Negele to Mega – Day 72

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We took stock of our options today. We decided that Moyale, the Kenya border town, was too far to drive in one day, Instead we elected to get there in 2 easy stages so, on leaving our jacaranda campsite and saying goodbye to the new-found nursing friends, we set of south westwards towards Mega, a town on the main Adis-Moyale road. With the intention of free-camping before we got into Mega.

Our tyre-mending adviser in Robe told us that the first part of this road was rough but that the latter stages were good - all dirt of course. He was right! The first hour or so was rough indeed, 20 mph or thereabouts. Then the road improved and we were driving along at 60 mph with no trouble at all. Lovely rolling hills with thick acacia-based scrubland before the landscape levelled out. But there were herds of cattle every kilometre or so which made any selection of a secluded campsite extremely difficult. In the end we elected to take pot-luck between 2 herds of cows and we drove off into the bush to the side of the road and found a well hidden patch with acacia all around us.

We sat and waited for the gawpers to arrive - but they didn’t. We had managed to get off the road without being seen! So we set up camp (2 pm) and indulged in relaxation - reading, dhobi or whatever.

With Ian and Jeremy’s help I managed to fit new brake pads to my car as I had foolishly forgotten to get them changed in Adis. It took time but was successful in the end. Just as well too, because they were at the limit of their wear. The campsite was lovely with the scrubland vegetation all around us. The birds were varied and we had, in the event, total privacy. We were careful not to make too much noise but we had a great evening meal under a full moon by the end of which perhaps we were a little more noisy. We all slept really well.

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