Shangri-La

DECEMBER 8-Long Day and then Crazy Trip to Top of Mountain

Staci started out hiking very fast. After thru-hiking on her own, and being able to just get up quickly and move, needing to wait for others is quite an adjustment. A late start waiting for others impacted her mood. Once hiking I couldn't keep up with Staci's speed, and could see Samuel was having trouble too. At the first opportunity I hopped in the chase vehicle and rode for a bit until Staci's speed came down to below Mach 1. 

There was a huge plantation of "sigh-so."  I have no idea how they really spell it. It is used for making rope, and what sounds like the bottom of carpets. We were told this massive plantation belongs to the President of Kenya, Kenyatta, who is the largest landowner in the country. 

A fisherman showing off his catch at a small reservoir near Taita. 

Staci pushed really hard and did another 40 km day. The area feels safer and comfortable. There seems to be more of a functioning economy. There are still many mud huts, but they're nicer. 

When the hike ended for the day, the adventure began. 

The driver and the guards (askari) decided we would camp at a school. We're not sure why, as there were plenty of logical campsites closer to where the day's hike ended. None of them had ever been here before, but turned up a road that indicated a school. Staci noticed a sign there indicating 8 km more to the school, nobody else saw it. We had already driven a ways just to get to that sign. 

The road was as bad as roads up to old mining claims in the Salmon River area in Northern California. There was no place to turn around. It was the longest eight km I can remember. It was so absurd all Staci and I could do was laugh.

Then it started to sprinkle, and it was getting dark, as we finally pulled into Rung'e, a village about the size of Etna. It was near the top of a mountain. There were pine trees, small plots of corn on steep hillsides, and people smiling. It wasn't on any maps we had. It was Shangi-La. Samuel, one of our KWS guards, said they have probably never seen a Land Rover like this, never seen a KWS Ranger, and certainly had never seen a mzungu before (at least the children hadn't).

We are such an oddity that children call out to their friends to come see the mzungu (wazungu pl) when we show up. 

Upon arriving at the school the rains came with a vengeance. Going down that road we had just gone up, if wet, was unthinkable. 

The village was so obscure, there is no doubt tourists would never stumble upon it. Villagers were especially friendly here!  Everyone was curious and kind. 

A man at the school, I assume the live in maintenance man, let us take over one of the schoolrooms to cook in and sleep out of the rain. There were 39 desks. We're told classrooms 42 students is the Kenya  federal standard. Luckily in December schools are on holiday, so we didn't disturb classes. 

DECEMBER 9-Waking up to Beauty

It wasn't raining in the morning. It was beautiful. The guards, Staci, and I walked to the only place to eat, the Small Joint Hotel. 

It was quaint. The proprietor was a schoolteacher where we had stayed the night. Like everyone, he was fascinated. Everyone speaks Swahili, and many speak English, but is often broken. His English was excellent, and he was very intelligent. It was so similar to sitting down in a local coffee shop in America, except the drink was chai tea. 

The sun dried out the roads quickly as we relaxed at the Small Joint Hotel restaurant. The trip down was extremely slow, but uneventful, except for a broken bushing on the Land Rover which will need to be repaired. 

The view from the school, with a beautiful church on the very top of the hill.  

Some unique nests apparently from golden weaverbirds. 

After a long day of hiking we took the guards back to the headquarters at Tsavo East NP. On the way we spotted six or eight elephants. We have now spotted two of the "big five" species, the elephant and the African buffalo. The red color of the elephants was a surprise. 

Staci has hiked about 380 km, roughly 240 miles. 

DECEMBER 10-Zero Day in Voi

We are okay with being marooned on the outskirts of Voi in a safe, nice, hotel that is cheap by American standards, about $38/night.  The vehicle needs to be fixed. 

Not Many People

DECEMBER 7-In the Middle of Nowhere

There was a mixup in the morning and after Staci and Douglas took off we couldn't find them. After two days of hiking I decided not to hike the entire day and let the two of them get some quick, early miles. 

We eventually found them. What a relief. The coordination between Samuel and Douglas was mixed up. It's challenging to be out of the loop due to the language barrier. 

We came across some Somali goat herders, which made the guards nervous. They actually gave a little information about Staci and Douglas' location which was useful. It was a bit of a sign language game because the Somalis didn't speak Swahili. 

The guards explained that it's the Somalis who are the primary culprits in wildlife poaching, which is a huge issue here. 

When we caught up with them I started hiking again. At the end of the day I hiked about half the distance. Staci did a big 40km  (24 mile) day. She said the same thing I had thought, the mileage is harder here. The heat is brutal. Also, there is absolutely no hiking in the dark. Daylight is basically 5:45 a.m. until 6:15 p.m..  

It was a good thing I didn't hike the entire day. 

The solar charger is a lucky, last second, add on for the trip. The brutally hot sun, near the equator, at noon works the best :),  

Our guards Samuel and Douglas. These guards use a different tactic than Saleem and Samson. One rides for a day in the car and one walks. This was Samuel's day to walk. He had no pack, just a rifle and a camelback. Staci had a full pack. Samuel couldn't finish so Douglas had to do the last couple of hours. Samuel is 25. He told me no Kenyan man my age could hike as much as I do. He made Staci and me feel good. 

Staci saw some neat wildlife today, I didn't see as much. Saw a pigmy falcon, and a goshawk, then a lot of baboons. 

You can almost see the goshawk in the top of the tree. Not the same as the goshawks at home. 

This dead monitor lizard intrigued me. It was about 1 1/2 feet long. 

The evening ended with a thunderstorm and rains at times through the night. It was a great campsite in a very rural area. Didn't even cross a single village, or a hut, today. 

I worked on my Swahili, and can now count up to 19. 

Hiking Again

DECEMBER 5-New Rangers and Back on the Trail Again

The new Rangers from KWS were ready for us at Mackinnon Road station. We were walking again!  Samuel and Douglas are great. 

A herd of zebra was next to the road, but I didn't get a picture. Staci was able to get one good picture of a single zebra. 

It was about a 24 mile day. I had done many of those on the PCT. This was much harder due to the heat. I was totally exhausted. Eating was difficult. I ate what I could and went to bed early. Apparently I was snoring at 6:45 p.m.  12 hours of sleep was needed, and I was teased. The only time I woke up was at 10:30 p.m. when Staci put the rain fly on my tent. 

The Swahili word for tired is choka.  I was    choka. 

DECEMBER 6-Great Village Visit

We walked into the first village in two days and stepped in to a treat. A large group of women were making baskets and singing. They enveloped Staci and I, sang, and Staci bought a couple of baskets.  I got a little video of the incredible women. What a highlight. The women were wonderful surprise!

This area seems to have more well off people. This family had a cart for hauling water. It was one of the few times we saw men hauling water. 

This guy posed for us. 

We walked by Mount Kasigau. This is a nice area. About 24 km covered. 

Not Typical Zeroes

DECEMBER 3-Most Frustrating Day

After taking the unplanned zero day due to the heavy rains December 2nd, this was supposed to be the day to get things together for the stretch through Tsavo East National Park. 

As the day started we went into Voi and tried to get more money. Staci was allowed to, I wasn't. Frustrating. Staci was able to buy a tradional African skirt called a leso, pronounced lace-oh. 

This hornbill was a highlight of the day, as we waited for yet another meeting with KWS staff. 

The visits to Kenyon Wildlife Services KWS) to line up the Rangers to replace Samson and Saleem did not go well.  The KWS said we couldn't hike in the park!  Staci had done her research, and even had the email from KWS from six months ago assuring her it was okay. We kept getting bounced around, finally to the top. The answer was "no."  The guy who sent the email was lower ranking, and in fact was from Tsavo West and shouldn't have been speaking for Tsavo East. 

Staci was seething. 

In the evening Staci came up with optional reroutes. One dilemma existed. If  Tsavo West National Park followed the example of Tsavo East, the only way to achieve the continuous footpath would be to backtrack considerably and hike in to, and through Tanzania. 

It meant another zero day ahead. An unexpected three day zero is hard to live with. 

DECEMBER 4-Solutions

This Masai allowed me to take his picture. We are now moving more in to the Masai territory and are seeing more. 

Changing the route to the south, through a community wildlife protection area, can get Staci to an entrance gate at Tsavo West with seven days of hiking.  A contact Tony made, a visit by Madame Mercy (an acquaintance of Tony's) and a few calls solved the re-route of Tsavo East dilemma. A two hour drive north to the headquarters of Tsavo West National Park was next on the agenda. That went better than expected. It is absolutely okay for her to hike through that park, as long as she pays fees and with Ranger accompaniment. 

It was time for the two hour trip back to Voi, and meeting again with Tsavo East KWS to get their Rangers to walk with Staci for the stretch from Mackinnon Road to the West Tsavo gate. After our less than satisfactory visits yesterday, there was trepidation. 

This was along the road on much of the way from Tsavo West NP to Voi. The most expensive project the Kenyan government history has ever undertaken is the building of this high speed railroad from Nairobi to Mombasa. It is being funded, and engineered etc by China. It is a massive undertaking. The train will carry cars, freight, and passengers. The two lane main artery now is woefully inadequate. 

The visit to KWS Tsavo East this time worked out great. They would have Rangers at the Mackinnon Road station at 9:00 a.m. December 5, ready to hike. Staci needs to be putting in miles, or kilometers, or she will go stir crazy. 

We stayed at Madam Mercy's compound along the way to Mackinnon Road. She has a sort of orphanage, unwed mothers, women's assistance place. This was right next door. It was up on a rise and afforded quite a view. 

Trucks, Trucks, and More Trucks

DECEMBER 1-Busy Road from Samburu to Tsavo

I hiked on a typical two track road through small villages for about seven miles. 

We took a break, and met Tony under this tree. It was a tamarind tree. I love the tamarind sauce Theresa makes at home. He tried to get a pod for me to eat, but they were way too high up the tree. 

A little past then Staci and the two guards turned left on to the busiest highway in Kenya. Mombasa is the largest sea port in Eastern Africa, and Nairobi is the largest, and Capitol city. The two laned, paved road with plenty of potholes, is a buzz of activity. 

This was not a day for wildlife viewing. 

Staci pushed hard. She wore Samson out. He finally had to get in the chase vehicle with Tony and I. They pulled off a 44km day, about 25 miles. 

During one break Samson did the excited "snake" dance, and hopped back quickly instead of sitting down in grass as originally planned. They messed around and came nonchalantly to the conclusion that it was a python. We went ahead with the break. It wasn't my most comfortable and relaxing break. 

DECEMBER 3-RAIN

Incredible rain through the night led to some flash flooding, and my tent being in a pond. It was a hard, hard rain. When I finally got the nerve to get up I saw Staci had moved her tent during the night. I wish I had. 

Any thought of hiking as originally planned was cancelled as the torrential rains continued. 

The new plan was to get in to Voi and see about meeting the Warden from the Tsavo area and getting the new Rangers lined up for the next stretch. The trip to Voi was fascinating with the flooding. What a mess on this major highway. 

Leaving Shimba Hills

NOVEMBER 29-Leaving Shimba Hills

The morning was used for last minute preparations and packing up for the long haul. Tony had much to do, and was late. It was simply "Africa Time."  I had heard about this before coming on the trip. Folks being way late on a regular basis. In this case we left an hour and a half after the original plan. Saleem and Samson were waiting for us at the park headquarters near the Main Gate of Shimba Hills. 

The timing worked out.  Staci is one of the most reliably prompt people I know. Being on time has always been important to her. She was very good being patient. Hakuna Matata.

Joe helped his dad with the final packing.  Tony, Steph, and Joe have very British accents. Steph and Joe will now leave for the UK to spend the holidays with Steph's family. 

When we met back up with Saleem and Samson we learned the folks from the adjacent area, who were going to take over as guards, fell through. Saleem and Samson would stay with us for a few more days. This made us feel comfortable. The only problem was they had no food. It meant we would have to take care of them. It was a good deal for us. We paid for their dinner in the town of Kinango, it was about $2.80 in US money. 

There were about fifteen miles to cover, and because of the late start we got moving at 1:30 pm. It was time for speed hiking. I made it about twelve miles, then had Tony pick me up. Staci and the guards made it in about fifteen minutes before dark. 

We saw a warthog and a large gathering of baboons today, but not near as much wildlife as in the Park. 

Folks along the way are very, very curious as to what we're up to. Saleem and Samson are constantly answering questions of the locals. 

My last post also says November 29. That was really November 28. 

NOVEMBER 30-Long Day for Hikers, Easy for Me

I couldn't get motivated. Staci and the guards headed out early and Tony and I lounged at the Kenyan Wildlife Service (KWS) station. We had some coffee, and took our time packing. 

Our hosts, Bob and Moosah, from the KWS were gracious hosts. 

It was a long walk through rural, bush areas. When Tony and I caught up with the hikers, after about three hours, they were tired. 

Samson has developed a blister. 

I finally hiked a few miles at the end of the day. 

As it was last Sunday lots of folks walking  to churches in their Sunday best clothes. 

We had goat for lunch, and for dinner, along with ugale.  I don't remember ever eating goat before, but it's a staple here. 

Main Gate-Shimba Hills

NOVEMBER 29-A Double Nero-in to Diani Beach 

Staci made a curry dinner, and Samson made the meat for last night's meal. It was quite the Thanksgiving feast. It was unique to have them listen to each other's play lists on their phones. It was fun that Samson really liked the sound of country music. 

Sunrise was beautiful at the Sable Bandos, where we camped. 

The Main Gate at Shimba Hills. This doesn't mean we're done hiking through the Park (Reserve), it will still be a day of hiking in the next section, so Saleem and Samsom will join again with us one more day after this nero of resupplying. 

By 9:00 a.m. we were headed back in Tony's rig toward Diani Beach. We needed to resupply and see about charging electronics. This has become a headache. A necessary plug that worked, 

worked, fried. We had no way to charge from a wall socket here. We luckily found what was needed, but it looked funny. Even so we could only charge one item at a time, and nothing charged quickly. The only reliable charging mechanism we had was a solar charger we borrowed from a friend in Scott Valley. The reason charging was important we have so many items, and no reliable electricity ahead. Two cell phones each (US and Kenyan), InReach tracker, two external batteries, and a set of two way radios. 

We shopped. Selections are limited. I wanted rubber cement, as my doggone air mattress is leaking badly. I tried, to no avail, to repair it with duct tape. I had to buy an entire tire repair kit just to get a tube of the cement I needed. I could survive, miserably, with a flat air mattress for most of the trip, but it must function on Mount Kilimanjaro or the cold wouldn't be good. 

It's hard to imagine cold right now. I have no idea how hot it is, but it's real hot. They say that where we're heading next, toward East Tsavo and West Tsavo, is even hotter. Oh my. 

This mama baboon is packing the baby baboon behind. They are pests here. 

We had a nice lunch at an awesome little restaurant on the beach before resuming taking care of our resupply chores.