One picture...every day

January 21 - The 1.5 hour flight turned into 8 hours of traveling, after our layover in Dar Es Salaam. We finally made it to Kilimanjaro airport, where my mom was waiting for us. The power
went out while we were retrieving our bags, but we made it out and into Moshi intact.


January 22 - Our introduction to Tanzania, safari, and Swahili. We oohed and ahhed through Lake Manyara National Park, wanting to take so many pictures and receiving assurances we would see so much more in the coming days. We stayed at my overall favorite, a beautiful tented lodge camp called Migunga Forest outside the town of Mto Wam Bu.

January 23 - We made our way over the Rift Valley Wall and caught a glimpse of the Ngorongoro Crater from the rim. Our stop at a Maasai village made me sad at how they are selling their culture to tourists and upset at how conniving they are, leading to Ruy's mantra "Watch out for the Maasai." Lunch was eaten at Olduvai Gorge while getting an earful of its archaeologic importance, then finally on to the Serengeti - a truly remarkable experience!

January 24 - It just gets better! Today we were surrounded by herds of animals, hundreds of zebras and wildebeest. I could have sat there all day watching the graceful giraffes, moving as if in slow motion. Then on to playful baby babboons and a hippo pond (loved it!). In the evening we watched the sunset from the park, with the shadow of a leopard hanging from a tree branch...


January 25 - We left the Seronera Wildlife Lodge and spent our last morning in the Serengeti before descending into the spectacle that is the Ngorongoro Crater. Here there is a tremendous concentration of wildlife, as we saw 4 of the big 5 - rhino(!), lion, elephant, and buffalo - in the first few hours of our arrival. Midday was an adventure where we had sandwiches stolen out of our hands from swooping birds, an elephant joined us for lunch, and then ran into friends from Minnesota, Ann and Libby. Phil got his wish for a lion hunt while we were chilling with the lions and a zebra wandered away from the herd looking for water, it all unfolded in front of our eyes...


January 26 - Since we decided to take our Ngorongoro game drive yesterday afternoon, we had the morning to relax on the rim of the crater, drink tea, and reflect on the amazing things we have now seen. Something I was able to share with my mother...things I will never forget.


January 27 - Unpack, repack, back on the road; and a very bumpy one at that, for 4 hours, to the Rongai gate. We had chosen a less-traveled route on the Eastern slope of Mount Kilimanjaro, meaning there should be less people, more animals, and little rain. We saw black and white calabus monkeys playing in the trees, but it rained all day and we made it to Simba camp after dark. Thank goodness for giant Ziploc bags.

January 28 - We left Simba camp at 2600 meters and hiked 7 hours (pole pole - slow) to Kikalero camp at 3600 meters. Tonight they began the ritual of checking our oxygen saturation and pulse to make sure we could handle the altitude. We had decided on a longer, more interesting route via Mawenzi Tarn and from now on we would see no other hikers until summit day.

January 29 - At some point during our 3 hour hike to 4300 meters, I looked up and was awed by the snow-covered jagged rock that erupted from the clouds directly in front of us. This was Mawenzi Peak , where the second of 3 eruptions occurred 60,000 years ago, and to which no one reaches the peak as it is far too dangerous. We arrived at camp walking through the clouds, where we would sleep at the foot of Mawenzi.


January 30 - Everything was covered in snow as we peaked out of our tents this morning. Ellie, my Catalon-speaking, Barcelona-living Portuguese tentmate, and I were the only women on this trip. So...in the midst of drinking a lot of water and taking Diamox, we also tried to avoid trekking outside into the sleet and snow to make short call; an adventure in itself. The day included a 4 hour hike to Kibo Hut at 4700 meters and attempting to rest up before our midnight departure.

January 31 - What an amazing and exhausting day! I put on my entire wardrobe - 5 layers on top, 4 layers on bottom, and 2 pair of smart wool socks - to start the trek. I felt like I was on empty just a few hours into the early morning hike, but Milky Ways, Gummy Bears, and 5-hour Energy Drink got us all to Gilman's Peak at sunrise. We walked around the edge of the crater to Uhuru Peak at 5895 meters (19,340 feet) above sea level!


February 1 - After yesterday's 17 hours of hiking, you would think 6 hours wouldn't be this bad, but my knees and feet ached from the previous day's 8 hours of hiking DOWN to Harambo camp at 3720 meters. We took a different route down the mountain - the Marangu Route - and were able to see completely different scenery. This day was all about haraka haraka (fast) for me, because my mom was waiting for me at the gate and I desperately wanted/needed a shower. We made it back to Moshi, got our certificates, and had some Kilimanjaro beer to celebrate. Congratulations to my fellow trekkers - Ellie, Phil, and Dan; and thanks for accompanying me on this amazing journey!