Hiking

Two weekends ago we had Friday off in recognition of Moi Day (Kenya's second president). Two couples from Rosslyn invited us to join them on a weekend at a cabin near the small town of Eldama Ravine, about 3 hours northwest of Nairobi in the Rift Valley. Nate and I (Jill) were excited to be able to hike!

On Saturday we set out for a day of hiking. The trail wasn’t your typical hiking trail, but simple commuter trails for the people who lived and worked in shambas (farms) on top of the mountains. As a group of 6 white people, we were not able to blend in so well. As we walked past a group of houses, children popped their heads up over their wooden fence and reached their hands out to touch us or shake hands. Other groups of children clapped, jumped around, and chanted “Wazungu, wa-zun-gu, wa-zun-gu…!” Wazungu basically meaning “white people.”
A few began to follow us, and when we’d turn around and smile at them, they’d quickly dive behind bushes or hide behind the trees. Further up the hill, we sat down under a tree for lunch. Three young boys crouched down on the other side of a small hill, occasionally peeking their eyes over only to find us looking back at them, and they’d duck back down giggling and rolling all over each other.

Eventually, over the course of the hike, their curiosity overcame their shyness, and they engaged in a conversation with us. Most of them were fourth graders at the school in town. We told them that we were looking for a waterfall someone had told us about, but we couldn’t find it. Could they show us where it was? Two boys, Nicholas and Matthew were more than pleased to show us the way. We took the Young African Boy path: down the hill, through some thorn bushes, over a barbed wire fence, beside the cornfield, through the meadow, past the goats, now under the barbed wire fence, up another hill, and into the brush, until right before our eyes the brush opened up to a 30 foot rush of water. It was only a small stream, but such a beautiful waterfall, complete with the constant rush of cold air. Oh, I think I forgot to mention that on our way there, we continued to pick up some followers, and by the time we got to the falls we had a train of about 10 children, ranging in age from 9 to 14. What great fun!

We shared some of our carrots and nuts with them, and began to head back. Several boys continued to follow us, and Jamie asked them if we were the first group of “wazungu” to come their way. The boys laughed, and said, “No. You are the second.”