1:30 pm - Arusha. Update time - we finally made it to Kili!!!! However, our bags somehow did not. With less than 12 hours before we were to start our climb, we were standing in our hotel with only the clothes on our back and our packs. Inspired by our good friend Jack, who showed up at the base of Kili with nothing more than flip flops and shorts, we knew that we too could be resourceful. Thinking of Jack, we managed to rent or buy whatever we needed and by the next morning were happily off to Kili! We had a great guide named Kassim and our porters were also very friendly. Each day we'll give you a bit of an update to make the ending suspenseful - did we make it to the summit? The first day was hiking through incredible rain forest...lots of mud but arriving at our first night's camp with the sun setting on Kili was amazing! We set up camp (actually our porters set up camp) and much to our surprise, they set up an "eating tent" for us too! Tea and popcorn for a snack in the afternoon and a dinner far better than we ever imagined. The next morning, we set out again for about 3 hours of fairly steep hiking up to our lunch spot and then another 2 hours to the next camp. The only drawback was the wind which I'm sure was whipping around at 100 km an hour (OK, so I exagerate, but it was windy!!). Absolutely no sleep that night because the noise of the tent flapping in the wind was louder than thunder. No worries, since we're getting good at functioning with no sleep! By this time, we were up to 3,800 m altitude and so far - so good...no altitude problems!! More to come on the Kili climb later.
Arriving back to our hotel off of Kili we find that still no one has managed to locate our bags (nor does anyone seem to care). So, we hire a car to take us to the airport to check again and then off to Arusha for the beginning of our safari. We are now resigned to wearing whatever we have and discovered last night that a little laundry soap and a nalgene bottle work as an excellent substitude for a laundry machine. You can shake alot of dirt out in a nalgene bottle!! We're about to start our safari and have been pleasantly surprised that we'll be traveling with our own personal driver and no other clients.
Hopefully we'll find internet along the way to keep you updated!!
k&g
ps - And Mom, I think we should have rented helmets but we still made it off Kili safe and sound!! k
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2 comments:
ok i can't stand it anymore. leave it to the cleavers to go thru this much shit wearing the same underwear for a week with no comments/complaints (other than a baby blister. hasn't anyone other than me thought if i were them i would say:
"i am ready to kill someone!"
"why are we on this trip"
"why can't this country get more !@#%^^&*$#@%^^* with it".
and what is with all the suspense? desperate housewives do not need long drawn out delayed details - that just sucks. give us the goods. besides i can't settle any of my bets with Gord. could you two be any more nice???? or happy???
missing you both greatly
s, G, T and Rio.
Hopper - I'm going fishing that weekend.
Shel - there has been a few moments of "#!$*&$)*%&#!!" and yes, I don't see any reason this country can't get it together...but what are you going to do??? Luckily I had the foresight to pack numerous pairs of underwear...unlike Grant.
Robin - I'm not sure we've achieved reality TV level and yes, we both had our own socks (not enough)...luckily Jack was good inspiration...every time we got down about the luggage we laughed and said "think of Jack!!"
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