African Adventure Motorcycle Travel:

June 18, 2012

I continue north out of Isiolo towards the Kaisut Desert. The scenery changes to sandy scrub, the air warms up with every kilometre, and ostriches race me down the road.
I stop for a breather and to take a welcome slug of water.
Three vehicles have passed me all morning so I am surprised when an old Samburu man comes up to me and is soon followed by this moran, or 'warrior'. This is the stage before Samburu people become elders and many westernised Kenyans have warned me to keep my distance as they can be volatile.
Marani have braided hair and wear a very particular style of clothing - anklets and bracelets, a sarong or 'kilt', and shine up their bodies.
This man wanted a pen so that he could write his name for me on his hand: "Romas".

Posted at 08:58 AM in East Africa, Empire Road, In the News | Permalink

Comments

Amazing. You indeed really like to travel. I'm hoping to be on that place as well.

Posted by: Meg Smith | August 30, 2012 at 01:30 PM

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African Brew Ha Ha

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TALKS, EVENTS & BOOK SIGNINGS

COME ALONG to one of my talks and signings about my overland motorcycle trip from Lancashire to Cape Town in search of the ultimate cup of tea. Most of the events are in sunny Lancashire. Let me know if you would like to attend as some are not open to the general public. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MAR 28 Private Party, Lytham (2.30-4.30pm) - Tea & Cakes and Mike Finnigan! - APRIL 8 Forward Business Lunch - Talk @ Dicconson Arms, Appley Bridge (12-2pm) APRIL 16 Business Breakfast Club - Talk @ Marriott Hotel, Preston (7-9am) - - - - - - - April 27 Kirkham Probus - Talk @ Conservative Club, Kirkham (10-11.30am) - - - MAY 6 Preston North Rotary Club - Talk @ The Grapes, Goosnargh (6.30-8pm) - - - MAY 7 Pink Link - Talk @ Imperial Hotel, Blackpool (9.30am) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MAY 8 Lytham Book Fair - Meet and Book signing @ Assembly Rooms, Lytham (10am-4pm) - - - - - - - - - - MAY 12 Garstang Rotary Club - Talk @ The Pickerings, Garstang (7.30-9pm) - - - - - - MAY 14 University of the Third Age (U3A) - Talk @ UR Church, St Annes (10.30am-12pm) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MAY 14 Mystery Tea House - Talk @ 23 Cannon St, Preston PR1 3NR (3pm) - - - - - - - - MAY 25 Preston South Rotary Club - Talk @ Wellington Park, Leyland (7.30pm) - - - - - - - - - MAY 27 Plackitt & Booth Bookshop talk and book signing @ 87c Clifton St, Lytham (7pm, tickets £2.00) MAY 29 Irish Book Launch Talk, Guinness & Tea @ Kilnamanagh Family Recreation Centre, Tallaght Dublin (6pm) - - - - - - - - - - - - JUNE 3 South Lancashire Advanced Motorcyclists (SLAM) - Talk @ Hartwood Hotel, Chorley (8pm) - - - - - JULY 24 Waterstone's - Signing @ Preston branch (11.30-1pm) - - - - - - - - - - - - AUG 3 Poulton Probus Club - Talk @ River Wyre, Poulton (10.30am) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - AUG 5 Cleveleys Probus Club - Talk @ Masonic Hall, Cleveleys (10am) - - - - - - - - AUG 7 Waterstone's - signing @ Southport branch (1pm) - AUG 14 Waterstone's - signing @ Chiswick branch (11am-1pm) - SEP 10 Talk, signing & curry @ Rainhill Centre, Barnoldswick (7.30pm) Tickets from www.bookshopcolne.co.uk - - SEPT 30 Lancaster Library - talk & signing @ Market Square, Lancaster (6pm) - OCT 6 Garstang and over Wyre Rotary Club - after dinner talk @ Garstang Country Club (7pm) - - - - - - - OCT 15 Round Table - after dinner talk @ Fylde Rugby Club (7pm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . OCT 21 St Annes Probus Club - Talk @ Pensioners Hall, St Albans Rd (10.30am) - NOV 2 Central Lancs Vintage Motorcycle Club Talk @ Bowling Green Pub, Charnock Richard (8pm) . . . . . . . . . . . NOV 4 University of the Third Age (U3A) - Talk @ Christ Church, Aughton (10.30am) . NOV 6 Waterstone's - signing @ Lancaster Cornmarket branch (11-1pm) . . . . . . . . . . . NOV 22 Original Tea Bag Designs - Talk @ Kronendal Office Park, Main Road, Hout Bay (7.30pm) contact for tickets R25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JAN 20 Launch of the new Triumph Tiger 800 XC Book signing @ Philip Youles, Copy Nook, Blackburn (evening) . . JAN 25 Ladies Guild - Talk @ Victoria Congregational Church, Newton Drive, Blackpool (2pm) . . . . . . . . . JAN 29 Adventure Travel Live - Talk @ Royal Horticultural Halls, Victoria, London (1pm) FEB 5 - 12 Saga Ruby cruise ship Talk @ Maldives-Sri Lanka-Thailand-Singapore . . FEB 16 Porsche Club GB - Talk @ Garstang Country Club (8pm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FEB 23 Harley Owners Group (HOG) - Talk @ White Bull, Longridge (7.30pm) . . . . . . MARCH 3 Kirkham Rotary Club - Talk @ Ribby Hall, Wrea Green, (7.45pm) . . . . . . MAY 28 Globetrotters Club - Talk @ Grosvenor Museum, Chester (1.30pm) . . . . . . . . . AUG 2 Triumph Motorcycle Club - Talk @ Arden Arms, Stockport (8pm) . . . . . . . . AUG 3 Poulton Lifelong Learning - Talk @ Community Hall, Poulton (2pm) . . . . . . OCT 12 Retired Teachers' Association - Talk @ Chadwick Hotel, St Annes (12noon) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OCT 12 '41' Club - Talk @ Bedford Hotel, St Annes (7pm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AUG 23 Kalk Bay Books - Talk & signing @ Kalk Bay, Cape Town (6pm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . SEPT 22 The Word - One-day festival for Lancashire writers @ Astley Hall, Chorley (9.30am) . . . . . . . . SEPT 25 Lytham St Annes Tangent club - Talk @ Glendower Hotel, St Annes (7.30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OCT 3 Interview on BBC Radio Lancashire – listen 11am-1pm . . . . OCT 3 AJS & Matchless club - Talk @ Bowling Green, Charnock Richard (8.30) . . . . . Oct 20 Black Stars of Ghana – Book launch (invite only) . . . . . Oct 26 BBC business club – Talk @ Marriott Hotel, Broughton (7am) . . . . . Nov 1 Kirkham Rotary Club – Talk @ Ribby Hall, Wrea Green (7.30) . . . South Ribble Rotary Club – Talk @ The Railway, Leyland (7.30) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JAN 9 '41 Club' – Talk @ Bedford Hotel, St Annes (7.30) . . . JAN 26 Adventure Travel Live – Talk @ Olympia, London (2pm) . . . . . MARCH 16 Globetrotters Travel Club – Talk @ Grosvenor Museum, Chester (1.30) . . . APRIL 5 Leigh & Wigan Words Together Litfest – Talk @ Wigan Central Library (2pm) . . . MAY 7 Triumph MCC – Talk @ Arden Arms, Stockport (8pm) ... SEPT 6 BBC Radio Lancs – Interview @ 95.5FM (1pm) ... SEPT 9 Lifelong Learning – Talk @ Fleetwood Central Library (2pm) ... SEPT 21 THE WORD writers' festival @ Astley Hall, Chorley (9am-3pm) ... OCT 16 – Talk @ Blackburn Central Library (7pm) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 2014 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... JAN 20 Talk @ Ansdell Library (6.30pm) ... JAN 22 Lytham Forum @ Lytham Methodist hall (10am)

African Adventure Motorcycle Travel

Home of African adventure traveller Alan Whelan . . . . . . author of AFRICAN BREW HA-HA & THE BLACK STARS OF GHANA