Despite my nerves and worry about my cycling challenge - I survived and actually completed it! I decided to take part in such a challenge as it is for such a good cause in that all money raised goes to 3 cancer charities, but also because it is something that has affected my own family (as it has many others). It was the first time I had been on a long-haul flight so that in itself was the first leg of my challenge. I flew to Heathrow at some ridulously early time before I met up with the other woman who were taking part. In total there were just over 90 of us! Some appeared to be in groups and others were like me and taking part on their own. The travelling was ok and I was worried that my luggage would be over the allowed limit however - whilst packing it seemed that nearly half of my luggage was made up of medicines, toiletries and antibacterial wipes! All of which were names as 'essential items' from the kit list I was given. I had some kind of pill or potion (I even had to take sterile needles) for nearly every eventuality!
After landing in Nairobi, due to it being a capital city I was still expecting to see a lot of wealth and generally a 'normal' urban landscape that really could have been compared to most large cities. However I was not prepared for the timewarp that I had suddenly entered. In the airport it was across between the small Greek airports I had experienced in the past that had very few facilities and literally had one small building that did everything that separated you from the landing strip and your tourist destination. However, here the building seemed relatively large, yet decorated and equipped as if it was in the 1960/1970's with its style of signs, colour scheme and possibly original furnishings. The oddest thing was having to weave around and try not to stand on various muslim men who were sleeping in the airport's corridors, under the bench seats, and many more were sleeping in the 'prayer room'.
Once outside, we had to give out lugguage to the 'ground crew' who effortlessly pulled it up onto the top of the buses, covered it loosely with some plastic sheeting and tied it on. We travelled out of Nairobi, again I was expected to see a busy metropolis of activity, however it was fairly quiet and had more signs of deprivation than I had imagined for the capital city. We transferred to our first hotel in Nyeri and got our bikes set up - I had taken my own seat as I you can't be too careful if you are going to spend 5 days on a bike!
That evening we went on a short warm up ride to Baden Powell's grave. I was never a girl guide so it probably did not have the impact it might have done on others - the only thing I kept thinking of was how big the hill was that we had just cycled down that I would have to cycle back up it on the way back! I would start my cycle ride in earnest in the morning....
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