One intriguing aspect of traveling through the desertlike landscape near north Kenya’s Ndoto Mountains was the opportunity it provided us to meet fellow travelers.
The travelers in this case there were not Western tourists, but young Rendille “warriors” (tribesmen who’ve been circumcised, but are not yet married) who live traditional nomadic lives in the northern Kenyan landscape.
John Kabuga, our Nairobi-based Kikuyu driver, loved offering rides to these young men as we made our way by Land Cruiser toward the isolated Ndoto Mountain town of Ngurunit. There, they joined their fellow Rendille warriors in the “singing wells” – watering holes dug into the otherwise dry riverbed – chanting rhythmically as they scooped and handed up buckets of water for the camel herds they’d accompanied for days.
These young men journeyed alongside their fellow warriors – a coming-of-age travel ritual practiced by their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers (and beyond) before them. One could sense both the duty and the excitement that came with these young men’s journey to the singing wells. It was fascinating to witness.
Note: “Dispatches” are short vignettes, profiles, and mini-essays written and posted from the road, often in tandem with my Instagram account. I don’t host a “comments” section, but I’m happy to hear your thoughts via my Contact page.
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