chasingKIMBIA episode #7 - "A Trip to the Valley"
chasingKIMBIA episode #7 - "A Trip to the Valley"
Show Notes:
- Our first of several trips to the valley - probably one of the best experiences of the trip thus far. "The Valley" refers to the Rift Valley. Iten sits at 8,000 feet and drops down to the valley floor at 3,000 feet. From Iten looking eastward, the valley show more...
spans about 50 miles. I'm ball-parking this figure, but it did take us about an hour to cross the valley and start our ascent up the other side. Either way, the view from Iten looking across the valley is one of the most spectacular views anywhere in the world. No picture or video clip will ever do it justice.
- When we left Iten it was 70 degrees with no humidity. You could literally feel the air warm up and become more moist as we descended into the valley.
- The drive is also spectacular. A single switchback road provides an adrenaline-filled ride with all sorts of strange and beautiful sightings. A waterfall, which must drop several hundred feet, spills over the edge of the escarpment from above. Around a bend Godfrey slams on the brakes, bringing us all to attention. The culprit? A group of cows just lying in the roadway. Godfrey beeps and they slowly disperse. Further up the road we see a large group of children, each wearing the same school uniform, running down the road. They're headed to gym class. Termite hills, at least eight feet tall, grow up from the more barren landscape. After only 30 minutes of driving, I feel like we've completely left Iten behind. I experience new colors, new smells, new people, and new landscapes.
- The first stop was to pick up makaa (ma-caw), a special charcoal that Mama Kibett will use for cooking at the camp. When burning, makaa has a very pungent smell. It's not like the charcoal we have in the States. Sometimes in the morning if the weather is cold or damp, the guys will light a pot of makaa and sit around it to stay warm before the workout. Of course, to us, 50 degree is warm.
- The further into the valley the road descends, the fewer signs of human life you see. As Godfrey slowed the car along the road, I looked to my left. There, resting against a tree was one large white sack of makaa. "This is it," Godfrey proclaimed. I figured we just took the bag and left some money or something. But as soon as the car doors opened, three older men appeared from behind a large rock. After exchanging some swahili with Godfrey, during which the only word I caught was "tatu" (taw-too), the men disappeared for a brief moment, only to return with two more bags of makaa, making three (tatu) all together.
- It took two men to lift and carry the bags to the back of the truck. The charcoal left a black dust everywhere.
- After the last bag of makaa was loaded into the truck, Tom asked the men about Black Mambas, one of the 10 deadliest snakes in the world. Jamie was especially interested, having recently watched a show about said snakes. He knew all the details - "They're actually grey." "They're the fastest snake in the world." "They will attack unprovoked."
- He knew way too much.
- Sadly, the men recently lost a neighbor to a Black Mamba attack. (Watch this video to see just how fast a Black Mamba moves.) The neighbor was working in the garden and the snake was resting underneath some brush. One strike and 30 minutes was all it took.
- Tom was also interested in crocodiles, after Godfrey led him on a failed Croc hunting mission the year prior. Tom was starting to doubt that crocodiles lived down here in the valley, but the gentlemen cleared up those doubts. They even invited us back down for a little expedition. We politely turned them down.
- With our makaa in tow, we headed to the fruit stand. As we approached the fruit area, we saw another car pull off the side of the road. The women mobbed the car, pushing plastic bags of bananas, oranges, mangoes, and papayas through any open they could find. It was mayhem.
- Thankfully Godfrey knows the women very well. He makes a trip to this fruit stand every few weeks to load up on fresh fruit for the athletes.
- I say "stand" but it's really a series of stands, maybe 15 in all. Each woman has her own stand. She shows up in the morning with her fruit and competes with the other 14 women to sell fruit. I never figured out if the women picked the fruit themselves, but my guess is that they enlisted the help of their family to gather the fruit. Then they hauled it by hand, probably on their heads, to the stand. I can't imagine them making more than maybe $10 a day. Maybe less.
- Godfrey is smart. He buys a little bit from every woman. That way they don't crowd the car AND he keeps them all happy. So, instead of the chaotic, in your face "buy my fruit" selling process, Godfrey takes his time walking down the row of kiosks.
- He introduces us to many of the women by name. In the video, you see he calls one of them Mama Lady. I don't remember if I explained this yet, but a woman, once she has had a child, is referred to as Mama X. X is usually the name of her first born male. So Godfrey's mother, for example, is known as Mama Godfrey. Godfrey didn't know the woman's name, so Mama Lady was considered a polite way to introduce her. Men are known as Papa or Baba X. Again, Godfrey's father would be called Baba Godfrey.
- We stayed at the fruit stand for well over an hour. One of the Mamas kept cutting us fresh papayas and mangoes. It was so tasty. The fruit definitely tastes slightly different here, especially the mangoes. The bananas are shorter, but much sweeter than the ones we get in the U.S. Of course, a day wouldn't be complete without me worrying about some killer bacteria. The Mama would wash the fruit with water out of a jug and also wash her knife with the water. I'm sure the water wasn't bottles and certainly not boiled. In fact, it probably came from the stream that flowed nearby. But the fruit was so damn tasty I didn't mind.
- The ladies seemed to take a special liking to Bob. He is, after all, the elder of the group and elders are very highly respected. If only they had seen him jumping with the Masai.
- When we returned to the camp, the guys were very happy to receive the fruit. Fruit is a staple of their diet, especially after a hard workout. Last year in Boulder, we always took a container of watermelon and bananas in the car. As soon as the workout ended, the guys would eat a hearty portion of fruit with plenty of water. Here, because the runs end so close to the camp, we don't take the fruit in the car, but once the guys are back to the house, someone cuts up a few papayas and mangoes. Fresh fruit and chai in the backyard - you can't even imagine how wonderful it is...
- The music in this video is by the late and legendary South African pop star, Brenda Fassie. As usual, the intro music is from Millis Pride.
To learn more, visit chasingKIMBIA.com.
chasingKIMBIA.com is a blogumentary documenting the lifestyle and training of some of the world's best marathon runners. Season One provided an unprecedented vantage point of the highs and lows of professional running as seven athletes prepared for the Chicago and New York City marathons. Season Two brings even more excitement and deeper coverage to the sport as we travel to the training camp in Iten, Kenya where the athletes are preparing for the Boston, London, and Rotterdam marathons. This is your backstage pass. Follow the journey at www.chasingkimbia.com.show less...
- When we left Iten it was 70 degrees with no humidity. You could literally feel the air warm up and become more moist as we descended into the valley.
- The drive is also spectacular. A single switchback road provides an adrenaline-filled ride with all sorts of strange and beautiful sightings. A waterfall, which must drop several hundred feet, spills over the edge of the escarpment from above. Around a bend Godfrey slams on the brakes, bringing us all to attention. The culprit? A group of cows just lying in the roadway. Godfrey beeps and they slowly disperse. Further up the road we see a large group of children, each wearing the same school uniform, running down the road. They're headed to gym class. Termite hills, at least eight feet tall, grow up from the more barren landscape. After only 30 minutes of driving, I feel like we've completely left Iten behind. I experience new colors, new smells, new people, and new landscapes.
- The first stop was to pick up makaa (ma-caw), a special charcoal that Mama Kibett will use for cooking at the camp. When burning, makaa has a very pungent smell. It's not like the charcoal we have in the States. Sometimes in the morning if the weather is cold or damp, the guys will light a pot of makaa and sit around it to stay warm before the workout. Of course, to us, 50 degree is warm.
- The further into the valley the road descends, the fewer signs of human life you see. As Godfrey slowed the car along the road, I looked to my left. There, resting against a tree was one large white sack of makaa. "This is it," Godfrey proclaimed. I figured we just took the bag and left some money or something. But as soon as the car doors opened, three older men appeared from behind a large rock. After exchanging some swahili with Godfrey, during which the only word I caught was "tatu" (taw-too), the men disappeared for a brief moment, only to return with two more bags of makaa, making three (tatu) all together.
- It took two men to lift and carry the bags to the back of the truck. The charcoal left a black dust everywhere.
- After the last bag of makaa was loaded into the truck, Tom asked the men about Black Mambas, one of the 10 deadliest snakes in the world. Jamie was especially interested, having recently watched a show about said snakes. He knew all the details - "They're actually grey." "They're the fastest snake in the world." "They will attack unprovoked."
- He knew way too much.
- Sadly, the men recently lost a neighbor to a Black Mamba attack. (Watch this video to see just how fast a Black Mamba moves.) The neighbor was working in the garden and the snake was resting underneath some brush. One strike and 30 minutes was all it took.
- Tom was also interested in crocodiles, after Godfrey led him on a failed Croc hunting mission the year prior. Tom was starting to doubt that crocodiles lived down here in the valley, but the gentlemen cleared up those doubts. They even invited us back down for a little expedition. We politely turned them down.
- With our makaa in tow, we headed to the fruit stand. As we approached the fruit area, we saw another car pull off the side of the road. The women mobbed the car, pushing plastic bags of bananas, oranges, mangoes, and papayas through any open they could find. It was mayhem.
- Thankfully Godfrey knows the women very well. He makes a trip to this fruit stand every few weeks to load up on fresh fruit for the athletes.
- I say "stand" but it's really a series of stands, maybe 15 in all. Each woman has her own stand. She shows up in the morning with her fruit and competes with the other 14 women to sell fruit. I never figured out if the women picked the fruit themselves, but my guess is that they enlisted the help of their family to gather the fruit. Then they hauled it by hand, probably on their heads, to the stand. I can't imagine them making more than maybe $10 a day. Maybe less.
- Godfrey is smart. He buys a little bit from every woman. That way they don't crowd the car AND he keeps them all happy. So, instead of the chaotic, in your face "buy my fruit" selling process, Godfrey takes his time walking down the row of kiosks.
- He introduces us to many of the women by name. In the video, you see he calls one of them Mama Lady. I don't remember if I explained this yet, but a woman, once she has had a child, is referred to as Mama X. X is usually the name of her first born male. So Godfrey's mother, for example, is known as Mama Godfrey. Godfrey didn't know the woman's name, so Mama Lady was considered a polite way to introduce her. Men are known as Papa or Baba X. Again, Godfrey's father would be called Baba Godfrey.
- We stayed at the fruit stand for well over an hour. One of the Mamas kept cutting us fresh papayas and mangoes. It was so tasty. The fruit definitely tastes slightly different here, especially the mangoes. The bananas are shorter, but much sweeter than the ones we get in the U.S. Of course, a day wouldn't be complete without me worrying about some killer bacteria. The Mama would wash the fruit with water out of a jug and also wash her knife with the water. I'm sure the water wasn't bottles and certainly not boiled. In fact, it probably came from the stream that flowed nearby. But the fruit was so damn tasty I didn't mind.
- The ladies seemed to take a special liking to Bob. He is, after all, the elder of the group and elders are very highly respected. If only they had seen him jumping with the Masai.
- When we returned to the camp, the guys were very happy to receive the fruit. Fruit is a staple of their diet, especially after a hard workout. Last year in Boulder, we always took a container of watermelon and bananas in the car. As soon as the workout ended, the guys would eat a hearty portion of fruit with plenty of water. Here, because the runs end so close to the camp, we don't take the fruit in the car, but once the guys are back to the house, someone cuts up a few papayas and mangoes. Fresh fruit and chai in the backyard - you can't even imagine how wonderful it is...
- The music in this video is by the late and legendary South African pop star, Brenda Fassie. As usual, the intro music is from Millis Pride.
To learn more, visit chasingKIMBIA.com.
chasingKIMBIA.com is a blogumentary documenting the lifestyle and training of some of the world's best marathon runners. Season One provided an unprecedented vantage point of the highs and lows of professional running as seven athletes prepared for the Chicago and New York City marathons. Season Two brings even more excitement and deeper coverage to the sport as we travel to the training camp in Iten, Kenya where the athletes are preparing for the Boston, London, and Rotterdam marathons. This is your backstage pass. Follow the journey at www.chasingkimbia.com.show less...
