Into the Wild - Ngong Hills.

What would you do if you had enough money and didn't have to worry about making more?'
I have those kind of friends who ask such questions in the most random ways, the ones that love to think about life and it's meaning on a deeper level. Ever thought about that? If not, you probably should. More like what's your identity aside from family, work or the pursuit of your career?

I equally have friends who are not intrigued even to the smallest degree with such questions.So don't worry if this first part made you cringe a little, read on!

Practically, it's almost impossible to have enough money and consequently stop working, but thinking about such a possibility helps you know what your hobbies are, really.

The past 3 years or so, I have been on an involuntary self-awareness journey. I found myself in a mental space where I yearned to learn more about myself, everything about this girl. In retrospect, this journey was inspired by a very rough season in my life - 2019 and 2020 - motherhood and loss.

 When the heavy tides subsided and I experienced a little calmness for the first time in a long time, I wanted to relearn my whole identity. And the one thing that has been consistent in bringing me solace is nature - something about being out there feeds my soul and lets my adventurous spirit wander freely.

In 2023 when I came to Nairobi after completing my university studies, I really wanted to hike Ngong' hills. It's one of those hiking sites for amateur hikers, or so I thought - like most people, including those who are not into hiking that much, have been to Ngong' hills. And hike lovers have been there more than once.I had heard about it so much so I badly wanted to set my feet there.

 I never got to go there last year, so I made a promise to myself that I was going to make it happen on my birthday, it's all I wanted for this year's birthday.

13th January came and I  was ready and excited to have one of the things in my bucket list done. My birthday is on 15th but it fell on a Monday this year, so this was to be a pre-birthday hike. I woke up to a chilly weather, it was drizzling even, but my will power is something else - I only give up when the only option left is giving up. So I got ready and left. From Rongai, I took a matatu to Kiserian and then another one to Ngong' town. The drizzling continued and then it  started to rain as we got closer to Ngong', it's crazy that I was still hopeful even at this point.

Just as I alighted from the PSV, the downpour got heavier. I sheltered outside some Mpesa shop and engaged the guy who was in there. I asked him if I could, by any chance, hike Ngong' hills that day and of course he said no, then went on to give some advice on the same. That's when I gave up. My hike mate for the day, a homie I hadn't sesn in a long time, was coming from a different place. I gave him a call and we cancelled the hike, he was just about to leave Nairobi. We agreed to see each other some other time.

 I stood there for some minutes just watching the raindrops fall on the rails I was standing next to, I watched my shoes get wet.I love rain, so I was having mixed feelings. Once I was done bringing myself to acceptance, I decided to go see one of my girlfriends because I just couldn't go back home - consoling my broken heart, huh!

Not so many weeks later, on 1st March, I was back in Ngong' town. This time not to commemorate anything but to just go uphill with a man I was talking to, we don't talk anymore if that sounds a lil cute, oops!
Just like me, Mike loved adventures. We were supposed to go to Suswa via SGR that weekend but we didn't know that you're supposed to book your ticket way earlier.When he asked me where else I wished us to go, I chose the hills.

We got to Ngong' town, had some snacks and then took a bodaboda to the base of the hiking route, or rather to the gate entrance - Ksh 150 per person. It's quite a distance so you have to save energy for the actual hike.

 
Here are the 7 basics you need to know about hiking Ngong' hills based on my experience:
-You pay a fee of roughly Ksh 250 via e-citizen and you are given a receipt which you're supposed to keep just in case any situation that requires you to have it arises. 

-Directions: From the gate entrance there is a specific path (murram road) that you follow to get to the base of the hills.Just keep left, you should pass by the power station on your right and then go straight ahead, no major turns. The wining windmills will also guide you.
I heard that there are different routes uphill though.

-Hiking all the 7 hills on an average pace takes roughly 5hours - to and fro. Rest time included. It's advisable to be back downhill before 6pm for safety purposes, so be on time.

-If any part of your skin is sensitive to UV rays, have some sunscreen with you, SPF 30+. I paid dearly for not using it. Actually, everyone should use sunscreen, even if you have never had sunburns before.

-Don't wear shorts. My hike mate was rocking nice shorts until some insects gave us a rough time in the bushy areas. They'd bite and leave his skin stinging. It's so funny thinking about it now.

-Carry enough water to stay hydrated throughout the hike and for any emergencies - there were high schoolers hiking with us and one of them fainted on their way back. Her teachers were so desperate to cool her temperatures down but they didn't have water, we helped with the little we had.

- Depending on your eating habits when hiking, carry the snacks you will need. A bar of chocolate and a number of glucose sachets were sufficient for us. We had a heavy meal later that evening.

We had conversations about a variety of things while making our strides up and down the beautiful hills. From the hills is a vast view of settlements - an escarpment that slopes away out of sight right beneath you. Everytime I stood at the edges to stare at the spectacular
views, I would get intrusive thoughts looking at the steep terrain upclose.

Mike was the kind of guy to hold your hand up sloppy areas without you asking. He said, 'You are doing great,' everytime I paused to take a deep breath. He got genuinely concerned when I tripped, even when it was clear that I didn't get hurt.He took good pictures of me when I wanted some, which means a lot for a photogenic girl like me. He let me have the last piece of our chocolate bar, which is a lot when you are uphill with nowhere to buy some more.Ouh and he bought me this souvenir just before we started going uphill:

I occasionally stared at it during our hike and he realized how much I liked it so he got me another one after the hike.

He was great company, so much that for all those hours, I didn't worry about anything that wasn't going right in my life at that time,my mind was still.All that mattered was him, the scenic hills and my presence.When that realization hit me once we were back downhill, I wanted to bottle it up so I could always have access to it.

Hiking Ngong' Hills confirmed just how much of a hobby hiking is, to me. I am planning to hike a lot once I am financially stable. I hope I get a job that is not way too demanding for this  reason. I want to meet my tribe and explore this world with them. I want to go up mountains, that's partly why I am so intentional about staying fit.I get thrilled just thinking about the adventures that await, insha'Allah!

For some reason, these rocky pictures always remind of that song by Mitchell Tenpenny - Bucket List. You should listen to that masterpiece.

From where my best friend and her sister live, we have a very nice view of Ngong Hills. So everytime I am headed 'home' or when I am at the rooftop of their apartment watching sunset, I look at the distant hills and I think about the footprints I left there.The wining windmills remind me of how the cool breeze felt on my hair and skin, and I am taken back to March 1st, nostalgia at its best!

Your mind can be a beautiful place to be in, go out there and make memories, Amigo!🌹