Hallo Boys und Girls
Nachdem wir das Visa hatten nach Ethiopien Losgefahren und nun nein so muss es nicht sein....KATASROPHALE Strasse fuer die 500 km die im Bau sind ...also ganz einfach umgedreht, denn ich will ja nicht Monty und uns in einer Schueteldose nachhause bringen.Zudem ....wir muessen ja die gleiche Strasse Zurueck ...nun ...dazu kommt nun , dass auf der TURKANA Seite Politische Probleme sind und am Wochenende sogar Geiseln genommen wurden und nun wollen sie die Armee da Hochschicken !!!
Hier mein Artikel auf Englisch...
After we had relaxed a couple of days at the famous Jungle Junction campsite where all the truckers, cruisers and crazy bike-riders meet
we went to the Ethiopian embassy and got our visa in only one day.
Next morning, we started at early six o'clock to make it through very busy Nairobi with least problems. We surrounded Mount Kenya and were surprised of this wonderful scenery and made it to Isiolo the same day.
The following day we ventured on the so-called "hell road". A road which goes all the way from Isiolo via Marsabit to Moyale (ca. 500k km). We had heard so many grisly stories about it. The first 130 kilometres we were happlily rolling on great tarmak. But then came the bitter rest which was bumpy, hard gravel with big washouts. A Finnish motobiker SMS-texted me he had used 6 hours for only 60 kilometres of this road (which was the leg reaching to Marsabit). Later he continued from Marsabit to Moyale, which is right at the border of Ethiopia. While the first 50 kilometres was again tarmak all the rest is under construction where you would have to bybass either left or right with long sections of mud, rocks and bumps. Those 140 km took our Finnish friend 8 hours.
After Maria and I were now driving for only 10 kilometres and our Monty was nearly shaken to pieces I had to make a very critical decision: I knew I would have to come the same road back again because there would be no other choice going back to South Africa. Also, after hearing all these horrible stories from the bus drivers, truck drivers and motorbikers I said: Stop! With very sad emotions I turned Monty back South. We were even worried about our health continuing that rough road. And now why it's called the hell-road of Africa.
The other possible road which led along Lake Turkana was just too unsafe those days.
The next morning we decided to drive towards Mombasa, never thinking that on a Sunday there would be thousands of trucks on their way. Thats because all the neighbouring countries around Kenya are provided by goodies and container deliveries via road.
Fatima and Moringa
After driving some hundred kilometers we had a stop at a truck-stop.
There was a little store. Who would ever think that this little store
would give me new insights about Moringa? The person running the store, a young lady called Fatima, turned out to be someone with a rich knowledge in herbal medicine, minerals, and other local treatments she learned from her grandmother.
When I asked her about Moringa she confirmed she's actually selling it to the truck drivers to treat headaches, high blood pressure, and diabetes. I was speechless. After asking here some more questions she guided me behind the house where two very big Moringa trees were growing. I knew about Moringa powder and all its uses from the internet but I had never seen two real Moringa trees as we would just see them here in the backyard of a very poor family. I had heard from a professor from Daressalam that this tree is called the "life tree". I had heard from a camp-owner in Malawi that they would give Moringa to HIV patients and seeing those people you would not even guess that they are suffering from that disease.
I found out that Fatima had some special knowledge in herbal medicine. I was a big pleasure for us to see that she was also selling mineral stones which help pregnant women and Echinacea seeds. She explained to us that once or twice a year big companies would send scouts who would search the region for Moringa seeds for export. Of course, we could not resist buying some seeds for ourselves.
I am now taking Moringa everyday to fight my diabetes and according to my blood count it seems like its already showing beneficial effects.
Now there had been the bitterness about missing Ethiopia and then only two days we had such an overwhelming encounter at such a lost place along the roadside. Always expect the unexpected!
