Mount Longonot

I was awoken early from the damp grassy dew seeping through the cracks in my tent and the loud African birds chirping in the distance. Before long David was yelling for everyone to get up. We had a long journey ahead of us and lots of stops to make on the way. We got ready fairly quickly, collecting all of our belongings and throwing some toothpaste in our mouths. Before long, we were back on the road.

Lake Bogoria looked serene in the morning. The sun shone brightly on the blue lake with mountains in the background. Pink patches once again littered the water. The flamingoes had not left in the night. Along the way we stopped at the hot springs. Here, the dense steam bubbled from the ground. I was mesmerized how water sitting on the ground could be literally boiling. I put my hands over the top of it and some water even splattered up, slightly burning my skin. There were signs surrounding the location warning of boiling water and sink holes. After admiring natures rare beauty we loaded up the van and continued. The next stop was a few kilometers away, trying to get as close to the flamingoes as we could. I was able to get decently close for a photo. I have never seen so many flamingoes together at one time. They looked so peaceful coexisting together. The scene looked as if it was from a postcard.

Arriving late to our campsite the night before, we didn’t get to experience the natural hot springs jacuzzi a local resort had to offer. In the morning, a few still wanted to experience the warm natural water. The resort we stopped at was paradise compared to where we had stayed the night before. There was running water and a bathroom. I took one look at the green water of the natural pool and decided against it. Whenever I see natural places to swim all of the water safety warnings seem to flood my head. I felt the water in the natural pool and took a seat at one of the pool chairs surrounding. I have seen very little of the sun in Africa, surprisingly, so laying under the sun for about an hour was quite relaxing. 

On the roads outside of the resort I saw small huts people lived in. This is what most envision when thinking about African living, yet, after living here six weeks, these were the first I encountered. Tired from little sleep the night before, I took a nap on our way to our next stop at the Nakuru Nakumatt. I decided it would probably be a good idea to get some small snacks for the week and some random souvenirs I had been meaning to purchase for people back home. We also stopped at a fast food place in the shopping center. The veggie pie I ordered was nothing to rave about and the fries tasted average. After another hour of driving, we arrived at Mount Longonot.

Mount Longonot is a large crater people can climb up and walk around. Due to our morning pool stop we would not have enough time to walk around the crater. We began our journey up. Before we started, I told everyone I would be hiking up at an American pace. Walking up the side of a mountain is hard, but even harder when going slow. Without any rain in a while, the path had turned to loose dirt. At first I tried to avoid any large patches or walking through the dust trails others in front of me would leave. I quickly learned it was no use and accepted the fact the hike would be a dirty one. The front of the group began at a brisk pace. Soon David, Alex, and I were a ways ahead of the others. We came across people coming down who pointed at what we were hiking to. The hike looked long and very steep. By the halfway point hut, David decided he was done hiking for the day. Alex and I were left to hike on our own. Sometimes the path would be smooth and easy. At other points I would be using branches and holding onto rocks to pry myself up. The burning feeling in my legs would come and go depending on the incline. The hike was hard. After about fifty minutes of solid climbing we made it to the top. The view of the valley below and the inside of the crater were spectacular. I told Alex how strange I found the spacious country when so many were crowded and packed together in the city. The inside of the crater was full of dense vegetation and steep, a fall I don’t think anyone would survive. Alex and I took many pictures while waiting for the group. We questioned whether anyone was coming and just as we were about to start the hike down, we saw part of our group. We waited for them to reach the top and have a rest as well. The team that made it consisted of Karen, Rafiell, Claire, Alex, and I. The rest had been too worn out by the eventful weekend.

The climb down was almost as hard as the climb up. The steep slopes were slippery with loose dirt. By this point, my legs were coated in a thin layer. Rafiell began to run down a section and I followed suit. That was a mistake. A slight misstep into a side ditch and I found myself on the ground, completely covered in dirt. The ground was hard and the fell hurt, as any fall does, but I quickly got up and continued. White was probably not a good color to wear on a hike, as my shirt was now gray. I could feel the fine dust plastering every inch of my skin. I don’t think I have felt that dirty since the days of softball playing. Part of going down was marked by gently sliding my feet to prevent any more falls. Another challenge presented itself—staying away from the thorn coated bushes. Rafiell and I led the hike down accomplishing the journey in about thirty minutes. The others were waiting for us at the bottom.

Luckily, a tap was available for rinsing off before getting back into the vehicle. The rest of the journey home is a blur of sleeping and mindlessly staring off into the distance. Upon my arrival back to icipe, I took a nice cool shower. There was so much dirt, my entire shower turned black. The cool, relaxing water was a perfect ending to my eventful weekend.