Just before coronavirus pandemic hit the globe intensely, Kenyan biking couple Dos Kariuki and Wamuyu Kariuki were up and about in their world trip having visited over 20 countries on their bikes.
The biking couple as they are famously known left Kenya on July 2, 2018, for their three-and-a-half years’ world trip after saving for over two years for it. They had their wedding two months before and decided to tour the world on their bikes.
At the time of lockdown, they were in Panama and decided to dash to Mexico but its borders closed immediately they entered Nicaragua where they are stuck to date.
“When we first heard of corona, we were in Panama, at the end of November 2019. We left Panama towards the end of February and entered Costa Rica. We were in Costa Rica for three weeks and that is when things got out of hand with coronavirus. Borders started closing. Here in Latin America, the borders had only closed for European countries and Asia. We decided to dash to Mexico but unfortunately the borders closed after we entered Nicaragua. Everything happened within a week. It was so fast like lightning,” the couple said.
In Nicaragua, a Latin American country, the Kariuki’s are required to renew their visa every month despite that fact they have a valid American visa. Should they have gotten to Mexico, they would stay for six months without renewing their visas.
“The Mexico visa would have saved us the monthly renewal fee we are incurring and the country is close to the USA, where it’s easier to get home. Like the free flight by KQ that brought Kenyans back home.”
The couple says it is ready to cancel the trip and return to Kenya and has made arrangements to have their bikes shipped back to Kenya as they wait for travel restrictions to be lifted.
“Borders and airspaces are still closed and so we cannot leave. But we have already decided to terminate our travels and come home. We have been looking for shippers for our bikes so we can send them home.”
The couple documents its travel adventure on their YouTube channel – throttleadvetures.com and blog www.wamuyu.com.
