The Summit and Top 10

1/31/2010
Day 24

This morning we woke before sunrise to conquer Mt. Longonot. Doug Trotter picked us up along with 2 recently arrived medical students from Northwestern. We caught a glimpse of the Southern Cross in the sky as we departed, which is a constellation only seen in the southern hemisphere and before dawn this time of year. It took about 45 min to get to the park entrance and by this time the sun had risen. Longonot, which comes from a Maasai word meaning “mountain of many spurs,” is a volcano that last erupted in 1860. At the top is a large caldera that is a fully intact ring about 3 km in diameter with multiple peaks and valleys along the perimeter. It was a long, steep climb for an hour to the top of the crater ring. The view down into the caldera was breathtaking, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Once at the rim, we then hiked the entire circumference of the crater. From the trail we could see distant giraffes, antelope, waterback, as well as steam vents spewing puffs of steam into the air from deep in the crater. The trail around the edge was technically difficult with ascents and descents, which were akin to bouldering up followed by sliding down the rocky trail on feet or backside. We were dirt, dust, and sweat covered early on into the trek. The peak of the mountain is actually along the crater rim trail and is at 9100 ft. We stopped for “lunch” (I think it was actually before 10 am at this point) at the peak and soaked in the views. We also took our oxygen saturations at the base and peak (nerd alert). I was a wee bit low at 91% at the summit. I took some deep breaths to compensate.

The trip around the ring took nearly 4 hours, and then we headed back down the steep trail to the base. We were the solitary group on the mountain until we descended, when we saw multiple groups of people huffing and puffing the way up, baking under the midday sun. I was very glad we went early and returned around 1 pm, as there is no shade along the entire nearly 5 hour and 40 minute hike. Between the 2 of us, Ben and I drank 4.5 L of water.

In the parking lot we marveled over our accomplishment and dumped heaps of sand and rock from our shoes. Ben somehow managed to make identical holes in his socks where his big toenails contact the sock fabric. Seeing as though the trail was treacherous and steep with multiple opportunities for long tumbles into the abyss, the sock holes weren’t too bad as our only casualty.

Once in the car, we bumped along the road back to Kijabe with aching feet and a sense of satisfaction. Now we are back and have begun the long process of weeding out and packing up the house in preparation for our departure tomorrow. Our car to the Masai Mara picks us up Monday at 8 am.

A few last things to do before we go: Julie plans to stop by the lab and drop off a pint of her blood. I think the saying here in Kijabe is “take only pictures, leave only pints of blood.” We are also going to make a much anticipated stop at Mama Chiku’s house of delicious foods tonight for dinner. It is a Wazungu favorite for traditional Kenyan fare and seems like the proper way to round out our time in Kijabe.

It is hard to believe we are leaving so soon. I have been contemplating how to sum up my thoughts in this last blog entry. Here’s what I came up with:

Top 10 Things I Will Miss
1. The Kenyan interns
2. The food and chai
3. The kind, grateful patients
4. Constant hands-on learning
5. Adventure around every corner
6. Learning to adapt to a foreign place
7. The weather and topography
8. A strong sense of community
9. A simpler life
10. A constant reminder that you need very little to feel blessed and happy

I was considering making a sister list of top 10 things I am looking forward to back in the States. I know this would make for better symmetry, but I would rather highlight the first list instead of dimming its importance with a second. I will, however, admit that I am eager to come home to fast internet, my bed, my dog, and western toilets (ok, fine. I'm also looking forward to the new season of Project Runway). I hope I can hold on to a few items on my list once I am thrust back into American reality.

And so you have it. The blog is drawing to a close. I hope it is clear that this has been an experience of a lifetime for me. I would say it was beyond words, but we all know I’ve tried to put it to words more than a few times! Thanks for reading and sharing in my time here. I’ll see you back in the other hemisphere all too soon.

PS: I might just have to update you all on our safari adventure in a few days. I feel odd saying this knowing that I’ve nearly drawn the curtains on my blog. But Ben assures me that if Brett Favre can make a few reappearances, then so can I.