Just arrived in Ethiopia and there pops up my first hitchhiker, Satu (which means “land” in his language. He comes from Konso, a town, further to the North-East) He’s 23 years old and he’s a student and mobile teacher in four Dasanaach (local tribe) villages. He’s been teaching for 3 years now. He teaches maths … More SATU
In the only bar in Illeret we meet a friendly (jovial) looking fellow called Chris. He bought some beers and asks for a ride home. We agree and ask in return a spot to pitch our tent. We shake hands to seal the deal.After a very short ride we are surprised when he guides us … More CHRIS
We get up the next morning at first light. We head up north because we heard of a small village called Moité, that’s not indicated on the map, were we could buy some drinking water. The road is smooth, which actually just means it’s not too sandy. There’s no petrol in Moité but there is … More EKURU
Maureen is the passenger for my intro video for a web platform of the Flemish national TV “Vranckx and the nomads”. She helps me out and we talk a bit. She’s from Navaisha and tells me that lake is more beautiful. Willem and I drive after lunch towards Nyahururu. The landscapes are beautiful and green … More MAUREEN
He’s not a hitchhiker however he deserves some special attention. Willem will be my companion for the next two months. We met each other when we were 14 and forged an alliance ever since. We started travelling together at the age of 16; riding on a bicycle from Belgium to Italy. Nobody at that time … More WILLEM
I have one goal today: meeting my youth friend and motorcycle buddy, Willem. But before we meet I still have a long 500 km journey ahead. We will meet at Lake Navaisha, close to mount Longonot, 60 km north-west of Nairobi. As I’m making my way down south, some serious rains are chasing me. A … More STEVEN
I pick up my motorbike at the Mokowe police station on the main land and retrieve my motorcycle cases. They were safely stored in the ammunition chamber of the police station. The same officer is sitting on the same spot in the shade of an acacia tree. He reassures me that nobody touched my bike. … More MOHAMMED
I decide to head up to Lamu, an island up north along the Kenyan coast, close to the Somali border. You could compare it to a smaller version of Zanzibar, without the huge numbers of tourists of tourists. It became a hotspot for travellers in the seventies but after recent attacks of Al-shabaab on Lamu … More SATAN
I’m strapping my luggage to my motorbike when a guy in a djellaba summons me to his taxi. His name is Omar and he’s a Somali. The wars in that country have pushed one million of Somalis into Kenya. He’s trying to make a living as a taxi driver. He’s been up for 24 hours … More BARE
The road and the towns are not that different in Kenya in comparison with Uganda: the other drivers are as crazy, the towns look the same, a bit more plastic bags along the road and the occasional pothole that grabs your attention when you’r dozing of. Somewhere after Eldoret I meet Sammy when I stop … More SAMMY (31)
WILDTRIPPING 