This was initially posted on my previous blog on March 29, 2017.
Day 2 started off much cooler and much earlier, but was a beautiful and short day.
Every morning the crew knocks on your tent at wakeup time (6am this morning) and provide two bowls of steaming hot water for washing. I loved the steaming hot water given the temperatures outside were normally cold and the water felt wonderful. It was also the only way to get all the dirt off of your hands (although we lost the bar of soap after this morning).
Then breakfast is supposed to start 30 minutes later and we were supposed to be on the hike an hour after waking up. This never happened. Breakfast was always a little late and my group wasn’t a prompt, fast moving group. We normally started the hike about 30min to an hour after we were supposed to. Anyway, breakfast this morning included porridge, toast, omelets, and hot dogs (almost like sausages). I always enjoyed my meals as I was always hungry. Also tea was the perfect way to wake up and warm up. As we ate breakfast, the porters would pack up our tents and get started on the trail.
Side note: The porters are incredible. They carry their own gear that they need and then so much more. They all carry at least one bag on their heads and they still manage to maneuver up a hard trail. The best is they normally do it with a smile, chatting with friends, and sometimes singing. None of us spoke much/any Swahili (although the sheet that our friend Juma gave us did help), but we were happy to say “Jambo” and smile as they passed.
Our hike started took us above the rain forest into the moorlands. The views once we made it out of the rain forest were incredible (and they remained that way the rest of the hike). Our first break was on top of a rock that provided amazing views of Mt Meru, Kilimanjaro’s little sister mountain. Every break for the next few days provided these incredible views of Mt Meru. From breakfast til lunch, we climbed about 3 miles straight up (3,000 ft). There were portions of fun rock scrambling. The path was very crowded and would continue to be that way most of the hike.
This day was the easiest day of the hike. You really only hike in the morning. You get to Shira Camp for lunch and this is where we camped that night. Lunch today consisted of cucumber soup, vegetable sandwiches, and fried chicken. We quickly learned at lunch that you better grab your food early since Amanda ate Fred’s chicken. There was normally enough for everyone to have one of the “entrees” and not getting to a meal on time could mean you miss out (although we did get better at checking before getting a second round).
We had time to relax and nap after lunch before we did a short hike to the caves. Corinne and I enjoyed the relaxation time and left the tent open for the slight breeze. The sun warmed up the tent perfectly so it was a very nice relaxation time.
The afternoon hike was to give us a little more experience at altitude. We registered at the campsite (did this every night) and then continued on to the caves and Shira Plateau. Mndeme, our lead guide, gave us some background while we sat in the cave. Porters used to cook and sleep in the caves and only clients would have tents. Thankfully about 20 years ago, rules changed and porters now get to sleep in tents. Shira Plateau wasn’t too far up the hill, but it provided some amazing views and kept us moving.
Finally we went down to enjoy tea time and dinner. Dinner consisted of carrot soup, pasta with creamy vegetable sauce, donuts, and pineapple. I honestly loved most meals they served and loved it even more when I had some fresh pineapple. I do feel bad for the porter that had to carry those up the mountain.
This day was about taking it slow and getting used to the pace of the hike. My Fitbit told me I only walked 18,511 steps, which isn’t that many. We did climb over 3,000 feet in 3 miles though so the morning wasn’t easy. We slept around 12,000 feet. We also learned an important lesson this day. Private bathrooms are worth every penny. Most of us didn’t even think about it, but Eilis was smart and rented one. It is $100 for the whole hike and worth every penny. It is a small tent that holds a small toilet, which they wash before moving it each time so it doesn’t get disgusting. Despite wondering why she would do that on a rugged hike, we all ended up using it and thanking her profusely for getting it. The public bathrooms (aka a stall with a hole in the ground) get very dirty quickly and are not much fun to use. Her decision made the trip much more comfortable for the girls in the group.
Finally we ended the day with a beautiful sunset and incredible moon. The moon was so bright all trip, which is exactly what we wanted. The views, sunsets, and moon were stunning all hike. I was so excited about the physical hike that I didn’t really think about the views and beauty of it all before I started.
