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.

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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I woke up on Dec 22nd freezing! It was only once I woke up that I realized that I only closed the screen of my tent when I woke up to go to the bathroom that night. Since we were encouraged to drink between 3-4L of water per day, frequent bathroom calls were inevitable, at any given time of the day. We woke up at 7:30am that morning, packed our sleeping bag, mattress and duffel bags before heading to the main tent for breakfast. I loved waking up because the sun was out so it the mornings weren’t as cold as the evenings.

Day 2′s hike was steep- very steep! Our guide Abdi warned us on the previous evening. Thankfully, we were only hiking for 4.5 hours, which was more than enough. I particularly enjoyed this day because all of us were in a good mood, the sun was out in the morning and the vegetation had changed from the previous day’s hike. Although the hike was particularly steep and difficult, we took our time and everything went well. Thank god for my hiking poles! I don’t know what I would have done without them!

We arrived at Shira camp (3,840m) in the early afternoon. I took a nice nap when I arrived, after being served popcorn and hot water. We went to visit nearby caves, had dinner and went to bed. The bathroom situation at this camp wasn’t so bad as the previous camp. They obviously really stank, considering it was a hole in the ground, but at least it wasn’t as hot as the last camp so there weren’t any mosquitoes flying around.

Previous Post: Diaries of my Kilimanjaro Hike- Day 1

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When Dec 21st arrived, I was definitely nervous. I will never forget this date because it was the day the hike started. By that morning, I met a few people who had hiked Kilimanjaro and made it up. But I was nevertheless nervous to begin my 7-day Kilimanjaro hike.

The mini-bus arrived around 8:30-9am to pick us up at the hotel. We loaded the bus, hopped on and we were ready to go. On the bus, it just so happened that we were 5 solo travelers, me being the only female of course- a situation I’ve grown accustomed to over my solo travels. And so, we introduced ourselves since we were going to spend the next week together. Jonathan is an American who’s a school principal in Tokyo, John is an American soldier based in Djibouti, Charles in a lawyer from Toronto and Marcel is a Consultant from Switzerland.

Marcel and I were completing the hike in 7 days where Jonathan, John and Charles were doing it in 6 days. All of us chose the Machame route, a more difficult route (in comparison to the popular Marangu route) but also more rewarding in terms of scenery.

And so, we drove about an hour to reach the Machame gate, where we registered our names and began the hike. The hike itself wasn’t very difficult on the first day but given that it was our first day of hiking, it wasn’t easy either. The scenery was really nice since we were hiking through the rainforest. We were carrying 3-4L of water in addition to extra clothing. We had to get accustomed to hiking for 7 hours, hiking in the rain at one point, hiking on rocks and so on. But, as the guides say all along “Pole, Pole” (slowly, slowly), that’s exactly how we were hiking. So finally, we arrived at Machame camp (3,100m) in the late afternoon, where we settled in our tents, had popcorn and hot water as a snack, while mingling with other tired hikers.

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I tried researching ways to train my body to altitude but it’s kind of difficult to do so when I’m not surrounded by mountains over 1,500m. Before booking my flight to Tanzania, I was planning to visit my friend in Vancouver and do some hiking there but that plan was immediately cancelled once my trip to Kilimanjaro was booked. Why? I’m strapped on cash! But hiking the Rockies would have definitely been a great training program for me.

So what am I doing? I’m getting myself in shape. I train as much as I can, when I can. My training program is varied. I’ve been doing 30 mins on the step master along with 30 minutes on the treadmill with a maximum incline. My rule of thumb is not using my hands to grip myself because that’s cheating! I’ve been continuing my aerobic classes to make sure I don’t lose my cardio. Now that it’s starting to get cold, I am going to pick up jogging outdoor to prepare my lungs for the cold.

I’m no professional trainer but I’ve been active all my life. I’m trying to use my little knowledge of training to try to successfully prepare for this climb. I’m thinking that if I can make sure I’m fit enough, then I’ll only have to deal with adapting to the altitude once I’m on the mountain. So again, if you ask me what my fear is, check out the video below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u7sSDI778Q]

After much debate on whether I should spend the extra money to visit Zanzibar, I decided to go through with it! When will I ever go back to Tanzania? Who knows? So that’s when I decided that I was indeed going to visit Zanzibar, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world!!

Photo Credit: http://www.starstore.com/

So how will I be spending the Holidays this year? Check it out my itinerary!

1. My flight Montreal-Kilimanjaro is on Dec 16th in the evening. Arrival to Kilimanjaro International Airport on Friday Dec 17th. I’ll have to transfer to Moshi, the town where my hike begins from.
2. I have 3 full days in Moshi (Dec 18-20) to relax, explore the town and get acclimatized.  I had fever last year before leaving for my Brazilian adventure in the Amazon so I rather pay the extra $$ to relax and get over any colds I may catch between now and then.
3. My 7-day and 5,893 m (or 19,334 ft) hike to Kilimanjaro summit begins on Tue Dec 21. I hope you’ll be thinking about me because I may be freaking out! I’ll be spending Christmas on the mountain. How cool is that?!
4. After an exhausting hike, my 5-day safari to the Serengeti will begin on Tue Dec 28th. I’ll be spending New Year’s Eve in the Serengeti surround by wild animals! Very random and fun!
5. Following a difficult hike and a fun safari, it’ll be time to relax and enjoy Africa! I’ll be heading to Zanzibar on Jan 2 to explore pristine beaches and enjoy my last 4 days on the continent.

Having scary but exciting feelings is confusing! It’s probably one of the most challenging things on my list of things to do before I die. I’m obviously looking forward to it but with some reserve I guess. Let’s see how things work out for me… Keep you posted with my planning

Victoria Falls

As our planet is getting warmer many Africans are getting worried that the Zambezi river that runs to the falls will soon dry up. Now not only will the falls become less magnificent, but also the surrounding forest. Since the mist of the falls is what keeps the forest around it so stunningly green. So if you want to see the spectacular Victoria Falls I would keep it on the top of your travel list.

Mount Kilimanjaro

I have always wanted to climb this mountain, but now I think I should hurry along and do so. Since nearly 80 percent of the ice fields that make up the most dazzling view in Africa are quickly disappearing. Many scientists calculate that by the time this decade is over there will be no snow left on the mountain.

Venice

I am among the lucky backpackers to already have the chance to experience the beautiful lagoon city. For those who have not been yet and know that the city is sinking, well I would hurry to see this city if I were you. The only reason why this city is sinking is because of global warming once again. The sea level is increasing dramatically and within the next 20 years, about seven feet of water will be covering St. Marks Square and not to mention many beautiful buildings will be ruined.

When I saw Venice back in 2005, already 70 percent of the residents of the city have moved inland. Only those who own shops for tourist gifts, still live within the city.

Pyramid of Giza

One of the most popular tourist attractions in the world has been decaying over the years, but many people thought is was only due to the climate change, well that is true, but also another factor is a the main problem. This wonder of the world has been the worst kept attraction for across the world. The local management has not been so careful to protect such an amazing site. So I would hurry to see this wonder of the world, before the pyramid becomes unbearable to experience due to the conditions.

These are just a few places in the world that are being attacked by global warming, but there are still many sites in the world that are disappearing too, such as the Great Barrier Reef, Everglades, and the Maldives.