Tanzania - The Lion King, The Roof of Africa (Mount Kilimanjaro), Legit Scotch on the Rocks & Tusker Beer

       

Our Safari Mobile

The stage was set for this trip quite far in advance as a surprise
orchestrated by Bri as a birthday present for my friend Travis (Bri's husband).  Travis was made aware of his surprise in partial form but Bri conveniently left out the fact that others were planning on the hike as well.  This was of course to allow Travis to prep for the mountain climb at the very least.
          Sarah and I arrived late evening on a Friday in Arusha, Tanzania at the airport, and had to arrange a car to take us to the Outpost Lodge where we would be surprising Travis.  We settled in and walked down to Cafe Mambo (which is part of the lodge) to have a drink after the long flight.

Mother & Baby

 After about thirty minutes of keeping an eye out for the others we finally saw Travis and Bri walking into the lodge.  I casually walked up to Travis with my glass of scotch and said "I guess they will let just about anyone climb Kilimanjaro" (which I thought was smooth).  It was roughly a year of waiting and rejecting multiple invitations from Travis to come along, we finally were ready to make the climb.  After the excitement from our surprise entrance wore off we met our other fellow climbers, Thereasa and Karyn (Bri's friends) who would be joining on the mountain hike as well.  We all had some drinks together at Cafe Mambo and watched this crazy fire and acrobat show from

Oasis (Giraffe's in background)

some rather agile locals who kept chanting the phrase "Bamba" as
they flipped around and ate fire torches to put them out.  This 'earworm song" became the bane of my existence (my classic inability to tune out what I would call "unnecessary repetition") on the trip as Travis and Bri would randomly chat this on the hike.
          We had managed to squeeze in one safari day before starting the climb up Kilimanjaro so the next day we got up early to be picked up by our guide Amos in our safari vehicle.  I wasn't aware of what a safari vehicle looked like until it pulled up, its a pretty cool setup where you can pop the top up and stand from inside the car.  It was roughly a two hour drive to the Tarangire National Park
where we had to stop and sign in  before entering.  This was our
selection for safari, but it should be noted that there are many locations to choose from and you can break out your safari into a longer over night camping trip series.

Sleeping Zebras

          Now I have to preface this that even though I had spent almost a year in West Africa and been on a safari before, we were lucky to see elephants from a few hundred feet away at best.  When we initially drove in I figured we would be just as lucky to see a few animals from the same distance.  After driving for a short time we did actually see some Zebras way off in the distance and I took as many pictures as I could thinking it would be the best we would get for the day.  Much to my surprise after that initial sighting of a few Zebras we drove out into a clearing that basically was the same thing as the circle of life scene in the movie The Lion King.  I was blown away to see giant groups of Zebra, Giraffes, Elephants, Warthogs, Ostriches, Monkeys and many other animals.  Our safari vehicle was literally a few feet from most of these animals at one time or another and it was truly unbelievable.  Sadly we did not get to see any "cats"...Lions or Cheetahs that is.  However, we did see a large parade of Elephants walking along a river as well as a baby Elephant playing with the group.  It was quite funny to see the baby walking around the group being chased back and forth with its almost human or puppy like clumsy wanderings.  The safari was a great prelude to our climb and the amazing things we were able to see came as a very unexpected surprise.  I would recommend actually watching The Lion King before your safari for added effect.

            After our safari we made a quick pit stop to a Maasai village (I initially refused to go in because there was a price to enter the village, but I told the person in charge that I have been invited to many villages in my life time and never was asked to pay) and then made our way back to the Outpost lodge to receive our briefing from Joshua , who would be acting as our lead guide (this was his 73rd trek up the mountain since 99') for the duration of the hike.  He started by answering all our questions before proceeding to inspect our gear to assure we were adequately equipped to handle all scenarios of the hike (mainly cold, heat, rain and the sun).  Afterwards we got an early start to sleep that night as we were being picked up very early the next morning.

            We woke up and had our complimentary breakfast at the lodge and made our way to the bus to start the drive to the mountain.  It was about a four hour drive to the mountain and we picked up more of our crew along the way.  Counting the six of us that had paid for the trip
our groups compliment was twenty two altogether.  The large group was due to all the items needed to accomplish the hike, for us hikers we actually only had to carry small amounts of food, around three liters of water and all the needed items to weather the elements for the day.  As the days passed I was astounded at how much all the porters in our group could carry and not only that, but the speed at which they hiked.  The porters would usually start after we did and within thirty minutes or so they would pass us on the way to our next base camp!  Recent changes in regulation on the mountain states that porters can only carry twenty kilograms (roughly 44lbs).  Regulations aside, it is still forty four pounds all rolled up in a sack that they would balance on their neck and upper back or on top of their head and they were the ones passing us as we struggled to ascend the mountain carrying less than half the weight and moving at a glacial pace.  The porters surely had an edge having been long adjusted to the altitude, but I would be lying if I was still convinced of their super human abilities whilst on the mountain.

Beginning of the Trail

             On the first day of our hike our bus took us to the beginning of the Machame trail where our guide Joshua ha to register all of us for the hike.  We waited at the base of the mountain for quite as while as there were many large groups also waiting to register.  We sat in the hikers shelter grabbing some bites to eat while trying to keep any loose food away from the shifty monkeys swinging about.
 After we were finished registering we took our entrance pictures and started the walk up the steep road to the beginning of the trail.  The beginning part of the trail is a nice walk through the jungle, its the easiest part of the hike because the altitude is not yet an issue and the scenery is nice to look at.  This time of year is nice because there are really no bugs at all in the jungle in fact the only living things on the trail are the occasional bird and these black Colobus monkeys with really long draping white hair, they almost looked like a classic Muppet character.  We passed groups of these monkeys moving from tree to tree a few times as we walked along the trail.  This was the only day Joshua allowed us to set our own pace as we were at a lower altitude and had smaller risks of complications.  We reached our first base camp (called Machame Huts) early evening

Colobus Monkey

and went to the ranger station to register.  At just under ten thousand feet, this base camp was the most populated of all the base camps to come, we saw the higher we got the less populated it became.  My most memorable part of night one was when I got out of my tent in the of the night as nature called and I was able to see the clear night sky.  I have bared witness to some impressive night sky scenes in my hiking days when you get far enough from civilization to lose the light pollution, but I have to say the view of the milky way on the mountain was breathtaking.
             We were woken up by one of our assistant guides at six in the morning the next day to tea and coffee.  The rhythm of our daily hiking activities were managed in quite a methodical way by our crew.  Every morning we had a wake up call with tea, warm water for washing and then it was off to the mess tent for meals like porridge, french toast and eggs.  I have to say I was continuously astounded at what could be carried up the mountain by our crew, especially with regards to the amazing cuisine that was offered to us daily.  The dinners were almost gourmet level soups and meats cooked with spiced rice,  other fruits and veggies.

              Our goal for day two was to get to twelve and a half thousand feet up to the Shira Caves (there are some small caves on the way to the site) camp site.  Already at this point we started to see the landscape change from the dense jungle with the shaggy Colobus monkeys to lighter dry tropical type climate with smaller shrubs and trees.  At this point as you enter the Moorland zone you do notice there really are no more animals except for the smaller mouse variety.  Joshua with our assistant guides Mango and Philemon now took over the pace as they would continue to do for the remainder of the trip.  We moved at a very slow pace, but you begin to appreciate it the higher you climb as the elements, mainly the altitude begin to test your agility on the mountain.  As we moved out of the dense jungle to the dry rocky shrub trail we passed through the dense fog of the cloud line for some time.  Before long we were able to turn around and looking down the trail could see we had emerged from the cloud line.  It gave me a strange sense of isolation from the rest of civilization almost like "this is it, we are definitely going to the top of this mountain now, there is a peak ahead of us and clouds behind us, no turning back".
             I somewhat surprised myself at how much I was still able to talk while ascending the

Me and Mango

mountain as my tone at times delivered messages in an out of my gasps for more air.  I began to reminisce with our lead guide Joshua on my experiences while living in West Africa (mainly Ghana).  It was remarkable as we shared our experiences how many cultural similarities there were between where I had lived and Joshua's experiences in Tanzania.  I always find it extraordinary how the mind can spark up untapped memories that I had not been able to recall in years just by exchanging with Joshua.  In a world glued to TV, cell phones and laptops (I am the biggest offender)...there is really no comparison to sharing a series of good stories with a fellow companion as you walk along.  Joshua is a fantastic guide and I am so happy we got to bond the way we did, it was definitely an unexpected pleasure.
        One story that stuck out was the fact that Joshua was part of the local tribe known as Chagga.  Who historically believe their god lives on the top of the mountain, which in the early times was believed to be the reason anyone who tried to climb it would die (not knowing about altitude and lack of food and water on the mountain).  Joshua actually had to keep the fact from his mother that he was initially working as a porter on the mountain for many years for fear that if she knew he was trying to climb the mountain she would forbid it.  Finally one day he told her which took some convincing that he had climbed many times already and had lived to tell the tale.

             On day three we were getting into some serious altitude where we ascended to a rock formation known as Lava tower which would bring us just over fifteen thousand feet above sea level.  This day is typically when you may notice some reactions from the altitude.  All of us were on the Diamox medication and thankfully no one in our group had any major reactions to the medication or the altitude (besides one of the side effects: frequent urination, lets just say some on our hike were affected more than others).  While the hike brought us up to fifteen thousand feet our final stop was at Barranco huts camp site which took us back down to around thirteen thousand feet.  When we arrived at camp we had a nice popcorn snack waiting for us.  Barranco had a very nice view of some of the mountain high points as well as a steady stream and waterfall cut down the mountain side.  I was also again taken a back by the amazing views of the night sky at this site in particular.

Above the clouds

              I mentioned earlier how amazing the food was on this trip and I was particularly impressed with the soups coming at dinner time.  I felt obliged to mention that I also had a great self made recipe for Italian wedding soup and on day three Joshua called my bluff and asked me to work with the Chef to make it.  They actually had almost all of the ingredients to make it and we only had to substitute rice for the escarole.  The process was very enjoyable as I was talking to Mango our assistant guide to help translate which ingredients I needed and how or when to add others.  Our entire team was watching as we made our brew as I was told later they all wanted to try and make it for themselves back home.  Overall the soup turned out well, although we did go a little heavy on the rice, I miss judged how much the rice would expand relative to pasta...one cup of rice next time.

"Mt Doom" like rocky part of the mountain

              Day four began showing about the last of any vegetation on the mountain and a transition into an ashy "Mordor" like terrain covered with red pumice lava rocks.  I say Mordor because it seemed like the last part of Lord of the Rings when Frodo and Samwise were trudging up Mt. Doom to drop the ring off into the lava.  This day you range up and down in elevation finding pockets of vegetation.  There were a handful of plants we saw that were indigenous to the mountain also containing a proclivity to handle the altitude of Kilimanjaro.  Leaving our camp in the valley also included some mild rock  climbing where we had to surrender our hiking sticks to round a rock face until we took the turn to the "kissing" rock and through a temporary flat plan before more ascension

Rock Climbing

towards our final base camp.  It was at this point in time where the rest of the group began to share my weakness of recognizing repetition for items such as the frequent zipping and unzipping of the tent zippers at night for the bathroom.  Our Diamox medication was the reason for our frequent trips to the bathroom or that big rock off the trail (the bathroom).  We arrived at our base camp in the early evening to have a bite to eat before we began the most difficult part of the hike.  All of the nights on the mountain were very cold, I took the advice of our guide Joshua to zip up one of my jackets around my feet (its basically impossible to sleep if your feet are cold).
               Day five on the mountain started as early as the day possibly could (midnight), we woke up, strapped our head lamps on and started the long hike to the summit in the pitch black of Kilimanjaro.  It is important to note that the evening before I had begun feeling the affects of the altitude and had worries about making it to the top, luckily when I arose I had no such symptoms anymore (I did take an extra dose of Diamox just to be safe).  It is hard to see what the terrain looks like in the dark as you are climbing, but it is very clear how steep it is.  As we were climbing I would catch glimpses of the horizon and get a stark realization of how high we actually were.  I would look behind us the higher we got and see an endless line of flickering headlamps from the other groups ascending below us.  I appreciated the timing in the morning as I

Almost to the top

entered this tired trance like state while we were climbing up the mountain making it easier to take step after step.  As the sun crept over the horizon we were just arriving at Stella point (18,848 ft above sea level).  From this point you are just a forty five minute hike from the highest point in Africa.  While walking to the summit the increasing light begins to reveal the long stretch of glaciers and snow piles resting on the mountain top.  At this point it was very cold, so cold the water lines in our camelbaks froze solid.  Thankfully our supportive guides had trekked red bull all the way up the mountain for us to enjoy.  I am not a huge fan of the drink, but after expending every last nutrient on the hike, the sugar and energy bomb from a red bull hit the spot.  As we passed along the glaciers and finally made it to our destination there was a great deal of relief that came over me, so much that I actually have about a five second moment where I may have shed a few tears.  I was very proud of Sarah for making it to the top and equally proud that we had made it to the top together, it was quite a couples feat.  After that short emotional reaction I broke out the other drink that I had hauled to the top: Johnny Walker, I had a good swig of it before passing it

Massive Glacier

on to Travis as a toast to the top (19,341ft).  I do have to note that even a small swig of scotch at that altitude can have quite an effect, but I had to have scotch on the big rock.  After a good set of pictures we started back down the mountain.
               Thankfully the descent down Kilimanjaro only takes a day and a half, but after losing the hype of making it to the top, going down can be tough, especially after the long day of reaching the summit.  I realized how much using the hiking sticks paid off going up (takes about 25% strain off your legs), but going down they also help keep your balance.  The path down on the first day starts

Scotch "on the rocks"

with a trudge down a pile of ancient volcanic ash, it is very dusty and rather monotonous.  After a while it transfers to a rocky terrain going up and down for a while before getting to the camp for the night.  The hike down is particularly challenging because you use leg muscles that you do not frequently use in every day life.  Having hiked Kilimanjaro I would opt to hike to the summit twice if it meant I did not have to go down once.  When we reached camp I gave the rest of my scotch to our team to enjoy as a thank you for all they had done.
                The next day we had a few more hours of hiking where we finally made it down to the jungle parts of the trail.  Both days while climbing down we kept passing these unicycle type carts meant to quickly escort hikers that had succumbed to severe reactions on the mountain.  I was passed, well I was actually hit into the bushes by one of these carts as I tried to get out of the way.  We were very fortunate that our group did not have any serious issues while on the mountain.  I forgot to
mention that during the summit in the night I went for a bathroom break and while I was searching with my head lamp, I ran across a memorial from April of 2015 from someone who has died on the mountain.  It is not a terribly
common thing, but it does happen, I made sure not to mention my finding until we were close to the base of the mountain.  As we got back into the jungle area we ran into our muppet like monkey friends before finally getting to the end of the trail.

                After loading back into the bus we stopped at a nice restaurant for lunch and decided to treat the team as well.  I was astounded at how cheap it was as our team was over twenty people
all ordering a main course with a beer and or soda and the total bill was only one hundred dollars.  The food was great and it was also great to see the team enjoying themselves after all the intense hard work they had done for us.
               Following lunch we were dropped back to our hotel and said our goodbyes to the team.  Kilimanjaro and the Safari were more than memorable.  The hike up the mountain was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life, it was technically not even on my bucket list, but I suppose now I can cross it off.  The task was not something I thought I would never do but more importantly something I never imagined I would be capable of.  It is a mental and physical test of endurance and your reward is the amazing experience of getting to the top...the roof of Africa.

Our Beer of Choice on the Trip