The Rhino Charge

Well, yesterday was the Madaraka (autonomy rather than independence) holiday here in Kenya, and the day before was the annual Rhino Charge. The Rhino Charge is an amazingly entertaining 4-by-4 challenge where the winner is the driver who manages to cover the distance between around 12-14 checkpoints not in the shortest time, but by taking the shortest route (and finishing within the allotted 10 hours). It's so much fun, as unlike in Formula 1 where cars whizz by, you can watch a car for several minutes as it attempts to get over some rocks, or up an improbably steep hill, using a winch, which it's quite clear is pulling the bush more than it's pulling the car. All this is done to raise money for wildlife conservation, in particular for the now-completed fence around the Aberdare mountain range. It's just as well it's for the environment, given all the crushed euphorbia and aloes I witnessed last year - none of that this year though, as the terrain was quite different. Just lots of bushes.

Our church runs one of the checkpoints, and I went along with the boys to help out, having had a great time last year. We happened to be near one of the most challenging parts of the course, in a dry river bed, where several cars broke down. This was not the 'gauntlet', but we were in a part of the course that was closed to spectators, so I managed to witness some significant mayhem and risk-taking with just a few other onlookers.

Our own 'rhino charge' up to the checkpoint was quite a challenge as well. The final part was up a dry river bed, with what must have been some quite spiky volcanic rock, of which one small part bit into the side of a new-ish tyre, and produced rapid deflation. I drove on a bit to avoid blocking the way for the rest of the cars coming up, took a wrong turn, and drove under a tree, forgetting that I had a roof-rack on top. I heard something, assuming it was the branch brushing against the top of the contents, but our oldest boy said 'Dad, the roof rack's come off'. I think I said something like 'Don't be silly'. But there it was, sitting with all its contents, on the ground. Almost undamaged - a clean removal. A couple of the people in the car behind, who heard but didn't see the incident, have worked in Somalia, and thought this was a roadblock!

People quickly gathered round, changed my wheel for me, and carried the roof-rack up to the campsite. A real team spirit.

For me about the best thing about the whole time was being out in the bush (no settlements in view in any direction - we were south of Magadi, almost in Tanzania) with a group of good friends. The couple of Maasai guards walked several miles to reach us. They were very amused at our food, and weren't able to suppress loud laughter at the bacon and egg rolls they were offered. They opened them in disbelief - I think it was all unknown (the eggs were scrambled). We also had little walks, watched the near-full moon rise, and prepared to serve the drivers who came through. The five-hour drive back to Karen brought me back to a different world, realising how much the time out there had done me good.

I hope to post photos later - that would be a first!