drive from Embu and Meru has some breath taking scenery.
, we turn to the mountain, climbing higher up the slopes. country side is picturesque, with a green carpet tea plantations, coffee bushes and trees, macadamia. The air is fresh tantalizingly. From the main road, it is difficult to imagine that there is a fertile farm far up Mt Kenya.
rivers
, flowing from the slopes, crystal clear cool water gushing out of the woods, strip the farm and the plains. It is Rupingazi. In the vicinity of indigenous forests, trout farm is set Nyanjara River Water Association, not only generating revenue venture to raise the standard of living, but also to save the remaining forests of the mountain.
It is a holistic approach to managing ecosystems. trout must have a clean, fast flowing water to survive. High above the fish and tea farms, old trees line the skyline. Elephants sometimes stray from the forest, because the farm wedge its way higher up.
mega-sponge forests
But it is these old trees that act as a mega-pad, providing a clean, fresh water. It is therefore in the best interest of the community to take care of forests. I've found a story book in Kiswahili is based on the elephant and the farmer and the problems they must deal with in the end, the farmer realizes that the elephant also need space to live, and that cutting down trees is not the user nobody. In a broader context, it all boils down to good management. Further down the road on our way to Chogoria, ribbon of water falling catches my eye. It is so nice that we stopped to ask some people on the street is called.
"This waterfall is called Ina. Sometimes the white man's farm" are the answer.
We decline. We have three days to go round the mountain to show a writer from Washington, DC community projects. We are on day two, and hopefully he will see the mountain peaks of God today.
the production of electricity
Again, we turn to the mountain to Chogoria to see micro-electricity project called Baarani, amalgamations two villages it will light, and Baraimu Mpiani. Chogoria is said to be the most picturesque route to the peaks. I can not believe it.
At the beginning, we only hear the sound of water. We walk down the slope to the dam, and then a few steps away, a wonderful waterfall gushes over rocks owing to an accident at the bottom and continue your way down the mountain. This is the Mara River, which forms the border between South and Meru Central. River water to help people to light the house up there instead of wax or burning wood for fuel.
Again, the water from the Mount Kenya forest and no power flowing rivers, the turbines would not work. One of the members is John, a licensed guide to Mount Kenya. He can not remember how many times he scaled the mountain. "It's easy to get to the point Lenana. It takes only four days,"he says. "This is the third mountain top. But Batian is where you need technical skills." This is the highest peak on the 17 058 meters, followed by Nelion, just a few feet below.
Giant Lobelias and raffia
Back to the main road, we go to Meru, home of the Meru people. road from Embu and Meru is full of picturesque drive, bends and twists, and a wide bridge over the yawning, provided the country with a hydro-electric power. Elegant raffia tree growing by the banks, leaves, reputed to be the largest in the plant kingdom, sweeping the sky. By the time we get to the size, it's raining hard. After a cup of tea, we decided to drive to Nanyuki before darkness falls. If we had time, I'd like to spend several days at Meru National Park, about an hour and a half drive from the city. path that leads from the Meru is bordered old forest, filled with a known solid oak Meru.
Bordering dry and rugged North
We drive around the shoulder of the mountain where the crossroads of the northern dry land turns. In the soft light on the end, the hills, Laikipia and Samburu meld into a peaceful hues of blues, creating a wave to the sky line. It never ceases to amaze me how the landscape can change dramatically from lush farms and forests to dry scrub and dry river sand.
starts to climb the mountain road, past team with rich pasture land and all the sheep mowing the grass. the mountain was shrouded in clouds. If the sky was clear this would be the best area to see the towering peaks of the mountains. No show. Day two was turning to night, and our guest did not see the peaks.
Community Tourism
Community tourism initiatives are interesting. This is a great way to meet people, discover their country and enjoy the country side. This is a young industry and a break from the traditional tourist settings. Partner organizations here of the local community in the management and conservation of protected websites using natural resources in a sustainable way
There are camps all around, but if you would rather put in a clean motel motels as Embu, Kenya to start discovering the beaten track. Mt Kenya is the world's cultural heritage.
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