2/28/07 Gibb Farm

There was a bird walk scheduled this morning at 7 AM, Carolyn slept in. On the way over to the main building I saw a White-browed Robin Chat and a Pied Wagtail. On our walk we started down through the coffee shrubs and found Dik Dik droppings which looked like someone had spilled BB's on the ground. (did dik are the smallest deer here in Africa-pics later) We walked down into the valley to a small waterfall arriving around 8 AM, the time we were to be back for breakfast so we had a long uphill hike back and were about 30 minutes late.

After breakfast we hiked with a guide to the "elephant caves", about one mile mostly uphill. The trees along the path were colored brown up to 8-10 feet, evidence of the elephants rubbing against them. The caves were dug into the hill side by the elephants seeking the minerals the soil contained. they were up from a small stream which created thick mud near it. Some buffalo had become mired in the mud and died here. One "fresh" carcass and several sculls were in evidence. On the return trip we stopped at the top of a high waterfall. The guide held on to us as we peered over the edge. A different experience seeing a waterfall from the top instead of the bottom.

After lunch we took a nap until 3 PM and then traveled a short way to visit the Iraqw tribe, a tribe dedicated to preserving the old traditional ways. The leader, 62 year old Daniel had developed a unique system of combining cow dung, urine, and water to produce methane gas under pressure which was used to light and heat the house also used for the gas stove. They used a colman latern mantle to light the house and a regular gas stove. They had built an "under ground house" like they used prior to 1973 when the government destroyed them, making them live in "standard" homes. They liked their underground homes so they could protect their cattle which they brought into the home at night to keep the Maasi from stealing them. (The other tribe only came at night to steal) The first layer of plants they laid down on the roof before covering them with several layers of earth contained a natural insecticide Daniel took several of the leaves from the ceiling and ground them in his hand so we could smell the natural insecticide which was still active. The house having been built around 1992.

After the tour we visited their current home(cement block type) where they had crafts, carvings, and bead work done by Daniel's wife Elizabeth and other items the community had made for sale. We bought a beaded head band that Elizabeth had made and a Giraffe carving (see pic of the four of us)

This afternoon I took several pictures of the working farm buildings. They were making paving stones of several colors by pouring cement into iron molds. They were almost two feet square and were so heavy only one at a time could be transported by wheelbarrow. they were also making their own furniture to use in the new guest houses they were building, they looked very nice with large windows looking out over the valley.

Near the main house there is a small pond filled with reeds, and a Grosbeak Weaver was busy building houses in it. The male builds several houses to attract a mate and the natives said that if she didn't like one she tore it down.

It is cool here in the morning and evenings so that I needed to wear my sweater. It rained this afternoon for about one hour and cooled things down.