Africa - from the journals of Christopher

Welcome

2009-10-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

About a year ago an email arrived in my inbox, it was from my traveling companion on the Inca trail and he was wondering where our next adventure would take us. Africa popped in to my mind, so I put on some Johnny Clegg tunes and started surfing the internet.

I’m not sure what I was looking for or what to expect when I found it, but I think part of my decision on Africa was that it was wild and untamed. A place I knew little about, but could provide new challenges, expanding my mind and my world. My first challenge… This place is so big, the land so vast, if I only have 20 days what are my top priorities of things to do and see? And what do I even have to choose from? I don’t normally like to link to commercial sites, but rather let each person review their choices and make their own decision based on their needs. However Lark Tours really helped us sort through all the information and built a trip around our needs, plus we both returned to the U.S. without any major problems so I thought it was worth mentioning them. And after a few months of discussion we settled on climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, going on safari in the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater, experiencing island life on Zanzibar, and then finally getting a taste of Cape Town.

So all that was left was to call up my friends Josh and Shannon and beg them to watch my house and dog, get a whole bunch of shots and drugs, and then figure out a way to explain to my clients that I would be out of the country for 20 days.

Vacation to me implies turning off the brain and just relaxing, I was not going on vacation, I was seeking out a new adventure, and would grow in ways that I would have never guessed. [Begin African Journey]

If you have read my past travel blogs then I’m sure you have seen Matt Harding’s videos of him dancing around the world. I asked him for a ceremonial trip blessing, and all I had to do was buy a few copies of his book ;) Which is great and can be purchased from Amazon.com:
Where the Hell is Matt?: Dancing Badly Around the World.

Thanks Matt! (www.wherethehellismatt.com)

While waiting patiently for our departure date to arrive I mapped out our path on Google Earth for family and friends to play along at home while we were gone.

Previous Destinations
Australia
Southeast Asia
The Alaskan Wilderness
Peru

Next Destinations
Northwest Asia

- phynntravels@comcast.net

Reflections

2009-10-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

The last page of a couple of my past travel blogs have started with “This is the hardest part to write….”, and again that same first sentence fills my thoughts. However this time it is for a completely different reason. It is because I have to write down something that I fear might be true. And it is this. No matter where I travel, no matter what I see and what I do, I don’t know how to top my recent travels. But I now know that I am a scatterling of Africa, and I will continue to explore, continue to grow, and continue on the road to Phelamanga.

So rather than sum everything up by recapping the countless amazing experiences of this trip, the many lessons learned, the life changing memories I am walking away with, and all the people who changed my path, maybe it is just better if I end with….

Thank you for letting me share this journey, and I hope that you too one day have the opportunity to free yourself and see the world. But when you go, please don’t just take the guided tour, staying in five star hotels and dining in fancy restaurants, but get out, explore, and even get lost. And then communicate with the people, learn from them, and share your knowledge. So that whatever path you are on, wherever your final destination lies, that when you get there, you will have no regrets. I’m Christopher Phynn, thank you, and good night.

"It’s a cruel, crazy, beautiful world, it’s your world so live in it."
- phynntravels@comcast.net

Three Routes Home

2009-10-27T12:01:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the airport and the line was short to check in. I was a little hesitant, I knew once I was issued my tickets the end was approaching, but checked my luggage anyway. Then Ben and I grabbed one last beer in Africa. We needed something to help us take our malaria pills, which we would continue to take for the next 7 days after returning to the US. I was tired, we had been going the whole day, which included a community bucket of beer and 3 wine tastings, all I wanted was to get on the plane and fall asleep.

I woke up in Amsterdam. We traveled all around Africa, both internationally and domestically, some airports were not fully paved, some airports were just a shelter with no real enclosure, some people who checked us in did not speak English, but we never had a single problem, we always got where we wanted to, our luggage always arrived with us, and we were always on time. It took coming back to American to find problems. I have no idea why some people think American is the best country in the world, other than those people have probably never left the US. And so it took three tries to get home. My original flight was from Amsterdam to Seattle, the perfect rote. However Northwest changed the time it left Amsterdam and I would no longer be able to make that connection. So when I checked in they had updated my route from Amsterdam to Detroit, and then on to Seattle. I have no idea what happened to this flight but once I arrived in Amsterdam I found my ticket referred to a flight that did not seem to exist. After a quick stop at the service center I found I was now heading to Minneapolis and then on to Seattle. Ben and I said our good-byes, and I found a plane heading in the general direction of the United States that let me on.

The adventure was over, at least for now. I looked at the person sitting next to me on the flight from Minneapolis to Seattle, and I wondered what his story was, where had he been and why. Was he returning home to Seattle, traveling for business, visiting someone in the Pacific Northwest, or was he too coming back from his own adventure. Did he just finish climbing Everest, or swimming with the stingless jellyfish of Palau, or studying the Mayan calendar in Tikal, or maybe looking for new species in the Galapagos Islands, maybe even sand boarding the dunes of Namibia. Or would he even be able to grasp, appreciate, and understand the journey I had just been on. I then knew my adventure would never end, I smiled, and turned to him, and said “Hello….”

46664

2009-10-26T12:01:00.000-07:00

There was a major storm last night and it felt like the windows were going to fail. We were suppose to go sand boarding today however with the rain last night the sand was wet and we were shut out. So instead we just checked out the city this morning. A view of Table Mountain, still closed due to the wind.

We stopped at Greenmarket Square, a local craft market. I was hoping to pick something up but it was all the same trinkets at every other place we had been so I passed.

We then drove through Bo-Kaap to see the colored houses.

Then we came upon migrant workers from Zimbabwe who were hanging out at the local building supply store looking for work, much like the Mexicans hanging outside of our Home Depots.

We were heading to the Langa township and to better understand what we would be seeing we first stopped at District Six, an inner city residential area within Cape Town. Under the apartheid regime people from District Six went to work one day and returned to find they were locked out of their houses and were forced to relocate, losing everything, their possessions, and even their house. This area was now a “Whites Only” place. It was not until 1994 when Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for 27 years for his anti-apartheid views, became the president of South Africa and handed District Six back to its original owners.

Langa township is the oldest township, being established in 1923 as a designated area for blacks. This is a place that every human should visit, experience, and learn about. There are not only great lessons to be learned here but great people to learn from, and they are more than happy to show you around. So few people actually go inside a township and talk to the people, that it is easily forgotten, and their story is lost. So when Ben and I stopped by they welcomed us in to their homes, sharing their lives with us, and now I’d like to share that experience with you. While it looks poor, dirty, and unsafe, don’t be afraid, please go and talk to the people, and learn from them. The first thing you notice is that the government put them in the worst place, right behind the nuclear power plant.

These are the dorms, this is where the middle class of the township lives.

This is their clothes dryer.

These are their vehicles.

We entered one of the dorms and met Dan, who along with his wife and 5 kids all live in this little room. One bed, a loft for storage, hot plate and TV, and not enough room for the 4 of us to fit inside together, this picture was from the community hallway. The kids sleep on the concrete floor. Dan has lived here for over 20 years, the last 15 of which he has been on a list waiting to get his original house back. The government is now slowly giving many of the people back their homes they once took away from them. So once a week for the last 15 years Dan has checked in with the local government office to see if it was his turn to return home.

This is the community kitchen. There is not much privacy, and not much they can do about it.

This is one of the restaurants, and it was at this point that Jackson, the person showing us around said something interesting. He said that sometimes when someone is offered a house to return to that they turn it down. I could not even begin to understand why this would be. I’m fairly logical and my mind raced to try and process what I heard, turning up nothing, so I said to Jackson, wait, what, why? He said it was because of their lifestyle and customs no longer fit with what was expected in Cape Town. For example, in the township they slaughter their own animals for food and religious reasons, something that is important to them and they don’t want to give it up, but if you do that in the city the neighbors make a phone call and then the cops show up. I don’t know that I can fully understand it, but it might be like someone telling me I can have a mansion on the lake, but only if I never have a steak with a fine glass of wine again.

We then walked to the lower class side of the township, the shack straight ahead was the local pub.

The people who live here at least have privacy, but no electricity and they don’t always stay dry when it rains. I felt strange taking a picture inside and for reasons I can’t really explain, I tried to avoid photographing anyone directly. But Jackson said not to worry about it. He said he likes this part of town because it can be seen from the freeway, and it brings curious visitors like us to their township, and he was right.

Then a dog came charging at me, I thought I had done something wrong, but he ended up running right past me.

We had walked all over the township and I was feeling a little dehydrated so I asked Jackson, where was that pub?

He took us there. This is the brewery, the people in the background are the patrons, and that bucket on the floor was the community brew, you basically pass the bucket around taking a sip when it gets to you.

We were near the end of the trip so I decided to take a gamble and shared a beer with the locals. Ben also tried it, which was good, I would not go down alone, anything I would catch he would catch as well. It was a very unique taste, kind of like soapy corn. But I again thought about where I was, what I was doing and experiencing, and the beer tasted great, one I will never forget. And my insides continued processing without issue.

I was touched by the people of Langa and how much they opened their lives to us, I can’t thank Jackson enough, it truly was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

As we left Langa I felt a little strange about where we were heading. Because we were shut out of sand boarding we decided to head to the winelands in Stellenbosch to taste some of the local grapes. We first stopped at Meerlust, a vineyard that was handed down for 8 generations. They carried higher end wine, although I have found that wine is unique to the person, while they tasted great I have also tased a $10 bottle that tasted just as good.

We then went to Spier, which was huge and included a few local Cheetahs. We ate lunch there and they had an awesome buffet. The wine was also good and they have a grape that is only grown in South Africa, a Pinotage, a cross between Pinot noir and Cinsaut. I would say it was very earthy and seemed to work as well as the others.

The last stop was at Fairview for both cheese and wine.

The cheese was awesome and some came from the local goats.

We then headed back to Cape Town to grab dinner down on the waterfront. This place was pretty touristy but also very cool, and being from Seattle felt a little like home.

It was a great complement to the accelerated Cape Town experience we were on.

Much like any other water front they had their share of entertainers, playing music, pretending to be statues, etc.

And after dinner we were on our way to the airport, our time was coming to an end as our flight was leaving shortly after midnight.

VIDEO: Exploring Cape Town

Swimming with the Great White Sharks Where Two Oceans Meet

2009-10-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

Greg made an executive decision and boy were we glad he did. We were suppose to go sand boarding today and shark cage diving tomorrow, but he checked the weather and saw a storm coming in tomorrow so he set us up with shark cage diving today. Which was good because the seas were too rough for them to go out the next two days. If you are in Cape Town and have a sense of adventure, a stop in Shark Alley is worth it. We made the two hour drive down to Hermanus, setting yet another personal record, I was now further south then I have even been in my life. We were given breakfast and then briefed on what to expect while shark cage diving. What I did not expect was to climb up on to a boat that was sitting on a trailer that would then be lowered in to the sea with everyone already on board, wonder why they don't just use that dock over there.

The sea was very rough and I felt ill, much like many others on board. But much like many others on board I pushed through it, breathing deeply and staring at the horizon with Zen like concentration. There was one couple that needed to be rescued, and it only cost them an additional 400 RAND for an early ride to shore. This was the cage that up to five of us would be trapped in at any given time.

This is the cage with the first victims inside. The nice part is that it is attached to the boat so you don’t have to worry about things coming in from behind.

This is the fake seal that they use to bring the sharks in close to the cage.

This is the bait that serves the same purpose as the fake seal.

These are the birds that eat the chum that they bait the waters with.

And these are the sharks, who are mostly pissed to find things such as a fake seal and bait that gets pulled away from them as soon as they are close enough to eat it. This fish is big and not open to logic and reason, but beautiful to watch swim right by you, so calm, such grace. But on a moment’s notice ready to aggressively kill.

There is one guy pulling on the bait line and another guy up on top of the boat, however the sharks come up fast enough so that no one has enough time to react and sometimes the shark gets away with the bait.

We were lucky that when it was our time in the cage we saw three sharks in a very short period of time, something the other two groups waited over an hour for. I was really hoping for one to bite the cage, no such luck, but one did bump cage and moved us, and that was good enough for me. After the cage bump I learned something else about great white sharks, and that is that they seem unaffected by the presence of urine in the water.

After our shark adventure and ensuring we had all our fingers and toes we headed back, stopping at Two Oceans for lunch to watch the whales.

I think at this point using words such as “most amazing experience…”, “how fortunate am I…”, and “this is so cool…” have all lost meaning and are just implied. So I’ll just say that here I am eating lunch looking out at whales cresting. If I look to the left I see the Indian Ocean, if I look to the right I see the Atlantic Ocean. OK, so how cool is it to stand in a single location and see two oceans meet, I feel very fortunate. I think I find the Indian Ocean more scenic, but then maybe that is because I’m sitting on the right side of the lunch table.

This guy seemed to pose just for the camera and then all of a sudden I remembered I too had a dog at home.

As we worked our way back to Cape Town we stopped to see the Jackass penguins, only found in South Africa. Why Jackass, not because they all pile in shopping carts and ride down the ravine like that TV show, but because the bray (or sound like) like donkeys.

They were everywhere.

I loved watching them walk. I had not bought any souvenirs yet and would have loved to bring one of these guys home, but none of them had a price tag, and when something is not marked that usually means it is very expensive.

After a change of clothes we went to dine at the African Café. This was a great place in terms of traditional food, however it was very touristy. While everything was traditional, many dishes where customized to our palette. But another amazing day and filling meal, with more South African wine, so we headed back to the guest house for rest.

Cape Town & the World's Oldest Mountain

2009-10-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

We got up before first light and headed to the airport to catch our flight from Nairobi to Johannesburg, South Africa. Once in Johannesburg we went through immigration and then customs, re-checking our luggage on to Cape Town. With time to kill we went in search of a watering hole, using the skills we developed on safari we quickly tracked one down. We met a bloke from Cape Town, who was in the “diamond business”, nuff said. He gave us some good tips on Cape Town and after talking with him I got the feeling Cape Town would be much like Sydney, Australia, and in a way I was right. He turned us on to Marzen Gold as the brew of choice, so we had a few and then boarded our flight to Cape Town.

We got to Cape Town and meet our driver and guide, Greg. As we left the airport I had a strange thought, we were for the first time on this trip in civilization. But who was I to say or even think that, I was wrong. Yes, places were different, some more developed then others, but they all had the same needs, they would all be willing to help out, they were all part of one big civilization that we never left.

We were going to first head up Table Mountain before going to the hotel, and the good, no wait, great news was that they had a cable car to take you to the top. So while you can hike to the top, there is an easier way. I was excited to see the cable car used the same “S” configuration that was used on Whistler’s new record setting Peak to Peak gondola, two guide ropes and one pull rope. Why? Because it is very windy in Cape Town, and we were lucky that we went up today because winds would shut down the mountain the rest of the time we were in Cape Town. So if it works in these conditions I would have no worries going from Whistler to Blackcomb in the worst blizzards.

Some people think Chicago, IL is the wind city, some people are very wrong. We were near the very edge of the southern point of Africa, and between the 50th and 70th parallel there is no land mass to obstruct ocean currents or winds, so it blows big. As we rode up the cable car the floor rotated so we could see in all directions.

The views from the top were stunning. Off in the distance you could see Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. To the right of that on the land there is a circular building that would host the World Cup, something that we call soccer but the rest of the world calls football. They are excited and you can feel the hype of the upcoming tournaments, very much the same way you can feel Whistler gearing up for the 2010 winter Olympics.

Based on the sandstone layers and the granite base many believe this to be the Earth’s very first mountain, dating it back over 800,000,000 years old. It's pretty cool to think you might be standing on the world's oldest mountain.

Then the clouds came in and it was nothing but a whitish-grey haze that was kind of spooky. We saw a few people climbing the mountain to the top, all who which held their position until this blew over.

Lucky for them it was not that long.

We got back down and then headed to dinner at Cargills. This place was awesome, only eight tables, an amazing menu and great selection of wine. Although if it was not for my sister becoming a chef and enjoying many tasting menus with wine parings over the years I’m not sure I would have been able to fully appreciated this dining experience. I had the Fillet of Game and it just melted in your mouth, it was great to be pampered after all our travels.

We were going to head out on the town that night but after an amazing meal like that, along with the wine, we were ready to call it a night at the guest house. We would be staying at 51 on Kloofnek, a house converted in to a guest house with 5 rooms, pool, dining area, and awesome view of Table Mountain.

Layover in Nairobi

2009-10-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

Last night we meet David (pronounced Da-Vid), from Spain, who ran the local dive shop. I had seen amazing pictures of the white sand beaches of Zanzibar and wanted to experience them. We had some time to kill before we had to catch our flight out and worked out a deal with him to take us out to the islands. As it turned out he owned the two boats from my sunset pictures.

On the way out he told us that his wife was expecting to give birth soon and they would be heading to the United States for it. My mind started racing with thoughts of a possible career change, and how long it would take me to certify as a PADI master diver, something that is still lingering in the back of my mind. We first stopped at a sandbar, it took my breath away. How can something so amazing exist and I am only now seeing it.

I have been fortunate to see some amazing beaches in my life, but Africa again would trump my past experiences, yes, the water was very clear.

We left the sand bar just in time as others would soon be arriving. David knew exactly where to go and what time to be there. We then headed to Menai Bay, a small coral reef that included three small islands, all made from coral as the water receded over the years. Our first stop was Miwi island. This was as close as the boat could get so we hopped out and walked to shore.

Leaving the only footprints the island would see today.

We climbed to the top of the coral and looked around.

This is the only structure on the island, a small shelter that local fisherman use on overnight stays. It looked great, and if there was enough time I could see spending the night, this is all that I need.

During low tide you can see the island floor, during high tide this is all flooded with water.

I used to think Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh, Thailand was the most beautiful, but then everyone found out about it, so I changed to the Secret Lagoon on Railay Beach, Thailand, but I have to change it again. This place, this beach, there is no one around, it is untouched, this is the most beautiful beach I have seen. The only problem is you have to bring your own cooler full of beers.

We then made our way out to Nianembe island, the sand is white out here because it is actually crushed coral, and not mixed in with the ground which causes the yellowing we more commonly see on the mainland.

I climbed to the top of the coral again, what a view, and you just want to sit for a while, taking everything in, thinking about where you are and what you are doing, it’s a time of inner peace, and you don’t want to leave.

No shelters on this island, but a fisherman did leave some kind of traps here for later use.

Again our boat could only get so close so we walked the remaining way.

I think I could call this place home.

Yes, the water was clear, very clear.

However the clock was ticking and we had a plane to catch, more things to see, more adventure to play out, so we had to head back. Checking out the local fisherman’s nets as we walked to shore back to Fumba.

The hotel was kind enough to let us use one of their showers to clean up, even though we had to check out before leaving for the islands. After cleaning up our driver arrived and we headed to the airport. Our driver helped us check in which was a huge help, we were lost and had no idea what was going on. We were on another Precision Air flight but that line was long so our driver checked us in on the Kenya Air counter as there was no one in that line, not sure how it all worked but we had no problems. And in this heat the less issues the better. We had about three hours to sit in a crowded, hot, dirty, and noisy room that was the terminal. After a while I felt like I might pass out, but I hung in there as our boarding time finally arrived, and by now the shower I took was well worn off, and I was spent.

We were heading to Cape Town, South Africa, the long way. We left Zanzibar and flew in to Nairobi, Kenya. My guard was up because I often heard it referred to as Nai-rob-you. We arrived and going through immigration and customs was a breeze, and our bags were waiting, I could not believe it. We found our driver and headed to the Fairview Hotel, which was beautiful, and if we had to have a layover this was the best place for it. Although on the way there we drove through a lot of sketchy areas where people approached our car at stop lights, I kept the windows rolled up and the doors locked. Our hotel was right next to the Israeli embassy and the road to our hotel was very secure, so I had no worries once we got there. We checked in, grabbed dinner at one of the four restaurants in the hotel and then headed to bed as we had a 5 am ride to the airport the next morning. No more resting on an island someplace, we again would be trying to cram as much in as possible on our few remaining days. The hotel had a TV, which I almost forgot how to operate, but we managed to turn on CNN out of London to see what was going on in the world. I again was reminded how poor the news is in the United States, we have no idea there is a whole world out there and only seem to think of ourselves, what ashamed. So guess what headline came across the screen…. “Two fighter jets scramble from Madison, WI to intercept a Northwest flight more than an hour off course”. I guess we are not that far from home after all, and the world seemed small to me for the first time in my life. We turned off the TV and much like the pilots of that Northwest flight, we decided to get some sleep.

VIDEO: Vacation on Zanzibar

A Vacation on Zanzibar

2009-10-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

I was clean, well rested, and today, well today I have nothing to do, finally a day of rest, a day to attempt to turn off the mind.

I could not do that yet and walked north to the local fishing village to see them head out this morning.

I have seen this shot someplace before…. Maybe we are all really not that different after all….

While it took most boat owners a while to ready their ship, this guy was not so lucky.

I was invited in to their village, however, no shirt, no shoes, no service, and I had to decline. I had walked down the beach without concern until I got to the village and started seeing all kinds of broken glass and other things to cut my feet on. It screamed of Hepatitis C and God knows what else so after a few pictures I decided to return to Fumba and catch some rays.

So with a heavy coat of sun screen on I shut down the mind, or at least I tried to. But my mind was racing with everything that I had seen and everything that I had done, it could take a life time to process. And then as I watched the tide go out my mind cleared, and I again understood, it was a single thought. “Yeah, life sure don’t suck”.

I watched the locals search the coral in low tide for everything from sea cucumbers to clams as they were all edible.

I lasted about two hours, and anyone who knows me knows that is pretty good, but then I got bored and had to get up and do something. Much the same way I feel after 4 holes of golf, ok so now what? So I again headed down the beach to see what the fisherman would return with. What is their day like. They came in and proceeded to smash the hell out of the octopuses they had caught by slamming them against the rocks. They were already dead and the language barrier was too much for me to understand why they were doing this. But that meat had to be tender when they were done.

They all had found something.

Something that could be eaten.

I then headed south of Fumba, and found nothing really.

After a few hours I returned to Fumba, it was beautiful, so many places to explore, so many places to just relax.

And then the angels were calling, there is a bar around here someplace, oh look there it is! And it is shaped like an old boat!

Ancient bones from Olduvai, echoes of the very first cry, who made me here and why, beneath the copper sun....

And so I watched the sunset, something I have seen many times before, but today was the first time I actually watched it. Yes, Africa was wild, untamed, and emotional.

It’s amazing how such a simple image can invoke such emotion, it’s nice to be on vacation.

This is the local dog, Simba. I think he was concerned when I left Fumba as he followed me the whole way, and then hung out in the shade while I soaked in the rays after my return.

What a great companion, although he is not much of a drinker. I know how he feels, it seems like we have been traveling for ages. While sitting at the boat bar I looked out over the ocean and saw lights were I did not think I was suppose to see lights. Turns out that the mainland curves in more then I had thought and I was seeing the edge of Dar es Salaam.

Stone Town Amazes

2009-10-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

We got up this morning and would begin the roughly 5 hours drive to reach a paved road once again.

One last look once we reached the crater rim.

As we left we continued to see elephants.

And some more zebra.

We reached Arusha and had lunch in town. Although it was a bit of a disappointment, it was run by some French guy who most likely had been thrown out of France with his cooking, but the place was nice, outside, and they had cold beers. After lunch we got to the airport and found that only half the runway was paved, but I guess that is better than nothing, or is it? We checked in and they weighted our luggage, we were within the limits so they gave us our tickets and baggage tags, then asked for a tip. Keep in mind this person had an airline id badge and could easily ensure my bag never reached its destination, so all I could do was give them a few bucks. Once we got on our Precision Air flight to Stone Town, Zanzibar, they came through the isle with two bug bombs emptying, saying it was a requirement of the World Health Organization. It did not smell too bad and I regained the ability to taste food within 20 minutes, so it was no big deal. One good thing about domestic flights in Africa is that you get cashews instead of peanuts. I like cashews.

We got to Stone Town and found our driver, and you knew you were in the tropics, it was hot and humid. I’m glad I packed a lot of non-cotton items for the Kilimanjaro hike, however I still managed to sweat through them by days end. Once we landed we had a chance to explore Stone Town, and it was awesome.

A seemingly endless maze of alleys between the buildings, occupied with a large Muslim population.

Stone Town is the capital of Zanzibar, a small island off the coast of Tanzania that was once its own country.

I’m surprised I’m not still wondering around trying to find my way out, only a few blocks in to town and everything starts to look the same.

We came across an area where the townspeople discuss politics.

And they love Obama, and we were welcomed as Americans.

Then we tried to find our way out.

Finding an old community bath house. The care taker was happy to give us a tour, and I did not know why until the end when he asked for money, but he only wanted $2 US so it was no big deal.

Wait, didn’t we already come down this way?

OK, I know I have seen this alley before.

But this looks new.

We found our way to the castle, however it is no longer needed to fend off foreign invaders, but now houses the homeless.

After a view of the harbor we began looking for the market, no cute touristy maps here.

So we wandered the alleys.

Until we found it.

I have been in a lot of crazy markets but this would be the most amazing one, one with the most amazing smells, and one that would soon give my immune system a full body stress test. I loved it, best ever.

First was the poultry department. Sorry for the poor quality but these are all screen grabs from my video.

Once you pick your bird you can slaughter it right here.

Next we hit the meat department, what a unique fragrance. I’m pretty sure that employees do not need to wash their hands after using the restroom, and if they did would it really matter?

I wonder what they will be serving tonight, and I wonder where they got what they were serving?

This place was an island so how could you not hit the seafood department to check out the fresh catch of the day.

It was quite an amazing contrast in smells between the meat and the sea food sections.

This was the octopus bartering table.

I did not barter, but felt the one in the back left looked pretty tasty, some thyme and a lemon wedge, oh boy, makes my mouth water.

Ah, fresh air.

Well, kind of. We then meet the local drug dealer who was way beyond baked, and after numerous “No Thank You(s)” I think he finally saw our lips moving and left.

It took about 45 minutes to get from Stone Town to Fumba Beach, where we would be staying the next two days. This place was great, excellent staff, beautiful accommodations, and images that I already saw being framed and hanging on my wall at home. Plus they did laundry, and I was amazed how dusty everything got on safari, from my shirts, to the inside of my pockets, to my bags, and to my cameras.

Yeah I can get used to this, but then I seemed to be saying that every night.

Understanding the Real Maasai

2009-10-20T12:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, things in fact are going quite well.

Today we would be working our way out of the Serengeti back to Olduvai. Along the way we encountered some hyena.

Including a few kids.

And a female in heat.

The first animal we saw on the way in was a baboon so it only seemed fitting that it was also one of the last animals we saw on the way out and completed the circle.

We were visiting during the end of the dry season, and this dry season was carrying on a bit longer than previous years. So the great migration, in which millions of wildebeests, zebra, gazelle, and buffalos make a huge circle through this area, were still for the most part, north of us. However with the little bit of rain the last few days they were getting close and we caught the beginning edge of the migration.

As we headed out of the Serengeti I was thinking, I wish we could have gotten more elephant sightings in, and then the next thing I knew we were right in the middle of a pack.

OK, this guy looks upset, maybe we should move on.

A few more lion as we exited.

Then, great distances had to be traveled so that we could get out before our permit expired, I hope ye ole Toyota can just hold together a few more hours. The tires on these vehicles create the same kind of braker-bumps you will find on the mountain biking trails of Whistler, so it is a matter of finding that sweet spot on the speedometer where the reaction of the shocks offsets the gap between the braker-bumps, a constant battle.

We had some time before lunch so Sadai took us in to the bush on the edge of a dry lake bed.

Sadai had done an amazing job of getting us at the right place at the right time so our animal viewing was maximized. He was never wrong about where to go and what to see. Sadai thought the lake bed was now dry, Sadai was wrong for the first time.

And we were stuck good, not going anyplace. And for a bonus, down on the floor of the lake bed it was impossible to get a cell signal or to make contact using the radio in the truck. Awesome, I thought.

The local Maasai came out, however these Maasai had their own language so even our driver Sadai could not communicate with them. They were not used to seeing things like a truck, or even people that were white.

And this is when my satellite phone really came in handy as Sadai was able to call in backup, they would arrive within two hours while we continued to attempted to dig and prop up the truck. It was good they were coming because it turns out we could not dig this out, digging only sank the truck more because it was just all mud below. So trying to free a wheel by removing dirt around it just lowered the truck closer in to the mud. But the company contacted a local lodge who was able to come and pick Ben and I up and take us back to their lodge for lunch, while Sadai guarded the truck. Mount Kilimanjaro Safari Club (MKSC), who we were on safari with really took good care of us. After lunch we returned to help dig out the truck as the others had arrived.

This would turn out to be one of the best parts of the trip. We were over 10 miles away from the closest lodge, but this was Africa, how could I not expect something like this to happen, and I was loving it, knowing I would have a great story to tell. Then I was given a very special gift, it was not something that you can plan on, not something that you can print in a brochure. I received this gift once before when I stayed with the Sinfeng family for a night in the Ta Van village while I was hiking the mountains of Sapa, Vietnam, and how lucky I was to have an experience like this twice in a lifetime.

I had my digital camera out to take a few pictures of how stuck we were. This would blow the minds of the Maasai and they could not get enough of my digital camera. We could not communicate using language with each other, however this strange device that could somehow capture and store images for later viewing opened a line of communication between us that I cannot explain. I made another mistake of keeping a close guard on my camera, misunderstanding their curiosity as an opening for them to run off with my camera. But I was quick to correct my thoughts and let them take a picture with my camera. I would see amazing things on this trip and capture many of them on camera or video, however the image below is one of my favorites. One Maasai taking a picture of another Maasai and then struggling to understand that it was their image on my small LCD screen.

I was now understanding the Massai and why they had come out, why they are watching us attempt to free our vehicle.

They did not understand cars and why when it was moving before that it could not be moving now. It was no different than a UFO landing in my backyard. I would go out and want to see it, something that I have never seen before, how does it work, and why is it here?

One of the Maasai weapons, a simple weapon, but one that allows them to eat. However if you look at their herd of sheep, none of them have a tail. That is because they eat the sheep tails, it is a good source of meat and it does not kill the animal, only problem is that they don't grow back.

The sun was going down and the Maasai had lost interest, however the truck was still stuck. Using one of the trucks that came to the rescue they took Ben and I back to Olduvai. Along the way we passed the devil’s tree, how appropriate I thought.

A different Maasai tribe was starting to build a new village here.

The sun was setting as we approached Olduvai.

We made it back in time for a shower and dinner. At dinner there was a babbling knucklehead from Minnesota who was trying to impress people from Scotland with his US knowledge and what they did today, problem was he was incorrect with most of his facts. After a quick roll of my eyes I tuned him out, there were more important things to hear, more important things to see. An hour later and Sadai would arrive with our truck.

VIDEO: Safari in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater

Finding My Place in the Serengeti

2009-10-19T12:01:00.000-07:00

You know things are going quite well when you wake up, step outside of your tent, and find this waiting for you.

We packed up and left Olduvai, however we would be returning in another day. Today we were heading in to the Serengeti, again our permit would only be good for 24 hours and Sadai recommended we enter around 11am to give us the best experience. So far he had been right about everything else so it sounded like a great plan.

With time to kill this morning he suggested we visit a local Maasai village so we stopped at one, however the first village was not in to greeting us, so we continued on until we found one that would allow us in to their homes. The Maasai are a semi-nomadic people who live in Tanzania and Kenya, some have seen such things as cars and white people, others have not. The village we stopped at was familiar with such things.

They sang for us and their throaty chants were quite amazing. Unfortunately it does not appear that iTunes caries any of their top ten hits.

These guys can jump.

Their houses are quite small as they move around the land often, and why create something fancy if you are going to leave in 3 months.

Inside it was quite tight with a very interesting smell, these houses are made from whatever they can find, and sometimes they find cow dung.

As we walked around the village they did not seem to mind the camera.

We then peeked in on their school, this was the kindergarten class.

It was an amazing visit and added to the countless experiences that I would never forget on this journey. I was honored that they opened their village to us and we thanked them. It was now time to head to the Serengeti.

The road was long but we were making progress. You really start to get the feeling of isolation and being cut off from everything. Serengeti actually comes from the Maasai and means “endless plain”, they sure got the name right.

We first stumbled upon some lions.

This was the first full grown male we saw.

Along with the kids.

An outcast watched from the distance.

Then we saw some gazelle.

A lion and a gazelle, I wonder if that lion is hungry?

OK, that was just about the coolest thing I have ever seen. Turns out he was hungry, and so continues the circle of life.

The rest of the herd seemed to watch in disbelief.

It walked right past the truck as if we were not even there. I wonder how much more time before lunch.

So we continued on. I have no idea how Sadai found his way through this place, all I saw was an endless maze of roads covering roughly 10,000 square miles that makes up the Serengeti.

Again we saw everything, including my favorite, giraffes.

More hippos who all refused to get out of the water.

And a number of more lions.

We then saw a cheetah for the first time.

And then saw a leopard for the first time as well. I’m really working through my check list nicely today.

We even spotted a crocodile.

We saw more then I would have ever guessed and it was not over. We started making our way to Ronjo camp with in the Serengeti, where we would be staying for the night. As we approach Ronjo I was amazed that there were giraffes so close to the camp, boy would I soon be in for a surprise.

We got to Ronjo and were briefed on our stay. A Maasai warrior will escort you to your tent after dinner and do not leave your tent until 6:30 the next morning after the sun comes up. We were told that the animals are all around here, and a quick glance of the numerous droppings all around the camp site seemed to indicate this was in fact the case. Ben asked “What should we do if we see a lion?” and he replied “Do whatever your common sense tells you, if you want to cry, then cry, if you want to run, then run.” I guess the more appropriate question would have been “What do you do when you seen a lion in the camp?” After the briefing we checked out our tent, right here in the middle of the Serengeti, how can this all be real, how can I be so fortunate.

The tents were great and I know I said this for Olduvai, but Ronjo was one of the coolest places that I have ever stayed in my life. Plus they too came around with a sack of hot water for the shower and we repeated the same procedure as before.

Our tent included one very important item, this whistle. We were told that if things take a turn for the worse and something gets in our tent at night to blow the whistle and they would come help. That sounded like a made up answer to me, it seemed more like it would be used to warn the other 9 tents not to expect us for breakfast in the morning.

Trick or treat. OK the shorts and shirt are mine but the hat was in fact Ben’s.

So we sat out front of our tent sipping on Kilimanjaro beer and watched animals walk right in front of us. I felt like this was where I belonged, I found my place, and again everything was right in the world at this moment.

A giraffe. And then I got my second call from a client on the satellite phone, but if I have to do a little work I could not think of a better place to do it, I guess I am not as isolated as I had originally thought.

Some zebra. Then the lawyer in Ben came out and he said “Where in the US could you ever do anything even close to this?” He was right, if it ever was attempted, some sappy American might get a mosquito bite, bring a lawsuit, and shut the whole place down. Boy it sure is nice to be in Africa.

Then I remembered that I never asked my follow up question about what to do when you see lions, where is that whistle?

After a quick shower we headed to the fire pit which was about to be lite, fire should keep everything away right?

We then headed to dinner, which again was amazing. Nine other tents and one was occupied with another former Microsoft employee, so we talked a little shop, but then I realized what a waste of time, we are in the middle of the Serengeti, and quickly the conversation changed.

I have slept in a lot of crazy places and heard a lot of strange sounds, but none can hold a candle to what I heard tonight. I did not know if I should be curious or if I should hide under the covers. African was not just wild and untamed, but it was proving to be very emotional, giving me so many images, so many experiences, and soon, so many memories that will never be lost. So if you are willing to go as far as Olduvai, and still have that sense of adventure, then you have to go a little farther, and make a stop at Ronjo camp, it can tell you things that I can not.

The Seven Daughters of Eve & Ngorongoro Crater

2009-10-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

We got up the next morning, checked out, and were greeted by our driver, Sadai. We headed out toward the Ngorongoro Crater with dust funnels following close behind.

Passing more villages. They looked all pretty much the same and were starting to feel familiar, someplace comfortable.

Our first sighting happened before we even got there, a few baboons just hanging out.

The Ngorongoro crater is the world’s largest unbroken volcanic caldera, meaning it exploded and then collapsed on itself. The crater floor is a little over 100 square miles with its walls a little over 2000 feet. Trapped inside are over 25,000 animals, but with a decent water supply they have no need to ever leave. This again is one of those images that escapes the camera lens. Looking down in the crater is beyond breath taking and unlike anything I have ever seen before. It’s so big and vast, yet there it all is right in front of you, this may be the largest image my brain has ever had to process.

I felt in a way that I was coming back to something that I forgot long ago. This was the location of the world’s oldest footprints of a hominid species walking upright.

This view was so amazing yet so simple, it had meaning. I was reminded of a recent book I read, The Seven Daughters of Eve. The author uses mitochondrial DNA, which is preserved in the female line, to trace all of modern Europe back to seven clan mothers in Africa. And I struggled to understand what I was really seeing.

The road up to this point was quite an adventure, it’s a single lane dirt road that works its way up the side of the crater wall. However someway, when someone is coming down they seem to find road that was not there before in order to squeeze by each other. Just another 30 minutes down the inside of the crater wall. Our permit was only good for 24 hours so the sooner we got to the crater floor the better and Sadai was beating the crap out of our vehicle to get us there fast.

One thing that you will get on safari in Tanzania that you won’t get in Kenya or South Africa is that in Tanzania they leave nature alone and let it play out. Elsewhere they clean up dead animals and try to nurse the sick ones back to health. This guy did not make it.

Our first sighting inside the crater would be an ostrich.

Then came a zebra, and so close. I felt rushed by our driver and was excited to see these things, however he knew what we did not, soon we would be surrounded by huge herds of just about everything. So he continued driving.

A few gazelle as we reached the crater floor.

A few hundred flamingos.

There is a Maasai village in the crater and these are their cows, with more zebra in the background.

Our ride included a pop-up top so we had great views of just about everything.

A few warthogs in front of Lake Magadi.

We stopped for lunch in front of a pond full of hippos.

At this point there were all kinds of animals in just about any direction you looked.

And they all seemed to ignore each other.

The whole trip we never saw one get out of the water.

We did see quite a few roll over in order to keep cool.

A few years ago I was in Denali and the few animals we saw were way off in the distance so I was blown away by the volume and how close we were getting to everything.

There was no shortage of wildebeest.

Then we saw our first lions.

Some were sleeping.

Some were not.

How close do you get to the animals? Here is a lion resting in the shade of a safari vehicle, so pretty close I would say. I was hoping to see our first kill here but the people in the truck all kept their arms and legs inside the ride at all times.

Another warthog.

More wildebeest.

The one animal that we were not able to get close to was the Black Rhino, this was the best my camera could do, but you could make it out with a decent pair of binoculars.

Near the end of the crater we caught our first sighting of an elephant. With it being so big you think it would have been easier to pick out from all the other animals.

The roads are bad and they really beat the crap out of these, they really made me a believer of the Toyota Land Cruiser, even if they only last 3 to 4 years out here.

Out of everything we saw I would have to say that I was most fascinated by the giraffes, so big, so strange, but so majestic.

After exploring the crater we started working our way to Olduvai camp. This place was one of the coolest places that I have ever been. The tents were much more roomy then our accommodations on Kilimanjaro. That desk had me wanting to write a poem of today’s events, but I had no paper and pen, I’m not good at rhyming and I don’t like to write, so I passed.

And took in the amazing views from our patio instead. Ten tents in the middle of the wide open Ngorongoro plains, and me. It didn’t seem real, I could only have dreamed of such an amazing place, but then here I was, and I could have stayed for weeks.

And they even kind of have hot showers. Around 6 in the evening they would come by with a sack of hot water and hang it up behind your tent. However it goes fast, so you get wet, turn off the water and lather up, then turn it back on to rinse. But its great, there is something in the air, something around you, it completes the experience, and you feel cleaner then you ever have been.

There is another Maasai village about 10 kilometers away and one of the Maasai warriors was coming by to take us on a sunset walk.

We had the option of a long walk or a short one. After Kilimanjaro the answer was quite easy, let’s try out that short one.

Olduvai Gorge is commonly known as “The Cradle of Mankind” because the oldest known hominid bones have been found here. I began again thinking about the seven daughters, and where I was, and what might have happened here. It was surreal, and the impact so profound, whose footprints was I now walking in?

Man living the way man was suppose to live.

We then walked back to our tents for dinner. The food was amazing, I don’t know how they pull this off but anyone considering a trip to Ngorongoro with a sense of adventure should strongly consider a stop at Olduvai camp.

I was still wondering if I was really experiencing all this, it was almost too amazing to be true.

Dela

2009-10-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up and there you were, like a simple question looking for an answer, and yes my legs are sore. I was thankful that this was the last time I would be waking up in a small tent and have to pack everything up.

Here is where the helicopter comes if you need to be evacuated from the mountain, just be sure to have your Visa card handy.

Only 6 more hours descending and we will be off the mountain.

The Marangu route is the easiest route on Kilimanjaro, the path is wide and level and you have the option to sleep in actual shelters. It is often called the Coca Cola route because it is packed with people and they sell Coca Cola at the various huts. So it made for a relaxing decent.

A glance back at Kilimanjaro’s summit and one thought comes to mind, “Why the hell wasn’t it that clear yesterday?”

This side of the mountain gets a lot more rain than the other side so the rain forests we walked though were much more impressive. Thick, lush, and beautiful.

You have to be careful on this part of the trail, there are quite a few kids that are supposed to be in school but rather hide out here, and as people go by they ambush you, taking anything from cameras to hats and then quickly disappearing in the forest. Romlie spotted them every time and called them out.

We even came across a few monkeys.

And some fire ants which were avoided, my legs were sore enough.

Once we got down off the mountain and in to a local village we ate at this guy’s house. It was family style and we had a nice sampling of real African food. I have to say it was all pretty tasty except for the beef, which had a lot of fat and other things attached to it. But it was also nice to stop eating once I felt full.

After lunch we headed to Moivaro Lodge and this place was great. Nice rooms, great common areas, good food, and a shower that had hot water. It felt great but also took some work to get the layers of filth off me. After dinner that night we sat around chatting with others over a beer, some had been on safari and some had been up the mountain, so it was a great blend of comparing Kilimanjaro notes as well as getting an idea of what to expect on safari. And what a treat, I got to sleep in an actual bed, mosquito net included.

VIDEO: Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro

We Are The Scatterings of Africa

2009-10-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure that I got any sleep, it could have been the excitement, it could have been the altitude, it could have been that there was just not enough time to sleep. It was 12:01 and game day, I popped my second Diamox within a 12 hour period knowing what lies ahead, packed up everything and filled my Camel Pak, then put on my headlamp and aimed it towards the ground. The next 5 hours would look like this.

At this point the mind needs distractions, the push for the summit is as much physical as it is mental, and if you get caught up thinking about how far you have to go, how hard it is to breathe, how steep it is, and how that only 50% of the people make it in 5 days, you might get lost. With the lack of oxygen it is very hard to concentrate and easy to lose control of your mind. The data running through my mind was initially “I will make it to the top, I will make it to the top, I will make it to the top, oh crap I think I left the iron on at home, no wait I put that away, I will make it to the top…” However this simple repetitive phrase was causing my mind to check out as there was no thought process going on and I felt like I might lose it. I needed something to keep me sharp so I started calculating Big-O notation for various algorithms such as Huffman Encoding, Dijkstra’s algorithm, and various tree algorithms. What can I say, I’m a computer geek.

We were not one of the first groups to start this morning, in fact we were one of the later ones. However Romlie was off to the races, so much for “Pole-Pole”, and we were soon passing people. We were all climbing for our own reasons, all working to overcome our own obstacles, for some they were fighting it mentally, others were struggling physically, but we all had the same destination in mind, we shared a common goal. So we pressed on, step, breathe, step, breathe, and then step breathe, breathe. For me it was not about who was first, but I did wait until we had a comfortable lead, meaning I looked down the mountain and all I saw was the faint light from their headlamps, that I asked Romlie to slow down. I had a screaming headache and would not make it at this pace, however once we slowed and I was again able to get some oxygen back to my brain that I settled down and my headache went away, and I was again on track for the summit.

Finally, after looking up in the dark and barley being able to make out the outline of more mountain we got to a point that I was no longer able to make out more mountain, and after climbing over rocks for the last 30 minutes we were at Gilman’s point. We accomplished the hardest part of the accent to reach 18,650 feet. Now if only the other side of the mountain would blow up and make this point the new summit we can call it a day, no such luck. This was also the point at which the water in my Camel Pak frozen and I would be without hydration for the remainder of the day. However Gilman gives you your second wind, knowing that you are so close to what you are searching for.

While researching this using Google Earth I was under the impression that the walk from Gilman’s point around the crater rim to Uhuru Peak was relatively easy. I tell you I really could not have been more wrong. It’s long and hard with more rocks to navigate over and includes not one but three false summits. What I mean by that is that you see what appears to be the top, however once you get there, there is no sign and then you look to your right and you see more mountain. This depressing process occurs three times before you finally see that sign, that sign that until now only appeared in your dreams. And our early acceleration paid off, we were the second ones to the top and had the sign all to ourselves. What does it feel like? That is something that can only be experienced, as I have no idea how to even begin to describe it. I over came my own obstacles and I climbed it for my own reasons, and when I first touched the sign indicating the summit, a tear rolled down my left cheek, I found what I was looking for, and I understood it. 19,340 feet. After getting a few pictures I had one thing left that I had to do. Mount Kilimanjaro has the highest cell tower in the world, and with the time change between here and the US, I attempted to phone my Dad to wish him a happy birthday from the highest point in Africa. However I was not able to get a signal until we started our decent, so I guess it really came from “almost the highest” point in Africa.

I wish it could have lasted forever however our time at this altitude was limited and we would soon be required to begin our decent. Now that others were arriving we were starting to see the effects of no oxygen on the human brain. A German guy kept falling down, which had he come out of a pub would have been quite funny, however up here on his third fall he face planted in to a rock next to the sign and cut open his eye. But he was here, got the picture, and then was quickly assisted with his descent.

Unfortunately the weather would not be affording us any views, which would have been a nice bonus to our main goal, but I right now I could never complain. Had it been clear you could have seen the crater over this edge.

On the way back down I was given a very special experience, something that I can never forgot, something that would shape my life forever. Ben and I were the second people to reach the summit that morning and we passed a lot of people on our decent who were still working their way up. I think people saw us glowing, they could tell by our face, our body motion, that we made it to the top. They would congratulate us, give us hugs, and shake our hands, and we would let them know that soon it would be their time, it’s not much farther, if we made it so can you. This happened time and time again, and then finally I understood it. I would only meet a handful of people on this mountain, our encounter would be brief, and once over I would not see or hear from them again, but everyone I meet, everyone on this mountain today, and everyone ever on this mountain, they are my brothers and sisters. We share a common bond, we were all called home by a single mother that is this mountain, we are the scatterlings of Africa, on the road to Phelamanga.

The glacier was barely visible through the snow.

The sun came up on the way down and I was able to see what we climbed up, I now know why we did this in the dark.

Remember that black line from my previous picture? Well I got cute and tried to float the whole way down the fall line. It did not work and after years of abusing my knees skiing and mountain biking they were not pleased with my recent actions. So I had to resort to a slow decent. Once back down we got a picture with the team that made this a successful summit. Conditions were not perfect but it is an image I will cherish always.

But we were not done yet. We made it to the top and back down to Kibo in 9 hours. Ben said guess what time it is. I said 1, 1:30 in the afternoon, and he said it was five after nine in the morning. I lost track of time, I lost track of where I was. We would then begin our decent past Kibo down to Horombo camp bringing our hiking time today to 13 consecutive hours before rest, and I can’t even calculate the vertical distance covered. The way down was a long endless road.

We got to Horombo camp and I could again spell my own name, however I still could not feel my big toe on my left foot. Which by the way I still do not have feeling in today as I type this up. It was not the cold but the pressure of my toenail pushing in to my foot on the way down. But I was at the summit, and I was down without major injury. We slept at 12,000 feet that night, and I had the best night’s rest that I would ever have, I was, I guess I was satisfied.

The Altitude of Kibo Camp

2009-10-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Today it was cold and we woke up to a little dusting of snow.

I found today to be very strange in that we could see our final destination for most of the hike but it turned out to be much farther away then I would have guessed.

We would be hiking the Alpine Desert for 5 hours as we crossed the saddle and reached an elevation of 15,580 feet, which is really the base of the actual mountain. Yeah, the first 4 days were just getting up to the base of the mountain, and a mountain whose base is higher than most other mountains.

We watched Mawenzi become an ancient memory.

We moved forward, and to keep my mind off the fact that I was hiking, I started looking for good chutes and lines, that with a little more snow could prove to be skiable. I wonder what the porters would charge to carry up a pair of skis?

Because of the snow you are able to see the path we will be taking. It may look short but it is so big and so vast that there is actually a crashed plane in this picture just to the right of the trail, can you see it?

Here it is. They took out the engine because it was valuable, however everything else was left, well, except for the bodies which were also removed.

Our porters were approaching fast.

Finally we could see Kibo camp. If you look up the mountain a little right of the middle of this picture you can see a black line on the mountain. That is from people coming down this morning.

For the first time it was getting hard to walk, hard to breathe, I was a little shaky, and a headache was coming on, I was starting to feel the affect of the lack of oxygen and altitude around 15,500 feet. This was the highest I have ever been in my life outside the protective shell of an airplane. And tomorrow if everything goes as planned I would shatter this personal record by over an additional 4,000 feet. Speaking of records, Ben would not be breaking his Inca trail record once we arrived in Kibo camp.

It was nice to see our porters needing to rest as well, at this altitude things start to move slowly and carefully.

At Kibo things would get very real. They had a fleet of double sided wheelbarrows, basically a wheel in the middle and two handles on both ends. This is so they can put someone on it and then use 4 porters to run them down to Horombo camp, and present them with the same options. We got to see 3 people evacuated, and this time they take off running fast. They were showing signs of HACE, High Altitude Cerebral Edema, which can be fatal and you have to descend immediately, no matter what the weather and conditions are. It was at this time that I would take my first Diamox pill to help fight off the effects of the altitude. We had a short rest and my headache was going no place when Romlie came to get us for a acclimation hike, this time I was not that excited. 15,580 feet and I’m looking up at a mountain, something was not right, maybe it was the altitude affecting my thinking but I was unable to comprehend it. It was snowing as we headed up, it gave us an idea of what to expect tomorrow, how steep it would be, what the terrain would be like, and how much less oxygen was available. We later came back down and I was wondering if I could pull this off tomorrow, what did I sign up for? And then I remembered I chose to do this and I had very specific reasons for it, and it again became enjoyable. I giggled a little thinking about what I would accomplish tomorrow and what it would mean to me, as my headache slowly vanished. We ate and then quickly went to bed to try and get as much sleep as possible. We would begin our push for the summit shortly after midnight, so tonight’s rest would be brief, and cold.

Snow at Mawenzi Tarn

2009-10-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

We had our guide wake us early so we could watch the sunrise. It was breath taking and inspired me to continue on, toady would be a short day of only 4 hours as we rose to an elevation of 14,210 feet. The views alone could carry you to the top and the air was crisp and clean. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

We were the first ones up in our camp and would begin hiking before many even saw first light. We then saw something amazing that appeared overnight, a portable outhouse that had an actual seat and thus the cannonball method was not needed. However it was only for the group who paid extra for it, wussies.

Our friend waiting for the morning soap, however we successfully limited him to only two bars while in this camp.

As we climbed the clouds rolled in.

Romlie telling us about the trees that grow slowly, these are full size ones of the earlier picture.

Our porters were again fast to catch us.

A rock pile marks our route as more clouds roll in.

Our porters are up that way so I guess we should follow them. Surprisingly I don’t yet feel overly tired or worn out, and have not noticed the air getting thinner.

We arrive at Mawenzi.

A somewhat fresh water supply, only a few water purification tablets and 4 hours of waiting and it is drinkable.

At this point we would start doing daily accumulation hikes, where at the end of a day’s hike you would then hike up a few hundred more feet and hang out for a while, then climb back down, sleeping at a lower altitude. It seemed to help. A lot of people spell their names in rocks at the higher altitude to pass the time. I wanted to give a shout out to two people from the 4th of July crew so I…. OK, so the truth was that I was wandering around looking for a rock to pee behind and found this.

As we were up near the top of Mawenzi things started to get real. Someone was beginning to show signs of HAPE, or High Altitude Pulmonary Edema, which requires immediate decent. At this point in the climb that involves 8 porters (a few from each group on the mountain) who take turns carrying you piggyback style down to Horombo camp around 12,000 feet. About 6 hours down the path in this picture. From there you have a few options, hang out and hope things improve, continue down for another 6 hours off the mountain, or shell out $3000 US for a helicopter ride. Fortunately we would not have to evaluate those options ourselves.

To ensure good karma and a successful summit, a few rock piles.

Our camp below where we started and would be sleeping tonight.

The clouds came in.

The sun set, the temperature dropped, and snow would soon fall.

Believe it or not but there were some people smoking up here. Myself, I just went to bed after cramming more food down for dinner.

Birds of the Kikelewa Caves

2009-10-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

I was glad to wake up this morning and see that the mountain was still there.

To help our acclimation we would be heading up towards Mawensi Peak, one of the three volcanic cones of Kilimanjaro.

We said good bye to our first camp and started hiking as our porters packed up the tent and what was left over from breakfast. About two hours in to our hike they would blow past us and have lunch ready for us when we got to Second Cave. Today was going to be a long day, around 7 hours of hiking, coming to rest at 11,320 feet.

I don’t know how our porters do it but I can’t believe they have much of a neck left after a few years.

Yes, we are making progress. Because of global warming they are predicting that the snow cap peaks and glaciers on top will be gone in the next 10 years, so I changed all the light bulbs in my house to CFL, so that others can share this experience, so that others can see it the way I did, so that my footprints would be light and easily erased.

By the end of tomorrow we should be at Mawensi. While our guide gave us background information and pointed out interesting things along the way, much of the day is spent alone with your thoughts, and the mind wanders in seemingly endless directions, much like the path we are on.

Unfortunately pictures cannot possibility capture the views. It’s a vast open area below and its amazing how much you can see, so many places to explore, so many places to get lost. As impressed as I was at this moment it was nothing compared to things to come.

The mountain is so big that it creates its own weather. The weather can change by the minute, sometimes you can see it, then you blink and it is gone.

Romlie is showing us First Cave.

I can only hope that my backbone does not end up like this as a result of this little hike.

Another amazing vista who’s beauty eludes the lenses of the camera.

We got to Second Cave early enough to set up lunch right in front of the cave, the perfect spot. As others came by they all wondered who hooked us up with the great location. We chatted with quite a few people, running through the standard set of questions, “Where are you from?”, “How many days are you taking?”, etc. Upon hearing that Ben was from Wisconsin one lady said “I hear you recently changed the name of your tourist division” and told us a story that sounded like it was right out of the Onion. However it does in fact appear that Wisconsin called their tourist division “Wisconsin Tourism Federation” until someone got a memo with the initials WTF. Good old Wisconsin. After lunch we pressed on.

I wish I could tell you the name of this tree, however what I thought I heard our guide say was not close enough for me to locate it on that www-dot-internet deal. But I do know that it takes 15 years for it to grow this much.

The birds here are big and strong, you need to keep your tent closed at all times or they will come in and fly off with cameras. Before dinner our chief/porter brings out a water dish and soap for us to clean up with. It only took about 5 minutes for us to fully frustrate him by losing 2 bars of soap to the birds. It really was not our fault, you put down the soap for a second to rinse, then turn around and watch it fly off. I figure we were doing him a favor, that’s a quarter of a pound less that he has to carry with him.

Day 2 completed successfully.

The facilities were still door less facing up the mountain and could use some kind of air freshener, but at least they were stable.

Another quick weather change.

I force feed myself enough noodles that could have easily feed the entire population of any one of the villages we passed, and then watched the sun set. I was inspired, I wanted to paint or sketch this, but as I have none of those skills, I just stood there with my thoughts, thoughts that I could never put in to words, thoughts that could only ever make sense to me, and then I slept.

The Route Less Traveled

2009-10-12T12:01:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning thinking I was about to climb the world’s highest free standing mountain, only 19,380 vertical feet to go. Then I thought I feel older today and wondered if I should have attempted this years ago. I quickly dumped that from my mind, I feel great and now is the time for me to conquer Kilimanjaro, I know I am ready. In order to get ready I jumped in the shower and found that there was no hot water available, there was a hot water knob, however no matter if it was turned all the way to the right or all the way to the left, it did not matter, this was ice cold water. It’s really quite amazing how fast you can clean yourself with proper motivation.

A van arrived to pick us up and we headed to the local MKSC office (Mount Kilimanjaro Safari Club). The driver did not speak much English but once we got there he motioned to us to get out. We then saw some guys move our luggage to a new van. I looked around and saw an old gas truck badly in need of repair, another guy working on his car, and a bunch of non-English speaking people who I assumed are our porters.

I then saw the van with all our stuff in it drive off, two thoughts raced through my mind. First, well there goes all our stuff, and second, I wonder how much more time I have to live. Then Honest appeared from the building and a third thought entered my mind. I realized what a mistake I had made with my first two thoughts. In Africa this was a legitimate business, it was only through my eyes that it became criminal. A mistake that I would try hard not to repeat. Honest greeted us and let us know that they were only going to get fuel. And they did return shortly, we all piled in to two vans and headed out. Two vans were required because for the 2 of us Ben and I had 2 guides and 8 porters, so if you do the math we each had a support team of 5 helping us up the mountain. OK that may sound like we are a bunch of wussies, but I’d like to see anyone reading this to haul all their own tent and food equipment up nearly 20,000 feet.

Mount Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano, which means it is not suppose to blow up on you when you are climbing it. The climb is really more of a hike until the last day when you find yourself climbing over rocks which often involve a few last minute scrambles. When working with Lark Tours we told them we wanted the less traveled, non-tourist route, and they really delivered on this by sending us up the Rongai route and down the Marangu route. This path really gives you the best of both options because you get to see everything on one side of the mountain going up and then see everything on the other side of the mountain going down. Because the Rongai route is less traveled you actually get to see wild life that is missed on the more crowded routes. We would be making our summit attempt in 5 days, which was a bit risky when it comes to acclimating to the altitude as 6 days are preferred but we were trying to pack a lot in to only a few days so it was a risk worth taking.

I once took a bus from Lao Cai to Sapa, Vietnam on what at the time I would have said was the world’s worst road, now I know better. The road from the Marangu Gate, where we had to get our permits, to Nale Moru village, the start of the Rongai route is the leading candidate for the world’s worst road. It’s not that far but still took us over 2 hours to get there, and boy was I happy to see a wash closet once we got there.

Along the way we got our first glimpse of the mountain and I actually thought “hmm, I thought it was bigger than this”, of course not taking in to account perspective and how far away we still were.

Once we were on the other side of the mountain we stopped for lunch, this seemed like a good place.

I of course ordered the Chris Burger. The Chris burger is not that great, a very dry burger from some kind of animal with a fried egg on top. But here I was in a local village restaurant just a few kilometers away from the Kenyan border, getting ready to climb to the highest point in all of Africa, with the exception of Ben, not another white person around for miles, so it tasted great and I was overcome with emotion. I realized that this was what I was looking for a year ago when I began researching an African trip, however I still had no idea what to do now that I found it.

Being so close to the Kenyan boarder and realizing that we were from the United States, the locals all greeted us with one word, “Obama”. With Obama’s father being from Kenya they told us that we were not from the United States but rather “From Obama”. I’m not sure I can fully understand the experience yet, but it was nice to finally be so warmly greeted.

After lunch we made our way to the start of the Rongai route.

The time had come, so we put on our day packs and headed out. There would be five different climate zones that we would be passing through, we started out in the Bushland and worked our way through rain forests to the Moorland zone.

Passing a local farmer along the way.

Along our journey we encountered a porter escorting a woman down off the mountain. Our guide spoke Swahili to him and it turns out that she had trouble with the altitude at the second cave (around 12,000 feet) and had to descend. You could see the disappointment on her face and she looked a little out of shape. However I have to congratulate her, she was out here at least attempting it, which is more than most people do. Each person has their own summit and each person has their own challenges, it’s not about who gets to the top, or who is the fastest, it is about you and the mountain, and nothing else. So I hope she takes pride in what she accomplished.

It was not long before we saw our first wild life. Because of a language barrier between us and our guide we originally thought we were looking at Cannabis monkeys, however as I type up this blog I checked the www-dot-internet thing and in fact we were actually seeing the Colobus monkey.

After about two hours we could finally see that we were making progress, we were higher then when we started.

Before we started our guide said that we would be going “pole pole” (pronounce the “e” and it means slowly, slowly), this gives your body more time to slowly accumulate as you slowly rise in an effort to fight off altitude sickness.

Just another 30 minutes and we would be at our first camp, today would be the easiest day and we were only at 8,530 feet, a nice way to start. Our porters were already there and had our tent setup with dinner cooking.

I can’t tell you the meaning of life. But today, today I think I know why I am here, it’s simply to stand here and watch the sun go down on Kilimanjaro. I can feel the energy of the mountain, its beauty, its size, its power radiates through me and I can feel the little hairs on my arm stand up. I don’t know why or what emotion I am feeling, but everything is right in the world at this very moment. Yeah, today I think I know why I am here, today I think I know why the dog howls at the moon.

We sat down to dinner which was pretty good until our guide, Romlie, came in and told us to eat more. He said we have to force ourselves to eat so we can store energy for our final accent. I looked at the roughly ten pounds of mashed potatoes that had been set before Ben and I and thought if I eat more I might throw up and lose everything I already have stored. I choked down a little more and was finished.

I have to apologize for this next picture, my intent was to show the facilities, basically a sheltered hole in the ground with no door for privacy. However when I took the picture the flash on my camera illumined the inner depths of the hole, and well, there is some nasty shit down. I know what you are all thinking, would Ben break his previous record set on the Inca trail? You will just have to keep reading.

Ben said the smell made him gag, but I only had one option and it was not going to wait until morning. So I grabbed my headlamp as it was dark, the skies were beautiful by the way, so clear you could see everything, the Milky Way, satellites crossing overhead, and of course the seven sisters (or Pleiades constellation). Anyway I had two door less sheltered holes to choose from and apparently the previous user of both did not have a headlamp because they both had misfired and apparently did not see the broom that was used to clean up such a misfire. There are things in life that you don’t like to do, things you don’t want to do, but sometimes they have to be done. So with my headlamp illuminating the area I assumed the cannonball position being careful to hold my shorts up and thus avoid any contamination with the misfire, and let nature take its course. My legs were a little sore and twitched so I shifted my weight and then the whole shelter tilted a little bit. I thought "I don’t have enough antibiotics if I fall in this thing". Fortunately my body sensed the urgency of the situation and jettison its remaining cargo, and I got out of there. After Ben and I had a few laughs over the recent events I settled in for the night.

Testing the Malaria Drugs

2009-10-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

I had on shorts and last night provided the local insect population with quite a feast. I guess I would be testing the Malaria drugs sooner then I planned.

The morning light gave us a chance to see where we were, had the skies been clear we could have seen Mount Kilimanjaro, however that sighting would have to wait to later.

After breakfast we would be transferring to Aishi Hotel. Along the way we passed many small towns and they all seemed to have a lot of people out and about, and a lot of people just standing around with nothing to do. We also passed a number of kids who when they saw a car pass would hold out their right hand palm up. I thought this might be some crazy form of hitchhiking and asked our driver, he told me that they wanted food or water, they were asking for a hand out. It was strange that I never considered that as a possibility even through the towns, at least from my perspective, seemed very poor. I guess it was just childhood conditioning that I was still trying to shed. Our travels would prove to be slow going at first, then followed by periods of terrifyingly fast.

Years ago friends of my parents were traveling in Africa and unfortunately one of them was killed in a car accident, I now know exactly how it happened as it could have easily been one of us. The roads in Africa are a bit untamed and they drive these old Toyota minivans 80-90 mph, they often attempt to pass even when you can clearly see a oncoming truck, plus they are driving on the wrong side of the road with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car. But I was caught up in the moment and loving it, it was these kind of experiences that I had come for. We got to our hotel and checked in. We then met Honest, who briefed us on our climb set for tomorrow, giving us an overview of what to expect and what we should bring. We were both pretty set except for hiking poles which Honest recommended. We both thought they sounded like a good idea and Honest hooked us up for $6 each, a good investment. After the briefing we went back to our room to find the power had gone out. Nature was calling and our bathroom was pitch black. There was an article that I wanted to finish from the plane so I figured it was a good time to test the headlamp I had packed for our hike. I found the bright LED strong enough to illuminate the bathroom but not overpowering that it hurt my eyes to read. As it turns out this would not be the only wash closet which would require my headlamp. We headed down to dinner in another cool open air restaurant and bar. We meet some Canadians who just finished a 9 day route up and down Kilimanjaro. They were a great source of information and provided me with a well used, duct-tape repaired poncho, and said I might need this. I packed it away and thanked them for all their advice.

On the way back to our room we heard the loudest frog ever. Back home I have a pond out front and during the summer the frogs go all night, but this African one was shaking the ground all by himself. The power came back on that night and we flipped on the TV, they only got one channel and it appeared to be a live 24-hour feed from the African version of Big Brother as it was just showing people sleeping. At least I think it was Big Brother.

The Beers of Tanzania

2009-10-10T12:01:00.000-07:00

We landed in Kilimanjaro International Airport after dark. They don’t really have any gates so all the planes just kind of park and you all funnel towards the airport doors where you are greeted by people wearing medical masks that are handing out medical survey forms. It was at this point that I realized I failed to pack a very key item, a pen. However a nice clinical researcher from Vienna had a company pen and said I could keep it. We filled out our forms, went through immigration and were very pleased to find our luggage waiting for us. We were limited to 15kg (around 33lbs) so packing became an art form. We were finally here and we had all are stuff, the adventure was about to become reality and was no longer just a dream. We exchanged some U.S. dollars for Tanzanian Shillings (Note that larger bills give you a better exchange rate. Ben and I exchanged the same amount in U.S. however he ended up with more Shillings because he exchanged $50 bills, while I exchanged $20 bills). We then found a driver who had a sign with our names mostly spelled correctly and the name of the hotel that I believed we were staying at. We talked to him and then he made a phone call, he said a lot of stuff I did not understand, then hung up and said yes he was our ride. And he was. We got to Kia Lodge and checked in. After checking out the room and verifying the integrity of the mosquito nets we headed to the open air restaurant and bar.

I had a nice steak with a great peppercorn sauce and Ben had the chicken and we sampled a few of the local brews. I really enjoyed Kilimanjaro and Safari the most, but the others were not bad at all.

I miss my dog, Koda. But until I return home this hotel had a loaner for the night.

We found our way back to our hut and called it a night knowing the adventure was just about to begin. Just a couple of kids on Christmas Eve.

Traveling to Kilimanjaro

2009-10-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

I found my way to the Seattle airport and boarded my flight to Amsterdam. The 10 hour journey gave me a great opportunity to catch up on my movie watching and Northwest provided a nice library of flicks.

I met Ben in Amsterdam and we did what we do best, grabbed a drink at the pub.

We caught up a bit, discovered that Ben’s iPhone only works in the states, drank a Heineken, and then I got my first panic call from a client. It was getting close to boarding time so we inquired with bartender to see if we could get one more in a “to-go” cup. He smiled and filled up two coke-a-cola cups and then we headed to the gate. Turns out they boarded early so we slammed our “Cokes”, made sure we both could pronounce our names, and went through security. They had one of those cool full body scanners, so I took a picture of it, then a nice security official came along and made me delete it from my camera. Only another 10 hours to Kilimanjaro airport, I napped for 9 of those hours.