I arrive in Nairobi, Kenya around midnight, after nearly 24 hours of travel. I sleep late at my Warmshowers host's house, making a wonderful first impression. It's past noon when I finally rouse and make it downstairs.
I sip on delicious Kenyan coffee, Arabic in taste- light and aromatic and begin the task of assembling my bicycle. I remove my bike from the box to find my chainring badly bent from the long journey. I taxi over to a reputable bike shop and meet Eric Nisbett, whom I had corresponded with briefly about the Kenya Bike Odyssey route. Eric was a critical link in the development of the route and is a well known figure in the Kenyan cycling community. Eric gets me straightened out, literally, and after some conversation, we learn I grew up with his niece in Mamaroneck, New York. I take it as a sign I am right where I need to be and goosebumps rise up my arms as the world has it’s own strange and unique ways of connecting us. We snap a selfie for her and Eric wishes me the best on my journey and to reach out if I need anything.
With my bike assembled, I go about tackling other logistical issues, purchasing and setting up a Kenyan SIM card and figuring out food supplies. With everything in order, I hit the road, pedaling out of the capital city. I am immediately immersed in Africa as bicycles, motorbikes, trucks and cars share the road with hundreds of pedestrians. I pass small buses and trucks pulled over on the side of the road, looking over my right shoulder before pulling out into traffic. It is my first time riding on the opposite side of the road and it takes some getting used to.
The scene is loud and energetic and I enjoy navigating the streets, urban riding is one of my favorite disciplines. Although chaotic, there is often a pattern in dense traffic, and a bike is the best medium for moving through these tight spaces, while others sit in the gridlock. I am filled with excitement and the buzz of Africa invigorates me as I pedal eagerly through the outskirts of the city. I am on a new continent and am in complete awe and wonder. I perform the simultaneous balancing act of soaking in my surroundings while focusing on the road.
Men on singlespeed bikes pedal with me, matching my pace and sometimes passing me on their rickety vessels. “Jambo!” they exclaim with a thumbs up. Their athleticism is present as they move easily on wobbly tires, sizable chainrings and pins for pedals. They speak Swahili, which I understand none of, and can only return their excitement with a smile and a thumbs up.
I climb steadily, ascending into the Limuru tea fields. The landscape is a vibrant green and the hills roll into the horizon as I ride through the middle of the expansive fields, complete with farmers picking tea leaves and throwing them into wooden baskets on their backs at alarming speed. Their hands move in a rhythmic, graceful fashion, like Edward Scisscorhands cultivating shrubs.
I spot a monkey on the side of the road and stop to admire this creature. I soon realize the road is surrounded by dozens of monkeys milling about in the trees and on the forest floor and quickly decide to keep pedaling. I arrive at a gated lodge and ask permission if I can enter. As the only human powered traveler present, I feel out of place in this fine establishment, sweaty from the hilly riding. I enjoy a coffee and delicious lemonade before continuing on.
The next day finds me riding through a massive ranch and as I crest the hill and peer out into the sprawling valley below, I lay my eyes on my first views of zebra, giraffe and antelope scattered about the grasslands.
I creep down the hill trying not to disturb the zebras near me, eventually walking my bike as I get close. They see me and dart off in the opposite direction, weary of this person on a weird machine.
I ride very slowly through the ranch, pushed by a tailwind towards the shores of Lake Navasha. I marvel in the sights of these majestic creatures as zebras and giraffes cross the road a mere 60 yards ahead. I watch as the giraffe runs away, floating over the land in a graceful matter, legs extending out to the sides, moving with surprising speed and ease for such a ginormous animal.
I am completely enthralled by this experience and a deep sense of peace and lightness washes over me. I am filled with immense gratitude for this opportunity to be traveling by bicycle through such a marvelous place. The bicycle provides me a deep connection to the Earth and all of its grandeur. This machine is the catalyst that fuels my physical, mental and spiritual journey, and I am extremely excited and grateful to continue to explore Africa by bike, reveling in its natural and cultural beauty, looking forward to the path ahead.