Day 5

The day begun a bit earlier than the ones before. We ate at 8 and left at 8.30. We were going to one of the local mountain rainforests called Ngangao.

We didn’t go to the forest alone though. Most of the students in the Canon Kituri school hadn’t seen or visited the forest before so 40 of the school’s students came with us. This altered our schedule for a little because we had to wait at the school for some time.

The ride up the mountine went relatively fast. Unfortunately the bus couldn’t climb the last stretch, because of the rough and streep terrain, so we had to walk for the rest of the road. This gave us some more time to talk with the local students. They were as eager as us to see the rainforests and they took notes througout the trip.

Before we entered the forest we were introduced with the guards of the Ngangao forest. The two men told us a little about the forest. They mentioned some of the reasons why the forest is so important to the local population and to the world. The forest has many endemic species of flora and fauna ( meaning species that exist only there) that can only live in the forest's ecosystem. The forest also plays a part in capturing some of the moisture that would otherwise contribute to erosion.

Once we were about to enter the forest, the professor (at the research center in which we live) called Jouko told us a bit more about the forest and its unique ecosystem and species. Examples of the ecosystemservices are medicine, timber and ecotourism. He told us about the historical importance and usage of the forest as a source of lumber, as well as the importance of it now and in the future. He also explained how the biggest danger to the forest is the local population and their usage of the rainforests. After that he pointed out some of the endemic plants.

Then we moved further in to the forest. We first visited the largest tree in the forest. It was a local tree specie called Nelsonie. The guides estimated that the tree was about 200 years old.  

After that we moved to an another part of the forest. There we saw some of the trees that the british had brought there during the 19th century. The trees were good for lumber but got set on fire easily. We also saw some holes on the ground. They were made when the local people cut down the forest's large trees and needed space for sawing.

We made our way to an opening where we could see some of the scenery and local farms. Here Jouko tould us a bit more about the flamability of the forest. He also talked about how the forest collects moisture. We could see this in action when clouds passed through the mountain next to us.

Lastly we saw a cave in which the ancestors of the local population are led to have lived in. This was the last thing that we had time to see.

Then we went to a local farm. The farmer showed us around and told about his plants. The farm was very big and had a good structure. He also told us how much money he makes from the different plants.

After that we drove for half an hour and visited a skull cave. Basically a cave full of skulls. Then we went home and had dinner.