Elephant Hill Hike #MtKenyaChallenge2017

The #MtKenyaChallenge2017 started to take shape after Nathan and Kenton Hills, people start evaluating whether climbing Mt Kenya is something they want to pursue or let go, Elephant hill was what was going to tell you if your body was ready for a thrashing. I confirm the second time, after all I promised myself to take up on all challenges and take up all opportunities that pass my way this year. It is better to look back and say you tried something and it didn’t work out than think how you were too scared to even try, comfort zone is an ass…

Elephant Hill
Photo credits: @mackel9

The Mountain Gear Checklist is provided to all of us who were interested, and boy oh boy when I went to Nairobi Sportshouse it was costing a small fortune, my friend and colleague, Chris would joke I did not need to break a bank, I needed two banks to get all the gear! I created wishlists which I would cross out whenever I got cash. The beauty of Xtrym is they informed us where to get gear at affordable rates. For the frugal like me we were given Gikomba and Toi market options. We had a Gikomba date and I hopped in on the first call, last minute purchases have left me high and dry before and I would rather have enough time to weigh my options, I know you are seeing the planner in me STOP. In Gikomba we spent half day there and got much of our gear at 1/8 of the price, it was unbelievable. I got most of my gear and whatever remained was a few items that I could get from Chris of Tembo wear or Toi. Before I forget, if you do not know what to look for, Chris is your guy, he has everything you need under one roof.

Elephant hill stands at 3600m above sea level and this was what would tell you if you were ready or not for the #MtKenyaChallenge2017. Here is where you would get to dance with altitude sickness, the stories we were told were just scary. So we needed to have atleast our shoes and rainproof gear ready for this one.

The meeting time was 5.30am so I assumed we would leave at 6.00am in the morning as always, as my boss always says assumption makes an ass of you and me haha. I assumed bad. I had stayed up until 2 am which was not an excuse so when I leave the house at that 5.30 I get a call 15 minutes later from Duncan asking me where I am, I tell him Muthaiga he says I should have been there at 5.30am, utawachwa Kel tu. I laugh a nervous laugh because I have been stranded several times but on different and unrelated occasions. Anyway I make it 5 minutes to six on the nick of time just as the bus was about to leave. I board and find my seat next to Brian the Magician (I will explain this on a later post). As we talk he realizes I got late because I cannot leave the house without breakfast, he remembers he had packed his and shares his juice, free food fam fee food we don’t say no to free food, the coffee in my stomach has not settled and I add on that juice on top…

I fall asleep on our way to elephant hill, so to this day I cannot for the life of me tell you what direction it was. We arrive at the foot of the hill at around 8am, we had been given a target to make sure we summit the hill by 2pm. I have been praying hard for no rain for inasmuch I have the gear I do not find the idea of walking around drenched in mud very enticing.

The hill looks like an elephant and we are told that it is located on the migratory path for elephants and other wild animals and they had passed through about a week before we got there. We start at the rainforest which is pretty easy to walk through, next we go to bamboo where the steep climb begins. Geography classes come alive as we go alive as we cover more distance going up. We had been told that if we could not be able to make it to the point of despair by noon we would have to come back. The thought alone of not being able to finish was painful so I huffed and puffed panting like an overloaded donkey on that hill. The Flora changes beautifully the higher you go, I am in total awe and every so often I would stop look around and take it all in. It felt like therapy.

At approx 3300m asl at Elephant Hill. Beautiful panorama ey?
Photo credits: mackel9

Altitude sickness starts to hit at around 3300m asl Ivy gets affected and Dedan help out with her bags, we struggle slowly and finally we make to the summit of elephant hill, 3600m asl. It is 1.30pm and we take many pictures smiling which make Duncan mad, he feels we have cheated, the gods of favorable weather seem to be on our side and he wonders how, he wants a repeat, repeat HA! Never ever! Ask Floyd Mayweather if he would accept a repeat with Manny Pacquiao after he beat him… Not going to happen.

We have our lunch snacks and begin our descend, the toes bear the brunt of steep hill, they keep bumping the front of the shoe you just want to sit remove the shoes and throw them  away. I mean there were high school girls who we meet going up barefoot!!! Others were wearing bata ngomas. How do they manage that with those?!!! I have nothing but much respect for them.

When we get to the edge of the bamboo Ivy realizes she has dropped her phone. We stop and James our guide asks if we can go and start looking for it. I am beat but if she says yes we are going. She thinks for a moment and thinks through the hustle and decides it is too much work it can stay. Miriam offers her a phone until she gets hers as long as we don’t have to go back up. That is how gruesome the climb was. Luckily we meet Tsuma who works at KWS and he assures us that we would get it, since the hill is well secured.  With that assurance we continue our way down. Many a times Olive and I would wonder if we were on the right path because we never seemed to be getting back to the bus. After many many minutes maybe hours we got to the bus. Someone called Tsuma and told us that the schoolgirls we had met going up barefoot had found Ivy’s phone, what better news than that?

Elephant hill was real. Tick tock :-))))

A post shared by Mackel Tisa (@mackel9) on Mar 25, 2017 at 12:20pm PDT

//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js

We begin our journey back to Nairobi, I sleep most of the way, I hope I was not farting in my sleep, we had been told burping and farting help you alleviate altitude sickness, so you should not hold it in. We get to Nairobi some minutes to Seven, it was a good day. Third preparatory hike, check, the #MtKenyaChallenge2017 continued…

 

 

Kiima Kiu Hike #MtKenyaChallenge2017

The seed is planted

We were coming from the short Christmas break (do you wonder how before you go for a break, time appears to be a lot and you plan to move mountains during that period only for the reality to show you how it is never enough?). So where was I? Yes, we were coming back to the big bad city when my cousin, Cece told me of this group of people who organise regular hikes and that they had planned to climb Mt. Kenya in April. That piqued my interest and I wanted to know more about them. After two days of letting it percolate in my brain, I go to their Facebook page and there they had several preparatory hikes lined up for the #MtKenyaChallenge2017 in Easter of 2017. They however had a disclaimer this is not for first time hikers, you should have seen the sneer on my face, “my forefathers went to South Africa and back to trade and you are telling me I can’t climb a small hill? I’m going to to show you what I am made of”.

No First timers ey?

Quit playing let’s do this!

The D-day came and we had to meet at 5.30, if you got late you would be left behind I’m thinking, who are these guys, if only they knew I am an owl rather than an early bird. True to their words we were on the road and by 8 we had started our 9 hour hike. I would look at the hills we were set to conquer and think, “this will be a breeze in the pack”. The first two hours are fun and games, we are making new friends, chatting animatedly, taking selfies and all that, it is fun…

This mole hill looks easy to climb or is it?

Oh boy, what did you get yourself into?

The second part of the bike was now the real shit, doing down depressions and climbing steep slopes. A pattern starting coming out, people would talk during the descend but during the ascend, everyone was mum and everyone for themselves, probably wondering “what did you get yourself into?”. At some point during the climb I just stopped midway arms akimbo and wondered how I’m heaven I would finish the remaining 4 hours. My fellow first timers were the people I would fall back on, they had the grit, the most amazing people I got to interact with, P was on a goal to lose weight and Y had decided to stop procrastinating on her plans this year and climbing Mt Kenya was a good way to start. There were other amazing people who I also got chat with, one gent had done Mt. Kenya and Kilimanjaro and he felt that he had “over-prepared”, well let me over-prepare so that I can tell first timers that as well haha.

I got out alive!

We had been asked to carry three litres of water which I had carried two and was given o one extra litre. By midway I had finished all my allocation, thirst is real my friends in the scorching sun and you need to obey yours…

Too much heat can I swim here?

Well long story short, I finished, we all finished the hike. When I saw a cold Fanta I threw caution to the wind, I mean the calories wouldn’t cut all my gain that day would they? And I tell you as it went down my parched throat it felt like heaven, I will remember that soda that day, it quenched a thirsty man.

I didn’t die! Woohoo!

We made a resolve to start working out every week and right now we are on track. The next hike by xtrym adventures and safaris will find us prepared. Mt. Kenya; I am ready for you.

P.S. It’s my birthday today and I don’t know how I should be feeling… All gifts to my M-Pesa are welcome 😉

 

Its been six years! Happy Anniversary Mackel9's Blog

Happy 6th Anniversary to Mackel9’s Blog! It is now 6 years down this line of random stories from the experiences all around the world. I would like to thank all of you fam and a special mention goes to @Woolie he is never shy to leave a trail. That is not to leave out the ghost readers, I always see you in my stats, Thank you! 🙂

Happy 6th anniversary @mackel9‘sblog

 

R.A.P.E!

She was home alone

First year in college

She went to catch a movie in the living room

In her nightdress

Midway she fell asleep on the couch

He was her father’s friend

A family friend

They played with his children

He felt like family, well almost…

He got in and called out for her father

Nobody seemed to be in

He got to the living room and

Saw her nubile body breathing peacefully

He unzipped his trousers

Chocked her and threatened

Dare she scream

And she’d be dead

She couldn’t believe her eyes

This was a person she had trusted

All her life

How could he be doing this to her?

Why her?

Did she do something wrong?

Was God punishing her?

Was this the way she was going to lose her virginity?

Her dignity was destroyed!

The pain in her heart was deeper than the abbrasions caused by his zipper and penis to her privates and groin

When he was done with his deed he left without looking back

She sat up and sobbed uncontrollably

Why why why why is all she could mutter

But there was no voice giving the causes

She thought about taking her own life

What was the purpose of living? She didn’t know anymore

A month later she misses her periods

She visits her close friend

“I think I have missed my periods”

“Someone has been naughty”

She breaks down and cries

Her friend hugs her and probes to find out what is up.

She tells her the whole story

Whenever her father’s friend visits she feels like vomitting

And a lot of fear too

They go to the doctor and tell him

He asks if they have reported the matter to the police?

They say no

He tells them that they should… They still don’t

She is too scared since he has clout

They procure an abortion

And know that, this is a painful secret they have to keep every single minute they live

R.A.P.E

****

They had gone for a party

Everyone was making merry

He was too, but he was a teetotaler

She would be refilling his glass of juice whenever it was empty

He started feeling funny

He went to a wall and tried to support himself

She came over and asked how he was feeling

Not so well he said

She told him she’d show him where he could rest

She took him to a bedroom and his head was fuzzy and his heart seemed to be pumping faster than usual

He could feel his pants being removed

S…

St…

Stop!

They were now three different figures he could see

They had cuffed his hands on the bed

They would each take turns at him

When he told his friends what happened later

They laughed it off and told him how that was a man dream

Three women, a quadrasome

He felt humiliated but couldn’t keep on telling people

Because he never seemed to even get sympathy

People thought he was “lucky”

And wished they could get same “opportunity’

R.A.P.E.

****

He was too drunk after a night out of fun

He decided to remain in the tent as others went to the campfire

One of the guys offered to remain behind and keep watch

As the camp activities were going on, one of his boys decided to go back to the tent and grab a sweatshirt

He finds their friend who was left behind to keep watch over the drunk friend kissing him

He grabs him by the collar and gives him a few punches

He calls the other friends and they rain on him with blows and kicks

They however decide they are never going to tell their blacked out friend what went on jn that tent

N.E.A.R.L.Y R.A.P.E.D

****

She had gone to sleep over at a friend’s

As the weekend whiled on, more boys and girls dropped by

They brought with them drinks

Discussions became debates

From politics, economy to general life

When people started leaving she went to retire in the guest room

She was drunk but conscious

One of the guys who had remained behind slipped into her room

He started fondling her

She told him to stop

He though no means yes and yes means yes

Such flawed thinking

He went on and undressed her

And molested her

She was too drunk to fight back

She told her host in the morning

He did not believe her

How now? They had been boys since time

She had to carry her burden on her own

Getting STD tests, Post Exposure Prophylaxis and emergency contraception

But after that she developed trust issues

How could people you call friends treat you like such?

R.A.P.E.D

****

They were at a popular park

Time rushed past and soon it was dark

As they were leaving they were arrested by cops on patrol

They were told it was illegal to be in the park past 7.00pm

They pleaded and pleaded

On deaf ears their pleas fell

They made calls to their family and friends

The cops took them away from the station within the jurisdiction they were arrested

Their friends couldn’t find them

In the tiny cells the police officers had their way and let them go

On reporting, nothing seems to be happening

The process of seeking justice was made frustrating for them

They cannot walk alone in the dark any more

Parks are not places for picnics and fun anymore

R.A.P.E.D

 

Amref was E.X.C.I.T.I.N.G for me ☺😉

I have this interest in playing around with data, to bring out different scenarios and when an opportunity presented itself for a short course at Amref international training centre I broke my bank to join the program.

Happy cartoon green smiling frog jumping excited and spreading his arms and legs

Amref is the only place where I found exciting to be a reality and not a word put up in their generic value system and hang on a board at the reception. The people were always geared up pumped for action, it made me start looking inwards and asking myself is my life work balance as exciting as these guys and to be honest I think I would love to join amref. Even if it will mean me being deployed to some village in Turkana as long as it is exciting, I’m going to take it.

What is exciting to you? Is your life/ career exciting? Amref was exciting for me. It pumped some life into me. If I start talking about the people I will need a week to finish….

PS. If you know anyone who knows anyone who knows the recruiting manager at Amref holla so that I can prepare my “why I am the right candidate and fit pitch” 😉

 

Niaje babes si unipe hiyo namba?

Hello gang, how have you been? I know I haven’t had enough time to come here, I keep telling myself to stop with the laziness…
Now I was having a chat with a friend on something I have started noticing too. My friend was on her way to work when she sits next to a guy. After checking her out she started behaving funny and all fidgety to which my friend thought “pickpocket” and clutched her bag tightly. Our guys removed his phone and started texting then he started nudging her. She asks him what? He shows her the draft text “niaje babes si unipe hiyo namba? (loosely translated to hi there babes can I have your number?)”
She burst out laughing and said hell no, I mean he skipped all the norms of good manners. Starting with a hello, introduction etc etc and went straight for the kill. What did he take her for? Was this the new way of making new friends? Where you whip out your phone to text “niaje babes….?” and show it to a perfect stranger? Maybe he thought if she saw his fancy phone, her heart would melt and she would tell him “oh yes you can have my number, and my home address, I think I love you and I want to marry you already, we will have three babies and a four bedroom bungalow in the leafy suburbs….”

Source: The internet

Apparently that was the second time someone did that. They don’t talk to you, they nudge you and expect you to just go along with whatever little plan that is going through their little heads.   This made me ask around and I was dismayed yo learn it happens to even guys! Has texting and all this new technological advances changed how we should behave? Should we expect cocktail parties and networking events where people will only be showing their little phone screens to the other people around? Is that where we are going? Is that the future? Two people in the same room but you can only chat? Picture this
Wife: (via chat) There is a snake in the house
Husband (replies) Oh you mean the one sitting next to me?

 Have you encountered this new age madness? And what was your story? Hit me up on twitter @mackeltisa

 

Who I am and why I’m here

Hello there, are you there can you hear me?

So after a long time trying to balance time to update my diary and work and the rest of what I call my life now, I realised I hardly have enough time to write on this blog. And like that couple that has be so engrossed with life they forget each other until that day the children start leaving the nest for university and then it hits you, “we are actually a couple, how did it get to this, how did we get here?” I had my “I used to blog, my life was not this “too busy” how did I get here? I realised I needed to do something, and that something is joining blogging 101 courtesy of wordpress’ Blogging University.

So I am now doing my day one assignment, “who I am and why I am here“, Well it has been six years since I started a blog. I just wanted to write and tell stories, being an introvert, my stories don’t always strike a chord with everyone, so as they say I needed to find chickens of a feather to flock with. Oh crap, I didn’t introduce myself did I? Well, I am Mackel Tisa, I am random, like super random, I think life is too serious and tend to be drawn to people who are less serious, who can take a joke, and make me laugh even when they tell you the baddest stuff… I am wild at times but most I am the quiet guy at the corner watching watching what everyone else is doing.

Now on why I am here, well, it started with me just writing for the love of just letting myself out there in a mask. Then I met a friend who told me “oh, so you have a blog? do you know you can make crazy sums of money from working online?” I was like “oh, really!”. Show me how. They showed me a few tricks. Being the procrastinator I am, I tried them but not too wholeheartedly, after few months and my account had $0.50 I decided to leave “making money online to the pros” and continue telling my stories because maybe they make someone laugh or relate going by the feedback I get on twitter. Isn’t it funny that most of the people who also read my blog like being anonymous? They leave feedback everywhere else except my comment section.

Mackel Tisa tell us, what do you write about? I write about life and the experiences I go through and for those who have been following me through out the years might have noticed the transition from college, partying and binge drinking to more on love the the struggles in embracing it. I think I have never sat and thought, “who do I really want to read my blog” I however know who I wouldn’t want to read it….

What I want to achieve this year? I want to have more posts and more hits, yes the hits do matter. I hope that when I write I will get more people can identify with what I am writing and not alienate anyone….

Anything I left out? Please leave a comment 🙂

 

Affordable Lunch in Nairobi for the frugal (You and I)

It being Njaanuary (Njaa=Hunger + January), the cliché spend all money in December and wonder how January is such a long month continue over and over again. Well I will share some of the placed you can get affordable lunch in Nairobi that I patronize and you get to have a decent lunch on a budget. I know these places because I once tried fasting and nearly fainted by the end of the day, never tried that again. So here we go, before that, this list is biased to the places I have visited, please feel free to add your ka joint, so here we go:

1. Citi Gava

Located in the Nairobi CBD with a branch in Koinange street opposite Teleposta towers and another one on the junction of Haile Selassie Avenue and Parliament lane. I found this one five years ago and you can read more about it here.

2. City Market

If you like Nyama choma Fridays, like I do, then City Market is worth a try. It is located in the middle of the CBD along Koinange street. It is very Smoky and if your appetite is affected by such, you might want to give it a pass. If you order your nyama insist to wait for it to be cut and go with it inside, you will get a bigger share this way haha. Or like they say, hawatanyonga nyama…

 

3. KK Restaurant

This one is located on Bruce house in the CBD. It has the same setting as Citi Gava, it is a place you come eat and leave, because during lunch hour there will be dozens of people looking for sitting space.

4. Tamu Tamu

Located on 1^st floor Bandari Plaza in Westlands, is Tamu Tamu, these ones I discovered through my friend Chiry. They have buffet lunch for only 350 bob. So if you have someone you want to buy a decent affordable lunch, why not try Tamu Tamu when you are in Westlands…

 

5. Kwa Mama

Well this one is a Kibanda along Tausi Road. The reason I love this one is because of the chapatis, they serve their chapatis straight from the pan when they are crispy hot. The first days I would struggle with the hot Chapatis as my friend and lunch buddy Tony laughed at me, but with time I learned to take a bite into that crispy hot chapati and escort it quickly with matumbo stew… Here the prices average at 100 shillings and hardly go beyond 200. Make sure you go early as the guys who work around usually flock and fill the place by 1.15 pm.

6. Café Naivas

This one is right at the Westlands bus stop opposite Delta Towers. You can get to choose a variety of dishes from their deli and pay according to how much your appetite demands…

7. Njeri’s

This is another kibanda, located right next to KFC Westlands. You can’t miss it because of the smoke, we loved it because of the nyama choma. As we waited for the meat to be cut, Njeri’s meat guy, Gitau would keep giving us pieces and also passers-by. I think they give away a kilo of meat marketing every day. Then Njeri also has a tremendous derriere, on a low unmotivated day, stealing glances would brighten up afternoons hahaha. You will find 90% of the patrons at Njeri’s are male!

8. The Navigators

This one is hidden next to Top Plaza in Kilimani. They only serve lunch between 12.30pm and 2.00pm. They have predesigned meal plan for each day so you won’t get too much variety. The thing I love about navigators is the canopies, every time I go there I remember home and my grandfather and this calmness engulfs me. I always leave it happy. The average spend at Navigators is 150 shillings.

The view at navigators eating terrace

PS:

 I have not mentioned Uchumi and Java despite their sandwiches priced below 200 shillings because, I still do not consider bread as food, but rather a snack haha. Okay I’m done.

Where do you get your affordable lunch in Nairobi? Please do share 🙂