Day 2 – Salama to Emali – The Crash

Despite the squalor, after a rather extreme Day 1, we had a pretty good sleep and got up for a breakfast of more beans and chapati, with chai/coffee, in the same little shack we ate in for dinner. Even with two legit Kenyans on our team, we’re still getting Mzungu prices, but only slightly.

Salama, as it happens, is at the top of a rather significant plateau. From the map, we drop around 3000 feet over the next 50 kilometers to our next planned stop of Emali. The biggest drop seems to happen right as you leave Salama on a long winding, steep road. This is not the newish, smooth (even with some gravel and shredded tires/road kill) shoulder we rode most of the way into town. This is tar and gravel with an earth and stone shoulder and vehicles flying down with reckless abandon.

It was bound to happen. I was cold and had no opportunity to warm myself up for the downhill. Wearing knee, elbow and wrist pads and a helmet, shorts, tshirt and my backpack, Rob and I headed downhill cautiously, one foot down to slide, brake and keep a managable speed. Balls took over brains and about 5 minutes into the most rediculous hill of my life, I lifted my brake and decided to go. Bad idea!

About 150 yards of full throttle, I was well beyond my experience and had no way of control or brake. I could feel the wobble and the tar’n'gravel under my wheels starting to throw me and I decided to head to the softest spot I could find on the shoulder in full superman. Pulled the best Ninja roll I could manage and tried to save my body as best I could. I’m sure it could have been worse.

Covered in dirt and gravel in and out of my clothes and pack, the impact managed to rip my knee and elbow pad down on my right side and I was gushing from both through the dirt. I had road rash down my right shoulder, back and hip and had shredded my shorts. Rob caught up and did the most logical thing – videotaped and took pictures! I texted the support team who was still in Salama 15 minutes away.

After cleaning and bandaging up – thanks Martina, Valentine, and Fred! – I refused to give up and still rolled the rest of the way down the monster that tried to eat me with Rob in the lead and both of us on the brakes. We tucked out the tail end of the ride and were blessed with mostly flat roads and overcast the rest of the day.

42 kilometers later we made it to Emali and took me to a Nursing Home Hospital. I was the first Mzungu they have had in the ‘Operating Theater’ and wow was it a show. The doc gave me 3 stitches that look like rope and everyone in the place made a stop in to see if I bleed the same. The ‘nurse’ answered her cellphone more than once and I’m pretty sure she was telling them all about me.

Emali was way different than Salama – colorful fruit stands, lots of friendly people, and a real town, not just a road stop. We found the nicest, cleanest, family owned/run/ and lived in guest house with bright colorful rooms, in-room toilets and hot showers. Nothing made me happier after the day I had had. They even made us the best home-cooked chicken, Ugali, beans, and Skumawiki dinner and we all went to bed stuffed and happy.

Next stop – maybe Makindu (47km) maybe Kibwezi (70km) all depends on how bruised and battered I am when I wake up.

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