Mt Elgon

Mt Elgon is an extinct volcano, about a 90 minute drive from the school. We have been planning to go there all year, and last Saturday it finally happened. The area is a National Park, on both the Kenyan and Ugandan sides.

We are preparing (not very rigorously unfortunately) for an assault on Kilimanjaro, and we thought that a walk at altitude would be a good thing. The highest peak is at an altitude of 4321 m, but the summit was out of our reach on this day. Nevertheless we managed to do a strenuous hike up a rather steep path to the top of Enderbess Bluff, at a height of 2600 m.

Now that I have my Kenyan residency (Hooray!!) entry to the park only cost me $8. Des and Tabby had to pay $30 each. The car was $15 and we were obliged to take a ranger with us. He was designated a 'guide' and this cost an additional $35. So much for a cheap day out in the forest.

Here is a photo-essay of our adventure:

 Yes, it looks like North West NSW, complete with the eucalypt trees, but that is Mt Elgon in the distance covered with cloud. After a week of rain and coolish weather, it was a lovely day.

In the rural area before the entrance to the park there are a number of coffee plantations. Coffee likes altitude, and as you see, they grow their coffee as an under-storey. This is becoming increasing popular around the world although it takes more effort to produce. The coffee matures more slowly and develops a richer flavour (that is the theory anyway).



This is a wonderful tropical rainforest ... definitely more lush that Kakamega. The trees are massive and the canopy very dense in places. The above photo is a horizontal branch of a large buttressed rainforest tree.

Kitum Cave is the most visited spot in the park. It is huge, consisting of an ancient lava tube. I heard a rumour that the cave system reaches all the way into Uganda, but I think that may be an exaggeration.
We walked about 150 metres into the cave until it was pitch black.
Apparently the soils in the area lack certain salts and minerals. Animals come to this cave to lick these requirements from the soil and cave walls. There is certainly lots of evidence of animal visitation; bush buck, buffalo and elephant included.

This is the entrance to the cave. It is a place where the local Masai used to live up until  recently. It is thought that up to 1000 people used to shelter here. Fires were used to scare away animals that visited at night.

This is a terrible photo and I apologise. For some reason my flash won't work in the pitch dark (can any camera expert explain that to me: Matt??) Anyway, it is a fuzzy picture of the cave wall where elephants have scraped at the rock with their tusks. The loosened rock is then licked up. Our guide Boniface told us that they can see really well in the dark (something about a compound eye like a cat). It amazed us that elephants could negotiate the rocky, narrow paths in complete darkness. Unfortunately, there were no elephants around and apparently they would not even come close if humans were present - they have an exceptional sense of smell too. During this time of year they have wandered over the border into Uganda, but will return early in the new year.

From inside the cave, looking towards the light.

There were quite a few troupes (?) of baboons. I have heard that they can be inquisitive and, at times, downright aggressive. These were very timid and would not let us come within 30 metres before they scurried off into the bush.

Here are Des, Tabby and Boniface contemplating Enderbess,  the basalt hill that we are about to climb. This is Kenya and so the path is slippery mud and basically goes straight up the side of the hill. I can walk for long periods but the intensity of this climb really did me in. I am hoping that Kilimanjaro is not as steep ... at least until about day 4!



From the top the view is spectacular even though Kenya always seems to have haze in the air. It was also quite chilly at 2600 m. The hills in the distance and to the left marks the start of Uganda.

Right below us was the rainforest, and beyond that the cultivated fields of Western Kenya. This region grows a large percentage of the country's maize. The tops of the trees splay out like no other rainforest I have seen - truly African.

This also is truly African - the acacia trees covering the valley slopes. The elephants like these trees. Unfortunately, instead of grazing on the leaves and branches, they prefer to knock over the tree and make a complete meal of it. Boniface is philosophical, "there are only 600 elephants but millions of acacias".

Also in the distance we can see the traditional huts of local farmers. They have been won over by the National Park as clean water supplies have been provided and the Kenyan Wildlife Service has built 14 schools in the area. The locals are now one of the biggest protectors of the park, and poaching is almost unheard of.

As we drive to our last cave we scare a male water buck who was sitting by the side of the road. They are very large but amazingly agile and very quick. Within seconds he had disappeared up a steep, forested slope.

This is the entrance to Makengeni (Sp.?) Cave. It is not as large as Kitum Cave but the entrance is much higher and there is a permanent waterfall at the cave's mouth. This is not a salt lick cave and so fewer animals visit, but apparently buffaloes like to spend the night here.

The scale of these caves suggests the violent volcanic activity that must have occurred when Mt Elgon was active. As I have said in a previous blog, its caldera (which we didn't get up to) is one of the largest in the world - this was one massive volcano.

And the best news of all. On our way home we stopped in Kitale to buy groceries. Near the new Nakumatt supermarket/variety store there is a new cafe - with the best coffee West of Nairobi. Ah, bliss.

New Google Map

The Google map of our home in Australia is at least 8 years old. It still shows the greenhouse that we removed when we arrived 7 years ago.

However, the Google map of Kamukuywe, Kenya is brand-spanking new. It is very easy to find the school, including the kitchen that was only built two months ago.

You can find it yourself on Google Earth (just look about 1 km South-East of the market).

New girl's dormitory at left.
Our house - right of the dormitory at top.
New kitchen - right of the dormitory, below.
Teaching block on the far right.
Below the teaching block is the sports field.

Thank you Australia

Today was the day. The first distribution of food bought with the money donated by my wonderful friends in Australia. What an amazing feeling seeing people with little or no food in their homes being given a basketful of maize flour. It certainly is better to give than to receive!

The process was quite orderly and the 800 (?) 2 kg bags of flour disappeared very quickly. I don't know how quantities were decided but some people seemed to go away with a lot more. I am hoping that these were the most needy cases.

Here are some photographs so that you too can share this wonderful experience:

The stockpile of maize flour

Typically Kenyan - a line for the men and another for the women

She will make lots of ugali with this

The distribution in progress

10 kg is quite a  heavy load

Carrying it home the traditional way

Happy recipients preparing to leave

Story Time

The three intrepid travellers;
Taffy, Grog and Dee

Gather around kiddies, it's time for a bed-time story. This is what we call a fairy story, it's about fictitious people,  in a fictitious place, at a fictitious time ... honest!

Once upon a time there were three intrepid travellers who were on their way to grandma's house in the big, bad city. Their names were Grog, Dee and Taffy. Grandma was very magical and she was going to organise a trip to the moon for them. Grandma's name was Shadrack.

Our travellers had to battle storm and tempest and ugly beasts belching out black smoke from their nostrils, but after a time they made it to grandma's house, taking only a few wrong turns. Grandma was very pleased to see them and gave them cakes and sweets and other magical stuff. Sadness soon descended upon the three travellers as they realised it was time to say goodbye to grandma and travel back across the big, bad city. They were sure, however, that they would not get lost.

Grandma Shadrack

After a while they arrived back at the main thoroughfare (this is a long word that means 'big road' children). As they were waiting to cross the road, two storm troopers in light blue uniforms (and badges) waved frantically at our intrepid travellers. They were very angry, accusing the travellers of going the wrong way down a one way street. Grog was very upset and worried because he had been the one steering the mother ship. The storm troopers made him park by the side of the road and proceeded to say very nasty things children. They disparaged Grog's driving skills, suggesting that he lacked common sense and intelligence. Grog was very sad. Grog tried to tell them that there were no signs to help strangers in a foreign land. But the storm troopers did not seem to be listening.

Storm trooper number one suggested that all of the travellers would have to go to the big, white building where Grog would be scolded severely and made to visit a magistrate (a magistrate, children, is a mean person who likes to take your money from you).


Dee was also very worried. She decided to talk to grandma on her magical box. Grandma was very wise and told her that the storm trooper was probably very hungry and desperately needed money so that he could buy some food and be happier. Dee thanked grandma and told everyone what grandma had said. They were all very sorry for the storm troopers when they realised that their anger was due to poverty and starvation.

Grog suggested that perhaps they could give the storm troopers 5,000 shekels so that they could buy a good meal. The storm troopers sat in the back of the mother ship and discussed this possibility. Taffy thought that this was a very good thing, and she decided to practice speaking to them in their mother tongue. The storm troopers were happy to hear her speak in their language and they smiled at her. Taffy smiled back. Grog was not smiling.

Eventually the storm troopers decided that they were hungry and could indeed put the 5000 shekels to good use. The intrepid travellers were very happy. They looked in their purses and hidey holes (a hidey hole, children, is a secret place where one hides money and Mars Bars). Woe and alas!!! Our travellers could only gather 3580 shekels as they had given most of their money to grandma. What would they do ... The poor storm troopers might not get enough to eat and they may stay angry.

3580 shekels

Very humbly the intrepid travellers presented their booty (this is not what you may think children. Booty is actually treasure and money) to the storm troopers. To the travellers surprise the storm troopers were very happy. They smiled at each other and then told us that we would not have to go to the big, white house or talk to the mean magistrate.

As the storm troopers walked off, probably to buy their meal, the intrepid travellers pulled away from the kerb and continued on their travels. Dee used her magical box to talk to grandma once again, telling her about how they had fed the storm troopers. Taffy was very excited and even said that she had more money in a very, very secret hidey hole but had not wanted to give it to the storm troopers. Grog was still not smiling.

The mother ship

This is the end of our fairy tale children. Remember, it is not true, it is all a made up story. If you say otherwise, I will have to come around to your house with a big stick and thrash the living daylights out of you.

Sleep well my precious ones.

I Don't Get It!

Sometimes in life there are imponderable questions. Admittedly, many are more important than the ones I am about to share with you. Nevertheless, if you have a decent answer, let me know.

1. When we walk anywhere in Kenya the young children delight in calling out "muzungus" every time they see us. Some children see us weekly but still raise the alarm every time we walk past. It sounds more like a warning than a greeting.
Even children as young as three months, while at their mother's breast, will stop feeding and cry out "muzungus". Instantly, the mother will look down with a maternal smile on her face and tenderly pat the child on the head (this last example may be a slight exaggeration).
There is no such thing as anonymity for a white person in Kenya. As you can imagine, we tend to avoid going out just as school is finishing for the day.
I don't get it! What is the fascination with people, yes white, but people they see every day?


2. Kenyans like animals and are very kind to them (unless it is a beast of burden that they are thrashing with a stick to increase the work rate).
Here in the school are three or four resident dogs. They don't seem to have owners, they are never really fed, but they scrounge food from here and there.
I think George the cook is a bit of a softie in this matter.
During the day these dogs lie around in a permanent state of drowsiness. Their choice of location is anywhere that they are in the way - doorways, paths, corridors.
At night however that transform into the dogs of hell.
It happens like this. The residents of the girl's dormitory tend to quieten down between 10:15 and 10:30. At this time we breathe a sigh of relief and begin to nod off to sleep. About 15 minutes later the dogs decide that it is time to rage.
This generally starts with howling (at the moon?). Then a game of tag seems to take place. Our residence seems to a popular place to circumnavigate while barking and howling at the other participants. Neighbourhood dogs hear this ruckus and join in the howling. Soon all the friends and relatives from miles around have joined the choir.
Inexplicably, after about ten minutes (although it seems like thirty) all goes quiet. This sequence of events seems to happen about two or three times each night.
I don't get it! Are these dogs nocturnal or just night-time insomniacs? How do they know the exact time that I am trying to get to sleep?
I have take to waking them when I see them during the day, but it hasn't helped one bit.

3. I am not very proficient when it comes to building and construction. However, I am astounded at the way brick buildings are erected in is country. Foundation work is fairly normal, although large rocks are mixed in with the concrete. It is in the finishing stages that I don't understand.
The brick walls are built and a render is applied. For all intents and purposes the walls appear to be in a finished state but then someone comes along with a hammer and chisel and starts to attack the walls. This strenuous, prolonged effort produces channels in the brickwork along which electrical wires and plumbing pipes will pass. Once they are installed the wall is bogged up with mortar, leaving a very obvious scar on the newly erected wall.
The workmanship is of a reasonable quality and at least some of these people must have building qualification. Are they not taught in Kenyan trade institutions that services can be installed before the concreting is completed? I just don't get it!
I do not feel qualified to comment upon this. If, however, you are a builder, please come over and teach your African colleagues a better way.

Hungry Season

This is the name given to the months of July and August in western Kenya.
A food shortage is developing and the irony is that all around us are fields of green maize ripening in the sun.

The problem is that harvest is not until early September. Villagers are surviving on the remnants of last year's crop, and for many, this has already run out.
You must realise that maize (hard, pale-coloured corn) is more than a staple food. It is the basis of ugali, Kenya's self-proclaimed super food. In reality it is a hard porridge that is eaten with greens, beans or occasionally meat. Kenyans believe that they are not satisfied unless they have eaten ugali in their meal. It provides most of the bulk and carb in their diet.

So, at present, most of the maize meal produced last year is gone. Supermarkets in the bigger towns are stocked with plenty of food but at a price that most farmers cannot afford. Items like milk, bread and canned foods are similar prices to what you would find in Australia. Most farms will have mangoes, bananas and avocados, but not enough to sustain the family. This is a society that depends on maize.

Some years are better than others. Last year's crop was reduced by sporadic rain and disease in the crop. These are subsistence farmers - they have no savings to fall back on. The only solution is to seek food from those who still have enough.

It is a difficult situation to be approached by people who have no food. Des and I are on a tight budget, and unfortunately, when you give to one person you are then approached by a dozen others.
Our solution has been to work through the local church. I have promised them cash and they have promised to buy the maize, have it ground, then distribute it to the most needy.
My aim was $2000. I emailed my nearest and dearest in Australia and they agreed to approach their friends/church for donations. So far over $6000 has been put into our bank account ... And I am absolutely astounded . Australians are certainly generous people, and I thank you all sincerely. I know that some of you have been to developing countries, and realise that life is very difficult for them at times. Being in the midst of a food crisis is certainly a unique experience, but one that I don't want to repeat.

About $2500 has already been handed over for the purchase of grain, and distribution will start this coming weekend. I will put a photo or two on the blog next week.
I am thinking about using at least half of the money to try and prevent the problem in future. I do not yet know what form that will take. Perhaps we can rent some land to farm, or establish a fund for fertiliser, or finance some agricultural seminars. Perhaps, if the money keeps coming, we can do all three.

Who would have imagined two years ago that we would now be in Western Kenya helping to avert the consequences of a seasonal famine. Our outlook on life will never be the same again.

Enjoy your dinner!