Gillman's point, Stella's point,....Uhuru!

This basically sums up my 2010. The three points on my trek to the roof of Africa, and what they represent through my struggle last year. I had the chance to make the climb up Kilimanjaro in December last year, choosing the easiest of the 6 roots aptly named Coca cola or Fanta route because of it's relative ease as contrasted by the Cognac or whiskey route that is supposed to be the toughest. Armed with the knowledge that I was physically unprepared for the excursion, I trusted my psychology to see me through. Having done several hikes before, I know that it is usually 75% psychology and 25% physical. The night before we left for Moshi, is when I was busy putting my stuff together...jacket-check, boots-..oooh crap ziko South-C, Sleeping bag - double crap..they're in Spring valley...what else did that list say?...oooh bother! Anyway I was busy running around Nairobi putting my ish together. I did not sleep, not until 2am. This basically explains my approach to life so far, random, unplanned and relying on the "government to plan that far ahead"....I really need some order in my life I think.

On to 17th when we were to depart for my 2010 crowning excursion. We were meant to meet at the rendezvous point at 7.30am...at least the one thing I pride myself is having a clock in my brain. If I hadn't had a detour and attempted to wait for someone, I would have been in at exactly 7.30am, but I barely made it at 7.45am as other travelers on our shuttle gave us the proverbial dagger eyes. We attempted to stall the bus driver for my pal Brayo who operates on GMT timing, but it was not to be..he would later find his way and us in Moshi that day.

Skipping the on-the-road happenings, which were whole new stories in themselves, we arrived at the "Gentleman's palace" in Marangu, near the gate to the Park, where we were to rest before setting off the following day on what brought us to the land of Mwalimu Nyerere.

Now Kilimanjaro is an interesting mountain. The Coca-cola route can be done by basically anyone...what i mean is that it is not a technical climb requiring ropes and those spiked boots we see rock-climbers using in the pictures. Good thing is some of the stuff can be hired at the gate. So there I was hiring them hiking sticks, and goggles (I forgot my shades, which are useful for the UV and reflection on the snow up there). We had 13 porters in our troupe of eight, including three guides.

We trudged along the trail up the mountain after some pep talk and paper work at the gate to get our permit........As the guides put it, "hamna haraka....tunaenda POLE,POLE!" Now that's what my lazy ass is talkin about. The pace was comfortably slow....that I could live with, not until one of the guides, Novatus (honest... that was his name) took us on a sprint up the hill when it started raining that day. The cabins at Mandara, Horombo and Kibo made for some fun camping-like atmosphere despite the below zero temperatures. Being out of shape, and ill-prepared for the climb brought its challenges....When summiting after day 3, I suffered what everyone is warned about and what I dreaded...altitude sickness. I was dizzy, nauseous and having a headache at the same time, and the thin air made breathing a task in itself. Like I said earlier, my take is that it is 75% mental and 25% physical, and this was one of the times I had to call on all my will to put my next foot forward, something I have learnt to do in life whenever faced with serious obstacles, expectations and mountains to climb. Granted I was the last one of our lot to make it to both Gilmann's and Uhuru, but I can say I made it to the roof of Africa. You get a certificate depending on which point you reached...Gilmann's point - 5685m, Stella's point, 5745m and Uhuru 5895m. Those 300m between Gilmann's and Uhuru are perhaps the most difficult things you will ever have to do....But you should try it!

Coming down was another issue in itself, what took others two and a half hours took me twice that time coz of my dizziness...I was snowed on on my way down and had no time to rest at camp as I found guys packed and ready to depart for the next cabins (Horombo, some 12km away). I got my scars from the mountain though (frostbites and fatigue that took me the Christmas period to shake off) and all I can say is it was worth it.

Next on my to do list.....deep sea diving! Let's see what that will be like.

For all those who made it to Uhuru, congrats, and for everyone else, that was fun!

Neighbourhood watch

It's been long since I went for those neighbourhood committee meetings that characterise most estates. I live in a pretty large one for normal standards, and in such numbers you find a healthy variety of characters, from the combatant and possessive guys who "own" certain parking slots, to the nonchalant "yes" men, even the odd graphic "tell it as it is" daktari.

Anyway just before the fist fights and the odd drunk guy who wanted to comment on everything, the agenda was set by the chairman (I swear it was the first time I was seeing the bloke!). Security, Committee fees (It can not dare miss!), the Audited accounts, and A.O.B (where all the drama unfolds)

Moving on swiftly to A.O.B, we had already discussed at length the security concerns, and how this being the countdown to the holidays the thugs are also ramping up their activity to have enough to celebrate with their loved ones, a concept pregnant with irony. People gave random ideas however impractical, after all it is an open and democratic forum....Hire more watchies (baton in a gunfight....hmmm! that will really help), have the watchie stopping ALL vehicles getting into the main gate (there was a learned friend who proposed stickers on resident vehicles who was shouted down coz of costs. Anywayin the end, no consensus, but a lot of arguments.

Coming to the contributions, committee fees, et al...The financials were read so fast and sketchily and a disclaimer of the accounts having been audited and are transparent thrown in for good measure ("Receipts = KShs X, We spent KShs Y, and we have 6,000 bob remaining...and we had this audited....").

Moving to the AOB, we had complaints of 15 year olds having closed school and should be monitored...(Damn it, are we the parents?....if the brat has hormonal imbalance, it will sort itself out), Someone threw garbage at his neighbour's doorstep..heh heh heh Now that was funny. Me being in the penthouse, there is only one culprit in such a case, so am safe. The victim at least saw the house-help responsible, picked up the garbage bag and dumped it right back at the front door of the aggressor (I would have emptied the contents as well!) There were those agitating for an estate bash, the teetotalers canvassing fro a tea party and the alcoholics wanting the option of coming with their own bottles/kegs/drums. No sooner had we started discussing this, some conservatives started invoking NEMA and how we should not go ahead with the bash, but instead get a permit from them for those of us intending to celebrate (That is when I knew you are only allowed to have a bash upto 11pm or else get a permit if you want to extend). Well somebody made an interesting observation..."Maybe he does not want to pay anything..amesota! Wacha wale wetu waliobarikiwa na pesa tujivinjari (which loosely translates to how broke the dude must be, he's just looking to hide behind excuses..Let those of us blessed with moolah to spend it however we please!)

As the entertainment progresses, mother nature intervened and dumped the cloud contents on us as we scampered for shelter. Another day maybe we'll get to finish what was started. An I Lied...there were no fist fights..yet!

Holidays

It's long since I had this switching-off mode and the laziness/laissez faire attitude that is attached to the days close to Christmas. Well, since 1999 when I finished skool, I have basically had exams in Dec up until last year when I did my last "work-study" exam in my ngumbaru years. So i have basically been stressed and running around like a headless chicken for the better part of this past decade.

Normally I dash out of the house in a huff at about 7am to join the Nairobi jam on Langata road on my way to the ofisi. Well normally I would give myself some 45-50 minutes to follow the traffic snarl-up as I listen to the retards on the morning shows on radio. Today almost everything was going wrong...I chucked late from the house (7.15am is late, in my books), the car decided to die (Bless you my unnamed neighbour hero for the jumpers ...you are a true godsend..al try look for you and buy you a cold one!). At least I got to meet my other fly neighbour and give her a lift (there is usually too much testosterone in my mobile...something for a change!). Anyway now to spoil my morning.... I knew it would take me at least one hour to get to the office. I had milked the "where I can drop you to find the quickest mat into town" vibe and "expertly" advised on the Kenya National Library stage in Community. Well I expected the queues to start along Langata road as we came down, but noooo...barabara alikuwa nyweeeee! Not even a 10 minute stop by the cops at the roundabout?...well onto Mbagathi we went, and same result. I was at the KNH roundabout in record time..15 minutes from home where I would have taken 50 minutes! Well as I dropped her and sped off in my mum's twin turbo charged monster, It did not hit me until I was in the office that SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED!

The roads will be clear for another one month as guys go on leave, no school buses on the road, people will start the urban rural migration and Bara-Coasto migration to go squander some cash in the name of Christmas. For now I will enjoy some lazy days as we go into the festive season, and since only the government plans that far ahead, wait and see how things will go from here.