| The valley opens below. Cliffs and high
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| | This place is a find for camping nature
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| valleys stand in the midst of a sky
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| | lover groups. We are camping in this
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| pregnant with moisture. The rains are
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| | beautiful place surrounded by trees and
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| about to come. We stop at the Kerio
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| | open glades sandwiched between a
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| Tingwa Ecotourism camping site for a
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| | picturesque Nandi homestead and the river
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| stretch and to admire the beautiful
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| | overlooking a stone buff, all thanks to
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| landscape. We are on our way to Eldoret
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| | Mary, who has been researching in the
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| via the Eldama Ravine road and then to
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| | vicinity for six years. "Everybody keeps
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| Chepkiit waterfall.
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| | running to coast for their holidays. They
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| A map on the sign board points to the
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| | should come here for a once in a life
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| interesting features in the view. We can
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| | time camping experience," she says
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| see Tongwoto caves, Tingwa hills at 2,700
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| | vehemently. "You won't believe the number
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| meters and somewhere below are the
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| | of stunning places like these."
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| Kabilet waterfalls and Kerio River. At
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| | We lumbered early out of our camping gear
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| the next viewpoint, we can see the white
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| | and after the private bath in the rock
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| rug on the terrain of the Fluorspar
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| | pool and a leisurely breakfast, Mary gets
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| mines.
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| | us up on our feet again. This time, it's
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| It's nearly midnight and we are camping
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| | a walk to the Chepkiit waterfall. There
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| just off the turning from Biribiriet near
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| | is so much to see walking through the
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| Eldoret on the Eldoret-Kapsabet road .The
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| | glades of grass and forest, its like
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| night air is cold but stunningly
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| | being in a wonderland.
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| revitalizing. This is the ultimate forest
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| | The turacos awe us time and time again.
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| camping experience. The gurgle of the
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| | The harrier hawk, glides to perch on a
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| stream running at the bottom of the
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| | rock while the tiny leaf-loves and green
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| field, is inviting. The moon, hidden in
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| | doves fly about. Black and white casqued
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| the clouds, send a little light in the
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| | hornbills send noisy trumpets in flight
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| terrestrial grounds but our eyes have
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| | while the graceful crowned cranes spread
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| become accustomed to the darkness and we
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| | their feathers in elegant flight. There
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| are no longer daunted by it. Instead,
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| | is life everywhere .Even on the rocks "I
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| warmed by the camping fire, we are
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| | wonder what these are? "Mary asks as she
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| suddenly animated when somebody suggests
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| | kneels to gently touch the white
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| a midnight walk with Beryl to the rivers
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| | straw-like threads weaving a pattern on
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| edge in search of frogs! This may be my
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| | the rocks. I have no idea either. Silk
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| proverbial chance to kiss the frog and
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| | threads touch our bare faces as we walk
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| end up with prince charming, so I join
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| | the jungle part to the waterfall. Its
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| in.
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| | sound reaches us faintly and we step over
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| The trouble with frogs is that you get to
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| | a border to see this most amazing scene
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| see them more at night and so much of
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| | of giant rocks and water and through the
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| Beryl's field work is stalking the wilds
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| | wide split in the gorge, a forest
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| in the dark armed with torch and plastic
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| | stretching into the horizon.
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| bags to catch the jumping jacks.
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| | "This is Chepkiit waterfall," announces
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| We tread the grass softly so as not to
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| | Mary proudly. Everybody is bowled over
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| frighten the amphibians. Ringed by the
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| | and with a new lease to life; we explore
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| glow of the torch light, a tiny reed frog
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| | the vistas, moving from rock to rock as
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| tenderly perches on a thin grass. It's
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| | the water crashes down. This water will
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| quite a piece of art, this delicate
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| | flow on Yala swamp and finally into Lake
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| scene.' That's a reed frog," Beryl says
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| | Victoria.
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| as our torches beam on many more in the
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| | "The Nandi area is very rich in
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| shallow edges of Kipkeren River which
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| | bio-diversity," says Mary." There are
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| thunders over the nearby Chepkiit
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| | lots of places like these." What we need
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| waterfalls and onwards to Kingwal swamp.
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| | is to manage these places through
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| Many of the tiny water frogs are breeding
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| | researches that they are sufficiently
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| and their throat sacs are ballooned
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| | protected."
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| enormously to call out female mates. It's
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| | We visit the nearby homestead; Janet is
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| quite a busy little scene by the banks of
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| | busy with the usual house hold chores.
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| the river. In contrast, the bigger grass
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| | The sheep and goats have been let out,
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| frogs look quite monstrous and scary.
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| | the cows have had there morning drink at
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| "Frogs are a good indicator of a clean
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| | the river having to walk around the
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| environment "says Beryl." Any disturbance
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| | tents, and the cooking is going on.
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| of the water quality effects their
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| | Inside the kitchen, the hand-made stove
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| populations. "There is no long term
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| | is ablaze with the firewood, little
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| national data on the amphibians to
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| | escaping from the sides so as to make the
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| compare the state of the environment or
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| | most efficient use of the precious fuel.
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| the diversity of frogs. Beryl is one of
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| | Above are the calabashes, adding a dash
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| the few young Kenyan's studying frogs.
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| | of deco in the earth walled kitchen. The
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| It's amazing. In the light of the
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| | 'botet' or calabashes are used to store
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| following morning, where the scene was
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| | 'mursik' the traditional sour milk of the
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| busy the night before, there is not a
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| | Nandi. I buy a couple, not to store milk
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| single frog to be seen. I take a
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| | but as a small token of the place.
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| leisurely stroll to a secluded water pool
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| | For more information on the area, you can
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| surrounded by massive rocks for a morning
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| | email; Robert
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| bath. The water is cool, the early
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| | To explore more of the outdoors and
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| morning clean and pure and the sky is lit
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| | discover all that's wild, visit a local
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| with diverse colurs. The Ross'Turaco with
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| | operator for more information on camping
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| its bright scarlet under wing has
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| | tours. You get to explore places that are
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| everybody taken 'under its wing 'it's a
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| | off-the-beaten track with people who make
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| bird of the old forests and quite rare to
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| | every trip an unforgettable forest
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| many birders.
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| | camping event.
|
