Hiking and trekking for long distances usually have health benefits. It keeps someone fit almost all the time and reduces the risk of someone getting those lifestyle diseases. Obesity, name them. Is obesity a disease or a condition? It doesn’t matter though. Most of the Nairobi people especially those people living in the Mathare and Huruma region have developed the culture of trekking from town to their place of residence 7 km away covering 14km per day.
Let’s revisit the benefits of hiking, well, it is usually said, that a one-day hiking on the hill beats a full week of gym membership and even more days, but I’m not that sure though experts can make me understand. Maybe those people from Huruma really love keeping fit, I need not judge them. In fact no one needs to judge anyone everyone needs to live their life right?
I never liked the hiking thing, I never loved walking for long distances. I mean who does that? Kwani what’s the work of these matatus in the city of Nairobi? There was this incident that changed almost everything.
I never liked walking in the streets of Nairobi. I was just new in town and had been fed with the Nairobi stories of how it was very dangerous to walk in those streets. You’d never get me outside, yaani I made sure I was home before 7.00 pm hit the mark. It was just the same while I was still at home.
I won’t say that I feared the dark, well, it might be true but…No! That isn’t part of the story guys, let’s focus baana, I have great things for you (laughs a little bit). You know, they usually say “Heri shetani umjuaye…” Aiii! Does it really apply here ladies and gentlemen? Maybe, I don’t know, let’s not focus in that direction.
Well, I was just coming from school, passed through town to do some small small things in town. You see those activities we call “Shughuli haitakangi mbogi.” Well, that was it, ladies and gentlemen. I’m not gonna tell you what I was going to do there. Si we just focus with what has brought us here – hiking.
The problem usually came with getting the Umoja matatus. The Ronald Ngala street was really a hard nut to crack whenever it came to finding it. I had been shown another route to reach Umoja without much fracas. Yeah, going through Raunda Kariobangi. I’d sometimes get there and walk all the way to Umoja, it was just 2 and a half Kilometers from there if you used the shortcuts. At that time, Umoja matatus were calling, 80 bob! I had only 60 shillings in my pocket. I’d have wished to just board the matatu since time was not on my side but I had a very big problem.
My phone was completely off, I had nothing to do but just look for an alternative. Cling! An idea struck my mind. Wait, are you an android? Why do you say that? How do you get the sounds sir? Aaaah! Stop it buana, it is just an expression I’m using.
Don’t let these guys distract you. Let’s focus on what brought us here ladies and gentlemen.
My Own Hiking Experience
Where was I, ladies and gentlemen? Oh! I remember, well, I almost typed cling! again. OK, The Kariobangi matatus usually charged 50 shillings as their highest price. Why not use that, then the remaining 10 bob I buy some bananas and eat or rather Teleza nazo hadi Umoja. Heey! Stop beating around the bush. Sorry, Sir! Well, as I was moving around, I heard some conductors shouting, Raunda! Raunda! I asked one of them, How much? Chwani bro! I felt that, Yes, Lady luck was on my side that day.
I entered the matatu, took the back seat as usual and took a nap, I was very tired that day. Getting a 50 shillings matatu during rush hours is usually a very hard task. You know what? I managed to get one, that’ll take me to Kariobangi and still remain with some change. Isn’t God really wonderful?
Ahem! A slight cough woke me up from my nap. I handed out my 50 bob then headed back to sleep like nobody’s business. I was woken by the conductor after like 30 mins. “Mwisho, Mwisho!” I alighted the matatu only to be rudely shocked. How do we phrase the phrase, “..A rude shock” Can I use “akaachwa akiwa paralysed?” Just know I was shocked. What happened? Si you were going to Raunda? Shut up! Sorry sir.
Eeei, I had never seen this place in my life. I mean, is this place even in Nairobi County? I asked myself. Aiii, Raunda didn’t have this bypass, where was I? Why didn’t you ask you fool! Shut up! Can someone get this thing away from here?
Sorry for the rude interruption. I asked around, what’s this place? They told me, Raunda Tajmall. Oops! So all along there was more than one raunda and no one even bothered to tell me yayee. The other thing that now almost broke my heart was when he told me to board the vehicle to Kariobangi on the other side, It was only 50 shillings.
Fifty shillings! A whole 50 shillings and I only have 10 shillings. It was around 7.30 pm. I was torn between reaching home early, getting a matatu and walking aka hiking.
The walking thought won. It wasn’t as if I had a choice. I was still new in the city, I couldn’t trust anyone even myself. I hid my phone inside my boots. Yes, just a security measure and I started off walking slowly while looking down hoping for a miracle to happen. I was wishing I could pick some money on the ground so I can board a matatu home.
Waah, these days people can’t even drop a shilling. I walked slowly towards Raunda as I watched vehicles move past me. That was the day I was forced to hike for more than 10 kilometres, I arrived at my destination the following day at 1 am.
