Honda Africa Twin, London commuter

I've seen this guy in my part of SW London once before. He's riding an old school Honda Africa Twin with the full overland accessory kit.

Looks like he's having an adventure on the way to work. Nice one.

 

Essential Travel Companions

On a Kenya Airways flight today

The inspiration for Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor.

The Long Way Round

 

'Tumaini' - KiSwahili for 'Hope'

If you look at the side of the blue truck container you can see the word 'TUMAINI' which in KiSwahili, the lingua franca of East Africa, means 'Hope'. So who wrote it on a normal commercial truck and why?

Well, it's a mix of the amazing African characteristics of positivity and optimism, partly a blend of religious metaphors of salvation and also a symbol of the daily struggle most face here.

Now have a look in the shadow of the truck between the wheel axles. Sitting quietly in the shade is the truck driver. He's just getting on with fixing something in the cool at the hottest point of the day. He hopes to get it fixed. He hopes to get back on the road soon. He is Africa.

RIDE magazine

Good, light holiday reading. Fits in your rucksack or pannier for those travel moments where you have to wait.....

Local matatus

To ward off other drivers and reassure potential passengers the local matatus (passenger carrying pickups and minibuses) put up slogans. The vehicle crew, usually a burned out driver and a couple of lads to help with fares and bundling passengers into a confined space, take great pride in their wagon!

If you've got any classics then feel free to share them here!

Ted Simon, Jupiter's Travels

Ted Simon speaking in 2012;

"A long time ago I heard Truman Capote describe his idea of a short story as, "a scrap of lightning that briefly illuminates the landscape." The image is so vivid that it has stuck with me over many decades, and I can't think of a better model for Journey Insights. Ideally they should be short and unpretentious. They should deal with a single event such as an incident, a meeting, a confrontation, a revelation, but within the telling there should be something that illuminates the landscape, and that landscape could be the local environment or culture, the journey of which it is part, or it could be the human condition. Some Insights may stray a long way from this prescription, but whatever it is it must be simple, honest and genuine, and to write something honest and genuine is already a triumph." 

Ted is the original Jupiter's traveller. On his trusty Triumph he showed us all how to travel simply, and as a co tributing and whole part of the local cultures he visited. He remains a strong inspiration for me and us all.

His blog is linked on the right - have a look!

Boda Boda riders negotiate in Mombasa

East African destination ideas

This is Mombasa harbour in the morning sun. It's low tide and the locals come down to the beaches and swim, run and exercise. In the day they get a 'boda boda' taxi into to town for work or to see their mates. These are Chinese copies of CG125s; the local bike industry is increasingly dominated by Asian imports. They seem fine so far.

As destinations go Mombasa is a good one to finish at or, equally, a good waypoint. There's an international port to ship your bike if required (enquire with Seaforth Shipping locally) and an international airport.

If you ride in or out then the road north will head through Nairobi's urban jungle to the dry plains of Northern Kenya and then up through Ethiopia. Challenging riding with off road tracks, difficult navigation and limited fuel stops.

If you ride south then it's black top highway into Tanzania and on. Perfect African riding.