From Michael Farley:
We’re at Jasper Evans’ 40,000 acre ranch in the highlands of the Laikipia District (Photo from 2002, Jasper is the one on the left.) All of our logistics have worked out well. Steve Randolph and I arrived on August 13 and drove to the Baraka School near Nanyuki at the base of Mt. Kenya. I had to meet with people who are interested in subleasing the property from us. We drove back down to Nairobi on the 15th where we met Jeff James. Jeff had flown in from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he and his wife Hilary run an NGO which includes a medical clinic and an orphanage.

On Wednesday, Tim Cahill, the National Geographic Adventure writer arrived and we drove to Makindu to meet Diana Barron and Winnie Barron. On Thursday, there was a big celebration at the Children’s Centre. There was roasted goat and rice pilau for 120-130 people who were there. The kids put on plays, sang, danced, and read poetry for us. Local dignitaries gave speeches, and the guardians presented us with gifts. Everyone, especially us, had a wonderful time. We also visited the Makindu VCT- volunteer testing and counseling center, run by Kristina Grabbe. We were all impressed with the incredible staff and what they do at this HIV education, testing and counseling center.

The Sikh temple in Makindu, graciously allowed us to spend the night, and then yesterday, Friday, we drove about 8 hours back through Nairobi to the Baraka School where we spent the night. Today, Saturday, the 21st of August, we prepared for the walk, packed all our gear onto the Land Rover and drove about 3 hours to Ol Maisor, our great friend Jasper Evan’s ranch. Tomorrow at 6 a.m. we will journey by Land Rover for about 10-12 hours, over what pass for roads in this part of the world, to a small place called Ilaut. That is our jump off point, and we will start walking on Monday. Everyone is in good spirits and we’re all very excited about going.

August 27, 2004
Journal Entry
Somewhere south of the Koriana Plains, Northern Kenya

From Michael Farley:
We’ve been seeing goats, cows and camels herded all along the dry river bed. Herders are watering their animals in dugout wells (see 2002 walk photo looking down into a dug out well). Everyone’s fine and we’re all so appreciative of the support back in the states, and wish to thank the many people who have already donated in honor of the children of Makindu and this walk. We’re also appreciative of those who WILL be donating to our cause in honor of this walk.

From Winnie Barron:
We’ve been seeing young Samburu boys (one couldn’t have been more than 4 years old) deep into the dusty hot terrain herding goats and cattle, with no drinking water, no pack with food or “essentials”, no shoes, and perhaps only a konga slung onto their waists, smiling, looking curious and humored at the bizarre and total strangeness of us. They looked perfectly comfortable, while we’re sweating buckets, bright red, and probably looking close to miserable.

We woke up to find many quiet, friendly, yet intense stares of locals, who were squatting motionless on their haunches, or leaning on spears and walking sticks all around us within the camp, it was as if they had all gathered to watch an interesting movie, and there were even another seven or eight small children perched in a tree, just on the perimeter of our camp, totally intrigued and giggling at the sight of us.

All of us are enchanted and spellbound at the “singing wells”, where the villagers fill and pass up buckets from the hand dug well to fill watering troughs for their livestock (see photo of similar well and trough from 2002 walk) They sing as they do this with melodious, haunting, echoing chants with their motions all perfectly synchronized.

We’ve been having various competitions: Worst Joke (Michael), Most Annoying Song or Jingle (Tim, hands down), Largest Blister (so far it’s about a six-way tie) and Most Gruesome Green Slime Camel Spit. (they wouldn't repeat the joke, wouldn't sing the jingle and trust me, you don't want a picture of the blister or the camel spit!)

We’re all so glad to be here and involved in this effort to improve the lives of so many children. Of course it’s a way to have an incredible adventure while trying to help with the staggering challenges of life in Africa. For us, the discomforts and danger are temporary, but for the vast majority of Africans, there is no respite, little promise for the future, and no real hope. We’re very grateful to all the people back home for supporting the MCC kids and all the people we serve.

From Steve Randolph
The landscape has been stark and rough. We’ve walked around and between mountains, some with sheer cliffs and flat tops that are home to a hot, overgrazed land which is spotted by bits of color. The Desert Rose sports bright red flowers on a leafless shrub (see photo from 2002 walk) The most remarkable plant was what I think was a Night Lily, about a foot tall, the flower was a small round ball of red flowers that looked like a fireworks display for the ants and bugs below.

August 29, 2004
Journal Entry
Somewhere farther south of the Koriana Plains, Northern Kenya

From Winnie Barron:
We saw dikdiks, elephants, zebras, hyena tracks and gazelles tracks. We have looked for scorpions and snakes, although we haven’t looked THAT hard. We did see a HUGE cobra up at the Baraka School, but thus far no snakes or lions on this trip. Reportedly the hyenas pose a larger threat than the lions and other predators.

Each day we’ve encountered a few local Samburu, usually herding and grazing their goats, camels and cows. Often we see small children, just mesmerized as we walk by. Very few of the locals speak any Swahili or English, so we generally greet them with a Samburu hello and often only get a giggle for a response. They will often just sit and stand quietly next to us, watching us closely, intrigued and curious. It’s been lovely to see them, although we are just awestruck at their lives, very isolated and detached from urban Kenyan civilization. Very few even know there is a president, a political system and laws in place, purportedly to their benefit. Functionally none of these things affect them. Politics, thankfully, is a foreign concept for them, as they live their days on, amidst, and conjoined with the land. This also means that none of the “free” governmental services or provisions ever reach a vast number of the Kenyans. The nearest medical clinic may be a 2-3 day walk away, and schools are few and far between. Supplies are either nonexistent or minimal.

We saw a teenage boy today deep within the meadows doing his adulthood “rite of passage” and wondered if encountering a herd of “wazungus” (white foreigners) was part of the expected challenges he was meant to experience and process.

Now just to be fair to Michael, he swears that his record of “Worst Joke” has been far surpassed by several others but amidst this group, it’s a really tough call.

The days have been clear and hot, averaging between 95-100 degrees, but with much more shade and water than our last walk in 2002 through the Suguta Valley (just to the west, but at a much lower elevation). The evenings have been comfortable with tremendous stars and the incredible crisp air transmitting with incredible clarity the animal noises so distinctive to Africa.

So far we’ve walked 110 miles (177 kilometers), not as far as we might have hoped, but every step has been for the children of Makindu. There have been no major problems, other than the parasitic trypanosomiasis striking the camels. We’ve had only annoying and uncomfortable ailments thus far. Thankfully nothing serious or concerning has happened. We feel very secure and comfortable with our guides, Amanda and Roger, who are both absolutely extraordinary with so much history and information to impart and great company to offer. The five young men of both the Samburu and Turkana tribes helping to lead the camels are great. They’re amiable and friendly and know these trails and paths very well.

We’re sorry we couldn’t give everyone a daily journal update, but with no way to recharge the satellite phone, we’re now limited by the charge remaining. For more stories about our trek and our adventures, as well as pictures, everyone can tune into Tim Cahill’s upcoming article in National Geographic Adventure magazine.

August 31, 2004
Journal Entry
Somewhere even farther south of the Koriana Plains, Northern Kenya

From Winnie Barron:
After a long and hot day yesterday trudging through deep sand and rocky water crossings (who would have thought we would have a relative plethora of water after experiencing the ever-dry Saguta Valley on the last trek!), today we had vistas upon gorgeous vistas. We climbed atop a mountain and our trail curled between many lush green rolling hills. There were many friendly Samburu youngsters and villagers along the way, and an ole "mzee" (respectful term for elderly man... appropos here for anything over 40 years old!), who showed us a more gentle passageway and ascent for the camels. Even so, one camel steadfastly refused to climb up, and we left him with another mzee at his "boma" (homestead) atop the mountain. This elder was so amazed to see us, that he kept laughing and saying "AIEEEE!!! AI, AI, AI!!!; he kept giggling in astonishment, and soon we were all laughing along with him.

Once we crested the top (approximately 6,000 ft elevation), there were pools and pools of water amidst volcanic rocks ,and even a beautiful waterfall. It was spectacular. The sounds of distant cows with wooden clanging bells around their necks, and the lilting songs of the children herding the livestock were filtering through the air. They were singing and chanting these lyrical verses back and forth, and the affect was simply spellbinding.

We saw many baboons yesterday, gazelles today, two different types of zebras (one type almost extinct), warthogs, Oryx, impala, and even one stately giraffe. The diversity of topography, foliage and wildlife on this trip is strikingly different from our last walk, and the infusion of local people along the way a lovely addition.

Everyone on the team is healthy and strong. Tim Cahill was kicked by a grumpy camel, but he reacted quickly and rolled out of the way, and was only surprised and bruised. Thus far, no major calamities, although Michael did get some of Jasper's super duper chili sauce in his eye, which had him crying for awhile!

I keep thinking of our kids in Makindu, and wonder what they would think of all we have seen and encountered on this trek. Everything with all of its diversity, still fits so beautifully and naturally together in this place. There is a cohesiveness and symmetry, despite all of the inherent dangers and challenges. It is reminiscent of the lives of our MCC kids, and the life of a child in Africa. Like everything natural in Africa, a special resiliency develops in order to survive. There is also another factor that our kids now have provided by MCC, which is hope. It is this hope, and the belief in one's own potential which can be truly transformational. Somehow, despite the rigors and challenges, these people prevail.

More later, once our satellite phone gets charged, or upon the completion of the trip... only two more days left, to complete our goal of 250 km.