21 out of 26 of the msid students went, so it was quite a large group. we all gathered at prestige plaza, dropped our bags off with simon so we didn't have to carry them, and got on a bus to ngong. we were dropped off in the middle of the ngong market, where we waited for our guide. to hike in ngong hills, you need an armed guide for protection-- from both wild animals and people that hide, waiting for unsuspecting hikers.
when the guide arrived, we walked into ngong, got food for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and then walked to the hills. we knew we had to pay for the guide, but we didn't know we had to pay to get into the actual hills. no one had enough money with them, so we decided that we'd just hike around simon's resort instead. so we headed back to ngong, where we got on pikipikis! pikipikis are motorbikes-- i was so scared at first, i only wanted the driver to drive slow, but they're actually a lot of fun.
after we got to the resort, it was time to start hiking. i thought it was just going to be a short hike, but then someone suggested we climb the extremely large hill near camp. we climbed up and over big rocks, scaled a rock wall that is sometimes a waterfall during the wetter rainy season, and eventually made it up to the top. the view was beautiful. it was definitely worth the long trek up to the top.
we made our way back down to camp, ate a delicious supper, and had a bonfire. it was extremely windy and cold in the tents, and i didn't sleep well at all. the next morning we woke up, and walked down to see simon's childhood home. he is from the maasai tribe. he has many brothers and sisters, and the maasai practice polygamy, so his father has 3 wives, and the youngest wife is younger than simon! he showed us his house and the farm area, and then we walked back to camp.
a little later, it was time for the birthday party. a bunch of kids came, we ate lunch, and then it was time for the kenyan cake-eating tradition. the birthday girl, bethany, was fed a small piece of cake, and then she came around and fed everyone a piece that was at the party.
afterwards, bethany opened gifts that we bought for her, and we headed back to nairobi. this time, no pikipikis. the bus ride back was filled with crazy african remixes-- cher's "do you believe in life after love" was my personal favorite. it was a really great weekend. it was nice to get out of the city for awhile-- the smog can get so bad some days, it's nice to breathe some fresh air. it was also really cool to see a traditional maasai home and help celebrate a 5-year-old's birthday.
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