Day 9: Sigoti Hills
Arriving
After a three hour driving adventure up and down hills and across unpaved roads, we arrived, once again at the overlook of Sigoti Hills. From here, you can see for miles, revealing the expanse of Lake Victoria and the cities that lie below. This, however, was not the reason for our visit to this spot. Our purpose was to visit the holy springs located below. Due to swelling in her ankles from pregnancy, Sharon decided to stay in the car while we trekked down.
Pilgrims flock from all over the world, etching there names in the rock, collecting the water that springs forth, and praying as they look out into the beauty of nature. Walking down from the overlook to the cave of the holy springs, we passed curious villagers carrying water on their head, walking up the mountain, or enjoying some family time. The kind people here seem to be overcome by joy with a simple, “Hi. How are you?” to which the answer is always, “Fine.” Hiking loose rocks, admiring banana trees, and listening to the sounds of life bring a vastness to the experience.
Ant Stream
Along the way, I found the longest consistent stream of ants I have ever seen in my life. There must have been tens of thousands of ants passings in what looked like a black stream of bodies over the couple of minutes that I was watching. With close inspection, one could see that many of the ants were of a relatively small size, but one in every one hundred or so were much larger (approximately 5x larger). The scene is reminiscent of people in major cities flowing along the streets in an orchestration as bosses and authorities (the few, big ants) regulate the flow.
At the Holy Springs
There were women sitting under the overhanging rock, close to where the holy water is flows. With an exchange of a smile to the women enjoying the holy site, Davis and I then went on to experience the water ourselves and fill a water bottle with the flowing water. After spending a few minutes enjoying the blessed site, we continued back up to the overlook to get in the car and continue on to Davis’ adoptive parents’ home.
Visit to Davis’ Adoptive Parents
After thirty minutes more of up and down travel along unpaved roads, we arrived at a parking spot to walk up the hills to Davis’ adoptive parents home. The walk takes about fifteen minutes and works along a STEEP grade. (Cool side story in reference to the first trip to Kenya: The first time I visited here, our matatu driver attempted to drive all the way up this 30+ degree face and made it!…once he told us to get out to lighten the load! You can learn more about this trip here: http://blog.playbeautifulsoccer.net/kenya.html). Arriving at the top, there is a collection of four houses, each of traditional design, one of which was Davis and Sharon’s house as it is customary to build a house on your family’s property when you are grown. The area was alive with chickens of various sizes, a rooster, three dogs, and cows.
As we walked into the house at the top (the house of Davis’ adoptive parents), Davis’ father and mother came in to welcome us. The mud house with a dirt floor was a great opportunity for Davis, who had experienced slum life in the city. The “Old Man” as Davis calls him, recognized me from my previous two journeys to Sigoti Hills with Davis, smiling and shaking my hand. After some time, food was brought into the room by another woman. Incredibly fresh chicken was prepared in a tomato-based sauce. A mountain of rice, greens, chapati, and beef were also offered. Davis later told me that two of the chickens that were there were from a donation that we had provided early last year, and that these two chickens had allowed for many more chicks to be born. Judging by the freshness and incredible flavor of the chicken on the plate, the chicken had been killed and prepared very shortly before the meal was served.
After the meal, Davis welcomed me into the kitchen, which consisted of various hot pots on heating elements at ground level and a few women sitting on the ground tending the pots. Chicks chirped away and chickens ran around, this nursery with the vibrance of new life. A few larger chickens tended to the chicks. The large chickens were, of course, also laying eggs, which served as a consistent food source for the family. Davis told me that his family loves when we visit them in the Sigoti Hills because they get to eat meat and a nice meal with the few dollars worth of resource we pass along to assist in the cost of making the food.
A veteranarian, who is a neighbor in his late seventies or early eighties, walking with a cane, was visiting to help the cows. He introduced himself and invited me to his home just a bit down the way next time that I am in Sigoti Hills. We spent some time enjoying the beauty weather, scenery, and people before heading back to Manyatta.
