All posts by Naomi Hax

Nairobi to Nanyuki

Jambo (hello)

One day on the road and already we’ve seen three of the ‘big five’

5am breakfast and we were in the truck by 5.30 heading north.

Interesting but not particularly beautiful driving out of Nairobi. Some areas were quite industrial, in others streets were lined with small market stores selling everything from fruit and veg to coal to garden pots and ornate metal gates.

Main stop across the way was at the equator, with numerous locals there to demonstrate for us that water in the northern hemisphere flows clockwise and water in the Southern Hemisphere goes anti-clockwise- pretty amazing really, but the demo did set us back a hefty fee!

Arrived at Sweetwater Camp just after1, an oasis with a big caution.

Definitely ‘glamping’ tonight- beautiful tents under thatched roves, with watering hole less than 50 meters away. They assure us that the single electric wire fence will deter the lions- if there’s no blog post tomorrow night then ………

Afternoon safari included a trip to the Jane Goodall chimpanzee rescue centre, pretty confronting, but a great group of people doing their best to rescue the chimps.

Hmmm- I wonder if I can run faster than a chimp?

Spent the rest of the afternoon in the game park getting up close to white rhinos, elephants, zebra, (huge) buffalo, impala and vultures snacking on a zebra carcass- very gruesome!

This bad boy would be a force to be reckoned with!

Heading to Samburu tomorrow- another 5.30 start (EEK)

Day 1: Mel/HK to Nairobi

Combined flying hours 70 ( most done by the Aussies of course) and a very long, hot wait in customs- so we are all knackered but excited to be here.

David and I arrived late afternoon and joined the boys and Cyrus, who is going to show us the best Kenya has to offer over the next couple of weeks. We are staying at a hotel just near the airport for a speedy, early getaway tomorrow- traffic will definitely be a challenge getting out on Nairobi.

Late afternoon G &T/Kenya beer on the roof terrace, and Early dinner before we hit the sack.

Meeting for breakfast at 5.30, then setting off with Cyrus at 6.30am – heading to Sweetwaters Camp, about 200km out of Nairobi. Can’t wait.

Tandemless in Africa

With an average speed of 25km/hour (approximately 20km/hour slower than the average lion) we decided to give the tandem a rest and are heading to Africa for a 3 week adventure.

Meeting Roger & Ryan in Nairobi, we have our route mapped out – 2 weeks on the road in Kenya, 4 days in Zanzibar (hopefully with a bit of time laying on the beach) and a couple of days back in Nairobi to finish off.

Our road route through Kenya

Travelling light (almost)

Internet permitting we will blog as we go…….

The final word on the Scandanavia trip

All packed we set off early for the airport knowing from past experience it can take a while to get the bike checked in. Arrived at the Emirates counter with our fully laden bags to find that no matter how sweetly we smiled we either needed to offload 10kg of excess baggage or be slugged a whopping $108AUD per excess kg (yes that’s over a thousand dollars!). So in the middle of an absolutely packed airport we opened our cases, put on several more layers of clothing and binned the heaviest things that could be replaced for under $1000. Fronting back up to the counter we were still .5kg over- we held our breath and looked pathetic and thankfully they let us through. After an extensive pat down in a side room because for an indeterminable reason after removing watch, jewellery shoes and anything else that can be removed in public, I still set the security clickers beeping, we finally got to our gate just as the plane was boarding. So much for extra time…..
So, despite the somewhat stressful exit our flight gave us plenty of time to reflect on the last few weeks.

David and I both agree this was a trip of a lifetime. We met and travelled with lovely people. While we were on a self directed tour and rode individually, we had a number of tour buddies doing the same route- it was lovely to get to know them and have people to swap stories with each evening.

Most awesome experiences:
– seeing the midnight sun
-cycling above the snow line
– the tunnels (riding through rather than over the mountains)
-nature at its most majestic- incredible scenery (especially the ferry through the fjords)
-the enthusiasm, friendliness and kindness of the Norwegian people

Our biggest challenges:
-the tunnels (awesome but terrifying)
– the rain (again), although we were better prepared on this trip so it wasn’t such an issue
-airline handling of our bike (every time we fly they damage something)

What would we do differently:
– take less luggage (yes, even though we travelled lean we still didn’t wear everything)
– we think we are ready for a longer ride (felt like our tour ended just when we had hit our boot straps)
– vigorously explore renting a tandem
What have we learnt
– the greatest challenges can lead to the most interesting and amazing experiences.
-we are better at problem solving than we thought
– we need to do this as often as possible for as long as we can pedal.

Our take on Oslo

Final two days of holidays in Oslo working our way through the Lonely Planet ‘must sees’. It has taken a while to settle in to being city tourists after so much time out in the countryside- and our days were hampered by (very) heavy rain.

Overall liked Oslo – although not quite as walkable or attractive as Stockholm, but easy to get around on PT- although we were seen to nab a couple of taxis in moments of downpour.

Our favourites were:
Vigeland Sculpture park in Frognerparken.: This was my absolute fave for Oslo. The sculptures depicting the circle of life and family relationships were so moving- and the scale of the park amazing. All people, men, women, children young and old were totally naked (that is the statues not the tourists).Number one on our list by far.
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All the statues were totally naked
All the statues were totally naked

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Akershus Fortress, built in 1299. While the fortress buildings are not as majestic as others I’ve seen, the many little museums within were well worth a visit- and a great way to spend a few sightseeing hours when it pours with rain (which we are discovering it often does in Oslo)
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This poor bugger was standing out in the pouring rain with no shelter
This poor bugger was standing out in the pouring rain with no shelter

Astrup Fearnley Musset – the museum of contemporary art was interesting but definitely challenged our definition of art. A different ‘take’ on contemporary art, works ranged from whacky (e.g., a painting of a penis hugging dog) to grotesque (e.g., a bisection of a cow and calf) – all very metaphorical – Which (I’m sorry all you creative family members) mostly went straight over the top of my head.
Museum of contemporary art os built on a or on the edge of the fjord
Museum of contemporary art os built on a or on the edge of the fjord

Did our best to visit the opera house, which is a really interesting structure- designed to resemble a glacier going down to the water’s edge – which I imagine is even more effective in the winter. Ordinarily you can climb the roof- however the whole area was closed off (looks like security for some sort of official function), so it will have to wait until next time.
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Favourite cafes:
Didn’t eat out much in Oslo as our hotel included breakfast and dinner- which was a real find, as eating out is Incredibly expensive in Norway. We did have a couple of lunch faves though….
Skansen – old style pub down near the fortress- seafood chowder TO DIE FOR

Cathederal cafe – set among the outer cloisters of the Oslo Cathedral – great coffee, can sit outside under cover and watch the world go by (we frequented here to hide from bouts of rain).
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Just spent a couple of hours packing and are now all ready to head home tomorrow. Bags a little overweight, but hopefully Emirates will be kind to us.

Bodo to Trondheim to Oslo and our first glimpse of darkness

Set off by train from Bodo round lunchtime. Most challenging part was boarding with our five bags/cases now that we are back to carrying rather than riding the bike.
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For the first leg (9 1/2 hours) to Tromdheim the train was full but mostly with local folks transferring be teen villages- we and one other lady (a German marathon runner returning home after completing a marathon in Tromso) were the only long haulers in our carriage. We had a steady flow of people in and out of the seats next to us – Its amazing how almost ten hours of boredom makes you a real voyeur – first we had a couple of young girls who had been on a shopping day- got to see all their purchases as they reviewed them (mostly Nike sporting goods); then there was a grandma with her two young teen grandchildren – who ate continuously and seemed to swap seats every two minutes – and the Norwegian couple who sat down opposite us and then immediately asked to change seats – I know we hadn’t showered for a while but….. Upside was it gave us empty seats to spread out in for a while.
Scenery was pretty exquisite (although we are getting pretty blasé about beautiful views now- they have to truly be spectacular to be photo worthy).
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A couple of hours in we crossed over 60degrees North back out of the Arctic circle and started to see gradual increases in outside temperature.

Marker for the Arctic Circle
Marker for the Arctic Circle

Filled in long hours playing cards (until I got sick of David beating me) and listened to literally every song on my iPad.
At Trondheim we changed trains, and direction to Oslo- leaving at 11pm we had a sleeper car (aka coffin). Saw our fist darkness in almost four weeks, although it was fleeting. The biggest treat was seeing the midnight sunset- truly beautiful.
The midnight sun
The midnight sun

Arrived in Oslo round 6.30am. Taxi to our hotel – delightful ivy covered older style hotel and by far he most swanky we have stayed in so far- we will definitely have to lift our wardrobe standards.
Check In was at 3pm, so we stashed our bags, had breakfast and even though seriously jet (train) lagged set off to explore Oslo. Like the rest of Norway Oslo displayed all the elements today- so we opted for more inside activities – starting off gently with a trawl through the shops.
Visited the Oslo Cathedral which was well worth the visit, first because the organist was practicing and second because of its amazing ceiling- by a Norwegian painter but it looked like a tapestry.
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Around Bodo

Couldn’t believe how late we slept in today – talk about stop riding and go to the pack!! Woke up just before ten realising we had just 10 minutes to get down and eat before breakfast buffet closed. Used the foot in the door technique, fills our plates and sat there brazenly until they politely reminded us it was time to close – breakfasts here are too good to miss.

We were tourists today – did a bus tour to the main Bodo attraction Saltstraumen – the worlds largest maelstrom where opposing tides from two neighbouring fjords meet six hourly creating a whirlpool. Most spectacular is that the fish also get caught up in it, with schools leaping out of the water, attracting birds and fishermen alike.

Tourists
Tourists

The fish were jumping
The fish were jumping

Bodo , while a reasonably large regional town, is fairly unremarkable- architecture, all 1950/60 – as the city was bombed in WW2. Despite being the gateway to the north and the Lofoten, shops were minimal, but heaps of cafes and shoe shops (all selling very sensible shoes even on my standards).
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These decorative bikes were everywhere
These decorative bikes were everywhere

Stopped briefly (or that was he intention) at the rail station to pick up our pre-booked tickets to Oslo for tomorrow- only to find our booking had been cancelled – or so the machine as telling us. A couple of hours on the phone navigating pre recorded prompts in Norwegian (you can imagine how well that went), we finally managed to secure said tickets (or an email clarifying that tickets will be issued) – needless to say we plan to get there early tomorrow. Train ticket $100AUD, phone call to clarify about ticket $50AUD!

Reine to Bodo and the big pack.

Well we set off round 9 for our last cycle on Norwegian soil- a short 5km pedal to the ferry terminal at Moskenes where we boarded the car ferry to Bodo.

Waiting at the ferry with our tour buddies
Waiting at the ferry with our tour buddies

We had a few moments of uncertainty when our luggage carter still hadn’t arrived at 1020 with our bags for the 10.30 ferry – however he got there in the nick of time so we didn’t’ have to resort to a plan B (which is just as well as we didn’t have one). A balmy 19 degrees made it beautiful on deck,, so we sat out for the first half of the (4hour) journey, then came in for a nap.
So hard to leave these beautiful mountains behind
So hard to leave these beautiful mountains behind
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In Bodo I got a cab to the hotel with the bags while David did a solo ride (blissfully peaceful I imagine) so he got to feel what it’s like when she’s really not pedalling on the back.

Had an early last dinner with a couple of our tour buddies before they set off, and then negotiated the acrobatic challenges of deconstructing our bike in a hotel room the size of a shoe box. Went more smoothly than we anticipated taking only 4 hours to clean her, take her apart, wrap her and pack her up.

If only they knew what goes on behind closed doors in their hotel!
If only they knew what goes on behind closed doors in their hotel!

Have now restored the room to some semblance of order and collapsed into bed. Day off here tomorrow- so looking forward to a sleep in.

Day trip to A (with a circle on top)

Absolutely GLORIOUS weather today, David in t-shirt and me down to only two layers of Merino.
Based in Reine today which gave us a chance to do some washing and some in depth exploring of the local area. So nice to ride without the heavy panniers on the back!

Paused at the top of the hill to photograph the beautiful village of Reine in full sun before setting off on the relatively short 13 km pedal (push) to A. Lots of cute and well populated coastal villages along the way.

View over Reine
View over Reine

Visited the Stockfish museum, which was the most informative explanation of the Norwegian cod fishing industry we have seen- made us realise why there is so much hype about protecting the industry and why the Swedes kept telling us how wealthy the Nowegians are- the average Norwegian fisherman earns $30 per kilo for dried cod- they are raking it in.
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Basked lazily in the sun on the pier at A for a couple of hours until David began to worry that if we didn’t head back he may never get me moving- legs a bit creaky after the long break but eventually got going.
Our basking place
Our basking place

Tomorrow our ride ends. Short pedal to the quay and then a four hour ferry ride to Bodo where we spend a couple of days before catching the train to Oslo. Would love to keep riding south from here- feels like we’ve only just scratched the surface.

Nusfjord to Reine

So hard to leave our gorgeous little cottage today- we would have loved an extra day here. Fabulous breakfast buffet fortified us for the ride ahead (and then some). We set off feeling pretty nostalgic as today was our last long ride for the tour- so we were determined to leave no village unexplored. The weather smiled on us (cold but no rain).

As expected the ride out of Nusfjord was pretty much straight uphill, however there was an upside: 1) sensational views, and 2) we realised how climbing-fit we have become over the last few weeks.
Today’s journey was the most beautiful scenery for the trip so far – I know I say that nearly every day, but just when you think it can’t get more beautiful it does.

First stop was Flankstad, the home of the second oldest church in Lofoten, famous for its Russian influenced dome (related to something about stockfish trade). Also the site where I scared the begeebus out of the local priest ( but that story will have to be told offline).
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Several km down the line in Ramberg we stopped in the small galleri of a local metal sculptor and ceramicist- his gallery was really a studio and workshop in his back garden with a beautiful rambling garden overlooking the beach – amazing to think the garden had been under snow just a few weeks ago. He was an eccentric old bird who not only told us his life story (including how he met the love of his life) but also personally walked us through the gallery and explained the meaning of every piece of work and how he had constructed it. Left there almost an hour later with no purchases but a warm fuzzy feeling that we had made his day- he certainly made ours.

Definitely stockfish territory today, all along the way we passed racks and racks of severed cod-fish heads and drying carcasses with that anchovy like smell we have become familiar with. A stunning if gruesome sight.

The heads
The heads

The tails
The tails

Lunch stop was in a cute (very Norwegian) little picnic ground in Fredvang – what we thought was going to be a small detour but ended up being over two enormous bridges.
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Hmmm- a hobbit WC?
Hmmm- a hobbit WC?

Two long tunnels today- one (2km) we managed to avoid by taking an alternate route, but no such luck with the second one (a hefty 1.6km). Luckily it was downhill so we managed to move through it very fast- the noise is the hardest part of the tunnels, especially with heavy traffic.

Final stop in the (slightly kitsch) historical village of Sund- lets just say the 240NOK entry fee was our donation to the local Norwegian tourist trade-cake was good and well earned with all the hills we climbed today.

Arrived in Reine round 5.30 pretty tired- while the ride had been shorter than many (56km) it was definitely the most challenging climbing of any day so far. We have two nights in Reine- haven’t had a chance to explore yet but Lonely Planet tells us there is lots to do here, so will get up and out early.