Page 84 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 12
P. 84

MY AFRIKA



























            HIKING NGONG HILLS





                              A TALE OF THREE LESSONS

                                               Samuel Phillips



               Life's lessons never stop, learners are the ones who do.




                   here is always something   which is a few kilometers from Nai-  you pay to enter, if you are using
                   new to learn in our every   robi, the capital of Kenya.      the main gate, but because I could
                   day life. And sometimes,                                     see the hills in the distance from the
          Tthe things we learn are           Living somewhere in Kajiado coun-  back of the house, I figured there
          not necessarily that we didn't know   ty in a place called Kiserian naturally   should be a way to get there using
          them before, but that most often,   birthed in me a desire to go on a   the back roads. So off I went.
          they come as new learning or a re-  hike to Ngong Hills, which was not
          minder of the things we have come   very far from where I lived. Well, so   As I walked using the back road,
          in contact with but which we have   I thought until I put my feet to the   unsure of the path to take, but using
          forgotten.                         road for a good early morning hike.   the placement of the hills I could
                                                                                see in the distance for navigation,
          Those who know me know that I      Watching the sun set over Ngong    the only path before me that made
          love morning or evening walks. Not   Hills from the rooftop of my     sense based on the direction of the
          because they are good for physical   apartment almost every day, I was   hills was definitely going to take me
          health, but mostly because that's   deceived to think that the walking   through the bushes and farmlands.
          how I have come to learn most      distance from my place to the hills   That was cool for me really, because
          things.                            should not be more than thirty     it was a beautiful opportunity to
                                             minutes or at most one hour. But I   walk through the bushes with the
          Ngong Hills is one of the many     definitely was about to find out that   natural and refreshing smell of
          tourist sites in Kenya and it's well   was not the case.              green life.
          known for its collection of seven                                     As I walked into the footpath
          hills and the beautiful landscape   On this particular morning I made   through a farmland I saw a lady in
          which is part of the Rift Valley   up my mind to finally walk the dis-  front of me going towards the same
          system.                            tance to Ngong Hills. Even though   direction I was going. I walked up
          Ngong Hills is in Kajiado County,   Ngong Hills is a tourism site where   to her to ask for directions and she




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