Adventure is out there! ~Up!
Five hours later at an elevation of 9,840 feet, our group made it to Machame hut, which is the first camp. Our five hour trek consisted of about four hours of hiking, a 30 minute lunch break and other small stops that accumulated to 30 minutes.
To say I was super tired was an understatement. Though my adrenaline from excitement kept me motivated, the first day of hiking was physically challenging for certain. Almost the entirety of the hike was uphill with certain stints being very steep. If one thing is for certain, my legs and buns better be toned when this is all said and done.
The hiking we did today was through the rainforest that is at the base of Kilimanjaro. And while the surroundings were pretty to look at, the mud we traipsed through was not as appreciated. With waterfalls and beautiful flowers unique to Kilimanjaro, I took in the scenery to distract myself from the burning sensation of climbing stairs like on a Stairmaster machine.
Aside from having sore legs, my right ankle aches (I have a bad right ankle) so I plan on wearing an ace brace tomorrow for extra support. I’m sure my ankle would hurt a lot more had I not had the walking pole for support. It provided a way of stabilizing myself when the ground was slick from mud and wet, mossy rocks.
Relief and accomplishment are two things I feel right now. I feel relieved that a portion of the journey is completed and I know a little bit of what to expect for the next several days. I’m still nervous about getting sick from the altitude and I’m worried I’m not quite physically prepared enough.
Thankfully, Arnold eased my anxiety by telling me the oldest person he has guided to the summit was 68 years old. If a person of that age can get to the top of this mountain then that’s pretty good motivation for me to get there. While Arnold shared stories about his many treks, we ate a quick snack of coffee, hot chocolate, and kettle corn.
After snacking, Rakhi and I went in search of the bathroom. The closest thing we found to a bathroom was a rickety, wooden shack that served as an outhouse. Hesitantly, I used my foot to push the door upon. Big mistake. I about fainted from the wretched smell that crept out of the shack and immediately, Rakhi and I booked it to the woods.
On our way back from the woods, I took in the camp and those around us. By this time, night was beginning to fall and everyone staying at the camp had arrived for the evening. Around us were people from all over the world including other Americans, people from Britain, Russia, Sweden, Peru, South Africa, Indonesia, Canada, Italy, and Holland to name a few. Although everyone was from different parts of the world, the one thing each camp was listening to on the radio were the World Cup games.
We listened to one of the games and chatted about Tanzania, London and America while eating dinner . Why was I ever nervous about what I would be eating on the trek? The food was delicious! We dined on a meal of zucchini soup, potatoes, bread, vegetables with coconut sauce, and breaded Tilapia. Sweet Tanzanian bananas were our dessert and they were just what I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth.
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| Our group getting ready to leave at the Machame gate |
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| Me hiking through the rainforest |
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| Upward climb on the stairs almost the whole way |
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| Daniel and Arnold pausing for a break |
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| Mud made the path slick |
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| Aaron and Rakhi resting for a bit |
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| The Kilimanjaro flower |
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| Aaron, me, and Rakhi at the Machame hut |
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| Rakhi and me at our tent, affectionately nicknamed the Puma/Cub Tent |
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| One of the goofiest pictures of the trip |
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