The idea of staying in a crowded hostel doesn’t sound appealing to everyone but that’s because there are others to travel the world. Below I list just a handful of them:

Bicycle

Get on your bike, no I’m not kidding. Often people are put off by the rigorous exercise so often associated with bicycle holidays but you shouldn’t worry about that. Seeing the world doesn’t mean you have to be as fit as Lance Armstrong, the beautiful thing about cycling is that you can go at your own pace. Travelling on a bicycle allows you to really see the surroundings through the eyes of the locals.

Cruises

The great thing about seeing the world cruising is that you get to do it all in luxury. All the major cruise companies offer Cruises from Southampton and travel to destinations all over the world from the Caribbean, to Alaska and Dubai to the Baltics plus everything in between. One of the benefits of a cruise holiday is that you don’t have to worry about how much you pack or even carrying it, for seeing the world in luxury this is by far the best choice, get saving.

Teach

Countries all over the world are crying out for English teachers, why not kill two birds with one stone and teach while you travel. This is by far the most rewarding way of travelling; 3 months teaching in Thailand to 4 months teaching in South America, as an added incentive some school will even cover your expenses. This isn’t for everybody but if you like kids, travelling and generally like the feeling of doing good, you will love this experience.

It’s 12am on Dec 26th, 2010. We’re 3 hikers and 2 guides at base camp getting ready to start our final hike to Uhuru peak, Kilimanjaro’s highest summit at 5,895m. The backstory seems irrelevant. I seem to have somehow ended up here with other hikers. Eurostar deals and last minute bargains aside, this was something that had crossed my mind a few months ago and I was finally going through with it.

The hike started off well. All 3 of us were walking at the same pace and the view was absolutely stunning. The sky was pitch black and all I saw were the reflections of the headlamps on the mountain while the moon shining on us. When our guides told us we were at the half point, I felt like I could reach the top with no problem. But, that all changed when it was around 3am. The cold slowly made its way to us and although I was trying my best to move my fingers, they were at a point of no return- starting to freeze. In addition to my fingers starting to freeze, it was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe. At an altitude of over 5,300m, every step was a challenge. I was no longer able to walk for 15 minutes without wanting to take a break. The only problem was that we couldn’t stop for more than a few seconds because of the cold. One step at a time, I was slowly getting further from my group. One of the guides stayed with me and encouraged me to keep on walking when I was about to give up. At this point, my hands and feet were icicles. My guide took my hiking polls away from me, heat up my hands with his and told me to hang on to him. So one step at a time, one breath at a time, I walked towards the summit. To my happiness, the sun was slowly taking over the moon. The rays of sun were gradually heating up the frozen parts of my body. Although that was improving my body temperature, I was still increasingly facing the challenge of breathing. Every step was becoming more and more difficult. At this point, I could practically see and smell the summit but I still had some time before getting there. I could feel and smell the summit but my energy was running low. I had the angel and the demon in my head from all the stories I had read of Kilimanjaro. The angel telling me it was ok if I couldn’t walk any further because I had already made it this far. The demon was telling me there was no way I could go back now. I had to reach the summit. And so, with very little energy, I continued walking one step at a time. Slowly. Very Slowly. After what seemed to be an eternity, I saw the sign. The sign I previously saw only on pictures, on television and in magazines. I walked a little closer to be no more than a few centimeters away from it. It was the best feeling ever! After 6 days on the mountain, I can say that I reached the Kilimanjaro summit on Dec 26, 2010.

Animals in Serengeti

I created a list of the highlights of my trip in Tanzania. Both moments and memories that will stay with me forever. It’s normally those small moments that make the trip so memorable. Enjoy!

1. That feeling of accomplishment I had when I reached the summit of Kilimanjaro. The cold, the altitude sickness, the lack of facilities… they weren’t the funnest part of the trip but it’s just not as interesting when you have everything at the tip of your fingers!
2. Looking up at the sky and seeing the stars from both Kilimanjaro and the camp in the Serengenti.
3. Watching the sunset from Kendwa beach (Zanzibar)
4. Seeing a lion chase a zebra in the Serengeti.
5. Visiting the Masai tribe and a local school.

“Hey everyone,

so this will be the last update in Africa.
I’m currently sitting at the Entebbe airport in Uganda, waiting for my last flight back to Europe.  I am in the middle of a 36 hour journey which began earlier this morning in Burundi, then a layover in Nairobi, Kenya and now a terribly long 14 hour layover in Uganda.  Not a terribly eventful trip but  something interesting is always bound to occur.  I will fly to London and spend a week with a friend who lives in Croydon, south London.  He was one of the friends I met on the Overland tour from Zambia to Namibia.  I’ll spend the next week in Oslo and around Norway with friends I met in Zimbabwe at the Lion Conservation project.  So this will be a fantastic wrap-up to the trip.

This trip has been…well, it has been the type of journey that I will be proud to talk about in 50 years.  I have had the privilege to meet so many wonderful people. Speaking to them or even just listening to them has both opened my eyes and confirmed some perspectives on life that I truly believe in.
Visiting the various towns, cities and countries of east and southern africa gave me a greater understanding of the african continent.  Unfortunately, I witnessed similar poverty in much of these regions, presumably a similar problem that plagues the rest of the continent.

Time here has both flown by and stood still.  Everytime I look back at what I did the previous week…usually in a different country, it seems like forever-ago.  But after Kilimanjaro, when I came down with a stomach infection, my flight that I was to take 3 days later seem to be hovering in the distant future, far out of arms reach.

Here are some of my favorite moments from the trip:

• Seeing Mt.Kilimanjaro for the first time after the plane touchdown (Tanzania)
• Looking up at the peak of Kilimanjaro and the beautiful skies just before bed (Tanzania)
• Reaching Uhuru peak at the top of Kilimanjaro…5:56am (Tanzania)
• Viewing all the chimps…particularly the baby one who liked to tease us and show by jumping from tree to tree at Gombe National Park (Tanzania)
• Bungee jump over Victoria falls…111metres (Zambia/Zimbabwe)
• Getting soaked head to toe walking in front of the Victoria Falls (Zambia/Zimbabwe)
• Camping for 2 days in the Okavango Delta (Botswana)
• The game dinner at Joe’s Steakhouse in Windhoek which included croc, oryx, kudu, zebra, ostrich (Namibia)
• Working with the 3 C lions in Vic Falls…Chobe, Chindu & Chisa (Zimbabwe)
• Watching 9 male lions fight for dominance over a single mass of food…Antelope Park (Zimbabwe)
• Standing next to a bull buffalo that had recently been killed…unfortunately this animal had to be shot because there was a snare stuck in his hoof, but standing next to him gave a true sense of its raw size and power…(Zimbabwe)
• Horseback riding next to herds of Zebra, Impala, Red Heartbeast and Giraffe (Zimbabwe)
• Swimming with a school of dolphins in the Indian Ocean (Tanzania)
• Snorkelling through coral and schools of vibrant fish of the east coast of Zanzibar (Tanzania)
• Viewing the Genocide memorial in Kigali (Rwanda)
• Having my leg touched by a 250lb gorilla during our trek (Rwanda)
• Taking our last bus ride from Kigali to Bujumbura (Rwanda to Burundi)
• Meeting everyone during the Overland tour and my time spent at the 2 lion projects in Zimbabwe

The trip in numbers…

Time elapsed: 3 months, 12 days
Countries visited: 10
Borders crossed: 14
Plane rides: 18
Bus rides: 20+
Passport pages used: 11
Number of layovers in the Nairobi (Kenya) Airport: 5
Total Bribes: 20$

Thank you everyone, truly, for all your comments, feedback and responses.  It has been my pleasure updating everyone and sharing this unreal experience.  All your emails have been so incredibly supportive both of the trip itself and of the photographs.
I hope you guys got to enjoy this…maybe not as much as I did but to the maximum one can from halfway around the world.  Africa is not always the easiest place to travel but with a little patience it truly is as beautiful and majestic as believed. I certainly would not say I loved every single moment, but I would not change any of the trip, as even the negative or “Id rather not be here” type of situations had something to learn from and helped to keep my grasp on the world in check.

The next trip is not set in stone but here is the short list:

• Bike trip from Vancouver to San Francisco
• Hiking in Nepal/Himalayas
• Chile, Argentina, Patagonia, Antarctica
• Australia/New Zealand

Take care everyone and please stay in touch
With all my love

Matthew”

View of the Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater

The Ngorongoro Crater is a Maasai word that means “Big Hole”. In the last 5 million years, 9 ngorongoro volcanoes erupted. The crater formed when the last volcano erupted and then collapsed on itself about 2 million years ago. The area is enclosed due to the mountains or hills that surround the crater. This doesn’t however stop animals from migrating or moving over to the Serengeti plains. In the crater, one will not find giraffes because there are no trees to eat from. Animals who eat grass and carnivores will predominantly be found in the low plains of the crater. The view of or in the crater is spectacular. The pictures I took literally look like paintings. Here, we got to finally see a rhino from very far, buffalos, zebras, wildebeests and lions. The highlight of my day in the crater was watching a lion chase a baby zebra, where the mom protected its baby, which finally didn’t result in a deadly end!

Tarangire National Park

By the time we go to Tarangire Park on the 5th day of the safari adventure, I had already seen all the animals I wanted to see, other than the Cheetah. The Tarangire was nevertheless a nice place to see, although you cannot compare it to the Serengeti. Here you find dense bushes and high grasses. It was a rather quiet morning in terms of animals. We didn’t see all that many animals but did see many baobab trees. Baobab trees are big and hollow trees that the Maasai protect because they believe the trees hold a secret. We also saw a vervet monkey steal a tourist’s lunch, which was really funny!

This finalized the 5-day safari in Tanzania. Although I’m not particularly an animal fanatic, I must admit that leaving Tanzania without going on a safari would have been a big mistake. The landscapes, the abundance of animals and the simple beauty of it all is definitely worth a stop. It will take your breath away! Do keep in mind that safaris are fairly expensive, mainly because of the price of permits to enter these protected areas. I’d suggest not to cheap out and pay the price to make sure you visit the right places and see what there is to see in the region.  You won’t regret it!

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Everything was going relatively well by the time we reached halfway. It was steep and most of us were struggling for air, considering that oxygen levels at the height is low. We were walking slowly and still all in a group. This changed about 3-4 hours after the hike began. By then, it was 3-4am in the morning and it was getting really cold. My fingers began to freeze and my feet felt like blocks of ice. Marcel and Con continued to hike at their pace, whereas I fell behind with my guide Abdi. My fingers were so cold that Abdi had to warm them up and gave me more heater packs. He also took my hiking polls away from me, forcing me to move my fingers more. At this point, I was freezing and completely discouraged when looking up at Stella Point because it was so steep and we still had some time before reaching it. I held on to Abdi’s arm and all I remember at this point is walking, one foot after another, whilst taking constant breaks because I was constantly out of breath. Breaks were very short because we would otherwise freeze. It was as mentally challenging as it was physically. Part of me was ready to give up, telling myself that I made it this far and I was happy with my accomplishment. The other part of me kicked myself in the butt and reminded me that I wouldn’t be completely satisfied if I didn’t reach the summit. It was like having the angel and the demon above my shoulders. As all of this was going on in my head, my feet kept on moving, one after the other. I eventually made it to Stella Point, physically exhausted and frozen. I couldn’t wait for the sun to rise.

I think it took me another hour to get from Stella Point to Uhuru peak. I lost track of time at this point but it seemed like it took forever. I was so close yet so far. I was still hanging on to Abdi, hoping that the summit was approaching. A few meters away from the peak, I met both Con and Marcel, who both reached the peak before me. Con made it before sunrise (he’s a marathon runner) and Marcel arrived about 20mins before I did. Marcel didn’t look so good when I saw him and I was truly worried about his well-being. He later needed help in descending the mountain due to altitude sickness and physical exhaustion. We took at picture (not at the summit) and I continued my ascent in reaching the summit. By now, the sun was out and I had a great view of the glaciers. They were huge!

I finally reached the Uhuru peak (5,895m) around 7-7:15am. I was sooo happy to see the sign. I suddenly fell on an adrenaline rush and took a few pictures at the summit with Abdi. I felt like I just won the lottery! After spending a few minutes on the summit taking pictures, it was time to begin the descent to base camp, which took about 2 hours in all. At the beginning of the descent, I was still on adrenaline but quickly began to feel tired as pressure was felt on my knees. I reached base camp around 9:15am and went straight to my tent for an hour nap.

When I woke up around 10:30am, I packed my stuff, had lunch with Con and Marcel and quickly began our descent to the gates. We were supposed to spend one night at Mekwa camp (3,100m) but all 3 of us were eager to get back to the hotel to take a shower and sleep on a bed. Con and I hiked to Mekwa camp where we then had lunch. Marcel had high fever and he was feeling really weak so he took a little more time to get down. We got to the Marangu gates at 6pm, where we then hopped on a bus and headed to the hotel.

Once at the hotel, we were told that it was full. Since we arrived a night early, we couldn’t really argue so they sent us to another hotel in Moshi. Marcel went straight to bed to rest, whereas Con, Ravi (he was feeling better) and I met up with the other group for dinner. We all celebrated our victory at an Indian/Italian restaurant in Moshi and then went to a local club called La Liga. Con and I were on an hour of sleep. It had been a long day but we were both on adrenaline at this point, after reaching the top of Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa and the highest freestanding mountain in the world!

Previous Post: Diaries of my Kilimanjaro Hike- Day 5

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The night I spent at Karanga Valley camp was very cold. By the morning, I wanted to begin the hike as soon as possible so my body cam warm up. I was beginning to look forward to getting the hike over with so I could head back to the hotel and sleep in a bed. It was the first night I didn’t have to wake up to go to the bathroom, which is not necessarily a good thing because I probably wasn’t as hydrated as I should be, but considering that I was so cold that night, it was nice not having to get out of the sleeping bag. So we woke up that morning, had breakfast and began another 3 hour hike to base camp, Barafu Camp (4,600m). The hike was steep but not very long- considering that the other group did it all in one day. We reached Barafu camp around 1pm, where we found out that the others successfully reached the summit overnight and had already began their descent to Mekwa camp (3,100m). At the camp, I met Graham and David, both had just woken up from their nap after reaching the summit that morning. I was happy to hear that all the guys made it, and was now feeling anxious about our summit night, taking place that particular night!

Once we arrived, we setup our tents, had lunch and napped. We needed all our energy for summit night, which was going to begin at 11pm that same night, on Dec 25th. After our nap, we woke up to have dinner. It was our last dinner before reaching the summit. We were all nervous except for Con, who seemed full of energy and confident. Marcel and I just wanted to get it over with at this point. We made sure to eat excessively at dinner (lots of carbs) and went to bed.

At 11pm, we were woken up and asked to get ready for Summit Night. Nervous and cold, I got out of my tent, put on a bunch of layers, prepared my day pack and headed to the tent for hot water and cookies. At midnight, our guides came to get us to begin our summit night hike.

Previous Post: Diaries of my Kilimanjaro Hike- Day 4

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When I woke up on Day 4, at Barranco camp (3,900m), I was feeling much better than the previous day but not 100%. I had to however suck it in because this morning’s hike was going to be challenging, as we were practically rock climbing a wall. This was also the day where the group was splitting. Those who were completing the hike in 6 days had a 7 hour hike to base camp today, whereas we were hiking 4 hours to Karanga Valley. Although I was low on energy and exhausted, the hike up barranco wall was fun. We were using our feet and hands. After reaching the top of the wall (1.5hrs), the rest of the hike was up and down, up until Karanga Valley (4,200m).  I took my time so I separated from my group once we climbed the wall. I did however insist on carrying on my day pack. It was tough but I made it to camp without too much delay. I went straight to bed! It was cold once I reached Karanga Valley camp. It soon began to rain so I was glad to be napping in my tent. The others were stuck in a mini blizzard, trying to reach base camp. My thoughts were with them! I must say that if I would have chosen to hike the mountain in 6 days like the others, I highly doubt I would have made it to the summit, given that I was suffering from the after math of my day 3 altitude sickness. It gave me an extra day to recover, which I am very grateful for!

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The hike was going along well. We were hiking as a group, with both our guide Abdi and assistant guide Guideon. We were playing the country game, where we each had to name a country with the last letter of the previous country. Everything was going according to plan until I began to feel nauseous. I suddenly felt weird in my stomach and had a slight headache. By the time we stopped for lunch, I was feeling weak but didn’t have an appetite to eat. So I tried to eat as much as I could have but without much success. After lunch, given that I was weak and not feeling well, I walked at a much slower pace than my group so my guide Abdi stayed behind with me. As we were reaching closer to the Lava Tower, I was losing more and more energy so this is when Abdi took my day pack so i could have more energy to walk. We finally made it up to the Lava Tower. By then, I was feeling nauseous, I had a splitting headache and practically no energy left. But I had to hang on because we still had a 2 hour descent back to Barranco camp and there was no way I was going to give up on Day 3. Feeling like crap, I finally made it to Barranco camp in the late afternoon, the last one to arrive out of my friends. They immediately asked me how I was feeling at my arrival, given that I looked pale and sick. I went straight to my tent, where I struggled to get my sleeping bag and mattress out of the duffel bag so I decided to fall asleep on my bag. I took one tylenol at first but given that I didn’t feel any better after an hour, I popped some more drugs. I had a really bad headache and relatively high fever, my head felt like it was about to explode.

I took a nap until dinner. It took all the energy to wake up and eat dinner. I had to force myself however because I needed energy for the rest of the hike. I wasn’t very talkative at dinner and went straight to bed after trying to eat as much as I could. I was however very appreciative of the support I received from the guys. None of them really understood what I was feeling at the time, but by the time they experienced Summit Night, they had a better idea!

The nights were getting colder and colder and none of us were getting much sleep. I’d spend most of my night tossing and turning, waking up to go to the bathroom but by the time I woke up the next morning, I was feeling better. Although I wasn’t feeling 100%.

Previous Post: Diaries of my Kilimanjaro Hike- Day 2

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