Kenya > Across the Tanzanian border

I slept surprisingly well under my mosquito net setup. I step into the bathroom already at six o’clock. Today is a long travel day on the schedule, during which we will also cross the Tanzanian border. Patrick prepares us in advance by explaining that it’s hard to predict how long the border crossing will take. It can take an hour or several hours. We will arrive at Lake Victoria late in the afternoon. When we leave just after seven, the streets are already busy. Today is the first day back to school for the children after seven weeks of vacation. After about an hour, we reach Kogelo. This is the town where the father of former U.S. President Obama was born. The roads in Kenya are fairly good, especially the main roads. Traffic moves at a good speed. People walk along the roadside, children play, and livestock graze. It’s amazing this doesn’t lead to more accidents. Still, we see wrecks of crashed cars lying around. Around a car badly crushed next to a slope, many bystanders have gathered. The accident probably just happened. As we pass through the villages, our bus attracts a lot of attention. Almost everyone looks up when we go by. Children wave. Some adults enthusiastically wave with both hands. Not many tourists must pass through here. Approaching the town of Kisii, near the Tanzanian border, we see thick clouds of smoke ahead. The road seems blocked by burning tires—a demonstration. Patrick explains that people in this region are protesting for better roads. The cars ahead of us turn onto a dirt road. Zak steers the truck onto the dirt path as well. The path climbs through the hills. People along the road look surprised to see a tourist bus here. Zak manages to take the curve with difficulty and passes oncoming traffic. There is a tense moment as we try to pass under a low-hanging power cable. Steering a bit to the left, we just manage to get through. You definitely don’t want to hit such a cable. Safely, we return to the main road.

Kenya - The road is blocked by protesters

We are past the blockade. The last curve is still problematic. A heavily loaded pickup truck with wooden beams blocks the road. With only centimeters to spare, we manage to pass each other. In Kisii, the weekly market is in full swing. Stalls are everywhere, and goods are displayed on blankets. We have half an hour to walk around here. Many people want to shake hands. A beggar follows me for a while. Only when I show him that both my pockets are empty does he give up. I left all valuable items on the bus. Soapstone is mined in the Kisii region. This relatively soft stone is used to make sculptures. We stop at an art center. Peter gives us a tour and shows the process of carving, sanding, and painting. It’s a labor-intensive process. While Peter shows us the different steps, the crew prepares lunch. The last lunch in Kenya. After lunch, we head to the border with Tanzania. It’s almost three o’clock when we arrive at the border. The length of the border procedure varies. We start at the Kenyan customs. First, my yellow fever vaccination is checked. Just showing the yellow booklet seems enough; they don’t even open it. At customs, fingerprints and a photo are taken. Then I receive a stamp and am officially out of Kenya. I walk to the Tanzanian customs, a few hundred meters away. Outside the customs building, hands must be washed first. Then I have to fill out a health declaration, which is checked along with my corona vaccination. Strangely, the yellow booklet isn’t accepted here. They want to see the corona registration with QR code.

Kenya - Stalls everywhere with goods displayed on mats

Nobody checks if it’s my own vaccination record. At Tanzanian customs, another form must be filled out, which is odd since all information was already provided during the visa application. I patiently fill in the new form. A photo is taken here as well, and fingerprints are taken again. Finally, I get a stamp in my passport. At the bank, I exchange one hundred euros. I immediately have 240,000 Tanzanian shillings in my wallet. At half past four, we enter Tanzania. Patrick notes it’s still 100 kilometers to Musoma, but there are more speed limits and controls in Tanzania. He estimates we will need two more hours. The landscape changes rapidly as we descend toward Lake Victoria. The lake lies at 1,100 meters altitude. The houses along the road look better compared to Kenya. This is due to gold mines in the region, Patrick says. The roofs of the houses are higher, allowing the heat to rise more. Children wave to us in Tanzania as well. Still, some young people make dismissive gestures. They see tourists pass but don’t benefit from the income. Some also think Kenya takes too much from the tourism industry. Patrick warns us to remain respectful and vigilant. We descend and descend. Huge rock formations lie alongside the road. It feels almost unnatural, as if the rocks were placed here for a Disney movie. In the distance, the water of Lake Victoria is visible. The lake is larger in surface area than the Netherlands. Around half past six, we enter Musoma. The campsite is on a peninsula in the lake. The access road is only a few dozen meters wide. Water lies on both sides. We are greeted by a troop of monkeys. We quickly close all bus windows. Klipspringers also roam around. These small animals are said to be genetically related to elephants.

Kenya - The tented camp on the shore of Lake Victoria

I think they look more like marmots or guinea pigs. At the Matvilla Beach campsite, it is also possible to choose a cabin. I don’t want a repeat of the discussion from a few days ago. Together with some other travelers, I choose to stay in tents. I set up my tent on the edge of Lake Victoria. What a magnificent place. When the sun goes down, fireflies shine around the tent—small glowing dots. Fireflies light up due to a chemical reaction in their abdomen. After dinner, I end the evening with a Kilimanjaro beer at the bar. A new country, a new local beer.