GYPSY JOHNSONS: BONDING.....ON A 7 HOUR HIKE!

11 and 14 years old and not getting any younger. Of course, if we were to ask the boys "do you guys want to hike for 7 hours in rain and mud" I believe the answer would have been....."uh not really" But we delivered it this way"let's go on a nice family hike to the worlds 2nd largest BOILING LAKE" Yea sounds great!!!

Well, I must say I was impressed with them. Loads of very vertical ups, scaling down into a valley, walking thru rivers and more. They ask you to hire a guide as the hike gets a little "thin" at times. But we decided to go it alone! Not too bad....a few "sketchy" bits but nothing too dangerous. The boys did GREAT and loved every minute of it! Of course, seeing the massive Boiling Lake was absolutely breathtaking and the hot pools on the way back were incredibly relaxing, but all the chats and laughing along the way were the icing on the cake. When do you ever get 7 full hours of uninterrupted conversation? And believe me, there are days when I am only with them for 30 min, and I am about to "kill them" So this was simply a true bonding moment. Those moments you imagine in your head as parents that everything is going to be so peaceful and great. Yet tend to go the other way...if you know what I mean=) So you take it when you can.....even if it is 7 hrs hiking, pouring rain, and full of mud!