GREEN KENYA :: KAKAMEGA FOREST ::
on Alejandra Barahona (Kenya), 21/Mar/2011 08:25, 34 days ago
We were in serious need of some green and Kakamega Forest being the only tropical rain forest in Kenya was the best choice so once again we crossed the whole country to find ourselves in the middle of nowhere… only this time it was worth it…good 13 hours by train to Nairobi, then 9 hours by bus to Khayega (matatus are way faster but can't stand them anymore so took Easy Coach, more expensive and longer time but definitely the best choice), finally 30 minutes motorcycle ride, passed Isecheno and we were in the forest, very close to the Ugandan border. We booked four nights at KEEP Bandas, a community project that helps the forest through education within the community, tree planting and other things towards the protection of the forest.We were the only visitors for the whole week so the people at KEEP took very good care of us,specially Solomon, an intern doing his residency on turism. He cooked for us, stayed with us the whole week, taught us about snakes and butterflies found in the forest, took us to the market, showed us theclosest town, introduced us to the locals and even found a chameleon for us to see. On our way to the market we passed several tea plantations, Kenya is the world's third largest producer of tea after India and Sri Lanka, and the biggest exporter to Britain. A great part of what a century ago was Kakamega Forest is know covered in vast regimented swathes of tea bushes.So what to do in Kakamega forest? The forest is big, lots of walking trails and you can easily get lost so the smart thing to do is find a guide. Our guide was Abraham (recommended by Ricky), a very friendly guy who on our first day took us for a long walk all the way to the river and back. By long we really mean long, 7 hours walking through the forest learning about plants and spotting butterflies, Blue Monkeys, Red Tail Monkeys, White and black Colobus Monkeys, Hornbills and tons of other birds. On our way we also encountered a group of women coming from a long morning of searching for wood in the forest. Kakamega women are so far the strongest women we've ever met, they were carrying thin logs of about 5mt long and probably really heavy, just amazing! Next day we went to town with Marcini and Solomon. Marcini was so excited she took us to her parents house and introduced us to her mother and all her siblings, then we went to her house to meet his son and stopped at the market to meet her sister.Third day we decided to do a sunrise walk, also with Abraham who took us to the top of a mountain where he said was the best view point in that part of the forest. We started walking at 5am, it was still really dark and hoped to see a few nocturnal animals but no luck. When we finally go to the top of the mountain the sun was coming out but rainy season just started so it was really cloudy and foggy and we couldn't see anything but the fog over the forest gave a dramatic effect to our view so it was worthwhile anyway.Being in Kakamega was like being in Peten in Guatemala, vegetation everywhere, lively green and great smell of plants wherever you go. Animals are different though making Kakamega a different experience all together. We definitely  recommend Kakamega forest if you are tired of savannas and beaches in Kenya and if you just want peace and quiet for a few days.Check out the video for some action shots with a bit more close-ups and because we spent my sister's birthday in the forest we dedicate this video to her…just 'cause we know you love nature so much… love you lots little sis!Kakamega Forest Kenay - Bara+chinitasfromBara + ChinitasonVimeo.By the way, I've finished another zine "Kenyan Style" go to myillustration blogto browse through it and let me know what you think! Enjoy!