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!

Important Newsflash 2! 20/06/2011

It seems like our return home will be short lived. Despite enjoying the comforts of home we have realised that we are missing the bikes and the open road. Therefore we have decided that we will return to Africa to complete the journey sooner rather than later.

We will be flying to Nairobi, Kenya to restart our cycling adventure on June 25^th 2011. Our proposed route is as follows: Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, possibly Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa – Capetown then along Garden Route and up to Johannesburg to fly home.

Through his friend, Jamie, Matt found work at a local joinery firm and has been working very hard since we got back, topping up the funds for part two of our adventure. Despite not always being the most exciting work, he has had a enjoyable time and would like to thank Ian, Roger, Bob and Adam for making me welcome. Cheers guys I will see you when I get back assuming Kenny is not right about the Mungiki tribe!

With Matt working, Debs put on her travel consultant hat and found a very good deal with Virgin Atlantic airlines, with the added bonus that they will fly the bikes for free!

Debs spent a very enjoyable week on her parent's narrow boat 'The Puzzler' in Ireland. They moved the boat to the Emerald Isle two months ago and are really enjoying life over there. On the way back to Norfolk, she stayed in Cambridge for a few days and had a great time catching up with old friends.

A positive note about being home is that we have had the tent zips repaired under warranty, hopefully they will last a bit longer this time.

Hope you enjoy following our continuing adventures towards South Africa.

Day 234 Sudan to United Kingdom 10/5/2011, Khartoum – Saham Hills, UK.

With the bikes boxed up and bags packed, we were ready for the off. Fatih kindly gave us a lift to Khartoum airport, thanks again! We knew we were very early, but what we hadn't anticipated was that we wouldn't be allowed into the terminal building until 3 hours before our flight...this meant we had a 5 hour wait outside the building in the heat! The time finally passed and we made our way inside. We found our contact at BMI, who the agent had been dealing with and he started to sort out our bikes' paperwork. He said they had to be wrapped in plastic, but there was only enough plastic for one of the bikes! While this was happening, the BMI contact said he just had to work out how much the bikes will cost....eh?...we were told many times by him over the phone that they would be £30 each, so what is there to calculate? He returned, calculation in hand, asking for over $900!! I told him in no uncertain terms to go and check his figures! After a long wait, much discussion and phone calls, he returned and we paid our agreed £30 per bike, result!

The BMI flight from Khartoum to London, with a touchdown in Beirut, went quickly and we were soon making our descent into Heathrow. The bikes arrived in baggage claim before our luggage and were thankfully undamaged. Another long wait at the airport ensued as we couldn't be collected until much later. A pub was swiftly found and we celebrated our return with beers and delicious pub grub; the things you miss when you can't have them! Paul kindly picked us up we made our way to Norfolk on the final leg of a long journey home. About 24 hours after we left the Blue Nile Sailing Club, we were home, exhausted and ready for a break.

Spent a lovely first weekend catching up with family and friends, while celebrating Matt's 39^th birthday. It is great to be home!

Day 229 – 233 Sudan 5/5/2011 – 9/5/2011, Khartoum. Getting ready to head home and meeting some terrific people along the way.

Rather than sightseeing as it's far too hot, we have largely been trying to organise flights back to the UK, easy until you throw two bicycles into the mix. A combination of Friday being a holiday in Sudan and then running into the weekend in the UK, has meant that getting an answer as to whether we could take the bikes has taken a while. Finally on Monday we were issued with our tickets and we will be on the flight at 4:45am Tuesday.

Our time in Khartoum has been memorable, not only for the stifling heat! Through staying at the 'Blue Nile Sailing Club' we have met some terrific people. Thanks to Hugh, an Englishman from Sheffield and Fatih, a Sudanese/British national we had amazing experience visiting the Dervish ceremony at Hamed al Nil Tomb, Omdurman.

We were joined by the lovely Diane, Hugh's friend, and eventually ended up having a hastily put together, but no less welcome, meal at her apartment. In truth we were supposed to be eating out, but we had rather underestimated just how closed the city is on a Friday night.

To Fatih we are especially indebted, as he has helped us get boxes for our bikes. When he was unable to go with us because of work commitments, he sent two of his staff Alaa and Osama to help us negotiate the chaotic Omdurman souk. With their help we had one bike boxed and left with packing for the other. Since then he has regularly checked that we are alright and is kindly going to give us a lift to the airport. He has also most importantly helped us get the photos to Abdulfadil and his family. Mohamed Abdulfadil (Abdulfadil's oldest son) has been to collect them from us as he is studying at the university in Khartoum. It is great for us that the family will have a record of our visit. They especially, have made our Sudanese experience all the richer!

We should also make a quick mention to the guys from the Sailing club who shared their breakfast with us and to the Sudanese reggae musician who took us out on his boat. Although, despite being a nice gesture, the sickly sounding engine made us wonder if we were going to be stranded in the middle of the Nile!

Our stay in Sudan has been full of amazing experiences which we will cherish for the rest of our lives. We wish everyone we have met all the best in their ventures and 'Inshallah' we will meet again someday. For now though, the relative cool of the UK beckons, plus a beer wouldn't go amiss!