Kili Recap

I promised a more detailed version of the Kili trek, but rather than bore you with the day to day details, Nick and I came up with a short list of the many things we feel sum up our experience:

• Going up was hard, but going back down was simply painful (lack of additional motivation, complete exhaustion, etc.). They should build a giant victory zip line for those who reach the peak!
• The final ascent image that sticks is a long, dark, steep climb, and the only way you know how long, dark, and steep it actually is, was by looking up at the trail ahead dotted with headlamps.
  
• Long drop dramas and jokes which never get old. Holes too small, floors slanted (or worse), backdrafts, and many unmentionable nasties.
• Pill popping like addicts - diamox, tylenol, malarone, immodium... you name it we probably had to take a pill for it.
• Being woken each morning by our lovely porters "Hello, hello... good morning" with a hot cup of tea delivered to us in our tent.
• "Warm water washing" twice a day.
• "You are welcome" almost always said before we got out a thank you.
• Good and plentiful food, but for a few misfires - 4-day old fried tilapia, blackened bananas, vegetable or mushroom soup with no signs of actual veg or 'shrooms.
• Thinking our guides didn't speak English too well until suddenly they did on day 4 or 5. Previously we thought we could talk about them at will and they wouldn't understand. Oops.
• Nick had some personal space issues with our guides that went unnoticed by the rest of us.
• Getting seriously annoyed at the number of people who asked if Nick was my brother. ummm... no.
  
• Learning the hard way that sleeping bag ratings are crap.

In other news, uploading photos should hopefully happen soon. Faves from Kili, faves from safari, and a few awesome photos from our delightful experience at the Nairobi Giraffe Center yesterday. We had a blast feeding and hanging out up close with the giraffes. They are hilarious animals. Nick almost got headbutted by a hungry old girl named Daisy, but in her defense, he was trying to pet her without providing any treats! We also learned yesterday that crocodile meat is nasty, but ostrich is quite nice. Now, back to plotting our escape from Nairobi, so we can head to one more Kenya site before Nick returns home. Where that will be exactly depends on the available escape routes...

Next Stop: Nairobi

After seeing lions, lions, oh, and more lions in Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, we are headed off to Kenya... I think between Nick and myself we have well over 1000 photos (no exaggeration), so posting merely a picture or two at the moment is not going to happen. Plus, we still have so many stories from Kili to share! It's a lack of quality internet blogger nightmare. ;)

Mission Accomplished!

The Pink Hippo and the Naked Pirate succeeded in conquering the beast of a mountain, Kilimanjaro. We did in fact battle cold and altitude and many a rumbling tummy to trudge to the top... the views were breathtaking and stunning, which my pictures barely capture. I ache all over, am a bit sniffly, and though I clearly won my battle to the top, I'm not quite sure if it is me or the mountain that won the war! :) A special shout out to shadoweyes - I most definitely remember and will tell you all about it in extensive detail later. We will both try to post a few more pictures and stories soon, but now it is time for breakfast and then we head to Ngorongoro and Serengeti for safari adventures. I know the others are looking forward to the animals mostly, but at the moment I'm looking forward to not walking anywhere for a while.

Last Post til Kilimanjaro

After a relaxing and wonderful couple of days on Zanzibar, which included haggling over everything including the price of a grilled banana and a horrible bout of seasickness on the ferry back, it is time to head north and towards Kilimanjaro. Keep your thoughts with us as we battle cold, altitude, and who knows what else to reach 5896 meters! We will try to check back in a week, assuming there is some internet at our hotel...

Please Support Soft Power Education

Friends,

I have decided that I am going to spend my last few weeks in Africa volunteering in Uganda for an organization called Soft Power Education. This organization helps build and refurbish schools and educational materials in Uganda. I learned of this organization from one of my Dragoman overland tour guides, as they sometimes bring groups there to volunteer. Thus, I'm highly confident that this will be a really worthwhile use of my time, and a great experience.

Soft Power does ask that volunteers pay for their own food and accommodation (no worries), and try to do a small amount of fundraising to help cover overhead and materials. If you can spare a few dollars to help this organization, I would really appreciate it! You can visit my fundraising page at http://www.justgiving.com/michellew54. (The organization is UK based, so the page is set up to receive pounds, but fyi, 2 US dollars equals approx. 1 pound.)

Thank you!

By the way, Nick and Lindsay have arrived and we had a lovely day out on and in the sea yesterday, snorkling near Mnemba Island nature reserve here in Zanzibar.

Jambo!

A quick post to let you all know I'm alive and well, and to make you all envious of the fact that I am sitting on a BEAUTIFUL Zanzibar beach, along the warm and lovely Indian Ocean, counting down the hours until Nick and Lindsay arrive! I'm extremely excited, and will try to post some good stories and photos after we conquer Kilimanjaro next week!!!