Friday, October 10, 2008

back to the beginning

36 hours, 4 planes, endless cups of airport coffee and we get to Moshi, a small town at the base of Kilimanjaro.


all aboard the dar es salaam to kilimanjaro express


moshi lion

KILI - DAY ONE
It appears we have 7 staff. Head porter, our cook, staff cook, head porter/waiter, 3 porters. I told them to leave the toilet paper carrier, the shoe shine, and the personal fanner behind. One is, after all, roughing it.

We set off at Machame gate (we are climbing the Machame, or "Whisky" Route)and almost immediately found ourselves in the company of some B+W colobus monkeys - which our guide says are a thumbless breed. (What the evolutionary decision to remove a digit is I can't fathom.)



The start of the trek was in rainforest. We had sun for the most part and then it turned misty. It wasn't physically taxing, but we began climbing almost immediately.

We passed 3000 metres and kept climbing.



When we arrived at camp we found the porters had arrived first, had set up the tents and were preparing dinner.



Weather had turned a bit and it was a little wet so dinner was had in the tent's 'porch' (the technical term I believe, and not me being a tosser)


mmmm...tasty


peek of kili peak

1 comment:

Ginny said...

Dear Terry
As you predicted your trip has co-incided with/caused an enormous amount of financial chaos. Its amazing how a simple birthday jaunt can create a complete melt down of world economies. Iceland is doubtless removing you from their xmas list even as I write. Hope that it will not cause you too much trouble, see you back at NSGH with any luck.