Saturday, July 31, 2010

the peeps of Africa

An overview of my observations of the African people:

~There are a lot of them here. I know that sounds ridiculous and ignorant but holy population! I'm aware that I'm in Africa but there are people everywhere. When we were on the safari we didn't see as large of populations but otherwise there are always people around. We see many walking along rural (or what seem rural) roads that are miles away from towns and towns that are supposed to be "small" still are much more densly populated than our cities.

~The kids are extremely curious and cute. Most of them wave to you and stare at you as you go by or yell "Jambo!" There have been a few that have asked for chocolate or money and that is a bit annoying, but most of them just want to wave to you or give you a high five. I like the little guys. :)

~They are always busy doing something. Whether they are washing their clothes in a bucket, carrying goods on their heads to and from the market, or sweeping the sand (not sweeping off sand, but actually sweeping sand) these people just look busy...even if they are doing nothing.

*hauling some food for his cows*

The one thing they are not busy doing is picking up after themselves or cleaning. There is trash everywhere. In many places it looks as though there are small landfills. But, it's just part of the street or beach. You walk around a corner of a street and an empty doorway has become a miniature landfill with cats, chickens, and goats eating what they can find in there. It is probably one of the most telling signs that we are in a 3rd world country and I am very thankful for the fact that I pay federal and local taxes. You don't give a lot of thought to it until you visit a place where there is no road maintenance, drinkable water, appropriate disposal of trash or recycling, or building maintenance. They burn a lot of their trash or it sits on the ground and floats in the gutters. There are kids playing soccer in piles of trash and as they slide to the ground to catch the ball, I try not to cringe. Keith and I have had many conversations where we try not to get discouraged by how many people here are negatively effecting our planet. I do my part by recycling, conserving electricity, and trying to make a more minimal carbon footprint. But then I come to the most populated continent and there is so much irreversible damage and you wonder how much of an impact you are really making. But every person counts, right? You want to educate and help but there are bigger issues at hand...such as survival.

*a typical corner in Stonetown*

~Education is a luxury and only available to those who can afford it. Another reason I'm thankful for the taxes that pay. In the 80s, 90% of children in Tanzania went to primary school. Now less than 50% do. Parents must pay for primary and secondary school and if they can't afford it then their children stay at home. Swahili is the primary language spoken but English is also widely known. However, students don't learn English until they go to secondary school so if they can't afford it they have less of an education and therefore less job opportunities. I have an entire different outlook on my profession.

*you can easily tell which kids go to school when they are all in uniforms*

~A lot of people must be missing shoes around here. Since arriving I have decided that I to open a shop here where I sell just one shoe and if one loses a shoe or breaks one, they come to my shop to replace it. There are random shoes everywhere, but not the pair...just one. I have found one lonely shoe on beaches, in the bushes, on trails to town, in town, in streets, in front of restaurants, and in the ocean. I really could make a fortune with this new business idea of mine. This all goes hand in hand, I'm sure, with the trash issue.

~They love Obama. When asked where we are from and we say United States the next thing out of their mouths has something to do with our president. They always say something positive or ask if we voted for him. Our safari guide, Deko, explained that so many people are happy that Obama is our president because now it means that there is more equality. According to him, white people used to not like black people in and now it shows that we have moved past that and we are equal. He also told us that people in Africa say there is an acronym for Obama: Original Born African Managing America. Interesting because I'm pretty sure he was born in Hawaii but I think I understand what they are trying to communicate. There is Obama paraphinalia everywhere....from shirts, to blankets, to stickers on the back of dalla dallas (the minibus/minivans that cram up to 20ish locals in them), to underwear sold on the streets. They LOVE Obama.

*he didn't get the memo that the election was in '08 and not '09*

~I have met two types of Africans: obnoxious/rude and friendly/laid back. I suppose that could describe many people no matter what culture you are exposed to. Mainly the people in Nungwi, Stonetown, and Moshi have been the more obnoxious ones. Now that we are in Matemwe, which is a much more low-key and chill place, the people we have met have been great (and there's very little to no trash!). We are staying at a little joint that has 6 rooms/bungalows and a heavily vegitated courtyard. It is right on the beach and has a little Rasta bar and restaurant. This is our favorite beach so far....and I would say mainly because of the people. They are actually interested in talking to you instead of trying to sell you something. I was getting extremely tired of people in general when the majority of conversations would be similar to this: Jambo! Jambo. How are you? Great. How are you? Good, how did you sleep? Good. Are you okay? I'm good. Where are you from? United States. What is your plan tomorrow? I'm going to lay on the beach. Do you want to go snorkeling? Nope..........silence. At this time they have left and moved on to their next victim. Now, you're probably thinking at home that this doesn't sound too bad. Well, it wasn't for us the first 75 times or so....in the first 3 days. By about week 4, it was getting pretty old. That conversation literally happened for us at least 6-8 times each day. Keith spiced it up a bit for us and has reacted differently purely for our entertainment. These reactions include: 1) turning it around on the seller and tried to sell him something 2) repeating everything they said (the real mature route) 3) acting like he was person that is cognitively delayed (I know, I know....so not appropriate, but we were running out tactics). I just really get tired of the fakeness. Everyone greets you and is very friendly but as soon as you let them know you are not interested in their service they want nothing to do with you. Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I will say that all of the people that I've met that are not in the business of selling something to travelers (and even a handful of those who have helped us/sold us something) have been more than welcoming, friendly, and approachable. They make jokes with us, ask Keith and I if we are brother and sister (apparently I look like a tan, bald dude), ask us if we are Obama's kids (I must really be getting a tan), and truly want to know about us. In conclusion, I am really excited and relieved to be in Matemwe where the peeps are nice, the beach is nicer, and I have no decisions to make except whether to lie in the chair or in the hammock . More from Matemwe soon....

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Jambo from Zanzibar






Pictures above are: 1)our view of Zanzibar from the ferry. 2) a very clean street in Stonetown. 3) Keith starting our hog. 4) just lounging with some cows on the beach in Nungwi.

We are now in Zanzibar and have been for a week and a half or so. After a 9 1/2 hour bus ride from Moshi to the coastal city of Dar es Salaam, we took a 2 hour ferry ride to the island of Zanzibar. The sight of Zanzibar from the ferry is beautiful. White beaches, turquoise water, and old, abandoned buildings that have middle eastern and Indian influences. It looks as if you have traveled 100-200 years in the past. The coast is lined with dhows, which are small boats with weathered ancient sails and look like a small boat that pirates would use. Our ferry docked in Stonetown, a culture and history rich town on the western coast of the island. There is a large Islamic population in Zanzibar (well, eastern Africa in general but a very high concentration in Zanzibar) and Stonetown has many mosques and most locals wear the traditional dress with burquas and such. Travelers are advised to wear modest clothing and not be 'scantily clad'. Before arriving I read that tank tops, shorts above the knee, and skirts and dresses above the knee were not appropriate to wear in Stonetown, but upon arriving I realized that many women travelers wore tank tops and skirts without appearing to be too disrespectful or revealing. I was happy to see this since when the sun is out, it is HOT. Apparently, they are kidding about being close to the equator business. It is generally warm, muggy, and not unpleasant most of the day, especially if there are a few clouds. But when the sun is directly out with no shade in sight, it is a bloody scorcher. Luckily, we have since left Stonetown and are now on the beach so it just takes a quick dip in the Indian Ocean to bring the temperature of our skin down to below 400 degrees.

I digress. Stonetown was a very interesting place. They say a few days in Stonetown is plenty and that is so true. As soon as you get through customs and immigration you are greeted with papasi, which in Swahili literally means 'ticks', and these street touts are obnoxious. Everywhere in Tanzania there has been a fair share of touts (one thing I will not miss when I get home), but they are especially thick and annoying in Stonetown. These people see a whitey such as myself coming and they are all over me to buy sunglasses, go snorkeling, ride in their taxi, show me a restaurant, buy a scarf, buy cashews, buy a Tanzania shirt, go on an island tour, buy a 'Jambo' cd, blah, blah, blah. We could literally not walk from our hotel to any other part of town without being approached by at least 10 different ticks. And when you say 'no thanks', 'not interested', or simply ignore them, they don't give up. At one point, with Keith and I had a pack of 6 or 7 around us and following us all telling us which place to go, business to frequent, etc. Keith even tried to out run/out walk one that had only one leg but he was a persistant little bugger, too. Ah, my blood pressure is rising just thinking about it.
Stonetown may also be the easiest place ever to get lost in, which for me isn't saying much, but believe me it's confusing. Many 'streets' are more like cobblestone walkways that are only wide enough for walkers, bicycles, and motorcycles. None of the streets have signs and they are constantly turning, interesecting, and abruptly ending. Luckily, the town isn't that big and sooner or later you usually end up at the ocean even if took you 30 minutes to get out of the maze of streets.

So, we spent 3 or 4 days (really I lose track....I can't even tell you what day of the week it is most of the time) in Stonetown where we explored the town, went on a spice tour, rented a motorcycle to cruise the coast, and go diving/snorkeling. In a nutshell, the spice tour was interesting. Most of Zanzibar is full of spice plantations and that is their main export. So for the tour, we walked around a plantation, tried many different kinds of spices and fruits and saw how they grow in the wild(who knew that vanilla grows on a vine and looks like a green bean....not this girl), ate some lunch, went to a cave where slaves were hidden, and hung out a beach for an hour or so. It was a very interesting day, especially the slave cave where hundreds of slaves were hidden after the British prohibition of slavery. We pulled up in our mini-bus to the middle of a field, and walked over to a giant hole in the ground and there was the cave. It was dark, dank, and extremely sobering to know that you were standing in a place where slaves were held (and died) before being shipped from the coast to India, Europe, and the Middle East. Interestingly, it was discovered by a slave boy who was looking for his goat that fell down the cavern. First it was used for the fresh water that it supplied (there was a small pond/puddle in the bottom of the cave) and then once slavery was prohibited, it was used to hide slaves. That was a long explanation in a nutshell...whoops. Anyway, renting our motorcycle was a fun little adventure. We drove north up the coast to the beach that we are staying at now to check it out and see if we wanted to head this way or east. We weren't hassled by any police (which happens often, I guess), we didn't break down, and we made it back to Stonetown in one piece so all in all, it was success! Our last day in Stonetown, we planned to go scuba diving (Keith) and snorkeling (me) with a group out to a little island. I didn't make the trip so Keith went scuba diving by himself while I stayed at the hotel wishing my life didn't suck so bad. It seems I jinxed myself a bit when I bragged about how I hadn't even gotten sick yet. At first I thought it was something I ate, but have come to realize that it must have been some sort of bug because it is still hanging on a tiny bit 5 days later. But holy sickness. No one should ever have to be that sick while in another country, let alone when they are in a 10 x 12 room with their boyfriend with a bathroom door that doesn't close. It was not pleasant for any of the parties involved. But, I survived. And Keith is still attracted to me....yay! He ended up getting a version of the same thing I had a few days later. But, now we are on the mend and hopefully will be back in the game 100% soon. I'll be making up for the missed snorkeling in a few days when we travel to the east coast beaches.
We are presently on the very northern tip of Zanzibar in a little beach town called Nungwi (pronounced Noon-gwee) and will be here for 2 more days. It is great to be out of Stonetown and on the beach. The water here is ah-mazing. The turquoise shades don't look real and it refreshing enough to cool off when you feel like you are on the surface of the sun, but warm at the same time. The sand is like extremely fine flour. It's really not to bad, this little vacation of ours. Our hotel room is nothing to write home about, but we're cheap and happy so it works. On the positive side, we have a bed. On the other side, we don't have hot water and our toilet doesn't always flush. But, for $25 a night we aren't complaining. We are going to class it up a bit when we head east and sleep at a hotel for $40 a night. Such splurgers! I'll be excited to have hot water....and maybe they'll throw in a waste basket and a few light bulbs in the room. Now I'm just getting greedy. So, our next stop is on the east side of the island at a beach village called Matemwe (Muh-tem-way) where we will continue to be beach bums until we decide to move to another beach.

Friday, July 23, 2010

picture safari time!


Our safari was awesome. We did a three day safari to Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, and Tangerine National Park. My favorite was Ngorongoro...we saw tons of animals (lions, ostriches, water buffalos, hippos, rhinos, wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, flamingos, elephants, baboons, serval cats, impalas, giraffes and more) and they were all just hanging out in the same crater. The landscape was awesome. There was a forest, ponds, grassland, and all surrounded by beautiful green crater walls. It was all amazing and I was super excited to see many new animal friends. The only thing that I didn't see that I would have liked to was a cheetah and leopard but they are hard to see, apparently. We saw black rhinos, though, which is very rare since they are endangered. When our guide, Deko, got the word that a rhino was active (they are tagged and always tracked by park officials), the chase was on and we traveled crazy fast across the bottom of the crater to get to them before they were out of sight again. It was totally like what you would see on the Discovery channel (or some show where they chase animals). When we got there and watched them (which was cool but not that interesting) there were 20-30 other safari vehicles there to join us. Otherwise, we saw more animals than I can remember. Keith wanted to see a crocodile eat a wildebeest and that didn't happen, go figure. All in all we were happy with our trip. This little monkey guy ended up stealing my sandwich after scouting us out for a while.


me and a TERMITE hill!



a bird helping out a water buffalo with personal hygeine



apparently these dudes littered in the park




tons of elephants everywhere


zebras and wildebeests EVERYWHERE....it almost got a bit old...but not really :)




a pumba (or warthog) with a great spiky mohawk



not the most active beasts but cool to see, nonetheless


more zebras


A BABY ELEPHANT!!!!!!

a piggy-backing baboon


why hello, there

*Author's note: Some pictures have been generously donated by my safari partner, Keith. The ones that are really good, those are his. :)

Monday, July 19, 2010

I'm an African vegetarian

The food here has been pretty tasty, so far. Neither Keith nor I have gotten sick or had the typical adjustment period to a new culture's food/bacteria. I'm a pretty picky eater so I packed many snacks and hoped for the best. There's only so long one can live off of Luna bars and coconut m&m's. Keith's been kind enough to share his beef and turkey jerky since I'm not a big fan of eating goat (I want one as a pet some day so I don't think that would be a good idea, karma-wise) and the majority of the beef and chicken is a chopped up animal thrown in the pot. Literally. I think every part of the animal is cooked: bones, tendons, fat, everything. Keith is much more food adventurous than I but he's even not much of a fan of the meat that he's been served so far. I wouldn't be surprised if we were to find cow hairs or chicken feathers in some of the dishes.


Our first day in Moshi we had traditional African food at a restaurant that was full of locals. We were with a local named Ed, so he knew what to order for us...kind of. He asked us if we liked bananas and if we liked rice. It sounded much better than the goat I've heard that they served around here so I was happy with those choices. It was actually not bad at all. We were served two large plates (one of cooked bananas and one of rice) with some side dishes of veggies and sauces and Keith and I could not finish all of the food. Our total bill was 5600 shillings, which is about $4. For the most part, our frugal selves will stick to local food.

Tanzania is known for bananas and it is obvious....bananas are sold and grown everywhere. They are used in three main ways. There are small ones about the size of a large thumb that you eat as a fruit (peeling it like we do at home). There are larger ones that are green, cooked, and taste how cooked potatoes taste in the states. When the larger ones are yellow then they are fermenting them for beer.

bananas that we ate that tasted like potatoes

We also went to the market while in Moshi which was very interesting. It would not be a place that you would want to go if you were feeling the least bit nauseous (the fish section of the market, at least). It was all open but at the same time very small, crowded and dingy. I truly have no idea how we even got there. All of a sudden Ed ducked in a doorway and we were in another world, but not in a building. It is all outside, with just small little stands set up with as many things crammed into one stand as you can imagine. We later went to the more expensive market which was mostly under one roof and full of rice, beans, sugars, fish, and produce. Then around the outside of the large roof (almost like a fair barn, if you will), there were little stands much like in the first market. At these stands anything from necklaces to spices to plastic dishes are sold. All of the pictures below are of the more expensive market.

where we bought our papaya (therefore, they let us take a picture of them)

one of the walkways through the outside of the market

me posing by the flour and rice so the lady in red wouldn't get cranky

the oranges are not orange here

Keith and I bought a large papaya for 1000 shillings (less than $1) but when we cut it up at the hotel it didn't seem to taste like the papaya that we have tasted....eh, oh well. Also, when we took pictures in the market, many of the women selling the items will yell, "NO PHOTO" or want us to pay them for taking the picture. I don't mind giving a few shillings here and there if I'm taking a picture of an actual person (I certainly wouldn't want tourists always snapping my picture without my permission and I'm sure they often feel as if they are on display for the tourists) but it seems kind of silly when we are taking pictures of food. So, Keith took a lot of pictures with me "posing" and then he would zoom in on the food. Then we quickly walk on with them cackling in the background.

We are now in Zanzibar and we have found a food fair at the park near the water that happens nightly. It's kind of like a miniature 'Pig Out in the Park' if you are familiar with Spokane's yearly festival. Except it is every night. Keith tried some octoups last night (and then got into a shouting match witht he guy that tried to charge him for the sample that he said was free.....anyway...) and we have eaten quite a few samosas there. Samosas are little triangle shaped pockets that are filled with either meat or veggies and then deep fried. They are pretty tasty...not too healthy, but tasty. I am becoming more open and am now eating meat now and then but for the most part will stick to vegetarian meals. For instance, for breakfast this morning I had french toast with CHOCOLATE syrup (love this place!) and tried a banana and chocolate pizza at the food fair last night.

There's a food update from around the world! I hope you enjoyed. :)




Thursday, July 15, 2010

The Snows of Kilimanjaro....or lack there of

Keith and I after descending...oh so happy to be leaving the mountain

To sum up my climb of Kilimanjaro in two thoughts:

1. Awesome. Not as in, "Duuude, it was soooo awesome" but more like I was literally in awe. Earth is amazing, simply put.

2. Boring. Really...I don't know how these mountaineering people do it. I am not much of a 'take your mind to another place' kind of girl. I recently started running (well, within the last year) and had the most difficult time when I started to actually think about something besides how long I had to run until I got to the end of the trail. Or how heavy I was breathing or how fast my feet were moving. I guess I'm not much of a multi-tasker and my mind only focuses on the monotony and sheer boredom that I am in. So, fast forward to hiking on Mt. Kilimanjaro and I am back in my early running days (I'm such a veteran with a whole 9 months under my belt) where I do not think of anything besides moving my feet and hearing bugs buzzing. For 6 hours in a row. SIX hours. It was a test of sanity at times.

Overall, it was a truly amazing experience. I am very excited that I did it. And not to pat myself on the back, but I'm very proud of myself. All in all, it was fun! I got to see an entire community and culture that I've never been exposed to and it was a very interesting experience. Keith and I survived without one single fight...which is saying a lot after spending every passing moment together in very close quarters. We do live together and all but we aren't trapped in a tent for 7 days straight in Hayden. Not to mention, men are smelly. In addition, we had just endured 25-ish (really, I lost count after the first 15) hours of flying together. Also, stuck in very close proximity of each other. We aren't really a couple that fights much at all anyway, but I thought for sure if there was a time...that would be it. But, here we are a week and a half later in Africa still going strong in our Leach-Benz union.

So, back to the point. I will give you the cliff notes of my journey but I can't promise on how much they will be abbreviated. Some have called me long-winded (*ahem* Mom and Dad) so just keep in mind that I am leaving out some details and be thankful that I am not giving you the long version.

We left for the mountain on July 4th (no Star Spangled fireworks show for us) in a van full of other trekkers anxious to climb. We arrived at Machame Gate (we climbed the Machame route, for those who care) and signed the registry books while we waited for our guide to pick some porters from the other side of the gate. Porters are the people who carry all of the equipment, food, and necessities up the mountain. Keith and I had a staff of ten. Yes, TEN. It was ridiculous. As I mentioned earlier, the park requires you to have guide and porters to stimulate the economy. We didn't know that we also would have an assistant guide, a cook, and a waiter. We also had three porters each. When we asked our guide why we each had three porters he responded that someone needed to carry the bags, the tents, the food, the cooking utensils....and the table and chairs. Wait...what?!? We were unaware that we would be eating in our own little dining room tent with a table, chairs, and often a candle. Romance at it's finest. Now before you start thinking that I had it easy and it was a luxurious experience, let me remind you that I was on a mountain for 7 days. And men are smelly. Not just Keith....like men from Africa are realllllly smelly. It was a rugged/luxury experience, if there is such a thing.

Side note: While signing the registry and waiting to get started, some porters crossed through the gate without getting permission from a guide and were quickly beaten with a stick until they crossed back onto their side. Eek! The pecking order was obvious from the beginning and I didn't realize the social rankings that were part of the mountaineering business. At our first camp we were introduced to our staff by our guide and he told us the names of the cook, the waiter, and the assistant guide, and then pointed to a group of other men standing off to the side and simply said, "and those are your porters." Apparently, chopped liver.

Our guide's name was David (pronounced Dah-veed) and he was a really nice guy. Really nice and really out of shape. That's him with me on the left on day 4 our so of our adventure. To think that I was running hills and training for this mountain while half way across the world David was upping his intake of doughnuts and fried foods was a bit disheartening. But, I also handled the mountain much better than he seemed to so it all paid off in the end. There were many times that David wanted to take a 'short break' when Keith and I were already going crazy because snails just passed us on the trail. I had read that our guide would remind us to go pole pole (slowly, slowly) but didn't realize the extent that those words would literally be taken. To his defense, all of the other groups and guides were also going just as slowly and it was to help us acclimatize to the high altitude. Keith and I just had a hard time thinking that we were acclimatizing at 6,000 feet the first day. Though in the end our pole pole cadence paid off and we summited before sunrise on July 10th.

I skipped a few days in between the 4th and the 10th. Let me back up a bit and give you the highlights. We started hiking in the rainforest the first day for about 7 miles until we hit the alpine ecosystem. It took us about 4 or 5 hours and this was when we realized we were in for a very long week. It wasn't very steep or difficult at all and it could have been done in 3 hours (or 1-2 for Keith). The rainforest was very cool, sounding just like one of those cd's that you can get at Walgreen's. Soothing, relaxing, and it smelled fresh and clean (when a porter wasn't passing you on the trail). I was sad to not see any monkeys but I think that there was a bit too much population for their vine-swinging-selves to emerge.

Then, almost instantly, we went from the rainforest to alpine where the trees were covered in lichen and the mist was surrounding us. It seemed like a fantasy world that you should see on Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter (I haven't seen either of those but in my mind that's what it would be like so if that doesn't make any sense, just use your imagination).

We arrived at camp that afternoon/evening and lied down in our already assembled tent for a bit of relaxation. I was not worn out or exhausted but lying horizontal gave me something else to do besides stand vertically and slowly move your left foot in front of your right foot. I'm telling you...it was boh-ring. Soon, our waiter came to our tent with a few bowls of hot water (something he provided to us every morning and night) to wash with. He then said something that sounded like "tea time" and we thought eh, we're okay just lying here. He came back a few minutes later and motioned if we were done with the water and then again said "tea time". Keith made a remark to himself that he would rather just hang out in the tent and I was fine with that. We were assuming that if we wanted tea or something of the likes that we could go get some from our waiter or cook. Or at least that is what we thought he was telling us. We were mistaken and when our waiter returned a few minutes later and looked at us as if we were developmentally challenged and said in very clear English, "TEA TIME!" We decided we better move our bums out to see what all the hype was about. In our dining tent was a table and chairs with a platter of popcorn and cookies and any kind of hot drink you would like. It was really cute and I felt bad that we didn't realize that this gesture was A. not optional and B. thoughtful and well prepared. After my hot chocolate and popcorn, we took a group photo with our staff.

Day 2, 3, 4, and 5 all somewhat run together as we went from camp to camp. Some were dusty, some were rocky, some all were loud. They are really some of the loudest people I've met. They shout everything at each other and one time we sat through 3 or 4 porters yelling "yo, yo, yo" to each other in different tempos and pitches for no apparent reason. Despite the lack of peacefulness at times, each day I was excited to see us getting closer to the mountain/the summit. At the same time, each day I hoped that we were done. Really, it wasn't that bad but 5 days in and no shower and more bland hiking, I was ready for some excitement. I loved the scenery and the plants. I hated the length of time it took to get anywhere.

Fast forward to our 6th day when we woke up a bit before midnight to summit the mountain. Our last camp was at 15,000 and some odd feet and the summit is 19,341 feet. Up to this point, I hadn't found any of the hiking overly difficult. It was just very long. I wasn't sore or anything but each day it felt like I had hiked multiple miles (which I had). Since before even landing in Africa, I was nervous for summit day. I knew that nothing on the mountain would be technical (i.e. use of ropes, ice axes, crampons, etc.) but I was worried about the difficulty and length. It took us almost 6 hours to reach the summit and we arrived a little before sunrise. It was long and cold. I'm glad it was dark because we just kept going and I couldn't see how far we had to go until we reached the top. When we were descending, I realized that it would have taken quite the mental toll to see how far 4,000 feet was. We passed many groups on the way up, which also made me nervous because I had read many blogs/forums that said when people passed them on the way to the summit they would later see those speedsters sick and vomiting near the top. But, I just kept following a stumbling and wheezing David and tried to stay focused on the goal. I felt great. Don't get me wrong, I was cold and winded but I didn't have any sign of altitude sickness, which was part of what had me so worried. We had spoken with an Austrailian couple at our last camp who had just come down and they said many people were sick, throwing up, and turning around near the summit. I felt fine all the way, and was boosted by Keith's altitude report each 1,000 feet. I was super stoked to hear him tell me when we were at 18,000 feet because I knew we wouldn't have much farther to go and I was going to make it. Well, we made it (after a very windy ridge where we heard many people got sick but didn't see anyone sick there) and were some of the first to summit that morning. We celebrated, took a few quick pictures, and skeedaddled to start down. I was on an adrenelin high and was in a bit of shock that I actually did it.

Then about 2,000 feet down, my high turned into altitude sickness and I was pretty nauseous until we got to camp. It felt like I had the flu. I was cold and clammy but hot since the sun was on me. I dry heaved a few times but didn't have much in my system besides some energy goo and water. Still, I felt much better than many people still heading up to the summit that we passed or some turning around and coming down. Some looked like death warmed over (is that the saying??? or is it 'death wormed over'?...I never know so enlighten me please). We encouraged the ones still trekking along telling them they were almost there. Many were holding onto their guides for support as they staggered on. There was a few coming down that were completely pale (or green) and stumbling, falling, and leaning on their guides to help them down. So even though I wasn't feeling top notch, I was happy that I was able to make it down on my own and felt bad for those who didn't summit.

After a few hour nap and some lunch at our camp, we descended another 5,000 feet for our last night on the mountain. We slept one final time in the misty rainforest until hiking out the final 5,000 feet on the morning of the 10th. Each person we passed as we were going down and they were coming up was a great morale booster. It was the best feeling to give them tips and tell them how the summit was while knowing that I was done with the entire ordeal. Still now, at our hotel, other climbers that are soon departing are asking for advice and I am soooooo glad that I am not in their shoes. I loved the experience but as I told Keith on oh, about day 2.....this will be my last mountain. Maybe some hikes around the Northwest and possibly another Cascade mountain or two is in my future but nothing like this. It's like sky diving or bungee jumping....it's a good one time experience. I've heard first time mothers say similar things after they give birth. So, maybe I'll get "mountain fever" again and want to climb something sometime in my life. After all, I think the 7 days of labor was similar to giving birth...right? Also, I was exhausted and starving for a cheeseburger afterwards. :)

Well, there's the short version. If you would like the long version or more details then clear your schedule and invite me over for a drink. Keith and I are now in Moshi getting ready to go on a three day safari tomorrow. I'm very excited to meet some new animal friends and have a feeling that this may be my favorite part of the trip. Ever since I did a report on Kenya in the 3rd grade, I've dreamed of coming to Africa to see the exotic animals. And here I am.

Cheers.

*We have since returned from our safari and are now in Dar es Salaam on our way to Zanzibar. I will post pictures and many more posts that I have saved to our little mini laptop as soon as an interet connection allows. Hang tight... :)

Sunday, July 11, 2010

alive and well!

We made it to Tanzania safely (and sooooo ready to be off of a plane after 25 hours of flying) and have since climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. I will be reporting my experience on the mountain soon but only have a few minutes of internet now. Keith's blog will have a much different report, I'm sure. :) So far, our trip is amazing. After the initial and expected culture shock, we are now relaxing and looking forward to going on a safari in a few days. We are in a town at the base of Kilimanjaro called Moshi. It is busy and hectic and colorful. We are staying at a backpacker's hotel that has a rooftop bar with a direct view of the mountain...it is crazy that we just climbed that a few days ago. My knees are still recovering from descending 14,000 feet in 8 hours. And my body is still recovering from being bathed after 7 days on a mountain. Yikes! Pictures and update coming!!!