Tanga to Millelani - Day 342

Date: July 26th, 2010
Distance: 118km
Country: Kenya

Feeling great today, I headed out of Tanga. The road north to the border was terrible though. Back to dirt roads. It seems that at one point it might have been paved. Now it is just a mess. I spent most of my time trying to pick a route where I didn't feel like I was ridin' in the rodeo. Didn't leave much time for looking around at the beautiful landscape I was passing.

Another annoyance was the road is actually 15km longer than my map says. Thanks for that one, cartographers.

I did get to the border and got myself checked through just fine. So Kenya, if my count is correct, is country 30 on this trip. It should also be the last new country I get to visit by land. (Though I will be heading back to Tanzania to fly home.)

The welcome to Kenya was great though. The road becomes flat and paved. I was getting a beautiful tail wind as well. From then on I was just cruising. That really made my afternoon.

Sadly, that didn't mean I was able to get anywhere. Frankly, there isn't a whole lot in that part of the country. I kept looking for a big town, and didn't find any. The sun ended up setting on me again. That wouldn't have been so bad if not for the bugs. You see, I was riding along an area of coastal swamp. I was plowing through clouds of these little bugs. Let me dispel the myth of the rugged explorer voyaging around the world on a bike with a handsome and dignified demeanor. The bugs that hit me ended up getting stuck in the mixture of sunblock, dust and sweat on my skin. I also kept having the little bastards fly in my mouth and nose. So I end up with bug filled snot running out of my nose and across my face, which by this point has grown a five o'clock shadow of insects. That isn't going to be on a magazine cover any time soon.

I did finally find one town and was able to secure myself lodgings.

-Dravis