Asian Weekly Nairobi Feature Article

20th - 26th April 2012

Issue: 0087

18 STRAIGHT TALK

Who is Jay? I was born in Hyderabad, India but my family is from Chennai. At the age of two, my family relocated to Zambia for nine years (my father was working in agricultural research there). I completed my schooling back in India before going to the US for my bachelors and masters.

How long have you been riding for?

I got my first bike in 2004 and started riding seriously a year after that. So far, I've accumulated a total of 190,000 kms.

What motorbike do you have?

A 1998 Suzuki DR650, it is an enduro-type bike, which means it can do off-road and highway riding, which is perfect for unknown conditions of the road in all these countries.

Does it have a name?

Yes, sanDRina and written in that way, because the bike's model is a DR. It's the two of us that are actually travelling. I take care of her (maintenance) and she takes care of me ;) How have you prepped it?

I have strengthened the suspension, added some extra driving lights, fitted a GPS, and mounted a luggage carrying system with aluminium boxes to house all my gear and tools and setup a charging port to charge my phone, camera and ipod.

Is it your first time here?

Yes, it is my first time in Kenya, but not Africa (I lived in Zambia during my childhood).

Where have your expeditions taken you?

I've been through 24 countries, so far: USA, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Germany, Belgium, France, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia

and now, Kenya.

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It was probably when I was 11 or 12, riding on the back of my mama's (uncle) Hero Where have you come from?

Honda from our village outside Chennai I came into Kenya from Ethiopia along the back to the city. Not wearing a helmet or eastern shores of Lake Turkana, down to any safety gear and I remember my eyes Maralal, Nakuru and then into Nairobi. tearing up because the wind was so strong.

It was then that I knew when I would get What have you seen of Kenya so far? my own motorbike; I would ride with full I rode from Nairobi to Machakos and down safety gear. to Makindu, then up to Naivasha and back.

Once I get going again, I'll head to Uganda, Why riding and do you consider it as a Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, sport?

Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, then up Riding because while four wheels move the the western side of Africa. body, two wheels move the soul. You experience the sensation of moving and travelDo you ride for any cause? ling much more deeply when on a motorI'm supporting Children International, who cycle, compared to a car. There is that thrill are a charity from the US that link up one from the danger but it's definitely managedonor (sponsor) with one specific child in able with proper safety gear (helmets, ridneed in various developing countries. I'm ing jacket, reinforced boots and gloves). currently sponsoring a girl in Zambia and can't wait to get there and meet her.

How does it actually work? Do you ride to a destination and stay there for a few days/ How long do you have to go to complete weeks or just pass through and onto your your journey? next destination?

I am going in a clock-wise direction around It depends, sometimes I'm in a hurry for Africa, so from here down to South Africa, some reason (catching an important ferry then up the west side to Morocco, across or a visa is running out) and then I stay one southern Europe to Turkey, then through night in each place and keep moving, but Iran, Pakistan into India. I will set off from when I've planned it well and have time Kenya in June or July and plan to get to India on my side, I spend at least a few days in towards the end of 2013. each place or maybe even a few weeks. If the mood of the place is welcoming, I stay How did your travels begin? longer or if I meet someone and make a My previous job in the US luckily came with connection, then I stay longer in that place. four weeks of holidays every year, so with I work with a rough schedule depending on that I made trips to Alaska and Mexico and the dry and rainy seasons of the region and around the US, learning how to travel and thus plan accordingly. So, I allocate around live on my motorcycle and figuring out how a month or a few weeks for each country many clothes I actually needed (much less and see where the journey takes me from than you think) and what kind of tools I there. needed to maintain the bike while on the road. It was good preparation for this big Your stop over here isn’t purely for the trip. trip.

You are also doing some research. What is it?

Recall your first motor bike experience as a I'm actually taking a break in Kenya for a child. few months to do research for this master

thesis that I'm studying for in Sustainable Development from School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) under the University of London. It's a distance masters degree and thus I just study on my laptop and take exams at any British Consulate around the world. I'm doing this as I hope to change careers from engineering into international development and I am using this trip and degree to help make that change possible.

My research is in agricultural water management with a gender focus (comparing women farmers to male farmers) and I did my field work out in Machakos and Makindu. I should be done with the thesis by June and then I begin the second part of the trip, which concludes when I reach India. It took me a year and a half to go from Chicago to Nairobi and it'll be another year and a half to reach Chennai from here.

What do you get out of riding?

To put it in one word, living! To be sitting on top of an engine and using your body to help steer the vehicle is a feeling that keeps me connected to my surroundings. When I'm in a car, I feel like I'm in a cage and want to stick my head out the window and hang my tongue out like a dog, ha ha.

What drives you to go adventure riding?

To see the world, this beautiful planet of ours that is undergoing profound change at this moment. Part of the desire was to escape from the rat race of a regular nine to five job and the other part of the desire was to be close to nature and people who are close to the ground (i.e not urban settings).

Does it not scare you going into unknown countries, where there are dangers that you have never faced?

Sure, but many others have gone before me and I learn from their experiences and prepare myself. I read many travel reports from previous bikers who have been through Africa and gleamed information

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from them on the safety situation on the ground (which is always different from what the news would have you believe) and then make up my mind on whether it's prudent to enter a particular country or not.

Recently, Kenya has been labelled a 'dangerous' country for travellers but you and I know that the situation is different on the ground. My father warned me of the danger of Colombia or Bolivia and I told him that if I just made up my mind on the safety of the country from reading the news, India would actually be quite a dangerous country (Maoist rebels kidnapping tourists, bus and train crashes, dangerous cyclones, et cetera). I don't dismiss warnings and instead consume a lot of news from various sources like friends on the ground ans other riders.

Doesn’t it get lonely riding alone?

I travel solo. I am alone when I am out in the middle of nowhere but I am not lonely.

I prepared myself for this feeling by going on small to big solo journeys around the US and learned to deal with the emotions that come from riding solo. I sing a lot in my helmet and love the freedom that comes from doing whatever you want, whenever you want. From time to time, I meet up with other solo bikers and we ride together for a few days or until the next big city.

How do you pay for all your expenses?

This is a self-funded trip and I saved and invested my money while I was working in the US and when I sold everything I had (house, car, other bikes, et cetera) I made some extra cash and now I'm blowing it all on this journey. It's so worth it! You get one life, live it.

On average, how much do you spend a month?

I can say it costs around US $1000 per month, but people have done it for much cheaper, but this is budgeting for emergencies (health, bike break downs) Any fears that your bike may not hold up for long trip?

Before I left on this trip, I spent a lot of time researching what kind of bike to take on such a long journey and settled on a reliable, trust-worthy Japanese bike and it's been great, so far. But I also took the view that breakdowns are bound to happen so instead of stressing out when they happen, I carry all the tools and spare parts that I might need and I haven't had any breakdown that I haven't been able to solve within a few days. Plus, I've seen that every time I breakdown (around three times on this trip), I've encountered the most interesting people who step in to help out a vulnerable traveller on a motorcycle and that's made for some of my most memorable experiences.

What is the most challenging part any trip?

The beginning. To get started and to commit to get going is the toughest part. I was very nervous in the days leading up to the departure of this trip, questioning my sanity and whether I was making the right decision, but since I had already committed (I had re-

STRAIGHT TALK 19 signed from job and sold my house) I knew I was going. The butterflies in my tummy went quiet the moment I turned on the key that first morning and rolled out of Chicago and then a big smile grew on my face and I said, "There's no turning back, whatever happens, we're going forward." And, it's actually been easy after that.

You aren’t in a relationship. When cupid does strike will you stop your travels?

I knew it would be very difficult to travel like this if I was married with kids and that's why I decided to do this at this stage in my life before those commitments were made.

Where do you sleep overnight?

I have slept in tents, hotels, people's homes and anywhere else you could think of. Primarily in cheap hotels (that have safe parking areas for my bike) and then when I'm in remote locations, I camp in my one-person tent and when I pass through big cities, I stay with locals that I contact through a network called CouchSurfing.org where wiling hosts sign up to host a passing traveller for a few nights in exchange for stories from a different culture.

It's been a great way to save costs and especially meet locals and get to see their life, rather than just the tourist sites of a city. I also cook my chicken curry for my hosts and it acts as a great way of giving back to them for their generosity and also for cultural exchange.

Do you make real friends along the way?

For sure, so many more than I have made before I left on this trip. Even though our time together is only for a short time, the connection is strong. And of course, Facebook helps to keep in touch.

Do you maintain a daily web log or diary on your travels?

Yes, I write a few notes or sometimes long entries for every day as it helps enhance my memory and I also plan to write a book at the end of this journey and details will be important, along with emotions felt and conversations had. I keep a small note book on me at all times and jot down thoughts, ideas and feelings when there's some down time (waiting for visas at embassies, et cetera) or at the end of the day. I keep a detailed travel log on http://JamminGlobal. com that's captured the entire trip in photos.

What problems have you encountered on the road?

I haven't had any security issues on this trip but I've had a few bike breakdowns. In Bolivia, I burnt out my clutch in the middle of nowhere and managed to make a phone call at a mission back to a mechanic friend in Chicago and he advised me to cut some metal discs from a coffee can to get me back to civilisation. There were no coffee cans around, but I understood what he meant and found some metal sheet, cut the discs, put it in my clutch and made it back to the capital city and found some replacement parts.

What’s the worst part about riding?

The fear of being in an accident due to someone else's dangerous driving and the moments when I'm stuck behind old trucks that are spewing out thick exhaust and I have to just sit there and inhale it.

And the best?

Smelling the earth when the first drops of rain fall. Being on a bike, you can't escape the smells around you and if you ignore all the bad smells (exhaust, garbage, sewage), there are so many wonderful smells to enjoy while riding, such as freshly-cut grass, food cooking or trees such as eucalyptus.

What has been your best destination so far?

That's a difficult one but Bolivia and Ethiopia, because the landscape is fantastic there. Both these countries are removed from the rest of the world in terms of development and food in Ethiopia is delicious.

How do you dress when riding a bike because as you ride it can get cold and when you stop it gets hot due to exertion?

My particular riding suit is made from Kevlar thread which is very strong and has withstood quite a few accidents and never resulted in an injury to me. I have a liner that I put in when the temperatures dip and a rain suit for continuing to ride even if it rains.

How many kilometres have you done so far?

From Chicago to Nairobi 72,000 kms.

Do you ever reach a point that you think "I've had enough, I want to go home?”

Nope and also cause home for me right now is on the motorcycle, so I'm already home ;) What was your scariest moment when travelling?

An accident I had in Bolivia. I was riding in the rain high up in the mountains and a thick fog came down and I could only see a few meters in front of me and suddenly around a corner there was a slow moving truck with no lights on and I had to brake hard to avoid hitting him and I went down next to the truck and the truck's tire rolled right next to my head. That was a close call.

Your funniest?

I was leaving this local biker's house after staying a week with him and his family in San Juan, Costa Rica and it was setup to be a grand farewell with everyone from the neighbouring houses out there to wish me off. I was backing up the motorcycle, which is quite heavy when fully loaded and I missed my footing and lost balance and dropped the bike.

What do you do when you are not riding?

I go on hikes, chat with the locals, enjoy the local cuisine, and cook.

And words of wisdom for an aspiring motorcycle traveller?

Prepare your bike, but expect breakdowns and don't get frustrated when they happen.

Talk to everyone you meet and eat everything that you are offered. Ride the world!