After struggling with our now disorganized luggage, we managed to get everything packed together so that we could take it with us. We would rearrange it later that evening. A large standard breakfast would satisfy us for most of the rest of the day as we moved on to Hells gate. This would be a morning stop on our way to Masai Mara.
This would be another walking experience for Dusty and I and we would be guided by an actual Masai tribesman. He could actually be described as a warrior as he told us later that he had killed a lion when he was younger, which I believe qualifies anyone in my eyes as a warrior. Our guide’s name was Joseph, and he was dressed in the uniform of a Ranger and he was carrying a backpack. Dusty and I would walk on the trails through Hell's Gate with Joseph as Isaiah would follow after us with the van.
The early morning light was what photographers call the magic hour. The beautiful glow on the rock formations and wild animals strolling freely all around us created a surreal and timeless wonderland. At the devils tower, which is a rock formation that people choose to climb for whatever reason people choose to climb rocks we stopped for a bit. There was a rock hyrax, which looks a lot like a woodchuck running around. More interesting to me than climbing and damned rock.
I saw Joseph taking off his shirt I looked away, not knowing what was actually going on. Soon I saw that he had changed from his rangers outfit to the full bright red Maasai native outfit but still carrying his cell phone. And with that we carried on our stroll through nature with him narrating as we went.
He told us that his father, who was 99-years-old, would be having a celebration tomorrow and that he and his many many siblings would be paying tribute to him. My understanding was that his father has four wives, and that Joseph is the youngest of all the siblings. On more than one occasion I heard about the longevity of the Maasai.
We probably walked a couple of miles and saw lots of wildlife. There were zebra, buffalo, and more. I took pictures of beautiful rock formations in the early morning sun and Joseph took some of the standard tourist pictures of Dusty and I. At one point we stood facing a distant stone wall and Joseph yelled out to the wall and it yelled back.
It was recommended that we board the van and go to the other end of the Hells gate national park for a visit to the gorge, probably about three or 4 miles later we came to a spot where we could park at the top of the gorge where there was steam rising from the thermal activity below ground that was being harnessed to produce energy. Things went a little bit sideways when we asked if it was an easy walk Joseph responded that it was not a difficult walk at all.
Shortly after leaving the parking area we were climbing up and down trails that a mountain goat would have found challenging. They were hard for me and nearly impossible for Dusty. But with the help of Joseph and myself, Dusty made it down the gorge to some of the Hot Springs and then back up. When he asked if we would like to continue on in the gorge, we voted for returning to the van and getting back to the van and on with our trip to Masai Mara.
Joseph seems quite young. His dad is 99?