Day 11

Our walk today is up to 3845m. We were up at 6.30 after a really cosy night. We needed to be packed ready for breakfast at 7.30, so got the beds cleared into the bags by the time Manas appeared at the tent flap with bowls of hot water for washing. Breakfast is ugali, the local maize porridge, which is pretty good with some brown sugar to jazz it up. Then we were offered omelette and sausage and a load of toast and jam/honey. I declined the sausage, but the omelette on a slice of toast was very tasty. More tea, too. A bag of lunch was given to both and we stowed them in our rucksacks, before setting off at 8. Today Hashim is being the pace setter. We are going 'pole pole' (ie. very slowly), and it is much better than our start, yesterday. Alan follows me, following Hashim. We stop for water after about 3/4 hr, but continue on as before, passing from forest into heathland. Such a change as we walk through 6m high erica arboria with helychrysums growing in large colourful clumps underneath and the occasional splash of colour from red wild gladioli. At 11.15 we stop for lunch. I'm not greatly taken with the chicken, and Alan finds his is not cooked properly. So its just the cheese and tomato butties and a hard boiled egg. Half-time oranges are tasty, too, as is the mango juice and a little bun. As we sit there, the white necked crows advance on us and we rattle a stick at them to make them retreat. There are also very cute 4 striped mice, that dash at breakneck speed between the bushes. We are climbing all the time to cross the ridge. Slog slowly onwards and upwards; we stopped to rescue a beautiful chameleon from the middle of the path, there are plenty of heavy boots on the way that could squash him. As I pick him up gently, he curls his little tail around my little finger and hangs on with his tiny claws spiking my other fingers. I set him down at the edge of the path where he will be safer. Then we spot a lammergeyer. Not a common bird, but known in these parts. Really a classy vulture, it soars like an eagle above us. We also saw the giant lobelia in flower with sunbirds not far away; and what may have been the popcorn cassias. Amazingly we are at Shira camp by 13.10, tired, but not as exhausted as day 1. The same drill as yesterday - set up the tent, a bite of lunch, a relaxing afternoon, before an earlyish dinner of soup, soggy spag bol all of which would have fed a family of eight! This camp has a special doorless latrine. Actually, it has a door, but it has completely come away from the rest of the wooden box around the hole in the ground. I take my hat to indicate the loo is occupied, then sidle in the space where the door is propped up against the front! Hmm! Whatever next? We retire quite early as tomorrow we walk up passed the Lava Tower which is at 4600m approx.