What a noisy night? A beautiful sunrise wakes us and within half an hour we have our audience: the goat herder, his friend and the sister. Our every movement is carefully watched, but we should get used to it by this time. I do not think they've ever been close to white people other than seeing us drive by, because they are actually afraid of us. Any movement towards them causes them to back away.
We are back on the road - the last stretch to the Kenyan border. It is Hugo who spots the prize bird of our trip this far: The Red and Yellow Barbet! "It's the one on the front of the book!" are Andrej's words when he looked through the binoculars and yes, it is - the bird chosen to sit on the front of the East Africa Bird Book!
We arrive at Yabelo by noon and stop at the hotel for a last meal in Ethiopia. Andrej and Willie have omelets, Hugo: spaghetti bolognaise and I have my last Tegebino and 'enjera' and this time I remember to take a picture of the jumbo sour pancake. It is so big it reminds me of a handtowel...!
We are back on the road - the last stretch to the Kenyan border. It is Hugo who spots the prize bird of our trip this far: The Red and Yellow Barbet! "It's the one on the front of the book!" are Andrej's words when he looked through the binoculars and yes, it is - the bird chosen to sit on the front of the East Africa Bird Book!
We arrive at Yabelo by noon and stop at the hotel for a last meal in Ethiopia. Andrej and Willie have omelets, Hugo: spaghetti bolognaise and I have my last Tegebino and 'enjera' and this time I remember to take a picture of the jumbo sour pancake. It is so big it reminds me of a handtowel...!
Last stretch to Moyale the split border town between Ethiopia and Kenya. I feel how the level of my anxiety barometer slowly climbs the closer we get to the end. We have no idea what to expect, but it cannot be worse than Syria or Sudan.
Money changers and fixers are on us like vultures when we stop. All 4 of us march across the street to the immigration office. The 3 guys look like tramps: tattered shorts, dirty t-shirts, facial hair...Saying farewell to them should not be too difficult, but welcoming them into the new country...? I'm not so sure.
We sit a long time in the office, because the computer is down or something and our exit is carefully recorded in a large ledger book. Finally, 4 punches in our passports and we have to go to the customs office where it goes much faster to deregister the vehicle. The officer checks the engine and chassee number and we are in Kenya - just kind of glided over the border!
A sign reminds us to: Please stay left - left-hand driving in Kenya - remnant of the English colonial era, as is English as one of the official languages which will make life infinintely easier.
Hugo and I switch to our Namibian passports, because it is quite a bit cheaper to travel through Africa.
Here we are in Kenya! There is immediately a different feel. It seems as if we are less of an attention drawer as we make our way through the main road until someone spots Sammie!
We draw and change money( the currency in Kenya is shillings), stock up on supplies, and find our long-awaited Samoosas.
We go for dinner to a small local restaurant and all of us want chicken...We eat the toughest chicken I've ever had! I cannot believe that something cooked can be so tough - it is impossible to remove the meat from the bone or just move the meat, period. Sammie receives generous chicken donations from all 4 of us. Hopefully his fierce looking jaws will be able to do something?
We find a camping spot at the Nature Conservation Headquarters and go to bed early. Tomorrow we will tackle the ill-famous road from Moyale to Marsabit. I am immensely thankful that we made it safely all the way from Germany to here - no big disasters or illnesses, but for the here and there stomach upsets and Andrej who is not 100% yet.
Fierce jaws loved the chicken!
Money changers and fixers are on us like vultures when we stop. All 4 of us march across the street to the immigration office. The 3 guys look like tramps: tattered shorts, dirty t-shirts, facial hair...Saying farewell to them should not be too difficult, but welcoming them into the new country...? I'm not so sure.
We sit a long time in the office, because the computer is down or something and our exit is carefully recorded in a large ledger book. Finally, 4 punches in our passports and we have to go to the customs office where it goes much faster to deregister the vehicle. The officer checks the engine and chassee number and we are in Kenya - just kind of glided over the border!
A sign reminds us to: Please stay left - left-hand driving in Kenya - remnant of the English colonial era, as is English as one of the official languages which will make life infinintely easier.
Hugo and I switch to our Namibian passports, because it is quite a bit cheaper to travel through Africa.
Here we are in Kenya! There is immediately a different feel. It seems as if we are less of an attention drawer as we make our way through the main road until someone spots Sammie!
We draw and change money( the currency in Kenya is shillings), stock up on supplies, and find our long-awaited Samoosas.
We go for dinner to a small local restaurant and all of us want chicken...We eat the toughest chicken I've ever had! I cannot believe that something cooked can be so tough - it is impossible to remove the meat from the bone or just move the meat, period. Sammie receives generous chicken donations from all 4 of us. Hopefully his fierce looking jaws will be able to do something?
We find a camping spot at the Nature Conservation Headquarters and go to bed early. Tomorrow we will tackle the ill-famous road from Moyale to Marsabit. I am immensely thankful that we made it safely all the way from Germany to here - no big disasters or illnesses, but for the here and there stomach upsets and Andrej who is not 100% yet.
Fierce jaws loved the chicken!
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