch up with the family who are all safely back in England and had a good Xmas I think but didn't really get a decent chat as the Internet cafe was on the slower side of African technology. It was a chat nevertheless and after which I had my eyes and lips on one thing, a nice cold beer.
I quickly bought my bus ticket to Kintale before heading back. I took this more western route because I was told I would not have to take a bus whereas the other route through Moyale it recommended you do. Due to yet more extreme road conditions, the time of year specifically and recent activities in this area, it was recommended by all the police officers I got the bus to Kintale. From there I can get back on Nigel and have been promised good roads and smooth riding throughout the rest of Kenya. I don't like to take the bus but if you were to ask me if I would push Nigel a marathon through thick sand again if I had known then, what I know now, then I would do it all again for sure. Everything happens for a reason and i would not change my Christmas jail camp experience for an easier ride east at all. Also, I want to ensure my ride continues to the end and if getting the bus on the 1st January for a small (I've been told uninteresting section) of Kenya, then I guess it's got to be done. The bus leaves at 6pm and takes around 7 hours. I just hope and pray Nigel is going to be ok on the roof, I have terrible images of him taking off but I'm sure everything will be good.
I bought the lads who were chilling back at the hotel a couple of beers and cakes to say thankyou. It was the least I could do for what they provided for me for the last 6 days. As I walked through the streets of Lodwar (as the only white person as usual) the place seemed to have more beggars than Ethiopia or if there weren't more, then they were certainly more upfront and brazen. Just sat in the Internet cafe a blind lady with two kids to drag her around put her face in between mine and the screen. A bucket was thrust into my face whilst walking from the cafe to the bakery and then I was chased for my cakes after the bakery to the hotel.
"Give me your cake" he demanded. Well there's no chance of that happening if you talk to me like that! Oh to be back in "civilisation" again. I don't like rushing my food and I certainly don't like eating whilst running, you should've seen the state of Beirdre. It's hard enough to eat a heavily creamed angel cake when you're sat still with no wind, let alone when a Kenyan is running after you.
Beers were good and so to was relaxing in a place with other people around. The presence of yet more drunk beggars tarnished my evening a little but I wasn't going to get annoyed about it, once again, its part of Africa that I've been living with for the last 3 months now but it was just a little more full on today than usual. For dinner we had roasted meat, it was goat but the parts of the goat that are more pleasing to the eye and don't look like pieces of Lego. I was told this was the best place in town and we even ordered the meat 2 hours before so it was slowly cooked to perfection. It seems service in Kenya has not developed much from over the border and when we arrived at 8pm (positively ravenous) the guy had forgotten about our huge order and most the meat had been eaten. I was back to sucking on bits of bone and handling ugali. Not exactly how I wanted to fill my stomach but it got filled in the end. (After I bought 10 mandazi's from the shop opposite the hotel)
After all the excitement of the day I was left with a bit of a headache. It was only 9 but I had to call it a day. At least I had a nice room to go back to and no Mosquitos to affect me. My adventure is finally moving again, by 2nd I would be back to full cycling duties.
Tomorrow night should be good. There's a big talent show at the hotel before midnight with a full set up of a stage and lights so at least entertainment is sorted for the evening and no doubt it will be a New Years to remember.
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