Time for a Road Trip -Our Weekend Away

David’s time on the neurosurgery service was primarily Monday to Friday which left us the weekends for visits to the countryside. Our driver, Kirui, offered suggestions and he happily drove us to several well-known sights.

We spent an afternoon in Kitali, a town NW of Eldoret, where they have a well-known nature conservancy dedicated to plants, trees and deformed animals. It reminded me of a “Ripleys Believe it or Not” but at least there was consolation in knowing, that the bull with 2 heads, the cow with 3 eyes and the goats without forelegs (not to mention countless hermaphrodites) were well-fed and grazing their lives away on the savanna. The gardens in this conservancy were picturesque, as were the old wooden bridges over streams, thatched roof meditation huts, and even a small boat begging for a quick paddle.

Kirui insisted we see a lush and green part of the Rift Valley so unlike Eldoret, which has a landscape of dust and red clay. He drove us to the Kerio Valley, about 30 miles east of Eldoret. The thin ribbon of water at the very bottom of the valley is the Kerio river, where we saw crocodiles sunning themselves on the hot sandy banks. Steep rocky cliffs line the sinuous route of the canyon, carved out over millions of years by the river. We planned this volunteer medical trip to avoid the rainy season: Kenya has 2 a year, April to May and October to December. During that time, the canyon is flooded to the very top, roads turn to mud and pot-holes become small ponds. A delightful restaurant at the summit, Hotel Kerio Vista, lived up to its “Vista” name and also offered grilled cheese sandwiches, a welcome alternative to the typical Kenyan fare of rice / beans / kelp.

Kenyans are well-known for long distance running, having dominated both the Olympics and the NYC Marathon for decades. The high altitude of Eten, 34 km. east of Eldoret, at 7,500 ft. makes it a perfect place for training. Located at the crest of the Kerio Valley and far removed from the lumbering camions in Eldoret, it guarantees quiet roads and challenging hills. We visited a high-altitude training camp run by Lornah Kiplagat, one of the most successful Kenyan women runners of all time. Foreign athletes often stay for long periods of time, but it is also open to tourists for $33 per person a night, which includes 3 organic meals daily, personal coaching, 5-lane lap pool, physical therapy and massage. The atmosphere is unpretentious and jocular, as winners and wannabees mingle and watch track and field meets on a large screen TV in the clubhouse.

Who could resist a visit to the equator... a chance to be on the opposite side of the hemisphere and still hold hands with your loved one? A photo-op, for sure, as well as an opportunity for entrepreneurship, as locals ply their way along Latitude 0, selling “Certificates of Authenticity”. So, who needs a piece of paper? We knew where we were - I was here...and David was... a hemisphere away!