The Great Tanzanian Adventure of 2011
on The Road Less Travelled (Cameroon), 26/Feb/2011 14:15, 34 days ago
Masai in the SerengetiI spent most of the month of February on vacation in Tanzania. This was an opportunity not only to see another part of Africa but to also catch up with some old friends and make some new ones. One of my best friends, Anna, and her fiancé, Jeremy, along with Cat, with whom I worked in Ottawa, all met me in Arusha for our great adventure.Tropical Trails Office in ArushaFirst of all I have to give a shout out to our tour company, Tropical Trails, who really made sure our trip was perfect. They not only provided expert guides, porters, and cooks for our trek and safari, but they were also easy to communicate with and on the ball– even knowing about changes to our flights before we did. I would highly recommend them for an Kilimanjaro trek or safari in Tanzania.I arrived in Arusha on the 4th of February and spent the day walking around the town and relaxing at the hotel. We stayed at the L’Oasis Lodge which was lovely and I would recommend it to anyone. Anna and Jeremy were supposed to arrive that evening but due to some flight glitches (Flight Center is not recommended) they arrived a day late. However once they arrived we were able to see a bit of Arusha and prepare for our upcoming ascent of Kilimanjaro. Cat arrived on the 6th and we attended a briefing with the Tropical Trails people and met our Guide Israel. On the 7th we departed bright and early for Africa’s highest peak – Kilimanjaro.Kilimanjaro in the backgroundAt 19,710 feet high (or 5895m) Kilimanjaro is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. We were doing the 6 day Rongai route so we started out by driving to the gate to get our permits. From there we drove about 2 hours to get to the start of the Rongai trail. The Rongai route starts out quite easily through some fields and forests where we spotted Colobus monkeys. We reached the first campsite after a couple hours of trekking (7km) and enjoyed our first night of camping at an altitude of 2650m.The group including guide Israel, assistant guide Samuel, Anna, Jeremy, Cat and myselfHiking up on Day 1Day 2 and 3 involved relatively short days of trekking but lovely views of Kilimanjaro as we got closer to its peak. On day 2 the trek continued, through open moorlands, to our camping spot at Second Cave (3200m). Luckily this route is not overrun and re rarely saw others. There were only two groups including ours at the second cave camp. On day three we continued through the fine moorlands, to the Third Cave (3800m). This was the last water point on our route so the porters had to carry water to last us for the next 2 days until we were descending. We were the only people at the third cave campsite.Reading about Mormons on the climbGetting ready for Day 2The group in front of KilimanjaroOn day 4 wetrekked through the lunar desert of the Saddle, the lava-covered expanse between the two peaks Mawenzi and Kibo Reaching Kibo huts by the end of the day at 4700m. We stayed overnight (if you could call it that) at the Kibo Huts. (4703m). Day 5 began at midnight when we began the trek up to summit. In the pitch black dark we all turned on our headlights and joined the slowly ascending serpent of climbers. This was a very cold and arduous trek. The wind made the chill in the air extremely cold and at times I couldn’t feel my toes or hands. We couldn’t stop for longer than a few minutes in order to keep warm and to keep on pace. Slowly we ascended and we passed the Hanzi Meya Cave (half way to the summit). Eventually after what felt like hours...oh it was – 7 hours... we reached Gillman’s Point (5695m)and saw the sunrise. We then carried on to Stella Point and finally reached the summit at Uhuru peak 5896m.Kibo HutsGilman's PointOn the Roof of AfricaThe descent was difficult because parts of the terrain were loose gravel and steep rocks. In addition our bodies were already exhausted so it took everything to stay awake and to concentrate on not falling. When we returned to Kibo Huts we were able to rest a bit and then we had to start walking again to Horombo huts where we would stay our last night (3720m).Kilimanjaro cactus trees on the descentThe trek was challenging but was an amazing experience. To see the clear blue horizon and to have reached the roof of Africa is definitely one of the highlights I will remember forever.SUCCESS!Our next part of the adventure was a 6 day safari. Throughout the 6 days we visited the Tarangire National Park, the Lake Manyara National Park, The Serengeti National Park and the Ngorogoro Crater.Baobab at Tarangire National ParkThe Safari Trucks we were in with roofs that permitted safe wildlife viewingThe Tarangire National Park was an excellent park showcasing the Baobab tree. We were able to see monkeys, elephants, giraffes and deer-like animals (dik diks, impalas etc). The Lake Manyara Park had hippos and zebras which was great to see. In the Serengeti, thanks to our guide Frank, we saw lions, cheetas, leopards, water buffalo, wildebeests, elephants, giraffes, zebras and birds and gazelles galore. In the Ngorogoro crater we saw the black rhinos (9 of them) to round out our viewing of the big 5.Hippos of Lake ManyaraTwin Zebras at Lake ManyaraA mother and baby monkeyA mother and baby elephantQueens of the serengetiProof that we were thereA drinking giraffeCheetah in the Ngorogoro CraterSunrise at the craterAfter our safari, Cat and I said goodbye to Anna and Jeremy and we headed out for Zanzibar. We stayed 2 night of the beach at the Kenda Rocks and as luck would have it we were able to be there for the full moon party (an all night party with music on the beach). The beach was gorgeous and clean and the water was clear. It was a great place to relax. After the beach we stayed in Stonetown at the Zenji hotel which was a great place to stay (central, affordable and very clean with helpful staff). We visited the market and enjoyed getting lost in the cobblestone streets while looking at art. We enjoyed Zanzibari pizza and samosas in the Forodhani gardens.At the Kendwa Rocks hotelThe Kendwa BeachThe Forodhani gardens in StonetownI flew out of Dar Es Salaam and was able to meet my sister’s fiancé’s family there for the evening. They took me on a driving tour around Dar and took me for some lovely curry. It was wonderful to get to meet such nice people.Dar Es Salaam with Faizal's RelativesI loved Tanzania and I will finish this post with part of the Tanzanian National Song which my favourite porter on Kilimanjaro, Puzizi Puzinga, taught me:Mungu ibariki TanzaniaDumisha uhuru na UmojaWake kwa Waume na WatotoMungu Ibariki Tanzania na watu wake.God Bless Tanzania.Grant eternal Freedom and UnityTo its sons and daughters.God Bless Tanzania and its People.