Down Kenya’s most scenic waterfall

(This article also appeared in the Standard Newspaper on Thursday 18th November 2010, under the Home and Away Magazine on page 13.)

Driving into Nyahururu, the fields are awash with acres of green, be it maize, potatoes or other vegetables. The atmosphere changes drastically from warm to cool. Although I found it a wee too cold, the locals said it was warm. Even though I was warmly dressed, I still braced myself for a long haul.
We were to stay at Thomson Falls Lodge located about two kilometres from Nyahururu town. The lodge’s expertly manicured lawns and well cared for gardens and flowers promised heaven. A happy duo of traditionally dressed Maasai men ushered us in.
The rooms here are lovely and the architecture is unique, depicting a design favored by the colonialists — wooden maisonette of sorts with a mix of wood and stone. After such a long journey, the bed was most welcoming. The following morning the chirping of the birds chased away the last remnants of sleep. Buffet breakfast served in the dining was fulfilling especially when taken outdoors against the background of the rushing sound of the waterfall.

RUSHING SOUNDS
Soon it was time to take a walk to the fall. As we drew nearer, the rush¬ing sound of water grew louder and louder. The morning dew stuck to our feet and brought out a tingling sense to the body.
Shortly after before us was one of the most admirable of God’s creation. At the foot of the Aberdare Ranges, the waterfall reaches a staggering height of 200feet. To cap it all, we took the steep winding road to the bottom from where the water snakes away into a blanket of foliage rising as high as ten feet. Huge rocks line the river¬bed and you get to feel the droplets of water blown by the wind.
The walk down was peaceful; the experience of walking down the winding bush track and stepping on the giant steppingstones was thrilling.

At some point, the wet conditions made it difficult to navigate the path. People passed us on our way down out of breath; they simply wished us good luck. I was not really sure why. Was there any lurking danger? From the bottom, the view up¬wards testified to the sheer height of the waterfall. It was beauty beyond the ordinary. Soon it was time to get going and the way up didn’t look friendly at all. I remembered the sights of those we had met earlier going up.

UPHILL CLIMB
Word of caution to those thinking of visiting here; The trip upwards was an uphill task, not for the faint-hearted. My leg muscles have never been that worked out I cried many times out of sheer pain and an inward protest against the steep uphill climb. I m sure I lost a kilo or two somewhere along the way.
Except for the sound of the water¬fall in the distance, the quiet environment at the lodge is good for those seeking a peaceful haven to rest and reflect. For day visitors, the lodge offers its lawns for picnics or social events for a fee and people can carry their own food or be served by the restaurant at the lodge.
Lovers of Spanish soaps on television will be forced to make some changes because the rooms have no television sets. If adventurous enough you can take a walk to Nyahururu town, which we did.

DESERTED STREETS
The streets are deserted and the local joints, most of which double up as restaurants at the front and a bar-like ambience (plus the nyama cho¬ma) located at the back. This is quite a contrast from Nairobi or other major towns where even getting a parking space is a tough job. The most popular place, Jimrock, is a two storey establishment found in a line of three others. One of the locals explained the silence of the town — that unlike big towns where people sit in offices, locals come here to sell their produce and buy their supplies then head back home to farm.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE

Interviews! For those who are on the search for the perfect job or those who have just landed a job recently, you would identify with the intrigues that play themselves out in interviews. Having attended a couple and memories of anxiety and anticipation still color the back of your mind like it was yesterday. In a number of interviews you find that you have done greatly – portraying confidence, eloquence, poise, intellect, maturity and technical capacity. Of course others have gone dismally. Funny enough, in most interviews that have gone well, a number of candidates find themselves never getting a positive response. This can make one feeling as if the interview was a fallacy because everything went well! So why did you not come out as the best? On the other hand, you find yourself being offered the job where you personally have felt the interview did not go well? So what is the criterion?

Sitting on the other side of the table, things are different for the interviewer. They have to balance the organizations expectations with their personal biases; a task which is neither easy nor interesting. The candidate they like most – especially those who interest you with their mastery of the language and grasp of issues may not really be the person for the job. Interviewers must also be careful and look out for rehearsed phrases.

But then again, there lies the challenge. How do you decide between a candidate who has done their homework and is up to date with the ‘likely questions’ and another who has not performed well in selling themselves but after probing (and scrutinizing their papers) you find that therein lies a gem waiting to be unearthed. Is that the task of the interviewer?

‘Shawarmaing' in Mombasa....

Well, well, well, am back to Mombasa in a span of two weeks. This time I plan to enjoy even more (although am swamped with work); visit and see a wide range of places. As they say, its one thing to plan and another to actualize what you have planned. So I set out on Monday to start the work I am supposed to be doing, very early on Monday morning so as to avoid walking in the mid-morning to afternoon heat. As I go about my business, I stop to notice the old buildings that surround the town; a taste of the Swahili culture as they say. Not to be left out, I also sampled the food and this is where I got to taste the ‘shawarma’; a mixture of flame grilled chicken stripes and vegetable salad with lots of chilly rolled in freshly baked bread (or nan as they call it). What is interesting about Mombasa is that unlike Nairobi, they have food on every corner. So all ye watching their waistline, avoid the town center; the ‘mapocho pocho’ are too enticing to resist.

On the second day, I board the ferry and cross over to South Coast, deep into the farthest points of the province in Msabweni, Kwale and Kinago. Contrary to Mombasa Island where its more of white sandy beaches, this part of Coast is awash with lush green vegetation thanks to the recent rains. You could be forgiven for thinking this was not part of coast province, but yes it is; what with all the palm trees and large mangoes being sold by the roadside. It is still hot but unlike Mombasa where majority of the Muslim women are garbed in black bui buis, here the women loosely tie matching lesos/shukas around their upper and lower bodies.

The start of day three is spent in Kilifi, where the cool where sure is a change from the burning heat in Mombasa Island and South Coast. The attraction here is the famous ‘Korosho – a type of nuts found on the coast – which are so sumptuous and expensive as well! I later head to Malindi and wow, if you though Mombasa had sandy beaches, wait until you get to Malindi. The breeze feels nice to the face in light of the scorching sun, and the pineapples, mangoes and mnazi juices offered by the roadside do their cooling bit. Before I hit the road out of the town, I enjoyed a nice dive in the ocean, and yes, it was heavenly in the afternoon heat.

For sure my one week trip down at the coast was captivating. So the next time you are there, venture out and not only to the beach; go ye out into the town and sample the old architecture. While you are at it, don’t forget to shawarma!!