Part V: Where to Visit?

Where to visit? Local Farms
A tour to the local farms is an interesting way to meet local people who continue to live on subsistence farming. They have wonderful things growing such as bananas, mangoes, corn, beans, sweet potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes. The people keep cows and goats, chickens and sheep. We visited farms in the Kirinyaga District and in particular Kerogoya, Kamugunda and Kiamwathi where Njeri’s maternal and paternal grandparents still live, and where her family still own a farm on the foot of the Mt. Kenya.

Tea and Coffee Farms

The most interesting thing that we saw were Tea and Coffee.

Coffee is considered a cash crop. Farmers grow this to sell. At the same time they grow their regular food like Maize (corn), Beans, Pumpkin and Sweet potatoes. Mango trees and Avacado trees can be seen in the background of this picture.

Who can imagine that tea looks so beautiful?

Tea grows in bushes, that stand to about the knee.

The bushes grow meshed together. They create luscious green carpet spread out over the land. In each bush there are several branches that develop into a “two leaves and bud” . This is what is picked to make the best tea in the world. We had fun picking tea and throwing it over our heads into a large basket.

Coffee on the other hand grows in trees that grow taller than 6 ft. These trees were towering over our heads, but we could still see and reach for the coffee that grows as little green beans. When they turn red they are read to pick and take to the factory.

We had a chance to walk in the coffee and tea gardens while enjoying the wonderful fresh Mt. Kenya breeze and listening to the sound of river water dashing down below. Fresh springs in this area are abundant and can be a source of clean fresh mountain drinking water! Yuhoo!

Coming next! What to eat?

To take the Wright Safari for you! email: mysafari@wrightsafaris.com