From the Holy Mountain to the Grotto...

Saturday, May 1st,
Oh Holy Mountain, what a sight. We started the day at Obudu with a quick breakfast (piece of sweet bread) and started our hike with Emmanuel, our guide. First part was easy down a road for a bit, then a turn off down dirt roads and trails past Waterfall view. On our way past the waterfall, you could see sheep and cattle grazing on distant hills, a verdant oasis.

But past this the trail led upto Holy Mountain. Imagine the letters U and J now turn the letter U upside down and put it over the J. The top of the J would be Holy Mountain and the mountain ranges would surround it. Holy Mountain is completely bare except for grass and two small mounds of rocks. Upon close inspection, you find the mounds conceal small holes or caves. They were bunkers were locals used to hide in we were told. So the mountain was a refuge like in the Psalms 94:22. UU says they could be just local stories. But the peacefullness of the peak could not be denied. As we started our descent, a huge cloud came in from the West and slowly covered the entire area. I commented that God wanted his peak back. From the top, we could see into Cameroon. Earlier I had asked our guide how far Cameroon was and he replied 3 hours away......, paused then added by foot. We asked if we could be taken by the Grotto but without having to backtrack. Our guide assured us he knew a shortcut and proceeded to take us down a path no one seemed to have been down in several years. I said to my friend Elise, "we're four-wheeling now!" Only thing missing was a machete. Down and up, down and up over several ridges, once pausing as Emmanuel jumped two feet in the air as I saw a black snake cross our path. It was a spitting Cobra we were told, not poisonous but nasty bite he said. When I look up them up online, they're not as harmless as he described. At the Grotto, the gate was locked so instead of waiting for our guide to run back and forth for a key, we climbed over it, all five feet of it with barbwire to the sides. Below was a relaxing little waterfall similar to what one might find in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. A small pool at the end for swimming seemed inviting but I just washed the mud off my legs from the hike and soaked my feet. Enjoyed a short break and took out my last loaf of sweet bread, broke it and shared it with Emmanuel. Just imagine, I had just come down from the Holy Mountain and now I was breaking bread with Emmanuel in the Grotto.

After that, it was a short hike back to the hotel, a short lunch and word was we had missed the tram for the day. Utiang was insistent that we take the tram so we've extended our stay another day. So here we stand, Sunday afternoon, hanging in the lounge waiting for the morning fog to burn off so we can take the tram.



Sorry just had to stop to visit with a passing elder from a neighboring village named Shagga. White haired man with long nails, white braids and a staff blessing us as he passed.We politely asked permission for a picture to which he graciously acquiesced.

The hotel is surrounded by many tiny villages and at any time of day or night, random people wander through. They are not chased off, they are treated with respect. I will try another attempt at an upload of pictures. They are often interrupted by random  power or wifi issues.
Wait till you see the sunset......