Maps
See also:
Getting Around
Getting Around: The Island
The nature of the island is somewhat of a mystery and it doesn't have an Umbral reflection, nor a physical one. It is in both places at once and neither. This does permit the use of things that may be accessible from one but not the other (ie, unawakened machines and umbral travel). However, all physical approaches (with physical items) to the island do need to arrive and depart from the material world islands (the northeastern tip of the Island, which do have an Umbra). From here, a member of the Ahadi could take physical items into the realm of the Island. For those only carrying spiritual or dedicated items, trips from (and to) the island can be made from any point, such as the Corax leaving the Aviary. These trips generally involve a tranfer into the Umbra on approach, or out of the Umbra when approaching the mainland.
On the island, all travel is done by foot (feral and homid), by air for those like the Corax or with Gifts, or by boat if on the water. There are a few bicycles, although in general, the terrain isn't very hospitable to them. Dr Mikeila Johannsen does have a Land Rover that she has used to quickly reach parts of the island to care for those that need help, but in general, it isn't used often and only in emergencies.
Getting to the Island
Travelling from the island is by air or by sea. For this the Corax are the luckiest and can make the trip from the Southern tip of the island to the mainland. By Sea is the most common, although the most distant, since the island is over 50 miles from shore at the closest from the Boat Launch. This is generally accelerated with the help from Hunts-the-Depths. Some of the Boatmen have been given an item that calls the mists, which, like a moonbridge, shortens the distance to a fraction. Without assistance, it is a long trip of several hours in a motorboat and would require navigation skills.
The various Fera have kin in places on the shores of Lake Victoria to assist travellers. There are three primary points of departure: Musoma in Tanzania, Kisumu in Kenya, and Kurungu in Kenya. There are other points along the shore that may be usable, but do not have a kin presence of assistance. In Kenya, the primary kin launch locations are disguised as religious missions. Both Musoma in Tanzania and Kisumu in Kenya have populations to assist with vehicles. Of course, both cities have roads, rails, and air travel, while Kurungu has only road access. It is, however, the closest to visiting the Mara.
See the East Africa Distance Map PDF for more information on the distances between the island and the mainland, as well as the best places to land depending on the PCs destination.
Getting Around: General
By Air:
Because of East Africa's size and less-than-ideal road quality, it is worth considering travel by air when possible. For Corax, this is taken as matter-of-fact.
Regional air hubs include Nairobi and Mombasa (Kenya), Entebbe (Uganda), Dar Es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, amd Zanzibar (Tanzania). There are also connections to other areas. In additional to commerical carriers, there are light aircraft and charter that are affordable. Although the Ahadi does have connections with Kin pilots, this is definitely an exception to the rule.
Kenya has about 250 airports (of vastly varying quality) and plenty of airlines connecting Nairobi with Mombasa, Kisumu, Nanyuki, Malindi, Lamu, and the national parks/reserves of Amboseli Masai Mara and Samburu.
By Lake Victoria:
On the Tanzanian section of the lake, there are passenger boats connecting Mwanza with Kukoba, Ukere Island, and various lakeside villages. In the Kenyan section, small boats connect the mainlain around Mbita Point with Mfangano, Rusinga, and Takwiri islands. In Uganda, small boats connect the mainland villages with the Ssese Islands. There are also regular cargo boats from Kampala to Mwanza that accept paseengers.
For characters (as stated above), the use of the Boatmen to expedite travel on the lake is a great convenience. Aquatic Mokole are also less hindered by the water travel.
By Rail:
The train is a convienient, sometimes luxurious way to move, with comfortable beds and good meals, and is by far the safest - though slowest - way to travel on the ground. A passenger line runs inland from Mombasa to Nairobi and on to Kisumu. For Island inhabitants, the Kisumu to Nairobi rail is often used by those with some finances available. The Uganda passenger connection has been discontinued years ago. There are further passenger branch lines to Taveta, Nanyuki and Butere.
Commonly used passenger lines are the Nairobi-Mombasa route (Kenya), the Tazara express line from Dar Es Salaam to Mbeya (Tanzania), and the meandering Central line connecting Dar Es Salaam with Mwanza and Kigoma.
There are three classes: First Class, which is the most expensive at $55 for a Mombasa to Nairobi trip. You get your own bed and get good service, with free drinking water. Second Class is mostly the same, without all the pampering and free water, but still with a bed and meals and $10 cheaper. Third Class is very cheap when offered, but passengers have only seats, if they are lucky enough to get one. The train is a good way to get around, although it is slow and long waits and delays are expected. Trains only cover about 20 mph on the Kisumu-Nairobi-Mombasa route, with about 13-14 hours from each endpoint to/from Nairobi. Each segment also has several stops along the way.
By Road (car):
Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda follow the British and drive on the left side of the road, although Rwanda and Barundi drive on the right. Distances are listed in kilometers, although our distance map is in miles for ease of use.
Night time driving is dangerous because of road conditions, animals, banditry, and stopped vehicles. There are frequent checkpoints by police and border officials who ask to see a driving license, vehicle and insurance papers. Most trips outside of towns require four wheel drive and off-road travel is fairly normal.
In some places, such as the parks, it is illegal. Fuel is available in major towns, but supply is not always on hand. For long journeys, always top off your tank and carry extra fuel.
By Road: (Public Transportation):
Buses are the most useful type of public transport. They're usually faster than trains or trucks, and safer and more comfortable than minibuses.
Matatus
Most East Africans rely on minibuses for transportation. They're called matatas in Kenya, dalla-dallas in Tanzania, and taxis or matatus in Uganda. They are usually packed to the bursing point, and combined with excessive speed, poor maintanance and driver recklessness, means they are not the safest way to travel (although Fera have less to worry about). Matatus leave from designated spots called stages. Passengers get seated, then the matatu leaves when it is full.
Matatus have fixed routes, but "unfixed" stops and time schedules. They stop anywhere to pick or drop passengers. They operate from some time after 5am to around 9pm. If one is passing, stick out your arm with your palm down. This is the sign you want to be picked up. If the vehicle is not full, the driver will pull over to let you in.
In major stages, you pay for a ticket before you get on a matatu. It is common, however, to be asked for your money after the matatu is on its way. It's a good idea to ask the fare before entering the matatu. Ask other customers what they're paying because some matatus will cheat you. Tickets cost about 30kSh (45 cents) for 15 miles, although some matatus with longer routes (for instance Mombasa to Nairobi) cost up to 500 KsH ($7.50).
Shared Taxis
In some places, you will find shared taxis on the more popular routes. They often take 5-9 passengers and are generally safer and more comfortable than minibuses. They are generally more expensive, though.
Travel Speed
Walking:
As Fera, access to Gifts and feral forms can make foot travel possible, albeit usually slower than a vehicle.
Generally speaking, walking speed is about 2-3 miles per hour (human or feral form), although terrain will greatly affect that.
For comparison, record holders for the marathon run about 13 mph while 100m sprinters can hit 22.5.
Characters can probably cover twenty to thirty miles, per full day of walking in ideal conditions and terrain. For conditioned runners or feral forms, they may be able to double that during daylight (think Marathon runners), or triple it within a 24 hour period. In rainforests and dense jungles, expect to cover about 8 miles per day.
Feral forms may support longer durations and faster speeds, but not even a cheetah can maintain its great speeds (70 mph) for more than a sprint. Ravens only fly about 20-35 mph, so they can not even keep up with a land vehicle on good roads. The feline and canine feral forms generally top out at 40-50 mph. Mokole are generally not going to travel in their feral form.
Vehicles
Vehicles speed vary on terrain as much as walking does. To complicate matters, some methods of travel will have different times because of stopping for passengers. Here is some information on what can be expected or extrapolated when necessary.
For those with Google Earth, look in the Featured Content:Tracks4Africa layer to pull up road type information that is color coded. Google Maps also shows roads now, but does not indicate road type (aside from national and main roads).
- National Roads (Orange): 55 mph
- Main Roads (Purple): 45 mph
- Secondary Roads (White): 30 mph
- Gravel (White - labeled): 20 mph
- Off Road Trails (Orange/Brownish): 15 mph
Speed Limits:
- Kenya
- Matatus in Kenya are restricted to an 80kph/48mph speed limit, even on major roads. Everyone else breaks the speed limit (60mph+).
- Parks in Kenya are restricted to a 30 or 50 kph speed limit (18/30 mph).
- No driving in Parks at night
- Tanzania
- 80 kph (48mph) on highways
- 50 kph (30 mph) in villages.
- Many police stops (every 100km)
- Uganda
- 80-100 kph (50-62 mph) on highways
