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