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Published: November 3rd 2009
Sunday, Oct 25 Nairobi
Yesterday was a hectic day. We flew in the morning from Maasai Mara to Nairobi (in a Cessna Caravan), checked in our hotel, went to the National Museum and then shopping for our climb. The Museum was very special as Rob has a keen interest in the theory of evolution, and Africa, Kenya in particular, is one of the main archaeological areas where skeletons and fossils dating back millions of years have been discovered.
Back at the hotel we were busy rearranging our bags for the next phase of our trip together. We decided to do the Mt Kenya climb, starting tomorrow for 5 days, then fly directly to the Island of Lamu, for 4 days of R and R. We also wanted to get our blogs, and photos up to date. We were supposed to meet Charles Field Marsham for dessert, but we were just too tired. Sorry Charles.
Sunday, Oct 25 Nairobi to Nanuki, Kenya
We had an 8 am flight, again on a Cessna Caravan from Nairobi to Nanuki with Safarilink airlines. Once there we were met by our guides from Rift Valley Adventures. Nick, an Australian, was one of
the owners of the company. Our guide for the trip was Bernard. After having a coffee, we left in a taxi too to Sirimon trail park entrance. Our porters arrived and we all headed up the mountain. The first day was a short hike. About 3.5 hours. We arrived at Moses Hut very basic sleeping accommodation - there were 6 bunk beds in each room. Fortunately we were the only ones there. It was much colder than we expected probably a few degrees above freezing. At 7:30 we had a basic dinner and immediately climbed into our sleeping bags.
Monday October 26 - Kenya National Park
We had a long hike today, about 6 hours from Moses Hut, 3300 m, to Sherman's base camp, at 4200 m. It was a scenic walk through several valleys, but unfortunately, a major fire in February of this year that destroyed thousands of acres in the park. Apparently, before the fire, the trail was lined with beautiful plants and flowers. They were just starting to grow back.
At base camp, there were 3 other groups: 5 Austrians, 4 Germans, and a lone American. The American, Jonah Manning, was from South Carolina.
I asked him if he was familiar with Aiken, SC, and guess what? His family were polo players! So we knew all sorts of people in common. What a small world. Jonah, after his father died several years ago, bought a sailboat and has been sailing around the world ever since. One of his passions is climbing, so while in Africa he decided to climb Mt Kenya ( which apparently is a much more interesting climb than Mt Kilimanjaro). Jonah had left at 3 am this morning to do a difficult technical climb to the highest peak. This climb normally takes about 12 - 14 hours. He took about 19 hours arriving back around 11:30 at night in the pouring rain, in good spirits, but commenting that it was a lot more difficult than he thought.
Tuesday, Oct 27
This was an acclimatization day for us. We did about a 4 hour hike up the mountain to 4500 m and back to base camp. Rob and I both had minor headaches after our hike yesterday, so we concluded that having a day to get used to the altitude was probably a good thing. The groups from yesterday had
cleared out and we were joined by a new couple from Switzerland.
We went to bed early, about 8 pm so that we could get up at 2 am to start our ascent to the summit. The point of this is to be at the summit to see the sun rise, assuming it is a clear day.
Wednesday, October 28
I awoke at midnight to go to the washroom, and there were very strong winds and heavy rains. I was sure that our climb would be delayed. I went back to bed, and Bernard woke us at 2:15 am. I went outside, and much yo our delight, the sky was clear and full of stars. After a quick cup of tea and a biscuit, we put on our gear and started our climb. Surprisingly, in the first couple of hundred yards out of camp, I started to feel stressed and had some trouble breathing. I was so worried that I wouldn't make it. I didn't say anything to Bernard or Rob, as I didn't want to put a damper on things. What had happened is that I over dressed anticipating that it would be much colder
than it actually was. I took off my Balaclava, opened my jacket and sweater, drank some water and started to feel much better.
We climbed for 3 hours to the peak. While not a technical climb, it was more difficult than we had anticipated. When we reached the summit, the sun was coming up on the horizon. It could not have been any better! The sun was glistening off the snow covered, rocky peaks. It was relatively mild, a few degrees below Zero, and no wind. What a great sense of accomplishment! We took several photos of us with the flag of Kenya, and of the beautiful scenery. We didn't bring a Canadian flag, so Robbie drew one in the snow. After about 20 minutes we commenced our descent and made it down in record time. The original plan was to have breakfast, head back down to Moses Hut, spend a night there, and hike back to the Town the next morning. Robbie and I were in totally agreement that all we wanted to do was get off the mountain, find a place that was warm, with a bed and a hot shower and spend the night there.
Thursday, October 29 - Mt Kenya
We had breakfast and then set off down the mountain. The plan was supposed to be stay at the first camp again, but there was no way we were going to stay in that cold hut again, when it was only like less than 2 hours to make it to the bottom, and we would be at that camp by like 1pm. We had our guide, Bernard, call ahead and book a hotel room at a nearby lodge, the Kongoni Camp, as the flight was still the next day. When we made it to the first camp, there was a group of older people from The Netherlands who had come up in 2 land rovers, who had 3 extra seats that they kindly offered to us. We accepted as it was raining outside. On the way down, each car must have got stuck like 3 times. There were porters carrying our cooking equipment and other bags, and they made it down by foot before we did by car. It was so funny watching these Africans trying to get this car out of the mud. We have some classic photos.
When we
finally got to town, our friends from the Netherlands dropped us at the side of the road with Bernard and our bags. It had been raining all afternoon, and the road was totally covered in mud. I was a little concerned, as there we're no buildings in sight. We picked up our bags and walked through the mud, and to our surprise, we came around the corner and there was a gated entrance to Kongoni Camp. It turned out to be just what the doctor ordered.
A place with a bar, a bed, and a hot shower, something we hadn't had in 4 days. We had some drinks, went to our rooms, showered and returned for a great dinner. It turns out that the owner, Edwin, had been born in Kenya, went to England for 35 years, where he was a very successful restaurateur, and returned to Kenya to build his dream lodge. It really was cool. The artwork in the dining room featured major rock and movie stars, the likes of the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, John Travolta, and others.
Friday, Oct 30 Nanuki, Kenya
In the morning, Pauline, the representative of Rift Valley Adventures, came
to the lodge to take care of us. We had met her in Nanuki, with her beautiful daughter, Chantel, on our arrival prior to our climb.
She joined us for breakfast, arranged a ride into town, gave us a short walking tour, and took us to her apartment in the center of town. Pauline was really quit exceptional. She had grown up in an orphanage, did very well at school and received a scholarship to take a business course at college in Nairobi. After graduating, she worked for several companies before settling down with Rift Valley. What made her special was that she, unlike most Africans we had met had set goals for her life. In 2012 after the next election in Kenya, she is planning on leaving her employer and starting her own tourist company, specializing in hikes and treks for college students, and other special interest groups. She even has a name for her company, Laikipi Adventures. Her apartment was on the 3rd floor of a pretty rough looking building right in the town center. It was, however, absolutely spotless. Her life obviously revolved around her daughter. The kitchen was basic. Their was a small fridge, and
all of the cooking was done on a kerosene or charcoal grill on the floor. Her goal was to save enough money by January to buy a gas stove. We exchanged contact information, and asked her to keep us up to date on her entrepreneurial ventures. Before going to the airport, she walked us to the local coop markets where we negotiated with the locals to buy trinkets. It was very entertaining and was a great way to end our visit to Nanuki.
We flew to Nairobi, and then to Lamu, a beautiful little island off the coast of Kenya. While in the airport in Nairobi, there was an art exhibit featuring a local artist, Peter Ngugi. I absolutely fell in love with his work and may return to buy a piece as my souvenir from Africa.
We landed in Lamu and had to take a boat from mainland to our hotel. A beautiful spot called the Peponi, that was referred to us by Charles. Definitely the right decision. It was paradise. It is owned by a couple, Carol and Lars, and has been in their family for over 40 years. The claim to fame of Lamu is
that there are no cars. The main methods of transport are boat and donkey. The first thing we saw was 2 donkeys grazing on the beach. We were greeted at our hotel by, Carol, who told us everything
we need to know about this place.
We were very tired, all of our clothes were dirty, and we just wanted to chill for a while. Rob chose to have a deep tissue massage to reward himself for summitting mount Kenya. We went to the store in the hotel and bought some clean clothes and put all of our dirty clothes in for cleaning.
The popular thing for men, and women, to wear is a kikoy, which is basically a colorful piece of material that wraps around your waist. It is basically a dress for men, very comfortable, and very popular. Rob basically lived in his kikoys for the entire stay on Lamu.
The next morning, we went by boat from our hotel to the village of Lamu. With a population of about 10,000 Lamu a very Arabic background and culture. Most people are Muslim, however, a smaller percentage are Christians, and they co-exist without any issues. The streets
are very narrow, designed that way to provide the maximum amount of shade, since Lamu is very close to the equator.
There are only about 4 places that serve alcohol on Lamu. Fortunately, we were staying at one of those places. The routine became to meet at the bar, overlooking the Indian ocean, at about 7pm and then move in for dinner about 8:30, and then back to the patio bar after dinner for a nightcap. Robbie became quit good friends with all of the locals, while I usually crashed early.
Saturday, October 31 Peponi House Lamu, Kenya
Through Robbie's new friends, we had planned to go on an all day boat trip on a Dhow, which is a single masted wooden sailing vessel built on the Island. When we woke up, it was pouring. This is the beginning of their short rain season, and they have had more than their fair share of it. So we postponed the boat trip until the next day, instead just hanging around the hotel. Rob tried windsurfing for the first time and did very well.
At cocktail hour that evening, we met an interesting chap from Australia, Paul
Kelly. We instantly hit it off. Paul had an interesting story. He was a lawyer from Byron Bay. He came to Kenya 5 years earlier and fell in love with it. He got together with some friends back home and raised some money to help needy children in Nairobi. Today, they sponsor 18 children to go to school in the largest slim in Nairobi - the Kawangware Slum, as well as sponsoring a day care center to help single mothers. Paul gave us all of the info about these places and we are planning on visiting them when we are back in Nairobi.
Sunday, Nov 1 Lamu, Kenya
It is a much nicer day. Our Dhow captain, Omar, and hos mate, Bongo, picked us up at the hotel for our day on the water. Our new friend Paul. Joined us. We went to an area called Manda Toto for a snorkel in the Indian Ocean, followed by lunch on the beach consisting of fresh cooked red snapper, chapati and kachumbari (fresh salad) and a bottle of white wine. Delicious!
Our hotel is actually in the village of Shela. Beside and behind the village their are major sand
dunes. We wanted to go and see these dunes, so we found just the right solution. Go by camel. Carol at the hotel arranged for us to hook up with a guide and a couple of Dromedary camels at 5 pm to go up into the dunes to watch the sunset. How romantic! This was a first for both Rob and myself. It was a fun experience, especially mounting and dismounting.
Monday, Nov 2 - Lamu to Nairobi
Our last day on Lamu! Robbie arranged for our last morning for a speed boat to take us to Mitango village on the other side of the island. This village is very basic. It has a population of about 1500. With n electricity. They are known for weaving baskets, mats, etc, making Dhows, and making nails used in construction of boats. We walked around town, visited some home and went to the only school in the village. The school has about 300 students from JK to grader 8. We went into one of the classrooms, probably grade 4. We were like celebrities. The children were so excited to meet us. We walked around, shook hands and took some pictures. They
were so cute in there basic uniforms. We then went to the principals offers, where he suggested we should buy a solar power system foe the school, and help them buy computers.
All in all it was a great experience. We went back to the hotel, packed, said our goodbyes and went to the airport to catch our flight back to Nairobi.
Lamu is a very unique place. The people are wonderful, the culture is fascinating, the scenery is awesome. It is truly infectious. Rob and I both agreed that we would come back - hopefully sooner that later!
Tuesday Nov 3 - Nairobi
We had asked our friend Paul in Lamu, if it would be possible for us to visit the school in Nairobi where he sponsored kids, and also the day care center in the worst slum in Kenya. He was thrilled that we were interested and gave us all the details to do so . He texted the contacts so that they would be expecting us.
Robbie's flight wasnt until 8 pm tonite, so we arranged a driver to take us the the school first and then the day care center.
The school is called the Rudolph Steiner School in Mbagathi. Apparently it was built by the German Government which funds about 75% of the cost, and the remainder is raised locally. They have about 300 students, most of which are sponsored by individuals or foundations. The cost for a boarding student is about $1000 per year.
The next stop, The Saints of Hope Day Care Center was located right in a very poor slum area. There were about 30 children, aged 2 - 6 years old that were taken care of by 2 very dedicated women. We stopped on the way to buy pens, markers, chalk, pads of paper, and some cookies. Boy were we popular! The kids sang for us, and signed a thank you note(as best they could). It was very special. We are going to try to do something to help out this place when we get back.
Well, that's it for now, Robbie is heading to the airport soon, and I am going top Cape Town tomorrow.
Til next time, Mike
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Dave Offen
non-member comment
Sounds great
Hi Mike, Robbie, it sounds like you are having a great time. I knew Heath Manning Sr. & Jr. Jona's father & brother. Wonderful people. Stay safe.>>> Dave