Distance: 92.6 km
Ride time: 7:55:40
Average: 11.7 km/h
Max speed: 27.4 km/h
Total: 51240 km
I was pretty excited as I left Kalokol in the early morning. The tiny village would be the last sign of civilization before heading into the border area between Kenya and Ethiopia. I had been doing my research, and in theoretical terms I knew more or less what to expect; sandy tracks and a few tribal communities.
Once a found the road leading out of town I had to check a couple of times on my GPS that I was on the right track. My GPS said I was heading north, and so I continued…
Right from the start there was quite a lot of pushing involved. I was able to cycle a fair bit as well – mostly thanks to my thick 29′ mountain bike tires. Never have I appreciated them more.
The landscape was dry with scattered bushes and empty creeks dominating the landscape. Once in a while I would get a view of Lake Turkana to my right.
As the last bit of traffic disappeared I felt pretty alone on the empty track. Once in a while I would see tribe members walking through the bushes. The men would smile and wave back when they saw me, which was a good sign considering the recent violent times in the area. Most men would be carrying old Russian AK47 riffles.
Even with the slow 11 km/h progress I thought I might be able to make it to Lowarengak for the night. A good thing since I knew there was supposed to be a catholic mission that had hosted cyclists in the past. With this goal in mind I continued working my way through the sandy path for the rest of the day.
My bike started to show signs of wear after the rough treatment over the last few days. I had to keep tightening the screws on my rack, and a quick fix was needed to keep my Ortlieb panniers in one piece as well. Luckily those were the only issues, and I continued making slow but steady progress.
Half an hour before darkness I rolled into Lowarengak and easily found the mission. The Father was not around, but a nun welcomed me with a cup of tea. How wonderful to receive a bit of hospitality when you need it the most. I was mighty tired as I put up my tent next to a small building. This had been a proper adventure…
Tomorrow I’m hoping to be crossing into Ethiopia and possibly rejoin a real road.
With all that sand, 92km is pretty good going!