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In every inspiring natural creation there is a realism that speaks to you. In every moment on a mountain you find it more and more...

KILIMANJARO, TANZANIA

Dave
2004-02-22 13:14:18

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some short hikes, read, and photographed the greenery of Kili’s flanks. Base camp had permanent tents with nice beds and bucket showers.

Our head guide’s name was Kampana, which means “Little Rat” in Swahili. He woke us up the next morning at 5am and by 5:45 we were on the road. All our gear was stuffed in with us or stacked high on the roof. We drove for 3 hours on dirt roads until we arrived at the west park entrance. Upon arrival we were met with extremely muddy roads and a rain that did not let up. We quickly signed in our names and passports and then hopped back in the land rovers for more mud driving.

After about another ½ hour of driving, the road became extremely muddy and became much more steep. There were three vehicles, a lead, middle and a trailing. Finally the mud became so deep and the road so steep that our lead vehicle became hopelessly mired in the muck. We happened to be driving through a small village. The villagers came pouring out the mud huts and the men ran up to the lead vehicle and began frantically using their machetes to wildly cut down any piece of organic vegetation in sight. They then began to throw the leaves, branches and organic muck into the muddy tire ruts and around the stuck vehicle.

While that was happening all the children gathered around the other two vehicles looking curiously at the western faces. A video camera popped out of one of the windows and the children began laughing hysterically. They were amazed after they saw themselves played back on the video camera screen.

Meanwhile, driving up the steep long muddy hill took about 2 hours for all three jeeps to successfully make it. Dave was chilling in the trailing vehicle laughing to himself at the bad luck of the first two vehicles when the wheels began spinning and all forward momentum stopped as the jeep rocked back and forth deeper into the ruts of its own making. ...