Day 246 Kenya/Tanzania 06/07/2011, Namanga – free camp in a quarry near Mt Meru. 46.33miles/74.63km, 5hr16minutes, Av 8.8mph.

What a lovely nights sleep; I particularly enjoyed the noisily barking dogs, the large lorry arriving late that kept its engine running for what seemed like hours and of course that well known sleep disturber the early rising rooster. Debs meanwhile had taken the wise precaution of earplugs!

The border turned out to be a little further than 2km, but not by much. The town of Namanga is a proper border town and seems to exist only for that purpose. Suddenly the good roads gave way to a pot holed partially surfaced track and we were at the border.

Before heading to immigration we changed our remaining Kenyan shillings for Tanzanian ones at a nearby exchange office. We may not have a lot of cash, but it should be enough to get us to Arusha. Getting stamped out of Kenya was painless, although as both borders are open and no one was checking, it would be quite possible to walk straight through into Tanzania! The Tanzanian immigration department was a little trickier, as for some reason they don't have the forms that you need to fill in available before you queue up. In the end though, it was pretty much a case of handing over $50 each and then waiting for our passports to come back. The whole process from arrival to leaving took about an hour and then we were on our way.

The bad road surface for 91km sign proved to be untrue, although an off road diversion right at the start of our Tanzanian odyssey had us a little worried. Clearly in the last year there has been some serious road building going on, as another westerner at the border had told us that she was in Tanzania last year and the road was awful.

Our immediate impression of Tanzania, was that the people, especially the Masai, were more openly friendly. What did become apparent however, was that there was no chance of the road levelling out any. If anything it was even hillier than it had been in Kenya, plus we had the joy of cycling against a strong headwind.

Our first stop of the day came at the town of Longido, some 27km from the border. A helpful police man showed us a small restaurant and we had a refreshing drink and waited for the chips that they were preparing to be cooked. The chips took quite a while, but we were kept entertained by a young staff member who spoke very good English, although she was playing truant from school! We opted to have the chips with an egg each and were a bit surprised when it arrived as a chip filled omelette, it was no less tasty for it though.

Back on the road we slowly wended our way towards Arusha, slowly being the operative word. The scenery was nice but it did start to become a little repetitive and we still haven't seen Kilimanjaro as it has been too cloudy. By way of a diversion I stopped and chatted to two young Masai men who seemed to think having their photo taken was hilarious.

Debs then later assisted a thirsty Masai by giving him some of her water. See, not only seeing the world from a bicycle, but providing a service as well!

As the day wore on, the hills and relentless wind started to take their toll. The town that we were expecting to buy water at, didn't materialise and there was no way we were going to make it to Arusha. It has to be said that making it to Arusha was always going to be a long shot anyway. Eventually we reached a small village and thankfully managed to buy some water. All we needed to do now was find somewhere to camp, which was made more difficult by there being Masai everywhere that looked promising. We would have happily asked them if camping would be alright, but since getting closer to Arusha all they have done is ask for money. It seems for the time being we have left all the friendly ones behind us.

With our reserves of energy running out, we went back to investigate an old quarry that we had just passed. It may not be the most glamorous place to camp, but it is certainly not owned by the Masai, we can't be seen from the road and we are unlikely to be bothered by any wild animals.

With any luck the 40km journey to Arusha tomorrow will be painless and we will be safely camped at Sakina camp-site. Provided we can find it of course!

Day 245 Kenya 05/07/2011, Bulls Eye travellers pause – Wood carvers OMA camp-site near Namanga. 37.26miles/59.84km, 3hr38minutes, Av 10.2mph.

Having slept better last night, we had breakfast and got packed up in good time. By 8:20am we were on the road and heading for the Kenya/Tanzania border.

Our first stop of the day was at the village of Bissel, where we managed to buy some fruit and vegetables and more importantly stock up on drinking water. After the well stocked supermarkets of Nairobi, it was our first foray into the small wood and corrugated iron shops that line the main road through the villages. The shopkeepers were really helpful if slightly amused, clearly white people don't stop too often, let alone ones on bicycles.

With our water sacks filled we continued on the once again hilly road. To add to our animal count, today Debs spotted a male and female ostrich and I nearly caused a crash when I spotted some gazelle and didn't inform Debs that I was slowing down!

As before there were no shortage of Masai to shout hello to and we were once again followed down the road by smiling waving children. What we could have done without however, was the the mile and a bit of off road where some resurfacing was taking place. If the bumpy surface wasn't bad enough, the dust whipped up by the passing vehicles made it quite unpleasant. We possibly could have ridden on the road as people were walking up and down it, but we didn't fancy tyres full of tar and chippings. This came as a bit of a shame as the road up until then had been brilliant and we had just enjoyed a lovely milky coffee in a small café.

After a short break for lunch, to recover from the awful road surface, we found ourselves heading down towards the border town of Namanga. Spotting a camp-site we went to investigate, but after being quoted a silly price and not really liking the set-up; lots of men, restaurant closed, no flat ground etc, I made the decision to move on. One which I fortunately didn't live to regret when we found another site just a little further along.

We are camped in the compound of a tourist wood carving and craft centre, where apparently cyclists on the 'Tour d'afrique' have stayed. If it is good enough for them, then it is good enough for us! If we were here a few days later we would also meet some other cyclists who are on a tour with a company called 'Escape'. As they are coming here from Tanzania, there is every chance we may bump into them tomorrow; let's hope not literally!

Forgoing the cooking tonight we have had a decent meal in the restaurant and after saying I am not buying any souvenirs have bought a batik painting. At least being on fabric the picture can be folded and won't weigh me down too much!

Apparently the border is only 2km away so we should be in Tanzania quite early. It is farewell Kenya, for the short while we have been here, you have been very good to us!

Day 244 Kenya 04/07/2011, Whistling Thorns camp-site – Bulls Eye travellers pause. 41.98miles/67.58km, 4hr38minutes, Av 9mph.

We ate breakfast in the restaurant this morning having already packed up our gear. Perhaps our previous experience of having lunch in the restaurant was a bit of a blip, as the breakfast was good and we were sent on our way with full stomachs.

The first part of the journey was along the same quiet, yet heavily potholed road that we had ridden in on. If anything however the pot holes got worse and the road surface deteriorated. We have ridden on tracks that were better surfaced!

Despite the awful road, Debs spotted some more zebra and a kori bustard (large walking bird). We also encountered several more Masai, this time in the full traditional clothing. I take my previous comment back, the clothing isn't just for tourists and ceremonial occasions.

When we finally reached the main road some 25km later we were glad to find some smooth tarmac. Stopping for a drink at a small kiosk we became the object of attention to several men, who all seemed fascinated in what we were doing but wouldn't actually speak. It is probably a good idea to get used to it though, as I am sure it won't be the last time we are stared at!

Once again the hilliness of the roads surprised us and we were given quite a workout. Having passed several friendly road workers we spotted what looked like an overland truck in the distance. Sure enough as we got closer we could see people sitting outside the truck and decided to stop and say hello. The passengers from the Gap adventures truck were very friendly and we were kindly invited to join them in some food, which was really good. Having started in Cape Town 40 days ago it was the final day for all on board and most of them seemed astounded that we would be on the road for at least another 8 months. I am sure at times we will envy the speed with which they covered the ground, but remain aware just how many opportunities we have been granted by being on bicycles. After handing out a few blog cards and letting the group meet Toad, we took a quick photo and bid them all safe journeys, before setting off once again.

For the remainder of the day we never said goodbye to the hills, some of which were quite steep. The weather got warmer and the wind got stronger, a headwind obviously, and we were looking forward to finding somewhere to camp. Passing a small village we were greeted by lots of children on the side of the road who ran along beside us. These are the first real group of children we have encountered since arriving in Kenya and it was nice to see their friendly smiling faces. Spurred on by the kids, not to mention the passing Masai, we finally arrived outside 'Bulls Eye travellers pause'. Despite it looking like a bar we had been told by the staff at 'Whistling Thorns' that we may be able to camp there. Eventually getting to see the manager we were told that it would be fine, for a fee of course! The price was alright and our options in the area were pretty slim, plus he opened up a room that we could use the shower and toilet in. Having seen the bar toilet block, this was a blessing!

It may not be up to the standards of our previous camp-sites, but it seems secure and the grounds have an abundance of bird life.

Hills willing, we will get to Namanga tomorrow and spend our last night in Kenya, before crossing the border into Tanzania. Unless it is phenomenally cloudy we should get our first look at Mt Kilimanjaro as well.

Day 243 Kenya 03/07/2011, Whistling Thorns camp-site. Masai, gazelle and zebra.

Neither of us slept very well last night, although we can't blame the noise as yesterday's function ended relatively early.

By 9am we were outside the restaurant and being met by Emmanuel, our Masai guide. We wouldn't describe him as the most talkative of people, but we were soon heading into the savannah in search of wildlife. It wasn't long before we were beckoned over and saw our first gazelle of the trip, sorry no photos they were miles away! Continuing through the short scrub and winding through the thorn-laden trees, we were soon rewarded with a distant glimpse of some zebra. This was to be the first of many zebra that we encountered on our walk, many of them much closer up.

The walk was great and the scenery and animals beautiful. We encountered several Masai farmers, although sadly none of them were dressed in the traditional outfits. Perhaps the dress is now more for tourists and ceremonial occasions. Seeing a zebra foal was a particular highlight. Emmanuel turned out to be an excellent guide, but after nearly three hours of fairly tough walking we were glad to get back to the camp.

Deciding to eat lunch in the restaurant turned out to be a bit of a disappointment as the food was no better than average, but it couldn't take away from what had been a terrific morning.

Later we had a swim in the pool and spent the rest of the day chilling out. We are definitely moving on tomorrow but are glad that we spent another day.

Day 242 Kenya 02/07/2011, Whistling Thorns camp-site. A not so peaceful haven!

We had a good nights sleep in the peaceful surroundings of the camp-site. The camp rules of no music, and no noise whatsoever after 11pm sound a little strict but it certainly kept it quiet. Unfortunately those rules didn't seem to apply to the huge gathering of Nairobi Water employees, who had some kind of function later in the day.

Our day had started well if slowly, the site is home to a myriad of interesting bird life and we were happy to just while the day away. Then the gathering started and any hopes of a peaceful remainder of the day were shattered. Nairobi Water effectively took over the site; the swimming pool was surrounded by men, music blared from car stereos in the car park and people giving talks to their staff droned on for hours.

All of this wasn't really a problem as we were safely camped away from the main function. What did become less pleasant was the fact that the shower and toilet blocks that we were supposed to be using, were also being used by everyone else. Apparently Kenyans don't know which one they are expected to use, have no knowledge of lifting seats or even attempting to aim for the toilet bowls. Debs didn't, understandably, want to use the showers as men often wandered into the wrong toilets and within a few hours both blocks looked like they had been attacked by incontinent children. Better still, Kenyan men being clearly unused to drinking alcohol, appeared to enter into a projectile vomiting competition in the men's toilets. It is possible that at least one of them had made it into the toilet but by early evening it was very hard to tell!

In the end we gave up on showers and after a few drinks in the bar decided to call it a night. In fairness to the staff they opened another toilet and shower just for us and were apologetic about the situation.

Instead of moving on tomorrow, we are going on a walk in the surrounding area with a Masai guide in the hope of seeing some wildlife. Hopefully it will be more peaceful tomorrow.

Day 241 Kenya 01/07/2011, Nairobi – Whistling Thorns camp-site. 25.27miles/40.58km, 2hr54minutes, Av 8.7mph.

Last nights few beers and an early night, became one beer and an even earlier night, when the torrential rain returned complete with the obligatory power-cut. For the first time in its use, the tent leaked a little around the seems. Not enough for us to get wet, but still a little disappointing. With any luck it had more to do with the fact that it had not been refastened properly after the tortoise incident, than the tent itself failing.

The morning brought us dry weather and after breakfast we got packed and headed out into the Nairobi traffic. Cycling in cities is rarely fun, but despite the pollution and heavy traffic, the journey out of the city was easier than expected. What we hadn't considered was just how hilly the road was. The journey was more of a workout than we had been expecting for our first day back in the saddle.

As we rode through the Ngong hills, we passed through several bustling towns and villages. Our first impressions of Africa is that everyone seems to be busy, unlike in the Middle East where all of the men seem generally to be sitting down or asleep!

Stopping at a small pizza restaurant we had a mid morning drink and a welcome hotdog.

The joys of being able to eat whatever you fancy at any time of day, will I am sure be coming back to us the more we cycle!

As we were leaving the restaurant a man commented on one of the stickers on my bike and asked where we were going. One of those small world moments occurred and he told us that he was also going to 'Whistling Thorns', so we would see him later. It was just a shame I didn't ask him how far we had to go.

Back on the road the hills got steeper and the people got friendlier. Fortunately the traffic also got lighter. Before too long we were cycling down into the town of Kiserian and would be soon turning off towards 'Whistling Thorns'. We certainly wouldn't want to complain but this was slightly surprising. According to our research we shouldn't be at the turn off for at least another 10km! Obviously we had taken a steeper but more direct route to our destination. For some reason we had never been able to get Google maps to accept the road we wanted and had to settle for a best guess on the distance.

The 13km stretch along the pipeline road was great, although littered with potholes. We were firmly in Masai territory and were greeted heartily by an elderly Masai woman in a pick-up truck and received generous waves from passers-by. Animals may have been conspicuous by their absence, but riding through the open savannah was a great pleasure.

Climbing one last hill we arrived at our destination approx 2 hours earlier than I had expected.

Getting on to the site proved a little challenging when we were greeted by a closed gate, no guard and a sign that said 'sound horn' for entry. Our bells were a little pathetic so we resorted to shouting hello and eventually got someone's attention. The site is certainly going to be peaceful after Nairobi, as we are the only campers and possibly two of only three guests. The 'no outside food allowed on the premises' sign fortunately only applies to the restaurant, so cooking isn't going to be a problem.

A couple of beers at the restaurant reminded us how tired we were and we settled in for an early night. Tomorrow will be a rest day before we press on to the Tanzanian border. The plentiful camp-sites are breaking us in gently to life back on the road.

Day 240 Kenya 30/06/2011, Nairobi. The Virgin Atlantic office, a lot of shopping and getting ready for the off.

We had a slower start this morning, got some washing done and then headed off to the Virgin Atlantic office. The office had been in touch yesterday informing us that there would be no problem with a refund, we just needed to give them Debbie's bank details. With the experiences we have had with banks lately, we decided it safest to take the details in person rather than sending them by email. Despite the problems we have had, we really can't fault the level of service we have received from Virgin. They have done their utmost to sort everything out.

With the promise of a refund within the next few days, we returned to the camp to find out how much we owed for our stay and then headed to the supermarket. We are now fully stocked for the road ahead, long may the well stocked shops continue.

Back at the camp we packed up our gear and I gave the bikes a final check over for the morning. Unfortunately one of our new self-sealing inner tubes has a faulty valve, so Debbie's bike will have to be equipped with a normal tube until I can get the valve repaired.

As well as packing, we ended up having to rescue one of the camp's resident tortoises who got himself tangled up in one of our guy ropes. It clearly didn't enjoy being picked up as it kept hissing at us, but eventually we got it free. Only for it to then head towards the inside of our tent. Another carry later and I deposited him safely out of harms way.

The day had been going well until we tried to get some money out to pay our bill. The first bank declined Debs' card and then accepted mine, only to keep me waiting for ages before handing the card back minus any money and a receipt. The bank was just about to close so we rushed in to make sure we hadn't been billed for the transactions. We have their assurances that the transactions didn't go through, so we will just have to keep our fingers crossed. Eventually at another ATM we got our cards to work, unfortunately only the Visa ones that we get charged on. It seems Kenya at least is not very Mastercard friendly.

It will be a few beers tonight and an early night. The busy streets of Nairobi beckon and our African cycling adventure begins anew.

Day 239 Kenya 29/06/2011, Nairobi. Giraffes and a vast amount of meat.

After spending most of our time so far running round sorting bikes and refunds, it was nice to get out and see something today. Especially as it is our six year anniversary, over two years of which have been spent travelling.

Having negotiated a reasonable price with a taxi driver, we headed off to see Debbie's second favourite wild animal, the giraffe.

At the 'Langata Giraffe breeding centre', you can see these magnificent animals in a semi wild environment. The highlight however is being able to feed them and marvel at their incredible gentleness and, albeit slimy, amazingly dexterous tongue. At the suggestion of one of the staff, Debs allowed a giraffe to take a food pellet from her lips. Resulting in a hilarious kiss from a giraffe. The site may have been small but it was well worth the visit.

Returning to the camp, we spent the afternoon relaxing until it was time to head off to the restaurant 'Carnivore'. At least it would have been time to head off, if our taxi driver hadn't been over 30 minutes late. Fortunately the restaurant weren't bothered and we were soon seated and being plied with huge quantities of BBQ'd meat. The whole experience was a lot of fun. It could be said that the restaurant has probably lost some of its appeal since 2004 when the Kenyan government banned the sale of game meat. You can no longer dine on Zebra and wildebeest. Nevertheless we had a great time sampling what was on offer and generally making pigs of ourselves.

Unfortunately having consumed so much meat, meant that sleeping was a little tricky. It will not go down as the best nights sleep we have ever had!

Day 238 Kenya 28/06/2011, Wildebeest camp Nairobi. Resting and a trip to the supermarket.

Not much to report today aside from the weather getting warmer. After a slow start to the day we wandered down to a very well stocked supermarket. We picked up most of the basics that we will need for the road ahead and grabbed some food for dinner. We are unsure whether cooking is allowed on the site, but we are going to give it a go anyway.

A trip to a petrol station caused some hilarity when I explained that I wanted the petrol for cooking with. Possibly they thought that we just tipped the petrol over the top of the food and set fire to it! Nevertheless I returned to the camp with two full fuel bottles, so we should be fine for a week or so.

Back at the camp we spent a bit of time feeding the resident tortoise cabbage leaves, on the chance that he/she would pose for a photo. It is amazing how it seemed to know when a camera was pointed at it and disappeared back into its shell!

A nice dinner and a few beers rounded off a lazy day. We are off to the Giraffe sanctuary tomorrow and then off to the famous Carnivore restaurant in the evening for a meat feast.

Day 237 Kenya 27/06/2011, Wildebeest camp Nairobi. Reunited with the bikes and an afternoon stroll to the Virgin Atlantic office.

Having slept well, despite the rain and stresses of the day before, we set about tracking down our bikes. After making several unanswered phone calls we were getting nowhere. Even getting in touch with Virgin Atlantic for a refund was proving difficult.

Eventually I got through to the Emirates baggage desk where I was informed that the bikes were there and would be soon on their way to us. Things were looking up, although we didn't want to celebrate too much until they were actually with us and in one piece.

True to Emirates' word the bikes arrived within an hour or so and I set about unpacking and getting them reassembled. Despite their extended journey they appear to have arrived unscathed so a sigh of relief was breathed all round.

All we needed to do now was claim our costs back and we would be back on track. A bit of internet research later and we discovered that the Virgin Atlantic city office was not far from the camp-site.

Leaving the confines of the camp-site we ventured out for our first wander through the streets of Nairobi. We easily got to the location given to us by google maps, only to find out that the directions were wrong. We were on the right road just not at the correct end. With the assistance of some taxi drivers, who were a bit disappointed that we didn't go with them, we set off in the right direction. After a quick stop at a small supermarket where we once again checked our directions, we soon found ourselves outside the Landmark plaza.

The staff at the Virgin offices were very helpful and fingers crossed our money will be refunded shortly. It looks like we will definitely get the money back, we just don't know how long it will take. The main thing is that we are now logged on the system, which is all we can really do.

The walk back to the camp-site was slightly shorter than on the way out, although walking along the main Ngong road was less pleasant. Reaching the camp-site it was time for a beer, which was followed by several more. We spent the evening in the company of Chris and Dave, two medical students who were anxiously awaiting the results of their third year exams. We are glad to say that they both passed as we got caught up in the worried search for their results. It was two very relieved people that we shared another beer with, congratulations guys!

After all the worries, it is great to have everything pretty much sorted. We can now settle down and enjoy our few days in Nairobi before we head off towards the Tanzanian border.

Day 235 & 236 UK - Kenya 25-26/06/2011, LHR – Dubai – Nairobi. Farewells, free flights, a re-route via Dubai, upgrades and no bikes!

After bidding another fond farewell to friends and family we set off to the airport. Many thanks once again have to go to my father Paul for taking us. Thanks also to my little bro Adam for keeping us company, even though he was a bit surprised when he realised we weren't travelling from Stansted. I hope the extra few hours in the car weren't too bad!

The journey to the airport was the only normal part of what has turned out to be a bit of an adventure in itself. On arrival at the terminal we were met by some Virgin Atlantic staff telling us that they had oversold the flight and were looking to get 15 passengers to re-route via Dubai for some compensation. Not being in any great hurry we were interested, but obviously concerned for what this would mean regarding our bicycles. After assurances that our bikes would be checked all the way through to Nairobi and that transferring to a different carrier (Emirates) would not be a problem (remember this), we accepted the too good to turn down offer of free return tickets to anywhere in the world, bookable within 18 months. An added bonus was that we were also upgraded to premium economy on the Virgin flight!

Everything was going well, the flight in the bigger more comfortable seats was great and we arrived in Dubai in good spirits. With only a few hours until our next flight left, we headed to the Emirates desk to get our boarding passes. Finding the desk was a bit of a mission on its own but we eventually found it and happily went up to get our passes. From then on it all went a bit wrong. Emirates informed us that we had too much baggage and we would have to pay or take it up with Virgin Atlantic. Having been given the instructions to find Virgin's desk and be back at the Emirates desk to collect our passes within an hour, we hurried back through the airport.

Half an hour of our valuable time was wasted at a airport desk waiting for a phone call that never came, so with even less time we located the Virgin gate and finally got to speak to the duty manager. He was very apologetic saying that he had spoken to Emirates but they wouldn't budge. He told us that the only real option was to pay the excess and then claim it back from the Virgin office in Nairobi. We weren't very sure about this, but with time running out and a promise that our case would be emailed through to Nairobi, we rushed back to the Emirates desk. $350 later and we had our boarding passes and just made it to the gate with not much time to spare.

Our flight on Emirates was a relatively short 4.5 hours, but from our experience during the flight I would say that despite their excellent reputation we were not that impressed. The food was terrible and it was a very tired looking plane. Still we were on it and heading in the right direction.

We arrived on schedule in Nairobi and quickly got through immigration. Things were going well, it's just a shame that our bikes that we had paid extra money to ensure were on the plane didn't arrive!The staff at the Emirates baggage desk told us that they were arriving on the next flight and we could come back and pick them up. We insisted that they could deliver them to us and having filled in all the paperwork, we had no choice but to leave the airport. To add insult to injury the Virgin office was closed so we couldn't even claim back our costs! We can only hope that it all gets sorted in the next few days. Fortunately time is not something we are particularly short of.

Our journey from the airport to our camp-site was accompanied by torrential rain, which seemed strangely fitting to the day we had had. Pitching a tent when we got to the site was going to be a challenging and somewhat damp experience.

Wildebeest camp seems pretty good and we managed to get pitched despite the weather. A few beers and a nice meal ended a tiring and probably more stressful day than we needed. Still we made it to Kenya and with any luck so will the bikes, or it's going to be the world's shortest cycling tour!