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We did it – Mount Kenya
I’m back in Nairobi having successfully summitted Mount Kenya’s Lenana Point, the third peak and the only one accessible on foot.
The trip started on Tuesday when we drove to Naru Moru on the west side of the mountain, and did an 8km warm up hike.
Early on Wednesday we drive via the park gate to the Metrological Station, where the hike began. We hiked 10km, ascending from 3000m to 4300m, through forest, bog and moorland. It was tough going, negotiating rocks and water/mud. We reached Mackinders Camp about 4, prepared ourselves for the morning, ate supper and had an early night.
On Thursday we rose at 1am and started hiking at 2:30. By the light of head torches we traversed rocks and streams, always pole pole to Austrian Hut on a plateau below the three peaks. Then we started climbing up Lenana. There was snow on the ground, frozen hard so providing purchase for hiking poles. There were steel cables to hang onto to avoid falling off the mountain, but not for use with bare hands in the sub-zero temperature. The sun was rising as we approached the summit, and we started to see our spectacular surroundings.
I was pretty much exhausted and the descent was steep and hard work, but the views were stunning. I also realised just how much we had climbed in the dark. By the time we returned to camp I could barely stand!
After breakfast and a short nap we were off again, hiking back to the Met Station. 10km, 1300m of descent, you’d expect a rapid hike. But the terrain in rough, rocky, boggy, so it took 4 hours.
Overall it was a fantastic experience, much tougher than Kilimanjaro despite being lower, because of the terrain. The views were amazing! And it was quiet – there were only 5 of us on the mountain (3 hikers and 2 guides).
I’ll add some more photos later.
If you want to support my fundraiser, donations can be made via Eyes For East Africa’s own website. If you do donate, please tell me.
https://www.eyesforeastafrica.org/support-us.html
Climbing Mount Kenya
Back in January I climbed Kilimanjaro and through the generosity of many supporters raised over £3000 for the Kwale Eye Centre in Kenya.
I am currently back in Kenya and next week will climb Mount Kenya, Africa’s second highest mountain, on a 4-day hike from West to East. I’m told it’s tougher and colder than Kilimanjaro, and the El Niño rains that have been battering Kenya will add an extra dimension!
I thought it might be too soon to squeeze people for money again, but a number of friends have asked how to donate and it’s such an important cause… So if you want to support that’s great, but don’t feel pressured.
For technical reasons we can’t use GoFundMe at the moment, but donations can be made via Eyes For East Africa’s own website. If you do donate, please tell me.
https://www.eyesforeastafrica.org/support-us.html
I will add some updates to this blog.
Many thanks
Aidan
And Finally
My final couple of days were quietly preparing to travel and sorting out the truck. Friday started with a dawn run along the length of Bamburi beach (foolishly in bare feet)
Truck tyre sorted, some final shopping down, I returned to Majaoni and took a walk by the creek.
On the way back I saw these kids enjoying their sloping tree.
Saturday morning – a visit to say goodbye to Beatrice and family (Ben is home from hospital)
Lydia, Francisca and Martin
One for granny!
And then Jacob drove me to the airport and I’m catching up as I wait in Nairobi for the midnight flight to Amsterdam. 2 weeks has passed very quickly, and I’ll miss all my Kenyan friends. Tutaonana tena marafiki.
Mivumoni – a trip home
A visit to Mivumoni, my Kenyan rural home, is a must. Sadly this was squeezed into a few days. We took some of Lucy’s belongings home in the truck.
After lunch we delivered Maggy and her belongings to her shamba, and her Dad Boniface (and many grandchildren) took me on a walk round.
We met Boniface’s brother Peter and walked to his home, where his daughter Lina (sister to Father Dominic) was cooking chapati (tasting was mandatory, after eating their tangerines and oranges).
They were using a Jikokoa, a modern charcoal stove that is cleaner and uses less fuel than a traditional makaa jiko. Sadly, at 3500 shillings (about £30) they are rather expensive for the average family.
We found Maggy tending her goats.
And her nephew Caleb.
Me and most of the kids
Mivumoni Sunsets through the mivuma trees.
John getting milk for breakfast
Next day Athanasia and I made a long tour to visits clients of the epilepsy programme. I took lots of pictures of clients and their families which I will write up properly in due course.
Making brooms (fagio) from palm leaves
Fenesi – the craziest fruit, supper sickly sweet.
The young man in this photo suffered brain damage from malaria which resulted in epilepsy. He is violent and has to be kept securely in the little room here. It felt a bit like a caged wild animal, but I saw the risk as he turned on his grandfather.
Mother and daughters of a client we were looking for.
The client with the rest of her family
Another client.
One client had terrible sores on his leg. I wished I had some medical knowledge to suggest treatment. Like several we saw today who live a long way from Mivumoni the journey to the clinic is long and they don’t have strength for the walk so they lapse on their drugs.
A client
Mat making
Another client
Back at Mivumoni Maggy and her sister Vero were cooking for my Kenyan birthday party and Maggy’s nieces and nephews had swelled the numbers at Lucy’s home.
Ann helping with the cooking – eldest daughters have responsibilities.
Mike and I had a sneaky beer (I needed one after a long dusty drive) and collected some drinks for the party.
Vero in the kitchen tending the pilau.
Thursday morning Mike took me for a walk to the Mivumoni Primary School
Kindergarten class
We moved next door to the polytechnic (technical training – dress making, carpentry, masonry, ICT, welding, mechanics etc). They have a smart new dormitory for female students, but no toilets so that can’t yet use it.
Beds for the dormitory
A lady sorting beans at the shopping centre
The shopping centre
Bananas on the move.
Lucy preparing cabbage for lunch
The neighbours children share our lunch
Maggy’s nephews and niece wanted a lift to the posho mill (to rind maize into flour)
Time for goodbyes
Heading back to Mombasa we stooped to share tea with Lucy’s sister Ndunge.
Back to Barnabas
I made my annual visit to Barnabas school where we provide 3 teachers. Over the last few years they have worked to make more permanent classrooms on one part of the site, self-contained and separate from the orphanage.The newbuildings include a large classroom which doubles as a hall and a church.
One of the older temporary classrooms
Kiswahili lessons
This classroom was opened just after I visited last year.
One of the older permanent classrooms – it was Imelda’s class when we were here and is currently Lucy’s.
One of the Kindergarten classes
The girls’ dormitory in the orphanage.
Director Harrison
Kenyans love to play games, here using bottle tops.
In the kitchen. It’s rather black and smokey, even with the hood over the stove.
One pose before I move on.
Quiet Days in Majaoni
At last Sharifu and John installed the new water pump
The well is some 39m deep (at last that’s the length of rope we had to get to lower the pump into place) so it’s pretty scary to see Sharifu working with no means of support other than his feet wedged across the walls.
Francisca with her aunt Sidi
John, Tina and I went to Joe’s regular haunt, Kendas, for a late night drink (I’ve only ever been there late, with Joe).
John and his dad Samuel at their shop.
Joe’s brother Martin and his wife Selina, in their new house in Majaoni.
We made a Sunday afternoon outing to North Coast at Kikambala, a regular haunt when Joe was based there, as an early celebration of Francisca’s birthday. While some of us swam, Dorine took photos of the babies… Francisca
Little Aidan
The swimmers.
On Monday Beatrice and I grabbed some lunch at a little Swahili place in Bamburi – great value and quick service, and some interesting decor (egg trays on ceiling and walls!).
We then drive to Coast General Hospital to visit Beatrice’s brother. Relatives sit around outside waiting to see their loved ones. It seemed much less chaotic than Kilifi (and given the weather, sitting around outside in the shade is far preferable to being trapped indoors)
Ben was working as a boda boda rider and had an accident at the Bamburi junction (an “overlapping matatu” hit him and broke his leg). Apart from the pain, the financial impacts are severe (hospital fees, drugs, loss of income, damage to brand new bike…). This is also why I only use boda boda off the highway where there are no matatus to be hit by.
Kilifi
Father Joe asked me to visit the Pwani Secondary School for the Deaf. When it was started almost ten years ago it was only the fourth secondary school for deaf children in Kenya, but others saw that it could be done and there are now about 10.
Last time I visited about 4 years ago there was a mud-built kitchen, now they have a good modern kitchen (decorated by my teachers).
Most of the students are away as only those taking the KCSE public exams remain. They were practising their sign language exam.
One of the dormitories, sponsored by Mombasa Port Authority, built since my last visit.
The nearest building, the ablutions block, was brand new when I last visited. The customs beyond were the first buildings on site.
On one of my visits I remember the steps at the front being built. I was struck by women hammering nails straight for reuse, which no one at home would ever bother with these days.
The students enjoy a break.
The school office. They’d like a proper building, but they also need a science lab…
The principal and his deputy. They are in the process of building 2 more classrooms.
After the school we went to look for food, and my inbuilt food radar found the mkahawa Joe and I met Fr Anthony at many years ago, Simia Tamu where we had a good lunch of githeri.
We went on the the little beach on Kilifi Creek and walked among the rock pools. On the way down we saw this interesting baobab tree, looking like organ pipes.
Collecting sea water to bathe baby Aidan
I’m a star!
Rush hour traffic
The cliffs (Kilifi is a corruption of Cliffy) are interesting
The mangrove reminded me of a Buddhist shrine with its prayer cloths, but it’s a shrine to our disposable culture.
Kilifi has more than its fair share of impressive baobabs.
We went on to the North Coast Beach Hotel, an old haunt at Kikambala, where Lucy and I swam in the pool as the tide was out.
Then back via Tuskys to a chapati party.
Tina’s Big Day
Tina has been training this year on the Marianists’ Catering Course at their school in Bombolulu. Today, as the end of term approaches, she had to do her practical exam: preparing a meal and serving it to a table of guests. I was lucky to be chosen; sadly most of her relatives who were invited were unable to attend but we made up a table of 5,
Afterwards I took a walk at Majaoni to view the creek.
Coba Cabana
After a busy day yesterday today was one of relaxation. Lucy, Beatrice, Dorine, Aidan and I went to Coba Cobana beach for lunch (when we eventually found it – they’ve built some new road around Mtwapa which confused me!).
Beatrice found a job as baby sitter.
They were landing some fish, including a ray with huge wings that was lying in the beach.
Two Aidans
I swam when tide came high
We walked along by the mangrove
Selfie!
Back at Majaoni Jacob was comforting Francisca, who has malaria.
A Visit Home
We made an extremely early start today, as we were to visit Joe’s family’s rural home, where they are suffering from drought. Our first stop was the big market at Kongowea to load up with maize to feed the animals.
This all took ages, though it gave me a chance to see the market, all hustle and bustle. Eventually we were loaded, some string find to tie down the load, and we were on the road again. Next stop was the airport to collect my missing bag, then up the main highway towards Nairobi as far as Mariakani, where we had an excellent yet cheap breakfast. Then on to the rural home, where the youngsters turn need out to unload the maize.
It really does look dry here. The trees are still green, but the ground is parched.
The goats soon found the maize that was dropped.
Some of the cattle are really thin.
They asked if I’d drive the truck to the nearest water distribution point (a few miles away), and soon about 40 jerricans appeared.
Our queue at the water point
Reloading the truck. It handled better with the weight on the back!
Back home, the water had to be carried. I could barely lift the full jerricans.
I had some clothes donated by colleagues at work which a shared admin the extended family, all very needy.
Two of granny’s teddies found happy owners.
It’s a very peaceful spot, if only there were more water…
We walked to the dam, the reservoir is almost dry, but there is just a little water which can be used for the animals (so this community is luckier than some).
Some people also drink this water, if they don’t have means to fetch from the water point. It’s hardly clean!
However, the animals appreciate it.
We then made out way home, a fairly easy drive on the new road to Kaloleni and Kilifi, then back down the coast road.
Mto Panga’s new priest
Maggy and i had an early start to get to Mto Panga, though it’s only a few miles from Shanzu. We were met y Maggy’s cousin, Dominic, recently ordained priest and appointed to the parish here. After breakfast in the priests’ house we drove to the first of 2 outstations, newly opened above Tudor Creek.
The church is temporary, though it’s already not big enough for th growing population in the area.
The second outstation, about a year old and also crowded
One of 2 Sunday School classes
Father Dominic leads the service
A happy mass-goer
Back at the main parish church
The priests’ house
A new bigger church is under construction
After a fine lunch and a little snooze, I hurried on to my next appointment, Shanique’s 4th birthday party, hosted by Tina.
Shanique and her cousin Gloria
Cake time
Back in Mombasa
I’m back in Mombasa again, and staying at Joe’s place in Majaoni where Meld and I stayed 3 years ago. It’s like coming home. though some things have changed.
For example, some building work has been started, I think this is linked t the rescue centre that Joe is working on.
Lydia took me to her shop a short walk away, where these children had been keeping an eye on things.
This is the shop.
On Saturday I took Maggy, Beatrice, Dorine and little Aidan to the Serena Beach Hotel.
Aidan enjoyed his sun bed
Alternative transport?
Farewells
Our first farewell was to Joe’s new house, and the arrow commemorating the contribution in memory of Bill Haynes that paid for the roof.
The house looks good
Teddy cutting the grass
Deacon Joseph, Father Joe, Bridget, Steve and Teddy
Then to Shanzu, where at last we caught up with Joe’s brother Martin
He took us back to his house to see the family
Cecilia (Joe’s sister in law) at the fruit and veg stall.
And then to Barnabas, where we greeted each class
Bridget with Eva (in red gingham)
The cooks at work
Relaxing, waiting for lunch
Sadly our schedule meant that we had to leave before lunch was served. We met Eunice and went with her to Kiembeni where her friend Mary has “plarn” baskets for us to bring home – plarn is “plastic yarn” made from old plastic bags, crocheted into very functional baskets (and if you’d like one I have some for sale!).
And then, a not-too-quick drive to the airport, hand back the car, check in, a mooch in the shops, onto our flight. First stop was Kilimanjaro, where Bridget got her first glimpse of Africa’s highest mountain, then on to Addis Ababa where we hit the ground with a bump. A long chilly evening in Bole International Airport preceded a bumpy flight to Heathrow. At last, when we emerged from the terminal, the car was waiting for us, one signature and we were off, and soon home to do the laundry!
And finally – a couple of recommendations from this trip:
- We hired both our cars from Glory (www.glorykenya.com). They were in good condition, clean, and the service was excellent, and flexible. More expensive than back street, but well worth it.
- For the first time we used a Meet and Greet parking service (of airport) by DriveFly (www.drivefly.co.uk). Prebooked, we simply drove the car to the right place in the short stay car park and they took it away; when we returned we called them as we picked up our bags, and when we got to the same car park the car was ready and waiting and warm (and had done just 8 miles in our absence – I took a photo of the odometer before we left it). Cheaper and easier than long stay, will use them again.,
Haller Park
Our last full day took us to Haller Park, a zoo in a reclaimed cement quarry owned by Bamburi Cement (part of Lafarge)
Monkeys are everywhere
Giant Tortoise
Monitor Lizards
Regular tortoise
Butterfly
Fig tree
Green mamba
Black mamba
Baby crocs
Bigger crocs
Giraffes at feeding time
Water buck
Hippo
To be honest, Haller Park seems a bit dilapidated now, even compared to 2 years ago when I went there. Low tourist numbers mean low revenue, so many of the snake cages were empty, for example. But feeding giraffe is always good!
After this visit we went back to Cobba Cabana at Mtwapa, enjoyed a tasty lunch on the beach served by our friend Miriam, then we sat in the shade and read – a rare chance to just relax. When Miriam finished we took her to Majaoni where we both enjoyed her massage skills, followed by supper at one of the family of Boko Boko owner Yolande..
Sunday Outings
After Mass in Kikambala and an IT surgery, we drove to Cobba Cobana beach in Mtwapa, where Bridget was delighted to find a well-maintained pony for hire. She had 20 minutes of fun riding up and down the beach.
Then we enjoyed a soda.
Sisters with matching phones!
Bridget and Lucy photo-bomb Maggy’s posing
After lunch in Kikamabala, Daniel took us to a local cave where African Barn Owls live. The cave is amazing.
And then to North Coast for one last Passion Juice
Majaoni
First stop was to visit Eunice who runs Okoa Jahazi
We then took a walk down to Mtwapa Creek
Canoes and mangroves
Mangrove nursery
Crab
Mangrove pods
Fishponds
After lunch with Lucy in Shanzu we visited Jacob and Lydia and went to Chalets Beach, swam in deep water, but Aid got stung by a jelly fish..
Bombolulu, Nguuni Tatu and Jumba la Mtwana
Tina came with Shanique to do some laundry for us. Shanique is such a poser!
Then (with various stops on the way) we headed to Bombolulu Cultural Centre where we had a tour of the different homesteads of the various Kenyan tribes.
Giriama musicians
In the Swahili House
We then headed to Nguuni Tatu Nature Sanctuary, but the track to the picnic area was blocked!
Eland in the bushes
Sunbird
Baby giraffes
Ostrich showing off
Jumba la Mtwana – ruins of a Swahili town
Tsavo East Trip
Buchuma Gate to Voi Wildlife Lodge
Elephants at Voi Wildlife Lodge
Afternoon Drive
Lions – honest…
Voi Wildlife Lodge
Bufallo at the water hole
Morning Drive
Leaving Voi Wildlife Lodge
Voi Safari Lodge
Voi to Buchuma Gate
Monitor Lizard
Hippo!
A Day in Town
Today we said goodbye to our Kluger 4×4, which had served us well taking us on rough roads to Mivumoni, around Arabuko Sokoke forest, and to Kolewa church as well as being well suited to the local roads with their lumps and bumps. The Glory Car hire office in near the famous tusks, and Edu was with us as guide.
We then walked through to Marikiti (the market) where we bought a couple of kikoi. It was interesting to see the hustle and bustle, but a bit intimidating for B (and not a place to get a camera out). We ended up at Jahazi Coffee House where we lunched on biriani, then took a tuk tuk to the Holy Ghost Cathedral to met Fr Joe. This is the grotto where Joe used to celebrate mass with the youth when he was posted to the cathedral, and also where the late Archbishop Boniface Lele is buried.
After a visit to Kenya Wildlife Service offices to buy our tickets for the trip to Tsavo, Joe dropped us at Fort Jesus. There’s lots to see…
But Bridget is more interested in cats!
We paid to go round the fort, built by the Portuguese, taken over by the Omani Arabs then by the British.
16th century graffiti
The old Police Station from colonial times, still abandoned.
Typical Old Town architecture.
Visit to Barnabas
We called in at Barnabas School. here I am talking to a Peruvian volunteer.
The kitchen
Selfie time
With Harrison, the head teacher
Bye!
Class 3
Lucy and her Class 1
Maggy and her KG2 class
The new Class 5/6 building
Smart new house opposite the school
Bridget and Imelda
Then at Shanzu we met Grace
and Gloria