Just another Thursday

 We have made a habit of doing the 2,000 ft, approximately 8-mile hike up and down the hill every few mornings. When Philip comes with us, we take a more complicated and more beautiful route. We start in Kijabe (7200 ft), and walk up to the top, which has a small town and the main highway. 

Here we are! 6:30 am walking with Michele (Philip's daughter) who we drop off at the bus stop. It was a cool, calm morning at the start.

  

Along the way, we encounter all kinds of people just starting the day going to fetch milk, water, head out to the fields or to school. This little guy was rather bundled up, don't you think?

  

We try and keep a quick pace, and have some fun along the way. Passers-by tend to throw us odd glances, as they are essentially commuting, and we are doing this for "fun" to get in shape for Mt. Kenya. A few kind folks in their cars will ask if we need a ride somewhere, and laugh at the prospect of hiking up the steep road for fun. 

 

We walk as the sun rises, and are re-invigorated by the views as we catch glimpses of the rolling hills through the thorny bushes. 

 

THIS TIME, at the top, we decided to go for "chai", which is half very sweetened tea and half hot milk. We turned off of the road and felt like we hit a gost town. It was. Philip said in the 80s this was quite a booming town. Now, only about a 3rd of the shops are open. Two are "hotels" which are actually more like resturants than hotels-- you can't exactly rent a room for the night. But you can get some chai! Rochelle would have not walked through the town without Philip, as there were quite a few men hanging around the hotels, looking at Claire like she was the whitest woman they have ever seen, as she practically glows in the dark.

 

We ordered chai and some fried bread for breakfast. It was a simple place, with tables, a TV, a staging area for tea and a grill outside. They washed the dishes in a large bowl right outside the back door. 

 

They served us the chai in colorful old mugs, but also have us an aluminum bowl. Philip threw Rochelle's tea into it, and swirled it around. "I'm cooling the tea," Philip explained, "Claire, shall I cool yours too?" Claire hesitated, but replied "well Rochelle's tea cleaned the bowl already, so sure, go for it!" 

 

We continued our journey across the hilltop to the main road down to Kijabe. Along the way we encountered a donkey with some odd looking feet. The poor animal's hooves were too long, causing his feet essentially deform to adapt to the odd goings on below. Claire was instantly upset.

But there wasn't anything she could do about it, but enjoy the scenery.

 

Later, the team made it to the butcher's shop, and they were open! Time to get some ground meat for the Shepard's Pie.

 

She ground it fresh, after hacking it off of the hanging carcass.

 

 

Only in Africa.