A Walk to Remember

 Kimberly may kill me for this, but it is too good of a story to keep to myself.  

Ignoring all of her advice, I decided to go exploring today.  Chiimba was at the Home of Hope, the kids were in school, my micro-lending program is on autopilot, and I had already seen the World Cup that was on tv.  Although it is fun to see Argentina thump Greece, it was time I got out and "learn Africa on my own".

I left Chiimba's house (where I am staying) at roughly 9:00am.  I had seen some paths by the High School and decided to look around a little.  I planned to walk for a half hour and turn back if things got confusing, so as not to get lost.  I walked.  And walked.  And walked.  The amazing thing about Africa is the uniqueness of its nature.  Every little thing caught my attention.  At one point, I was surrounded by 15 white butterflies.  The beauty was outstanding.  I could not turn back.  I kept telling myself, "Ill go back once I see what is around the next turn".  After a good hour, the path intersected with a road.  So I had no choice but to turn back and go home.  

For those who know me personally, you will know that I do not pay a lot of attention to where I am going.   So as I was backing back, I realized I as a little lost.

  After 15 minutes of searching for the right path, I realized I was more than a little lost.  After 30 minute, I was pretty lost.  I walked down every path I could find searching for something that I recognized.  All this did was further disorient me, so I had no idea in what direction I should be walking.  I decided to go to the road, pick a direction and walk.  

Only a couple minutes into the new leg of my adventure, a truck passed me and pulled over.  I recognized the driver as someone I had talked to in Nyadire and he offered to drive me back to the mission.  I was saved!!!

Not really.

The driver was not going to Nyadire, so he decided to let me off my the Nyadiri River and show me the path that would lead me back to Nyadire.  For those who have been to Nyadire, you will probably know, I was nowhere near Nyadire.  Not even a little close.  I had seen some maps of the region and knew that I had quite a walk ahead of me.

That turned out to me an understatement.

I walked.  And walked.  And walked.  And walked.  And walked.  For what seemed like hours, I hiked past small hut villages, crossed the river, climbed hills and forged my way through elephant grass.  And kept walking.  And walking. And walking.

For everyone that goes to Nyadire, you need to walk from the river back to town.  It is the most magnificent walk you will ever take.  This walk is EXACTLY like Ordon Village from Zelda.  It was scary similar.  Everything, from the huts, to the river, to the suspension bridge, is the

 same.   Yes.  suspension bridge.  Crazy, old, rickity, swaying suspension bridge.  Luckily, it was made of metal, but not good metal though.  Parts of the bridge had rusted through and you have to avoid the hole as you walk across it.  The bridge gapped a the river that I previously mentioned and was pretty high up.  It was a sesationalal mix of emotions as I walked, a couple hundred feet above the river, across this swaying old bridge while humming the Indiana Jones   theme song.  I wasn't sure if i should be scared or thrilled, so I went with both.

I eventually got back to Nyadire, at 1:30 in the afternoon.  Not too shabby.  Only four hours over what I expected.