Saturday, September 13, 2008

My Best Day in Kenya!

After living in Nairobi for almost two months, I finally got out of the city to experience the variety God's creation holds in Africa. Twelve of us from the school loaded up in a van and headed 45 minutes out of town to the Rift Valley. Our goal for the day was to hike Mt. Longonot, a volcano whose peak sits 9,000 ft above sea level. "Longonot" comes from a Masai word meaning "many ridges", and the mountain lived up to its name. It was quite steep in many parts (somewhere between Dog Mountain and Saddle Mountain for my Oregonian friends). The hike was breathtaking, both visually and cardiovascularly.

Here is the volcano at sunset as we headed away from Longonot National Park. The highest point in the center is the point we reached.

The whole crew poses for a picture on the rim of the crater.

Kami and I with a view of the Rift Valley below, where we saw zebras, giraffes, hartebeast, and more.
Here are some giraffes we saw on the way down the mountain. This isn't even on a safari! Just going on a hike in Africa...

The crater at the top of the volcano has its own ecosystem different from the surrounding valley. Inside we saw steam venting from the sides of the crater.The girls made it to the tip top, and we had to show our muscles!
This was by far one of the coolest and most amazing hikes I've ever been on (and I'm from the Northwest)! Not only was the hike itself difficult, fun, and beautiful, the wildlife was amazing as well. Being up on that mountain was like being closer to God, surrounded by amazing creativity and beauty. It was my best day in Kenya (so far).

3 comments:

  1. Awesome! Thanks for the pics!!
    Love ya, Taralah

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  2. Wow Kimberly...I think I actually see some muscle in those scrawny little arms of yours! :) Looks like you had a great time. What an amazing place!

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  3. What an awesome hike Kim! God's creation is amazing....

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