The pathway was a very sensible one, in fact. It worked its way through the lowest point in the Kuru Hills around here and kept in the shade, for humans much more useful than being out in the open and having the burden to climb extra altitude. For us it was nothing short of frustrating. There was not even a good view on the west side through those trees. We stopped just where the trail dropped steeply away again and again all we had in front of us was the canopy of some very large trees. We decided to have some lunch before we headed back. We had carried up some baguettes we had bought from a local shop in Fintonia, and was using up a couple of tins of corned beef and tuna from Freetown; we had also purchased some tomatoes from a woman on the road side. With our drinks it was a humble but enjoyable meal – made wonderful by being immersed in the forest and the feat of the climb.
We stumbled our way back down the pathway; apart from the noise of the chimps, we had seen little wildlife. It is often the way when you walk about in the middle of the day. I’d observed hundreds of different plants, and marvelled at the huge buttress trees that clung to the sides of the escarpment, some with knobbly spines, others with silky smooth bark.
Wonderful bark – but watch where you put your hands
When I Went To 