Day 2 - Traffic Jams

  Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Early Morning Views from Machame Camp

A clear view of the summit early that morning and a picturesque valley full of cloud.

A porter from another group

A random porter on the trail

Another one of our porters

Our guide, Julius and me

Our porter

Traffic Jams on the Trail

Starting off on the trail was more like walking down the high street in Kampala as big bottlenecks and waits occurred at every rocky section of the trail. Once we passed the 20 South Africans and their porters things improved considerable. This is definitely not a hike to escape from civilization. After an hour or so the clouds rolled in and remained that way for the rest of the day, so no fantastic views. Lots of beautiful flowers including Everlasting Flowers, some with a spectacular red tint.

Life for the other half

Interesting combo for lunch. Boiled egg, chicken, cake, banana and a triple decker sandwich with green peppers, carrots, jam and peanut butter! Some of the more expensive hiking groups even had their table and chairs set up for lunch, along with thermos flasks of coffee and tea. I listened as a group of Aussies hurled abuse at people for going on such a trek. I figured there were so many people on this trail anyhow, why not live it up a bit. Like I mentioned, it wasn't like were on some secluded wilderness experience!

I don't know if I've mentioned it already but the bananas over here are so much sweeter and tastier than the ones from home! Someone mentioned it was because all the ones with thicker skins that don't taste as good get sent overseas. Apparently the thicker skins mean they last longer.

Everlasting flowers

Gladiola on the trail

Gladiolas on the trail

Into Shira camp by 1:30pm. Freidel told me the everlasting flower was called Kilimanjaro Edelweiss here and the other pretty red flowers I'd spotted was a wild gladiola.

Nice lighting in the clouds

Kili from Shira Camp as it cam out of the clouds f

View from Shira Camp

Views from Shira camp as the clouds roll by

The zoo that was Shira Camp

Mt. Meru from Shira Camp

The guides and Porters at camp

Soon after getting into camp it rained cats and dogs before clearing late afternoon. I proceeded to the top of a small hill to count the number of tents at this site - there were over 100! I was also rewarded with Kilimanjaro's summit clearing and also views across to Tanzania's second highest mountain, Mt Meru, about 40 miles away.

Markus had a headache, maybe due to the altitude, and the German couple retired from the dining tent early leaving me to read my book and listen to the BBC World Service. I chatted with Julius the guide for a while and he confirmed with me what some Ugandans had already told me. It is the groom who pays the brides parents to marry in East Africa. Sounds like there is a good excuse not to get married in this part of the world :-)

Lightning that lit up the sky and tent, along with rain that night and another tent for me with waterproofing issues. Luckily the rain ran to the bottom corner where there was a substantial puddle. It was only really the bottom of my sleeping bag that got wet.