Ahmed Mohamed - Moyale. Ethiopia

I almost fell over backwards when this lad came up to me and started chatting in Afrikaans in a real Cape Coloured accent. His name is Ahmed and he comes from Bo-Kaap. His father is Ethiopian and he left RSA ten years ago. He wants to visit Sudan and the most beautiful thing for would be a swimming pool. I could fully understand his reasoning having just left the desert. A car accident was the funniest thing he has seen. (I hope no-one was hurt). He lives in a ash brick house. He wants his son to be a pilot. The sport he enjoys is swimming, but wishes he was back in Cape Town to swim and support Ajax.

Ethiopian food is very different and very tasty:

Our motel for the night in Yabello:

No safety regulations here. Road sweeper?

Ethiopia as green as Ireland:

Avo and Mango juice combo - very tasty!!

Ambrose Amoyi - Torbi. Chalbi Desert. Kenya

Ambrose was the barman at the Small World Bar in a little hamlet called Torbi in the middle of the Chalbi Desert. He lives in a stone house and the most beautiful thing he has seen is rain. He wants to be a doctor one day and wants his son to be a professional soccer player. He supports Man United. Ambrose would like to meet Ronaldo.

Start of great road into the desert. But when the tar ended the fun on the dirt started:

Reached Marsibit and found a campsite run by a Swiss fellow called Henry:

Outside of the house that Henry built:

Inside Henry's house:

After Marsibit the road really became challenging. Took 9 hours to do 250 km!!

Here is one of the volcanic craters responsible for the lava plateau that resulted in this shocking road:

Apart from the hostile road and climate, this camel herder in the middle of no-where was very aggressive. I think he wanted more money to have his photo taken.

Shade - very scarce here.

In the middle of the desert a small hamlet with a pub! Did I need that!!

Red soil and green shubbery as one leaves the desert behind.

Reached camp on the border town of Moyale. Camped at the Kenyan Wildlife Society.