African Adventure Motorcycle Travel: On East African roads, God protects. Sometimes.

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July 18, 2012

On East African roads, God protects. Sometimes.

My time in East Africa has introduced me to some of the most hair-raising driving that I have ever come across. And that says something on a continent where they pride themselves on making up the rules as they go along - usually at breakneck speed... on the wrong side of the road... with a man hanging out the side door... and animals on the roof.

I have a near miss almost every day, often from oncoming vehicles who insist that I bail out into a ditch rather than them give up overtaking the line of trucks on their side of the road.

But sometimes the call signs 'God protects' and 'Insha'allah' displayed on the windscreen count for little when you've used up your nine lives.

Here are two crashes that happened just before I reached them. One driver was taken to hospital, the other was killed with many passengers injured.

Posted at 11:56 AM in East Africa, Empire Road, Kenya | Permalink

Tags: driving in Kenya, east africa

Comments

Well written.Worthy of study, the top

Posted by: true religion sale | July 21, 2012 at 10:12 AM

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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. 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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 . . 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