How I cycled from Nairobi to Mombasa (500 km+) in 2 days: PART 2 of 2
If you didn’t read the part one of this amazing voyage please find it here: How I cycled from Nairobi to Mombasa (500 km+) in 2 days: PART 1of 2
It was 9:30 am, 142 km later, when I touched down at Emali. I did have trouble locating a food kiosk because the town is littered with groceries selling to vehicles passing through the junction town. Part of the town on the left is in Makueni County while the other is in Kajiado County. Finally, I was as happy as a Peter Sagan when he won having located a kibandaski (food kioski) on the right side and I crossed over to it. I asked what was available and I was told that there was tea, chapati, and peas (mbaazi).
I normally ate chapati and something like beans or peas when on a ride. The attendant said it was KES 70 to get one chapati and peas assuring me that the chapati was big. Oh my goodness! The disappointment on my face when he delivered a frail chapati that felt like a piece of paper in my hands. I had to ask him to bring another one. Later on, I asked for a third one. With a cup of tea that he was selling for KES 10, I felt better. I had spent KES 120 for that breakfast which many would say was a heavy one. Some street children came to play with my bike and I almost broke the leg of one of them in the process.
After updating my buddies on WhatsApp group and receiving some encouragements, I left Emali some minutes to 10 am aiming to make another stopover at Mtito Andei approximately 100 km. My average speed increased tremendously after the recharge to about 27.5 kph. But the headwinds would not have me maintain that speed for long. As I passed through Makindu about 185 km it was around 26.8 kph.
I continued to battle them headwinds through Kiunduani Town at about 198 km, and then into Kibwezi town about 12 km later. I could hear on the road from time to time as I passed a group of people whistles. I remember in some of those towns I passed through people saying “Salimia watu wa Mombasa!!” meaning greet the people of Mombasa. It was like they had gotten used to seeing cyclists with road bikes going that way and of course the destination was Mombasa City.
It was at about 2:30 pm when I arrived at Mtito Andei 245 km later already feeling the effects of the suffering on my sitting apparatus. When I took a selfie I could see my eyes were already starting to look red and my face white from the sweat. In short, I was beginning to produce “salt”. I sat down and some waiters from the hotel at Mtito Andei came to talk with me. I scared them of how I had done a ride from Nairobi yet I was to proceed like that to Nairobi.
I drank my 1 litre of porridge and emptied the water into my water bottle on the cage. I then drank some water and got ready to tackle another 100 km to Voi town through the lonely Tsavo National Park. I left Mtito at about 3 pm hoping to make it to Voi in 5 hours despite my average speed starting to drop like that. I was sure I would even make it to that place by maybe 8 pm in a worst-case scenario.
Tsavo National Park is a lonely place for a solo cyclist divided by a road that is still under development especially on the cycling lanes. This is a place where I disconnected my music and left my ears to hear the rhythm of the bike as it traversed through the unending attacks from headwinds in that section. A few truck drivers honked at me as they passed me meaning they were either warning me or saluting me. One of them wanted to stop and give me a lift if I wanted to have it and for I would have asked for it. Why not?
I passed some road construction workers along the same section who looked shocked to see me riding alone. It didn’t go very far like 5 km when I passed a police checkpoint which I had not expected along that section and that even gave me hope that human beings were in the area. “Aii!” I heard one of the policemen exclaim in wonderment as I passed there. I didn’t want to stop for anything so I ignored them and moved on. It was about 6 pm when I was at 300 km through the ManEaters section. That was the section near the SGR line and a signboard to the ManEaters Lodge still no human in sight here.
The climb from the river at the ManEater section was no joke. Even as the SGR from Nairobi passed by, I wished I had the same energy as the SGR to pass there that fast. The headwinds were now stronger than ever. 10 km later I was now passing at Manyani Maximum Prison and it was getting dark my cycling glasses were of no use now. I was happy to see 2 trailers packed opposite the prison and a few mechanics working on them. I was out of the Tsavo lonely section. I turned my lights on and pressed on. A driver in an FH truck from Voi side signaled me with full lights before shouting something that seemed more of an encouragement.
The Cycling lane here was not very friendly for the next like 10 to 15 km or so because of the trucks that had destroyed it. I had to gamble with the trucks on their road section. Good thing at night it’s easier to see them coming unlike during the day when you have to keep looking aside to see what is coming behind you. A large section of the road was straight and flat such that with the darkness a vehicle can pass you and you still see it not fading away five minutes later because of the straightness. It was more than torture seeing vehicles some even vans and cars from far and not passing you that fast.
I made a call to my host at Voi and assured him that I was not far from getting home despite having 15 km to cover in darkness. My lights thanks to Ken Mwangi my peddler were as bright as those of a car. I did ignore some calls from my cycling friends because I didn’t want to feel pressured like a car tyre to tell them my whereabouts. It was about 8 pm that I made it into Voi town. I had done 348 km and my average was at 23.6 kph. I got online and updated them. There had got worried after the time I estimated for them that I would be in Voi had elapsed.
I took like 30 minutes to rest in Voi town, taking a soda and snacks I bought before proceeding to my host’s place near Voi Boys High School. Voi is like home to me I got a number of relatives there. Otherwise the houses there are cheap if you wanted to rent for the night for like KES 600 to KES 1000. Getting home I took a cold bath and ate the supper they had prepared for me and in fact my favorite Chapati as I gave them my experience. Everyone was just going wow like ambulances as I told them what they wanted to hear.
Day 2 of the Ride: Voi to Mombasa (160 km)
I woke up late the next day which was Sunday. I had intended to wake up at 4 am and leave at 5 pm but I ended up waking at 6 am. My ankles were painful, so I massaged them with Kaluma pain balm and hoped for the best. I filled my water bottles and today since I was not carrying porridge I had an extra water bottle of water. After taking breakfast I left at about 7 am for Mombasa ready to tackle the mother of head winds and cross winds along the way.
For the first 5 km, I was lucky to draft a truck which sort of gave me a head start into the ride and I rode on as if everything was normal. The road was straight and flat until up Maungu town 30 km later. But another truck came and I managed to ride beside it for like 10 km enjoying the cover it gave me from crosswinds and even the pace.
After Maungu I was alone but the cycling lane was messy with loose chippings because the road had recently been re-carpeted with them. I had to ride on the road partly and on the messy cycling lane. This is where one can enjoy riding in a group. 50 km later I was passing through some bit climbs and drop at Miasenyi. It didn’t long before I crossed from Taita Taveta County into Kwale County. I was already into Mackinnon Road Town 65 km later and then later Taru town 10 km later.
Taru was to be my first and only stopover but I changed my mind and passed Samburu town at 95 km to stop at Maji ya Chumvi at 110 km. 2 chapatis and beans plus plenty of water did justice to my stomach. It was 12:30 pm as I refreshed myself there. The effects of the headwinds and cross winds was taking a big effect on me but I had to press on with buddies awaiting for my updates on WhatsApp.
Into Mariakani it was not easy with crass traffic jams from trucks and small cars. I was already into Kilifi County and then again back to Kwale County when I got to Mazeras town. The last 30 to 20 km I was struggling with the winds that buy now were never leaving me to rest not unless I rested my case. The road was also not very smooth and I prayed that I don’t get a puncture as I was riding against time.
After Mazeras I was officially into Mombasa county but I still had like 10 km and passing through Miritini another place of traffic jams would a big mistake. But the headwinds at Southern Bypass to the Airport and Kipevu Terminal were not child’s play. A whole 7 km of little climbing but headwinds to battle with as I went on were the order for that section.
After I was done with the Bypass into a road that leads to the Airport road and then town there was a killer climb for me there I struggled but finished it. The roads there were still under construction especially the one to Mikindani and also to town I had to pass through some rough section for like 2 km barely surviving on my saddle sores. But I was happy finally as I cycled into Mombasa Island finally into Mwembe Tayari and later Pembe za Ndovu 512 km of a journey!
After a few photos around Pembe za Ndovu, I proceeded to Miritini where the Mombasa Terminus for the SGR is located to print my ticket in advance. I found some touchscreen printers in the ticket office where printed for myself the ticket because it’s self service. You need to have received the SMS when you booked to be able to enter your phone number and ticket number on the screen and get it printed.
I then left to go take a shower at a public toilet and later ate some 3 chapatis and a cup of tea before coming back to the station at about 7 pm to get ready for the journey back to Nairobi. Since I had carried something to tie your bike with I didn’t see the need to have a box or bag for the bike. I have always used old bike tubes and a bike lock to fasten my bike bundle. Why the then would I need bag for the bike.
At exactly 3:30 am, we were at Syokimau the Nairobi Terminus where I spent like an hour and a half relaxing as my phone charged and also to wait for a better time to get onto Mombasa road. I was to ride back to work at Westlands and work as usual after all I didn’t talk a leave to do this ride.
The photos used in this post can be found the album Nrb-Msa in 2 days 26/06/2021
