Following the really tough day where I almost ran out of water and a nice rest day on a farm in the Kenyan Highlands, I had to tackle another massive ascent. The day of invloved a huge 700m ascent followed by 70km downhill. This day was my longest yet covering 110km and by the end I was shattered but I very was kindly hosted in a guesthouse on a limestone farm in the foothills of the mountains I had just descended. The guesthouse at Homa Lime also had a pool which I was very happy to take a dip in, before indulging in a tasty beef stew and cold beer!
The next 4 days marked my last in Kenya as I cycled towards the Uganda border. A couple of nice flat days approaching Lake Victoria were a blessing for my legs, and despite being pushed off the road by an articulated lorry and twisting my knee, and nearly being robbed I was in rather high spirits when I reached the campsite on the shores of Lake Victoria.
I sat down with a local mango beer and enjoyed watching my first sunset over the lake. Unfortunately however, I was in a lot of pain from my crash that day and my knee was swollen so the best option was to take a day and see if it recovers. The day off involved running some chores in the town and then just sitting back and relaxing. That evening a met a couple of overlanders from the UK who kindly invited for me a delicious dinner!
The final few days were spent cycling over rolling hills, meaning constantly going up and down. These rollercoaster hills and lush green landscapes were a taste of what was to come in the east of Uganda.
As I reflect on my time in Kenya I think unfortunately I didn't get to embrace Kenyan culture and its landscapes as much as i would have wanted to. I believe this is because I was so focused on the cycling and getting used to being in the saddle for prolonged periods of time carrying such a heavy load. That's not say I didn't enjoy Kenya. I was lucky enough to have the best send off anyone could wish for at OPC, and I loved cycling through the green mountain farmlands of the South. Moving onto Uganda I think I will find the day to day life on the bike easier. I have learnt to pace myself and I have learnt more about nutrition and energy so that means I can focus my mind on immersing myself in Ugandan culture and hopefully I will be able to have some incredible life changing adventures along the way.
