KENYA 400 DAY 4: Thursday 28th August 2025

Man Down and the Man-Eaters

Total distance cycled: 300+ km / 420 km

Today’s adventure featured historic trading posts and an unfortunate tumble…

See the full ‘Kenya 400’ album here: www.flickr.com/photos/ptsd_resolution/

A Night Among the Ancestors

Day 4 began at Satao Camp - a completely open camp where animals roam freely with lions, giraffes, and antelopes as neighbours.

Satao holds dark history as an old slave trading post, evidenced by tamarind trees throughout. More chillingly, this is probably where the infamous man-eaters of Tsavo originated - lions that killed 168 railway workers around 1900. Chris's theory: these lions' ancestors developed a taste for human flesh when slaves unfit for the coast trek were discarded here.

Dawn Wildlife and Super Tuskers

Charles's 6 AM lookout experience captured Satao's magic: "Elephants came along, then zebras, all sequentially never interfering." Satao is famous for super tuskers - magnificent male elephants with Africa's largest tusks. "We saw a fair number, which was really exciting."

Bureaucratic Hurdles and Brutal Headwinds
Cycling required a vehicle transfer due to Kenya Wildlife Service permit delays. Starting at Solar Gate, they faced a "massive headwind" so strong that "if you stood still, it would blow you backwards." Despite brutal conditions, they reached Crocodile Camp.

Nature at Crocodile Camp and Man Down

Despite the challenging headwind, the cycling along the Galana River offered stunning views of the semi-arid landscape. The route to Crocodile Camp wound through acacia-dotted terrain where the ancient river has carved its path through the wilderness for millennia.

The evening at Crocodile Camp delivered pure magic - 30 elephants came to drink at the river for 30 minutes, a magnificent display of family dynamics with babies staying close to their mothers. Charles spotted graceful monitor lizards and elegant storks along the riverbank, while the star attraction was "Gaddafi" the massive crocodile, earning his nickname for being particularly ugly and intimidating.

But preparing for afternoon rides, Charles took a tumble. He "bit the dust," suffering some bruising and scrapes that left him looking rather worse for wear. "I had to take the afternoon off, much to my chagrin," Charles noted. Chris reassured him: "Man down is not man lost"—the kilometers would count.

Reflections

Day 4 delivered sobering history, bureaucratic frustrations, impossible headwinds, spectacular wildlife - and zebra-stripe injuries. Most importantly, it showed team resilience. Charles might have been temporarily sidelined, but not defeated.