The Tiredest Leg in the World

So, most days, my wife is one of the most graceful people that I know. Athletic, great dancer, light on her toes. Yes, I'm kissing up. Because she does not want me to discuss those other days where balance and grace seem to evade her. Coming down Mt. Kenya was one of those special days. To her credit, the guide said that she hiked better than anyone he had in recent memories. We'd also been climbing up and down Mt. Kenya for 5 days. Nevertheless, I chose to lag about 10 feet behind her and our awesome guide, Hiriam, and watch the show. As I've said before, it cracks me up when people fall, especially when those people are my hot wife.

First, Heather walked into a large clump of strawish grass that was about chest high. Hiram said it was some type of mountain heather, actually. It was just a bit off the trail, and she hit it with half her body. I giggled a bit from the trail behind her, so she stopped to explain that she was just wiping some mud from her boot. Next, she managed to hit some scrub brush with her left arm and shoulder hard enough that it spun her 180 degrees. Again, I laughed, and she stopped to explain that her rain gear was dirty, and she was just cleaning it off. Apparently, she likes to clean her coat off as hard as possible. My sister used to do the same thing when we were kids. She'd slam into the frame of a doorway as she walked through it, then deny that it ever happened. I never understood it, but apparently many women have this gene.

The walking then got pretty slick and the three of us took our turns slipping and sliding down the moutain. We hit a dry patch once we got down into the jungle and started to pick up the pace some. Suddenly, I watched as Heather's left leg just gave up, curled under her body, and she straight bit it. There was no water, mud or inclement condition. She was a victim of the tiredest leg in the world. Heather popped back up again almost as fast as she went down, walking as if nothing had happened.

"You're hoping that I didn't see that, right?" She looked back, and started cracking up.

The mountain is beautiful. We miraculously had great weather, actually missing a storm on the top by about a half hour. And, our guide fed us as if we were 4 people and not just the 2 of us.
If ever in Kenya, call up Hiram Munuhe and go for a hike up the mountain.

Big mountain. Little Heather and Hiram.


One of the huts with Nelion Peak behind it.

Tea at 16,500 feet.

So happy and full of energy.

Then so tired you pass out cold on a table. That bundle on the left is Heather.



Then on a bench.

Going on a Hike

It is crazy, but our 2 month commitment to the home is already up. We've hugely enjoyed working here, and I could easily see us coming back at some point. Just have to figure out a little thing called MONEY. Our plan now is to travel around for the next month and see some of the country. We leave today to hike Mount Kenya. The rainy season has officially begun, though, so we'll just have to see how it goes. I'm sitting here in shorts and a tee shirt, but it looks to be snowing up on the mountain. So please go tell your local weatherman to predict cold, rain and snow for the area. That way, we'll be sure to get some sunshine.

Here's a few pics from our last couple weeks.



It was potato peeling day the other day. Interesting to watch. First, peel the potato. Second, scratch your legs and feet with the knife. Third, resume peeling the potato. Fourth, dinner.
One of Heather's art projects. You, too, can have your own little Hannibal Lecter.

I have a really, really hard time looking at this one. It weirds me out.


We had a surprise birthday celebration for Zach. He liked the cake. Really, just look at him.

Briefly in the lead.
Things are done a bit differently here.

There's a Slight Hill Next to Moshi

Turns out, there's a slight hill next to Moshi called Kilimanjaro. So, Heather and I headed to Moshi, Tanzania last Thursday so that I could run in the annual Kilimanjaro Maratho. It is called the Kilimanjaro Marathon, but they offer a half marathon, which I happily entered. So that we would not have to travel at night, Heather and I left a day before Titus and Douglas, the two coaches that I work with here at Tumaini, along with their good friend, Phabius. There have been a rash of car jackings around Nairobi lately, and it is not the greatest place to be traveling after dark. Reputation of "Nairobby" aside, Nairobi was great. I ate a decent knockoff of an American cheesburger at the Nairobi Java House, and even split a vanilla and chocolate chip milkshake. It was an even split - 80% mine and 20% Heather's. Bless her, she knows my sweet tooth is not to be trifled with.

Titus, Douglas and Phabius arrived early the following morning, and we hopped onto the bus for the 9+ hour ride to Moshi. The crossing into Tanzania was to cost anywhere from $25 to $50 for Americans, but was free for Kenyans. Nevertheless, upon our arrival, we were informed that the cost for Americans and Irish was now $100 per person. By contrast, Kenya had only cost $25 to enter, and, stupidly, I assumed the cost for Tanzania would be similar. Seemed just arbitrary enough to be real. I have since verified that this new law has been in effect since 2007 through some sweet U.S. legistation that requires a flat fee but allows multiple border entries. Other countries have the option to request a multiple entry visa, but can choose to purchase a much cheaper single entry pass. Hmmmm. We scraped together a mix of American dollars and shillings and made it across, much lighter in the wallet.

We loaded back onto the bus and made our way to Moshi relatively uneventfully. We did blow out a tire about 30 km from the town of Arusha. It didn't bother us much though, as the driver chose to continue driving as if there was no problem. We switched buses in Arusha, got into Moshi and found a hotel.

The next morning, we rose early to do some warmup jogging (running for me, jogging for my Kenyan friends), ate at another good coffee shop called the Kilimanjaro Coffee Lounge, and walked around the town some. I was a bit nervous for the race, so I couldn't rest or relax completely. Plus, the warmup run of 5 miles, together with a walk around town of 5 more miles was more than I should have done.

Our alarm sounded at 5 a.m on Sunday, then again at 5:15 a.m. All the guys were competing in the half, so we met outside. Heather wanted to take pictures of us, so, like a trooper she loaded up our camera gear and valuables and walked the 2 miles to the start of the race.

My race last November was difficult because it was my first half marathon, it was hot, and there were 30,000 people running in it. This was difficult because the race organizers chose to begin the race with a 6.55 mile climb up the lower slopes toward the base of Mt. Kenya. My Garmin says the race started at about 2900 feet, and rose steadily to 4,128 feet in elevation. At the end of the 6.55 miles, the runners turned 180 degrees on a 2 lane road and ran back down hill. The last mile or so before the turn was a particularly rough climb, then to turn and immediately run back downhill was brutal on the legs, but the change of direction felt so nice. Right before the turn, I was on a 9:33 mile pace, but almost instantly after the turn, I was on a 5:51 pace. I was briefly worried that my feet were going to go right out from under me. Things felt pretty good for the next 5 miles, but I started to tire around mile 12. Unluckily, at about that time, I passed an open air butcher on the roadside. Freshly cut goat is not a good smell at mile 12. But, luckily, shortly thereafter a group of Tanzanian school kids chose that moment to run with muzungu for a quarter mile or so. It gave me a needed push to the end.

The times aren't posted yet, but I think I finished in about 1:40, about the same time as I ran before, but on a much harder course. My Kenyan friend fared much better. Titus finish in about 1:11, Douglas in about 1:20 and Phabius in about 1:21. Titus looked completely fresh after the race, and was heartened by his performance where he had only intended a nice "jog".

The morning we headed back to Nairobi. After an 11 hour return ride, Heather and I decided to stay another night in Nairobi. Our friends hopped on a matatu and completed the trip back to Nyeri. While in Nairobi, we visited both the "Animal Orphanage" and "Elephant Orphanage". These are two good projects displaying Kenya's ever increasing support of their wildlife. If ever in Nairobi, check it out.


Three Kenyans all smiling in one photo? Has to be a first.
Douglas likes to strike a pose.
Somewhere around the fifth muzungu across the line. I would venture to say there were a few hundred Kenyans and Tanzanians as well.
Happily finished with my lady friend.
Clouds cleared for a nice view of Kilimanjaro. It was hard for me to see with all the sweat and tears blocking my view.

Crowned Heron at the Animal Orphanage.
Little guy sliding in for some water.
Terrible two year olds.