Will it rain? Are we within the curfew zone? Are you sure we are not going too far? Who else is coming? Are you serious that place is not dry? What are we going to see?
These were some of the questions crossing the minds of the crew that ventured to go for a Father and Son exursion on Monday 5th April 2021. As it was Easter Monday, and well, most of Nairobi was in curfew, it was therefore not very conceivable that you could actually go out for an excursion… as far as Machakos.
The excursion started at around 8am and with a few hiccups here and there, and of course the occasional police checks, we made it to the outskirts of Machakos town where we met with our guide Abas, a local enthusiast who has curved out a living making these excursions.
What strikes you is the lush green vegetation, but more awaited us. Matthew and his classmate Allan were very quick to link up and strike a conversation about the last exams they did while Matthew’s younger brother and new found friend Victor, wide-eyed- contemplated the new environs, the birds, the trees etc. And the Dads? Well they didn’t day so, but they secretly thought that their boys can’t beat them in this. Baba Allan, Baba Matthew and Peter’s uncle talked of the many benefits that they have discovered outdoors. However, much to the joy of the Dads, the guide, Abas, took us on a fairly good pace, though of course there was the curfew to worry about, but that we didn’t think about until we were quite long gone.
The climax of the excursion was reaching the peak of a quite hidden hill covered with a forest. What was meant to be a forest made of only 7 trees actually turned out to be a forest that would make the Aberdare ranges envious. Someone commented that from what it looked like, one would never think that you were in Machakos, even the cold started to get to your bones under the dense canopy of trees.
Nonetheless, the smiles are what carried the day, and when Father and son went back home, and showed the photos, everyone else wanted to be part of the next plan… though this came in a different form.
However, some of us could not go out of Ukambani without experiencing first-hand what the so called anti-gravity place has to offer. And we were not disappointed as both water and cars drifted upwards in an otherwise inclined plane. The physicists and geologists haven’t yet pinned down what causes it but they would have laughed till their bones ache at our furtive attempts to explain what was going on.
With 21.39km to boot and a bit more than 3 and a half hours moving time, it was definitely worthwhile.
“We should certainly do this again!” was the parting shot…. And Abas is all the more eager awaiting our return!
