After Arriving in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, I traveled by myself to Zanzibar. I have to admit I was a little concerned by the hand written flight schedule.
Planes to Zanzibar from Dar
In my very little plane over the Indian Ocean
One of very few Christian churches in Stonetown, Zanzibar. The island is 95% Muslim.
The first of many gorgeous arabic, turkish, indian inspired doors in Stonetown.
A slave memorial in Stonetown. A majority of the slave trade to South America and the Far East came through Zanzibar in East Africa.
Stonetown's colorful and unique market
In the fish hall of the market.
Stinky!
The produce area of the market
Giant bananas.
Fruit vendor chilling with the fresh goods
Interesting man, interesting fruit!
Some of the men still wear traditional garb, almost all of the women do.
The traffic-less streets of Stonetown.
Schoolgirls walking home.
Beautiful doors into a home.
Little guy playing chess with bottle caps.
Africa House Hotel, one of the most beautiful and oldest in Stonetown.
Water Taxi?
My guide for the day, Yuni
Orphanage in Stonetown.
This reminds me of a very similar shot I have from the Bridge of Sighs in Venice...
A bit of Zanzibar beach
Elephant outside my Hotel Tembo.
My beautiful room....where I slept for about 13 hours catching up after the long flights...
The "official" gate signs.
On my way back to Dar es Salaam to meet the Accenture group!
Zanzibar coast from the plane
First real glimpse of Dar.
My trusty plane
A few kids at our first project stop
My friend Emily went to Vanderbilt and went crazy trying to take pictures with the little girl in the cheerleading Vandy uniform. We all know had it been SC I would have done the same!
Gabe in the Dalla Dalla driving around Dar.
Gabe returning the photo. I am not quite ready..
Our Dalla Dalla transportation. We were split into three groups for the project visits.
The lead woman who runs one of the groups that the VSO helps support. This particular group is 20 widows who either have or have been affected by HIV and are learning how to create sustainable businesses. The VSO helps by giving them money to start their organization and provides them with coaching and support. Money well spent!
Our visit to the Orphanage in Dar was one of the highlights of the trip. All of the following pictures of the kids were at this particular orphanage where more VSO money and volunteer skills helps them continue to provide for hundreds.
They loved to have us take pictures and show them what they looked like. Some people mused that they may not have mirrors, and may not have really seen what they look like before.
I bonded with Christoper here. He wants to know how he gets to be outside and inside the camera at the same time!
Me and the little man....
He was a bit of a showoff...
But I loved it...
Us trying to leave with the kids following.
One of my favorite pictures.
Sunset over Dar...the journey has only begun!
Our first glimpse of Kili was out the plane window. Colleen saw it, squealed, and immediately the entire plane rushed to one side. First reaction was: Wow! Yeay! Second reaction? If we are in a plane, and that is up there...oh god that is tall...
Nakara Hotel in Marangu, our home at the beginning and end of the trek.
My tentmate Sarah!
Brian saying hi out the pretty front doors.
After a very dusty 4 hour drive (that we never fully got over since we didn't shower the next 6 days), we made it to Naremuru gate on the Kenya side of the mountain to start our climb. We also saw for the first time our HUGE group of porters and guides...all 100+ of them!
I'm ready to go. Note: this is the only time you will see this fleece actually "white" ever again. Sorry mom.
The group getting all geared, sunscreened, and saddled up.
Entrance to Kili at about 6000 ft elevation.
Day 1 was rainforest. We saw monkeys, jungle, and lots of trees.
Our first night at Simba camp with our army of orange tents.
Our mess tent that sat all 33 of us plus the Jack the doctor, Jane our VSO rep, and Andy our trekking company guide. The porters carried this up and down and set up the whole thing every day! Incredible...
Sunset over SImba Camp
Our first glimpe at Uhuru peak. The tallest of Kili's two, and the one that we were going to attempt to reach the top of. I remember thinking that it didn't look that bad from this side. My tune changed quickly...
Above the clouds starting day 2. You can see our massive army of porters, cooks, trekkers, guides, tents, and a bit of chaos.
Above the clouds facing out over Kenya.
Friends and porters heading up Day 2. The longest day aside from Summit Night...we walked for about 10 hours and covered a lot of ground.
Andy and I randomly had matching color schemes daily. This was girls vs. boys.
Lunch in the clouds.
A bathroom and snack break. We did this about every hour. "Girls to the right, boys to the left!"
With Julia and Sally on a break.
Finally reached camp on Day 2, we are at about 12,000 feet. You can see our tents above the cloud.
Campsite, moon, and clouds above Africa. Amazing.
The cooks in the cooking tent at night!
Sunrise over Day 3.
Heading up up up, our steepest day of the trip (aside from Summit night).
The line of people and porters, the altitude started to become noticeable for most people on Day 3.
Me and Brian with allllll the porters in the background.
Sara and Andy color coordinating again....today is Christmas.
The unbelievable porters.
Standing in front of a sea of clouds.
Our Tanzanian crew!
First glimpse of the side of Kibo that we will climb. Yes. Now I think it looks pretty big.
Just for reference, we are at about 13,500 feet where I am standing.
Almost to our camp below Mawenzi Peak, Kibo's little sister.
You can see Kibo Hut - where we stay the night that we summit - on the left of the screen. A little building is discernable. And you can also see the path we took up to the top...towards the left hand side, the one that looks like it fades away and is REALLY steep at the top...
Campsite in Mawenzi Tarn - our only stop for 2 nights - about 14,000 feet.
Day 4: On one of our acclitimazation hikes, looking at the beast.
Looking down on the campsite from Mawenzi.
Emily, Alana, Sally and myself "flying" above the clouds.
On another acclimitazation hike. On the ridge between Mawenzi, the saddle (high desert that endlessly separates the 2 peaks), and Kibo.
Me contemplating this whole thing...(thanks for the shot Pete!)
Day 5: On the difficult journey to Kibo. High altitude made this seemingly flat trip very long and very difficult.
The men's bathroom in the desert. It was not quite so simple for the ladies.
Emily and Elizabeth take a rest.
Brian and I at Kibo Huts, base of Kili's Kibo peak. About 15,000 feet elevation. Yes. It is cold.
Looking up at the adventure for tonight. We went to bed at 7pm and got up at 11pm to start climbing at midnight.
It says 5 hours to Gilman's point (the rim of the mountain) from here. It lies. It took us about 6 1/2.
22 of the 33 group members make it to at Gilman's Point! It is about 6:30 AM, in time for sunrise, and at 18,500 feet. But...for 14 of us, we had to get going to reach the tippy top...
Stunning picture of Mawenzi and the snows of Kilimanjaro at Sunrise.
On our way to Uhuru, the highest point in Africa...and unbeleivable glaciers...
Simon, Sarah, and Andy...my tentmate and good motivating friends checking back to make sure I am still alive on the 2 hours uphill through the snow to Uhuru.
So close! I can see the sign!
With Andy, Simon and Sarah at Uhuru Peak!
Victoryyyyyyyyy. Now get me down before I pass out...
Group shot of the 14 of us that made it to Uhuru!
Heading back down the mountain. Tired legs...
Gorgeous Mawenzi in front of the group.
Annie caught a pic of me returning to camp! This is at about 11:30 AM. Been hiking since midnight, up to 19,300 feet at the peak from 15,000 foot camp and back. Then napped for 30 minutes and walked 5 more hours down to our last camp that night...
Our amazing porters singing us the Kilimanjaro song!
Enjoying the Kili song in Swahili!
Dancing porters. Love it.
Me and Juma, my favorite guide. He taught me Swahili, I taught him spanish. I think he was a better pupil than me.
The American crew
The Aussie Crew...There were also some canadians and europeans on the trip :)
The whole group at Horombo - only missing Hayley and Gabriel.
Me and our guide Juma - doing the fist bump for "Nepatano" - peace and love. Juma also taught us "Bomba Cacheze Camandeze Sara...cool like banana. cool like banana..."
Day 6? 7? At this point I am very confused. I think it is 7. Heading down through the jungle...
To Marangu gate on the Tanzania side! Made it!! My my, my pants look bigger there huh?
Kilimanjaro beer at the bottom to celebrate.
Andy, Heather, Pete, Brian and I are REALLY enjoying that beer.
Sarah and Sara: The Princesses (NOT because we acted that way...because our names MEAN that of course!!). We were so proud to make it to the top.
With Heather, my summit buddy.
The guides get much earned beers too.
This is taken in the Kilimanjaro airport. I think at this point I had been sitting there for about 5 hours and started playing with the camera. I ended up there for about 6 more...
Tentmates all cleaned up and ready for the celebration dinner at Nakara!
For Em's bday they made a cake and sang the "cake-e, cake-e ooo" song. But it was spelled wrong, and became "Happy Bathday" which was honestly a better realistic celebration for all of us after a week on the mountain!
"Cake-e, cake-e, ohhh" with the chef.
Me and Gabe.
Pete rockin' the dance floor.
My "bandit" Andy and I.
My fave tentmates.
A few of my new great friends...Andy, Brian, and Pete.
Dancing continues...
Me and Brian. Lots to celebrate.
We put Jane up in the chair...it was such a great time...
