The Square Peg vs. The Round Hole: Our First Visit to Africa

Well, this isn’t exactly the blog update I was hoping to provide for Africa but here it goes... 

Once upon a time, in the far away land of Kenya, the Sondermanns prepared for the biggest road trip of their lives.  They bought camping supplies, travel maps, tools, road safety gear, extra tires and oh yes of course...their overland safari vehicle - a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.

 

The good news is that every item on their shopping list, albeit one, was a good buy.  The bad news is that the one item that wasn’t a good buy just so happened to be the Toyota Prado.

Cutting to the Chase

Despite the mechanical inspection and all assurances that the Prado would make it to South Africa and back, after two weeks on the road in Kenya our engine blew up. 

While almost every Kenyan that we encountered was friendly, honest and genuinely kind, we managed to get stitched up with a very successful mechanic/businessman that had the moral and ethical fiber of a Pop Tart.  It was strange that he decided to fleece us, given that most of his business comes from the United Nations and our friends that personally introduced us to him both work for the UN. And yes, word of mouth carries the same weight in Africa as it does at home.

So the engine blew up and after a somber tow-truck ride back to Nairobi, our friends issued some nasty threats. A lengthly wait ensued and finally some of the money for the vehicle was returned to us.  Sadly we had spent far too much time and depleted far too much money from our budget to start over.

We could have used the remaining funds in our budget to fly to a few places in Africa but we knew that overlanding was the only way we wanted to see such an incredible continent.   And so we weighed out our options and consulted the lyrics of a legendary, plastic surgery-addicted country singer:

“You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, 

know when to walk away and know when to run".

In this case we heeded Kenny’s advice, and ‘ran’ for South East Asia.

Our time in Kenya was full of highs and lows.  While the vehicle gave us mind-numbing headaches, sleepless nights, and heart murmurs, we also had really wonderful/incredible/inspiring experiences including self-safaris through three of Kenya’s National Parks. We also met and befriended some exceptional people and saw iconic landscapes.  So all was certainly not lost.  

To give you a snapshot of our trip, I've captured the highs and lows in a segment I've titled Highs and Lows. Admittedly the lows are pretty funny in a "man, that really sucks for you guys" kind of way.  So, enjoy. 

Oh but wait, before we get to that segment, I'm certain you'll want to take a moment to test your African animal identification skills.  Because most of you saw The Lion King, you probably consider yourselves semi-experts in this area. That's nice. So to challenge you, we've thrown in a bit of a twist to this photo trivia that we've fondly titled: "Behind the Beast".

Note: If you click on any of the pictures 
in the blog they should enlarge

Admittedly, it was pretty entertaining taking these pics because we were genuinely excited when an animal dismissed us by offering its backside. Yes, this photo trivia may seem a tad odd, it might make you uneasy, and may suggest it's time that Shane and I return to civilization, but just 'roll with it' and find the photo answer key at the end of this update.  

And now for those Highs & Lows... 

Highs 

Spotting our first giraffe after landing at Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi at 1:30 AM.

Getting to know Megan & Patrick and their son Jacques, who generously offered for us to stay at their place while we prepared for the trip. Thank you to our magnificent friend Erin for putting us in touch with her relatives.

Finding two vehicles that appeared to be good options for our overland trip - both being sold by expats that worked for the United Nations.

More Highs

Tom Smith, the seemingly straight-shooter of a mechanic that Patrick and Megan introduced us to, reports that for various reasons (poor engine, evidence of roll-over, major mechanical issues), both vehicles were not viable options for the trip.  Though our spirits are deflated, they’re quickly restored when Tom recommends a ‘solid, reliable Toyota Prado’ with a ‘solid, reliable engine’. We have the vehicle inspected, get all assurances that it’s a good fit for our needs and take the plunge with our biggest purchase of our world tour. 

Lows 

After investigating a slow leak in the back tire we discover that the rubber has been ripped by not one, not two...but five nails.  We have to replace both back tires (about $250 each). Our first red flag.

Highs 

After a very big shopping trip for all of our overland gear and groceries, we load up the vehicle and get ready for an early morning departure.

Lows 

The seal on our jerry can breaks and as we pull out of the bumpy driveway the container spills diesel everywhere.  Coincidence, yes...but it just felt strangely like another red flag.

Highs

After giving the vehicle a bath we're on our way to Mount Kenya.  Shane has learned to drive on the left side of the road, sitting on the right side of the vehicle while shifting gears on the left side. 

Many people in Kenya drive like maniacs.  The American Consular website refers to road safety as one of "Kenya’s greatest threats to travelers”.  
   

For the record, Shane did an exceptional job of navigating around: crater-sized pot holes, donkey-towed carts, wandering sheep, matatus (uber-dangerous minibuses) and bicycles balancing dangerously high stacks of supplies.

Lows 

Two hours outside of Nairobi we hit a very long, steep hill - our speed drops to 38 kms with Shane’s foot pressing the pedal to the metal.  Red flag, red flag, red flag!!!!!

Highs 

Our first night camping near Mount Kenya under a massive sea of stars.

 Ahhh...a peaceful moment: Shane, Colleen & their lemon

We arrive at Lake Bogoria National Park to find it nearly deserted of tourists.  We have an incredible opportunity to observe, in solitude, hundreds of thousands of pink flamingos.  

Flamingos are skittish and often take flight at sudden movements or noises so while Shane was recording this clip I was waving my hands behind him which set off thousands of these birds into full flight.

 
Highs/Lows 

Waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of a hippopotamus huffing outside of our tent.  When agitated, these plus-sized animals won't hesitate to run over anything that weighs less than a tractor trailer.  After an enlightened discussion about what to do when a hippopotamus is hanging outside your tent, we raced for the truck.

 Really??

Lows 

While heading back into Nairobi we experience low engine power, overheating, a faulty 4-wheel drive system and an intense squealing noise when the speed drifted above 40 km.  At this point we can barely see outside of the windshield there are so many red flags blocking our view.

Big Low 

We confront Tom (the mechanic) about the issues with the vehicle.  He took a swift step off the deep end - swearing, shouting, punching our vehicle, and suggesting that if he were to assault Shane, the police wouldn't do anything about it.  His very kind accountant had to step in to cool him off.  Yep, red flag.

High(ish) 

After a very brief moment of regret for his Bill O'Reilly-style outburst, Tom agrees to address the issues with the vehicle at cost, which resulted in several days of work.  He guarantees the vehicle will make it to South Africa and back, shakes Shane's hand and tells us to "have a great trip".  

Lows 

Heading into the Rift Valley, we sense that the vehicle still isn't 'right'.  I try to rally our spirits by playing "Africa" by Toto on the stereo.  Yes, so pathetic it brings a smile to your face.

The roads into the Masai Mara have a reputation for being fresh hell to drive over.  They were but, as we quickly discovered, our shocks were Pinto-quality and this made the experience even more enthralling.  What the heck, throw in another red flag here.

Highs (Big Highs!!) 

The Masai Mara: Kenya's world-famous game reserve, covering 1,510 square kms of iconic landscapes.  Being one of the few vehicles in the park that wasn't operated by a tour agency, we enjoyed the independence and privacy of our third self-safari.  

We saw fantastic wildlife including a leopard that casually walked 6 feet in front of our vehicle (very unusual to see) as well as the massive wildebeest migration where over 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras and gazelles make their annual 1,800-mile march into the park for rain-ripened grass.  You can pretty much add everything else to the mix including: lions, buffalos, zebras, elephants, crocodiles, warthogs and hippos. Awesome!!  


At the risk of including far too many photos in this blog update, I've only included 150 pics below for your enjoyment.  I'm kidding - here are 9 of our favourites:

Lows  

While driving in the Masai Mara we find ourselves stuck in the mud, attempt to engage the newly repaired 4-wheel drive...you know where this is going don't you? Red flag.

Having successfully freed ourselves of the mud with a two-wheel drive system, we continue on our way for several more hours until steam emerges from the hood of our truck.  The pressure from the overheated engine has caused the radiator to burst.  Red flag.

Having successfully repaired our radiator with the services of two bush mechanics, and with dusk setting in, we head out of the park.  We arrive at our campsite, park the vehicle, get washed up and return to discover all of the engine's oil on the ground. Red flag.

Having spent an entire day with another bush mechanic, who fixes the leak with a welding job, we prepare to leave the next morning.  Destination: Tom's shop in Nairobi.

Lows 

Two hours away from Nairobi our engine starts reving/squealing and despite removing the keys from the ignition, it continues to rev until the exhaust pipe creates a 12 inch hole in the gravel as the engine blows. I think we're beyond the red flags by now.  

I can honestly say that as we stood 10 feet away from the vehicle with local Kenyans, that had gathered to watch, I actually considered how much the insurance was worth and secretly prayed that our lemon would simply explode.

The Final Low

Need I say more...

The Square Peg vs. The Round Hole

We tried.  We did everything we could to make the trip but in the end, with a lemon of a vehicle, we just couldn't get the square peg to fit the round hole.

We had tremendously bad luck but we also know it could have been worse - much worse.  A few weeks after the final incident I had a dream that I was pushing Shane in a wheelchair and our Toyota Prado was resting headfirst in the ditch of the driveway to my house where I grew up.  Probably nothing right?  But it was good reminder that we were fortunate not to have experienced the dire consequences of driving a lemon in Africa.

Highs 

Once we had put the ugly incident behind us we booked our flights and started making plans for an early arrival to South East Asia.  At the same time we met a fantastic couple from Canada.  Paul and Lynn Kohls are are missionaries in Nairobi and they spent plenty of time with us, taking us to sites including the giraffe sanctuary in Nairobi where we had very close encounters with the residents.

For my 31st birthday Paul arranged for a community activist to give us a tour of the Kibera Slum in Nairobi.  Kibera is the second largest urban slum in all of Africa where upwards of 1.5 million Africans reside.  We were grateful for the unique experience and it put our circumstances into perspective, seeing tremendous poverty, where rivers of sewage run between shacks as far as the eye can see.

Movin' On

As we taxied down the runway - our destination Bangkok - we had very mixed emotions. Disappointment, resentment, relief, but mostly excitement and anticipation for our next adventures.  

We landed in Bangkok and stayed briefly to make plans for a month and a half in Malaysia and Indonesia (we're in Malaysia now) before returning to Thailand.  From there we'll set off for a six-week trip through Cambodia and Vietnam.   


At the end of November we'll fly to the Philippines where Shane will meet his extended family for the first time. In case you didn't know or you always wondered - Shane is half Filipino and half German. Shane's mom is originally from a family of 17 children so we'll have a few names and faces to memorize.

Before we sign off, we would be remiss if we forgot the answer key to "Behind the Beasts" photo trivia.

From top right to left:  Ostrich, Rhino, Baboon, Impala

Zebra, Topi, Warthog, Giraffe

African Buffalo, Hippo, Elephant, Wildebeest

As always we hope this (epically long) blog update finds you well and enjoying life.  

Shane & Colleen