Djibouti and central Ethiopia were not what we had always imagined (and hoped) that Africa would be like. Leaving Adis Ababa we were really keen to get off the main tourist trail, experience some genuine local hospitality and get a sense of the wild side of Africa. And boy did we get it… We rode for 1200km over varying degrees of off-road, through villages without any infrastructure (not to mention electricity) and witnessed traditions unchanged by modern times. It was fantastic!

From Adis we headed for the South Omo Valley - home to some of Ethiopia’s most exotic tribes. Its gateway is the village of Konso, also the last reliable place to get petrol. The next is 700km away over the border in Kenya, so we filled up the tank plus two additional 10L jerry cans giving us a range of over 800km’s. While in Konso we met a German motorcyclist going the other way. He gave us some updated info about the route including a warning about one of the tribes that had chased him away with their spears

A little cautious but excited we took off on a good gravel road to Turmi - heartland of the Hamer people. It was like something straight out of a National Geographic documentary! Coming down from the highlands an open savanna spread out before us. We passed more and more villages occupied by local tribes (often with nothing more than a goat skin draped over them) living in thatched huts. They were as curious of us and the bike, as we were of them.

For a few days we based ourselves in a campsite a few kilometers out of Turmi. Camping under mango trees ensured we had fresh fruit for breakfast everyday At the camp we also met a local guide called ‘Franco’ who helped organise a visit to one of the villages to witness a traditional ‘bull jumping’ ceremony. This is the most important event in the life of a Hamer male and represents his transition into manhood. Unfortunately our ‘guide’ didn’t have transportation so we had to ride three-up (a first for us) over 150km through Hamer country following foot tracks and being directed by passing villagers. 3 hours later we came to the home of the boy that was to jump the bulls. It was a place we would never have found ourselves and if not for the negotiating skills of our guide, we would have been chased away by the locals (or worse). It definitely wasn’t something set up for tourists and we were in for a show!

The ceremony begins with the Hamer women dancing, singing and drinking themselves into a trance after which they repeatedly beg (yes beg) a select group of ‘whipping boys’ to whack them across the shoulders and back with a stick, until their skin breaks and blood streams out. The wounds are left to heal slowly and the scarring is considered beautiful! It was an incredible sight and we had to constantly remind ourselves that it’s still the 21st century… Finally once enough blood has been spilled and magic concoction drunk, all the bulls are rounded up, placed side by side and the ‘boy’ of the hour repeatedly runs/jumps over their backs til the elders consider him worthy to become a man. Overall an unforgettable experience!

From Turmi the roads got tougher with long sections of deep deep sand right up to the border town of Omorate (which by the way is 50km away from the actual border with Kenya). In Omorate we stop for lunch, change some money, stamp out of Ethiopia and and fill up a 10L jerry can with water for the long stretch to Kenya which is renowned for being hot and barren.

From Omorate we tracked along the eastern edge of Lake Turkana to the first Kenyan village of Ileret. The landscape was dominated by open savanna and the road led through dry river beds, branching off repeatedly in all directions. Every wrong turn means wasted precious fuel, so we stopped every time we saw a local and asked for directions - they make a good substitute for a GPS

Eventually we made it into Kenya, although there were no signs or fences designating the border, so we were unsure exactly when. The Ileret police compound was our home for the night and the chief of police treated us to a local Kenyan delicacy called ‘Ugari’. He also arranged for water to wash and provided a letter stating we crossed into Kenya legally (as there is no immigration post on the Kenyan side). We’ll use this to get our passports stamped in Nairobi.

The next two days were extremely difficult, riding on tracks covered with small volcanic rocks. Riding two-up, with an additional 20L of petrol and 10L of water was not easy and made it a real challenge. The landscape was very barren, with no vegetation or animals of any sort in sight. We passed one vehicle during the 3 days it took to get to Loiyangalani! The heat was unbearable and any breakdown could have meant trouble.

During this stretch our fuel consumption rose to 7l/100km so we were forced to buy additional petrol in Loiyangalani at more than twice the normal price ($2.20/ltr). Luckily they had cold coke which was not so expensive. There is no electricity, but the shops run small fridges on solar power. There’s certainly enough of it out there… We spent an extra night in Loiyangalani and visited the local villages of the Turkana and Samburu tribes.

Our next stop was Maralal. The road was only marginally better so the going was slow, averaging 25km/hr. We were now definitely closer to civilization. The town had electricity, an ATM,an internet cafe and bars. Ahhh cold beer at last!

Apparently soon after Maralal the asphalt returns, but we decided to continue off-road through the Samburu Hills. Apart from the really cool looking locals we also saw zebra, antelopes and even a chameleon. That night we camped in the fenced off garden of a local Masai family to ensure we don’t get stomped on by an elephant at night and drank tea with a few of the locals that popped by. The remaining 200km to Nairobi were quite dull. even the sight of Mt. Kenya and the crossing of thee equator didn’t inspire us. But that’s what you get when you hit asphalt and we can be pretty hard to please

We’ll now spend a few days in Nairobi and leave for Uganda after Christmas. During this time we’ll be updating the photo gallery so there’ll be some new pics from Yemen, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Merry Xmas to all and best wishes for 2009!!