We also took a little walk around the area. I saw these pretty cool parakeets and planned to take a major hike the next day. The next day we set off on our hike with a few bottles of water, cameras, and a couple of oranges. Andrew was quite the guide. He knows an incredible amount about the different trees and wildlife. It was really interesting. Anyways, after a while, we started to hear a strange barking noise. Andrew informed us that the noises we heard were baboons. We all decided that it would be a really good idea to head towards the baboons. All of a sudden Natalie yells out to us, “I see them!” No way! I have a bit of trouble seeing them because I wasn't wearing my glasses and I had to search for them through a 200mm telephoto lens on my camera. I managed to get a couple pictures before they scurried off though.
Of course, at that point we decide, let's climb the mountain and follow them! So I have to say, right now I am in the middle of reading The Lord of the Rings, and our journey totally reminded me of it the whole way. First we had to wade through this ridiculous high straw which was well over our heads. This continued most of the way up a large hill which was full of large rocks. It was pretty slow going. Eventually we made it up to the top after a bit of rock climbing. The baboons were long gone, but we did manage to see them again on a distant cliff. They were clearly watching us. Andrew and the baboons did a bit of communicating through barking at this point. It was pretty funny. They were barking back and forth as if they were really talking. We found a cool rock wall which had these amazing holes and things in it that made for perfect and easy rock climbing. I was pretty pumped about it, as I'd recently read through a few Outside magazines. It really was amazing and even Natalie seemed to enjoy it. I couldn't help but think that this could potentially be a great new hobby. Andrew informed us that the cliff was clearly formed by running water and surely if we continued on, we would come to a waterfall and hopefully it doesn't run through the cliffs so we can see it. This seemed like a pretty good idea, so we walked along the cliffs until finally, we heard the sound of running water. It wasn't much, but it was definitely a waterfall.
The types of trees there were really cool too. They had these huge root systems which hung into the water. We hung out at the waterfall for a while and had a bit of snacks and cooled off some. After some time, we decided we would try a different route back. We thought it would be a good idea to follow the waterfall down to the ground again. We should be able to rock climb down...I mean...we've been climbing up and down rocks all day. It should be no problem. We came to a point where we were forced to climb up and there was a little bit in the beginning that was steeper than vertical. This posed two problems. One, we couldn't see above the overhang, so we weren't really sure how far we had to climb, and two, once we got over the overhang, you were pretty much committed to keep on climbing. Natalie told me that she would do it if I would do it. With that, I decided to go first. I managed to make it over what seemed like would be the hardest point without too much trouble. Unfortunately, a couple steps up, I grabbed onto a rock and started to pull myself and realized that it was loose. This definitely freaked me out. I pulled the rock off and tossed it over my shoulder where it smashed into a thousand pieces far below. Unfortunately, I realized that this was a pretty bad idea because at that point I realized how high up I was and what was going to happen if/when I fell. I started to freak out and shake a bit uncontrollably. I know the chances of me actually falling were probably pretty slim, but at that point, I seriously considered the fact that I may be climbing to my death. It was then that I realized that Natalie was about to climb up to my point. I told Natalie and Andrew that I was having second thoughts about this route (actually I think I said I was totally fucking scared out of my mind). We all agreed that I should climb back down. Easier said than done. Basically, my plan was to crouch down, get the best hand grips I could and swing down with Andrew guiding one of my feet to a spot where I could place my feet. Of course, moments before the actual “swinging” took place, I started to chicken out. It was at this same moment that my hands started to slip and I realized, I've got about 5 seconds until I fall down, so I better drop down now. The swinging didn't really take place, but luckily Andrew more or less caught me and I thanked him profusely. At that point I said that we are turning around and going exactly the same way that we arrived. Eventually, we made it back and I shouted out “Eureka!”, which I never say (or think), but for some reason it felt appropriate at the time.
Anyways, that night we finally bought the chickens for the chicken coop. Two males and two females. They are pretty interesting. It's so weird that chickens go completely calm when you hold them by the feet. Also, their legs are really warm and fuzzy. I always imagined them to be cold and scaly.
That night we looked at the stars, you have never seen so many stars in your life. I learned quite a few constellations from an old Boy Scout manual that Andrew had around. I also decided that instead of rock climbing, my new hobby could be astronomy.
In 2008, Natalie received her MA in Sociology from SIU-E. She is currently working as a health education agent. After Peace Corps, she would like to pursue her dream of a doctorate. In 2007, Steve received his BS in Computer Science from SIU-E. He is an information technology specialist working with Radio Rurale - Kayes. As for his next adventure, well, he has over a year to figure it out.
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