Hiking in the mountains, all right, on the big hill behind Juba

On Saturday we decided to hike up the "mountain" behind Juba, Rock City (don't ask me), we being a group of us from the UN camp, some of whom had been up to the top, some of whom, like me hadn't. Actually two of our German colleagues, Robert and Gerhard, are leaving on Friday so we've been on a week-long going away ceremony with them. I'll talk about Friday night's going away party next but first I want to talk about Saturday's hike. Its my blog and I'll tell it in any order I want. All right that was childish but I'm more excited about the hike than the party, parties are getting to be old hat around here.

We didn't get away until after 4 which ultimately meant that we couldn't get to the top and back down before dark, so we quit about half way up. Nonetheless the view was spectacular and we're going to try it again this week before Robert and Gerhard leave. I'm already thinking ahead to we Canadians' Contingent Meeting and Medal Parade in Oct. and thinking that we should do this hike as part of the festivities then. So anyway, this is the group that started out, minus the photographer, nine of us in all. Yes the adventurous Heba, who has become a fixture around here came along as well. I mean, I let her out of the container where I keep her locked during the day at her mom's request. The second photo is the view from about halfway up the mountain back towards Juba. The third photo is obviously me with my explorer hat on stopping for a drink of water on a rocky stretch, and the fourth is me again in my explorer hat showing how tall the grass was. Yes I was afraid of stepping on a snake, this picture gives you an idea how high I would have jumped if I would have stepped on a snake, I would easily have cleared the top of the grass.

The fourth picture is Michelle (Belgian, French charm without the arrogance), myself and Robert relaxing and commiserating afterward at Robert's container (I stayed in Robert's container while he was in Germany on leave early last month. I bought him a case of beer in gratitude and I'm his friend forever. Actually I organized his going away party on Friday night and he was really touch how it turned out. Those sentimental Germans! But more about that next...)