Out of the blue, I decided to prepare myself for a journey along the East African coast. The main requirement for travel was money, and that was something I had to plan for — a time when I would have enough to spend freely, ready to face the consequences of being broke afterward. Everything eventually happened, and as the English say, "Make your bed and you shall lie in it." That's essentially what we do every day in life.
As I always tell people, failing to plan is preparing to fail. This statement has always helped me stay ready for any challenge. You must gather your resources before you can finish any battle. I'm obsessed with finishing things; I dislike incomplete tasks. So, I started my preparations by sorting out my fares, knowing I was traveling by road to see all the sights I had only seen in pictures. I wanted to experience it all like a dog hanging its head out the window on a long drive. I won't lie, I made sure all my seats were by the window.
I had a consultant who helped me with all the end-to-end details. This experience, in Kampala, taught me that as long as you have money to get you home, you're good to go. Before leaving the country, I had already pre-booked my bus and train tickets. The beauty was that the online booking systems were so efficient, which I really appreciated. In case any issues arose, I had backup plans. Once I confirmed the money I would use, I placed it in a unit trust to help it grow a little, ensuring I wouldn't spend it on any unforeseen challenges along the way.
In November, I set off from Kampala, starting my journey at the bus park with a BusCar company bus. I considered my trip to begin as soon as I reached the Busia border. The other parts of the route felt routine since I'm well-traveled within Uganda.
Upon entering Kenya, the first town I encountered was also called Busia. We passed through it with our eyes wide open, noticing the number plates starting with "K" and the trailers with "Z" along the way. The change in the environment brought a happy shock, like the feeling of receiving surprise money to buy something to eat. I kept admiring the electricity poles with streetlights attached to them, which gave me a nostalgic feeling of how things were in my childhood street. Some of those old poles still stand the test of time.
As I continued toward Nairobi, I saw vast tea factories and farmlands. The famous Kericho tea plantations were visible, along with various dealerships and well-built regional power centers between Busia and Nairobi. Everywhere I looked, I was in awe. It was as if every place was more developed than the last as we approached Nairobi. The beauty of the vegetation was breathtaking, with only a little encroachment.
The towns leading into Nairobi made me keep asking my neighbors, "Have we reached?" I spent so much time asking that I eventually had to calm down. It wasn't that the journey was long, but the sights and sounds were so new to me, and I just wanted to know when we would finally arrive. When we entered Nairobi, the first thing I noticed was the massive pillar supporting the express highway. It was so tall that I thought to myself, "The Kampala flyover is really short compared to this one." As we entered from a lower area, I saw so many tall buildings, which was very interesting. Unfortunately, my phone battery was low, so I couldn't take a picture of the city.
I'll share more of my adventures along the way in my next post.