March 23 From Julie
Hiking up Wanale

Another goal accomplished. Mbale (the town we live in) is nestle in several mountain ranges/ foothills. The most prominent being Wanale Ridge. In all the year I have been here I have never been to the top. So Jeremy and I ( along with a missionary friend and 3 of his boys) organized with a friend who lives on the mountain and off we went for a thrilling 6 hour trek. The beauty of the place was astounding... what I saw of it between my gasping! Jeremy and the other boys were like mountain goats hoping from rock to rock taking in all the sights. Jeremy counted 32 giant slugs and we adults enjoyed witnessing a migration of several types of predatory birds. The pictures show the last thing to do before reaching the top. I wasn't thrilled, ( I don't know maybe I'm fussy but I think a ladder should have at least a few nails or maybe tied together with some rope...not the case here) but didn't want to look like a wimp. Plus right before our group climbed a women with a baby on her back, carrying 8 or so logs, climbed up with one hand. I made it ( with Jeremy's encouragement that he'd come down and help me if I needed it... yikes come down?... I don't think so)with knees shaking and a cheer from the rest of the group. If I had known then that going up was much easier then traversing the steep, narrow, wet paths down maybe I wouldn't have gone up in the first place. It wasn't Kilimanjaro, but an accomplishment none the less and with the way my feet and legs feel today, I don't think I'll be trying anything else for quite some time.