Africa, January 6 -21, 2012
Tanzania, Kilimanjaro and Safari
1-5-2012: Checked in at San Diego airport at 4:30am for a 6:30am
flight to Minneapolis, then to Amsterdam, to Moshi International Airport and
arriving at our hotel at 1:30am, bed by 3:30am on January 6th/7th.
(Day 1)
Day 2
Our first day in Africa was an introduction to rural town
life. Walked by springs and small rivers that fed the rice fields, towns, cows,
goats, people and also served as washing and bathing water. Frogs, many egrets
and other birds were in the fields, harvesting frogs and insects while farmers
planted rice. The small hamlets were surrounded by sun flowers and planed corn,
chickens, sometimes goats and very tidy, swept yards. Garbage was brought out
front towards the common pathway. Not sure who disposed of it and how. It
seemed to stay there. People were friendly and the children curious and sweet.
Our first guide’s name was Baragesh. Tanzania is deemed wealthy by African
standards, it even exports food. The only overweight people I saw were
government officials. I did not see much wealth or infrastructure. The only
supermarket in town (sparkled and was well stocked) was gate guarded with armed
guards. Schools are expensive and still
you see children walking miles to school in their uniforms. Hospitals are
almost non-existent. Many women and
children still die because no medical help is available. Parts of the parks and
Serengeti are overgrazed. The income from the fees for the parks is huge, yet
the population sees none of the funds. Operators and guides pay huge fees to
the park, but the funds are not used for the infrastructure. The funds,
according to the people we spoke to, are going to the politicians and their
families, who send their children to expensive schools in Europe and America. In
the university parking lot I spotted 4 cars. That’s all. School was in session.
Parents have to pay to send their children to school, even the public schools. 
Still it is more peaceful than other countries and with
Tanzania’s more than 500 different tribes and population groups it is a miracle
there has been peace for some 50 years since it was liberated from England.
People return waves and smiles and I felt comfortably safe
and welcome.
Day 3 Lemosho Route
Day 1 on the trail
Moshi to Lemosho
Glades to Mkubwa Camp:
Our duffel bags were protected by heavy, bright- yellow
plastic bags which also served as door mats throughout our ascent. Once they
were weighed and loaded, we were loaded into a tall truck which took us to the
trail head past the park’s entrance. When the ruts filled with muddy water were
big enough to swallow my Prius, the truck stopped and we debarked on our first
steps towards our goal, reaching the 19,430 foot summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro, or
Kili as they call the mountain here. The ride definitely counted as our first
adventure. Earlier, at the park entrance , a simple hut (with a Christmas
Tree) and two bath rooms, large shade trees and a big scale we lunched on the
lawn while the guides and porters carefully weighed and measured every porter’s
load. I liked that they were protected this way. Still, seeing them carry their
packs, our packs, chairs, tables, tents and all utensils needed to supply
shelter and food was amazing. I have the highest admiration for these very hard
working, young people. While carrying their burden they still offer their smile
with a “Jambo”, the local “hello”. 
Soon we were under the vast canopy of trees. St. John’s Wort
here is not a low growing herb, but a tree reaching up to 30 feet. Where- ever
sun touched the rain forest’s floor, flowers flourished, impatiens took the
front stage along the way. Ferns, moss and greens of every shade framed our
path. Sometimes muddy from rain and springs, sometimes just slippery. We
arrived just before dusk. Prepared for the next morning’s trek before a tasty
supper in our mess tent. It consisted of greens, boiled potatoes, vegetable
stew, fish and fruit. Our porters also had the two tent “outhouses” standing near
our tents, mats and the mess tent up before
we arrived. I was still tired from the two-day flight and the heat and was
thinking: “I wonder if I make it, I am exhausted!!! This was after walking from 6500 feet to 9000
feet at Mt. Mkubwa camp. (Big Tree)
Day 4
Day 2 on the trail
Mkubwa Camp to Shira
1 Camp,
(11,500 feet elevation, an about 5 hour hike.)
The howler monkeys woke us about 3 am, but I went back to
sleep until our wonderful helpers woke us with coffee and tea. Somehow the tea
tasted better at elevation, so it soon became habit. Tea in the morning and
with each meal, adding to our required, daily fluid intake. We left at 8 am
after a hearty breakfast of porridge, toast, eggs, fruit and jam.
At first it went slow, but the giant, magnificent trees
decorated with moss all over gave us shade from the heat and we soon were able
to trek at a more reasonable pace. Occasional howls of monkeys told we were not
the only mammals in the woods. When we came out of the rain forest into the open, heather moorlands it became hot
again. Every time we reached the summit of a ridge, there was another ridge
ahead of us. The porters as always “flying” past us. We had a short break at a
stream, admired flowers, birds and the
forests of heather and protea plants. Most were over 10 feet tall.
At yet another ridge a fully erected tent greeted us with
lunch served in cool shade. Rested and filled with good food, on we went. Soon
we were able to see Shira 1 camp in the distance and glimpsing Mt. Kili on our
trek for the first time. We had seen it from town before, but this was much
more exciting. Camp was almost ready for occupancy by the time we arrived. 
Again we rested and after tea readied ourselves for a
voluntary but recommended “training hike” up the nearby mountain. Part of
conditioning for the summit…I am huffing and puffing, but it goes well
downhill. Saw prints of water buffalo, eland and gazelle. The landscape is
taking on a surreal element. Vastness beyond anything I expected. Moorland with
ferns, flowers, streams, all among lava rocks, the mountain reflecting the last
light of the day. Hills are around us, some we traveled on to arrive at Shira
1. Slept fitfully after I washed my dusty feet in the stream. Wanted to bathe
the next morning, but Angela, our leader firmly said no! Not because the
environmental degradation I could have caused but because the water buffalo
could have been a danger to me. A bath with a wash cloth had to do.
Day 3 on the trail:
Shira 1 to Shira 2
Landscape: I could have stayed here for days. Magical.
Everything was magical! The plants and
grasses I never saw before, the stream cutting through polished lave rock,
forming small canyons, vast grass lands and vernal meadows, springs bubbling
out of the ground and above all, Mt. Kilimanjaro beckoning. Over and over I
marveled at the sound and presence of water all along the journey. And yet I am
told it is not from snow melt. The snow and ice on top of the volcano
evaporates into the atmosphere. Summit
looks so far away! It seemed like it
would take a month to gain the distance to the summit. Bird life is thriving
here. Their voices filled the air with music. The mountain remains clear of
clouds. The open plain before us is ringed with “hills” of 12,000- foot
altitude. Another, mid-day training hike led us up one of these hills. Wayyyyy
in the distance we saw Shira 2 up towards the mountain. It looked much closer. 
Tired, but encouraged by our guides and the surreal
landscape ahead of us, we clambered on to the summit of one of the ridges
before us. On top, the world dropped out underneath us. The vastness of the
rugged, tropical landscape extended all the way to the horizon, actually the
neighboring Kenya. Breathtaking would definitely be a fitting description, but
it was more. Ur. A prehistoric landscape showing the formation, flows and
energy of volcanic violence. Some flows, looking like vertical walls, were over
500 feet high. We have been on nothing
but volcanic soil and landscape since we started. Wild magnificent wilderness. The
right words escape me. I can say it touched me almost as much as my experience
on the summit. 
Exhausted, we arrived at Shira 2 camp. Other hikers and a sea of tents had arrived
before us. United Nations! In the
distance grand Mt. Meru towered above the evening clouds at sunset . Mt.
Kilimanjaro’s clouds just began to lift. We were looking forward the full moon again. After tea and a short rest we got back onto
our feet and-you guessed it- hiked some more. We had arrived 45 minutes before
expected time of arrival, so we are “improving”? Still the training hike seemed
torture at first, but we did not want to fail to summit, so on we slogged. Up
above our camp! Coming down was better.
Dinner was a delicious curry, pasta, some deep fried protein and tea.
The temperature is kinder tonight. Roy, Toni and Ginny are resting since we
arrived here and we all hope they will continue. Altitude sickness is upsetting
them.
Day 4 on the Trail: Shira Camp 2 to Barranco Camp
After a hearty breakfast of fried eggs, sausages, toast,
pancakes, tea, coffee, porridge and fruit we broke camp. Our capable, hard
workers folded up the tents and packed
all together and passed us on the trail not long after we took off, us once
again laboring uphill, they just gliding by with a smiling “Jambo”! 
Everyone is up and eager to continue. We are all very happy. No more
damp mood. We broke up into two groups,
one a little faster than the other. During the first part of the day I was in
the faster group, but towards the end I switched to the slower part, no by
choice. Breathing is difficult up here! We arrived at the Lava Towers (15,200
feet). Took a photo to prove it and slogged
on. Downhill first, clambering along a solid lava wall, bordered by a small
stream and springs with mini meadows. Then uphill again, downhill again…
By now we had passed the bush lands (2600’-6000’), the rain
forest (6000’-9200’), heather- and protea forests (9200’-13200’) and now we are
in the alpine desert zone (13200’-16500’).
We did not see all 140 species of mammals which live on the
volcano, nor the 179 species of birds. But we saw enough to make us happy.
I was pleased to see many young travelers on the trail, given
the effort it demands to fly to Tanzania here plus the effort to summit. The
rule of the trail is to step aside when porters approach as they carry their
load. We were grateful for the many opportunities to have a second-long respite.
As we approach our camp by a steep decent on nasty scree, another
magical landscape began to emerge. Senecio Kilimanjari grows up to 5 m and
looks like a palm. Delicate large leafs are upturned and are standing in the
mist as we approach, sentinels along the waterfall and stream flowing alongside
our trail. Lobelia DeKenii, grows up to 3 m but even a small specimen is
spectacular with its deep blue blossoms tucked into its cone shape tower.
No training hike today, but I was delighted to wash body and
hair in the stream (no upstream camp or cows) with Angela being my guarding
chaperone. In the setting sun we had one
last glimpse of “our mountain” before it disappeared in the clouds above us. Damp clouds flying in through the western breach from Kenya. We were once
more at 12,960’. The magnificent, but daunting Great Barranco Wall at our back.
Tomorrow we will climb up and over it before the sun does.
Dinner was aromatic rice and curry. I could live on that diet for a long time. Still drinking my Tanzania tee I brought back
a year later! Cleaner and thus happier, I slept very well.
Day 5 on the trail:
Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp
Got up before sunrise. All survived the 5 hour trek. The
first 2 hours were the best!
Favorite hike of the entire trip! Although all hikes are
“feast for the eyes and emotions”, these first two hours were my favorites. The
camp soon vanished into the distance and looked like a toy village of tents. We
might be the first group up the wall. The volcanic rock in our path had well
worn hand holds that were smooth from thousands of hikers before us. I
purposely touched these rocks with appreciation and gratefulness. I wondered
who all had the pleasure and pain before us. The porters certainly must have
endured so much more than us. Our group was helping each other and I noticed
for the first time a relaxing of “individual” and blending to “group”. It could
have been the challenge. At the summit of the wall the gathering was somber
again, anticipating the rest of the hike. I think everyone had a “rush” at the wall.
Adrenaline cursed throughout. Jimmy, as always, seemed to be undaunted and
energized to go on. All through the trip he was my shining example.
Up and down, past highland meadows, creeks, scree and lots
of interesting vegetation. By now I no longer photographed much, the exertion
and altitude got the better of me. Arrived at 1 pm. Lunched. Slept. Up at 4 for
another “practice and altitude adjustment hike.” Very wise. Karanga Camp is at
13,780 feet.
Dinner: curry, rice and fruit. Stars out again. No one knows
how to find the Southern Cross! Never did see it. Far in the distance we saw
the lights of towns. Water is flowing in
every valley. None is left pure. Ours is boiled and treated and no one got ill.
(At this camp our porters had to return to the last camp to fetch all the water
needed for us, to clean dishes, our washing water and their water.164 liters!
And they did it and were back in time for dinner. )
Day 6 on the trail:
Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp.
Last camp before the summit push. Now at alpine desert, we
are way above the treeline. Hiking up and down, arriving at “base camp” of
14,930’ tired and cold. At least I am. Still I notice the trash. I read about
the base camp trash in the Himalayas, this was worse. Sanitation be dammed! Our
guides found spaces for our tents away from the worst of it. It is really
difficult to accept, seeing the money the government makes form this park. A
central bathroom facility and water source, and garbage collection could not
only make this a much nicer experience, but also give jobs to the many men who
would like to work. No one is lazy here. The ranger’s quarters are deplorable.
No western ranger would accept these accommodations.
To our guides and their helpers, about 42 all together, who
were our support team a huge praise! No one got sick because of sanitary issues
in our camp. Early dinner and to bed by 8 pm.
Sleep at nearly 15,000’ did not come easy. My pack was
ready, I was ready. My heart skipped a few beats. And again. I prayed to make
it alive to summit and back to Charlie. Took an extra aspirin. Stopped taking
altitude medications two days ago after a camp
conversation we came to a collective agreement, that Diamox is useless and
makes us feel funny. Angela shared that she takes Ginko Balboa twice a day 2
weeks prior to here high altitude trips and she did not seem to be bothered
like some of us. Plus, all these exhausting after- dinner hikes paid off so
far. Before falling asleep I asked all
those I loved and had died to help me and asked all saints from many different continents
to help us to make it back safely. Sleep finally came but did not last long…Up
at 11:30 pm to get ready for the summit.
Day 7 Barafu Camp to Uhuru Peak Summit and back to Millinium Camp.
On the trail by midnight. A long string of headlights are
already ahead of us, looking like a necklace winding around the volcano. All is
black otherwise. All of us walk slower than usual, all we carry is our walking
sticks. The kind guides shouldered our day packs. Step by step we wind upwards,
sometimes pulling us up on volcanic rock. It is getting colder, the wind is
picking up. My headlamp fails. Exchange it with another, then the first one
illuminates inside my pack. Batteries unfroze. Same happened again. Too
exhausted to keep changing them. Jimmy lends me his, but it too stopped. (I was too ditzy to realize I need to put it
under my cap, just peaking out…)
So I continued on in others’ lights. First short stop I started
shivering as my hands seemed to freeze. I think Wayne or some other kind person
gave me the warmers to activate inside my gloves. It helped. The ones I had
brought were useless. The wind howled
and it got colder. I wore three layers and added a wind/rain jacket over my
parka and still was cold. Double wool socks and foot warmers in my very solid
boots kept me from freezing, although it did not feel like it. On we went, up
and up. Some guides came down, assisting their clients to find a lower altitude
as they had suffered severe altitude sickness. I am not sure where in the 4,000- foot climb we
were, but I saw the eastern horizon became lighter. Knowing that Stella Point
and Sunrise at 18,650 ‘ were our estimated first goal, I became more hopeful.
My dizzy moments stopped and the momentary dark thoughts of sitting down and
not going any further stopped too. Those were long 6 hours! At last, over the
last ridge, the sky became lighter and the first glow of the sun was visible!
Then it rose. I still feel the emotion as I write this. Africa below us as far
as the eye can see, our smiling guides waiting for us and before the sun was in
full splendor, a young Islamic guide sang the morning prayer. It was a special
gift. 
But we were not at the summit yet! Almost instantly the air
temperature became a “comfortable” -8
degrees. The night wind subsided. The
crater below us and lesser craters in the distance were covered in deep snow.
Mammoth glaciers shone in the morning sun like giant, polished diamonds. Some
sat there like supertankers on top of the world. Ice lakes adjoined them in
some places. The contrast of the brilliant white ice, sitting on a dormant
volcano, its color of deep reds and blacks was a sight I will not forget.
The vastness of this place is very difficult to put into
words. Imagine-2000 feet high glacial moraines sweeping down for miles before
vegetation is evident. What glaciers had formed them! Powerful beauty.
We reached the summit (19,340’) about an hour later. We took
photos, everyone did, another United Nation event. By then I felt no pain and would have stayed
much longer had we not been strongly encouraged to head back. Reluctantly I
left. I think the altitude made me happy and carefree and as long as the sun
was out, I would happily remain and explore. So much beauty in one place!
While on the summit, I did think lovingly about Charlie,
Tashidog, the soft bed, real pillows and not always searching for something in
my duffle bag. Camping is: “not having
everything in its place all the time.” My brain was still functioning… I felt
an immense sense of gratitude to be here. Tears welled up in my eyes several
times.
Mt. Kilimanjaro Facts:
Height: 19,340 feet.
It is up to 18 miles
across.
It is a dormant, not
an extinct volcano. It’s main peaks are Shira, Mawnenzi and Kibo. Uhuru Peak is
the highest.
Since 1912 Kilimanjaro
has lost 82% of its ice cap.
Since 1962 it has lost
55% of its remaining glaciers.
Causes are thought to
be climate change and deforestation and land cleared for farming. A big tree
planting project is hoped to reverse the process.
Both walking sticks gripped firmly, we glissaded down scree
(different route) and arrived back in camp in about 3 hours. It was fun, but my
knees complained. Like in snow when you come off a jump you land, only on firm
surface here. We are back at 14,940’. Lunch, a nap, “organizing” my duffel and
day pack again, we continued DOWN 2,500’ MORE! Ouch. (Descended 6,500 ‘ in less
than a day.)We arrived in the cloud forest of giant heather trees mixed with
protea shrubs in bloom. Millennium Camp (12,500’). Mosses and herbs were the ground cover in our
camp. Lovely, soft, moist volcanic earth. Slept well. Here Mt. Kilimanjaro stayed
in plain sight all day and night, as of saying good bye to us, letting us
imprint his majestic form before we descended into the haze of the city. 
Day 7: Millennium
Camp to Mweka Gate
After breakfast and a song by our 42-man support group we said our official good bye to the
porters. No group could have been more cheerful, eager to help and make this
trip a success for all of us. We all were very grateful, as without them and
our team leaders organization and excellent leadership we would not have made
it.
10 more miles downhill. Grueling by now. Knees complained.
But the landscape took some of the pain away. Feathery ferns of all sizes, some
trees, rain forests giant trees draped
with greenery, frangipani and waist high impatiens framed our path and what
seemed endless stops to our destination at 7,000’ where the bus waited. At 90
degrees I began to feel clammy, weak and sick, delayed altitude sickness. It
passed eventually.
Back at the hotel I got to shower first, thanks to my generous,
beautiful and kind room-mate Debbie. I washed clothes, hang them out into the
sun onto the railing (no laundry here!) and joined Debbie at the bar to
celebrate with a cool Tanzania beer.
At 3 pm we were presented with our certificates. Dinner was
Elan and trimmings. Good I did not see one in the wild before enjoying it here.
It arrived in a wheel barrel about the same time we returned, covered, but I
caught sight of the hoofs.
I am touched by the congeniality of our group. Very diverse
in back ground, all kind adventurers at
heart and ready to help when anyone. 
More celebration with Serengeti and Kilimanjaro brew. Then
packing for the next adventure. Tomorrow a new adventure begins, our Safari. We
will become spectators of the motorized kind. 
