QBLOG #40 Jambo!

Jambo, pronounced jaumBOe is Swahili for Hello.

Day 2: Mandara Hut, 7:00am - 30Aug06

We are roused from our sleep by our guide, Thaddeus. It is time for breakfast. Breakfast consists of some scrambled eggs, coffee, bread, peanut butter and jam, tomatoes and cucumbers. Our eyes are still heavy with sleep, but we prepare ourselves for today's hike. The morning is chilly with some cloud cover. Our goal today is Horombo Hut at 3720 Meters (12,205 ft.). Hiking time is estimated to be 5-6 hours.



We have basically left the forest and are now crossing open moor land. Jambo! I greet the trail before us. The sound we hear is that of our feet, one stepping in front of the other. The air is crisp and clouds gather and separate throughout the journey. The dirt reminds me of Iraq. You step on it and it forms a little cloud of dust landing on my boots and covering the lower part of my pants. We stop for lunch on a gathering of rocks. Eddie and I have decided, based on a conversation we had with a woman from Germany who completed the climb, that we would forgo any meats or eggs after Mandara. It is a good decision. I open my boiled egg and a foul smell greets me. Remember, everything we wear or eat has been brought up from the base of the mountain. No ice here.

For lunch, we have something that looks like french toast. It is a bit sweet and satisfies our hunger. An orange and a muffin are also included in our meal. We did think ahead and do have power bars and gel in our respective packs...just in case. I have a camelbak reservoir tucked in my back pack. It holds 3 liters of water. Though it starts off heavy, I'm glad I have it. I drink lots of water on this trip. We have purifying tablets as we are told we will need these. We've purchased enough bottled water to get us through today.

The trail seems easy. I have begun pacing myself thought. We still encounter folks and they continue to say, "Pole! Pole!". In the far distance we see our ultimate goal. Uhuru Peak. It is snow covered. It is beautiful. It is so far away. We turn around and look at the ground we've covered. The trail seems to run into the clouds. We've come so far. Eddie wants me to take a picture to show people how far it is. The picture is taken but it can never translate into what we see with our own eyes and what we've walked with our own feet. I think about how glad I am to be here and how happy I am that Eddie is with me.



We move along the trail. Slowly gaining elevation. It becomes a bit more difficult to hike. I'm fascinated by the plant life and the gulley's and cliffs that have water running through them. I stop often in excitement of seeing a plant I've never seen before or in amazement at the way a dried up piece of wood resembles a face or a carved body. Ravens are flying above. I can't help but get caught up in the sound the wind makes as it hits their wings. I wonder what they are feeling and how easily they soar feet above my head, most likely in search of food. I'm praying it is not an Omen. I pinch myself in jest to make sure I am indeed alive. A smile comes to my face and I move on.



A thought comes to my head as I see a forest of what appears to be dead plants intermingled with growing and other noticeably live plants. Nature understands that death is part of life and that the new, growing, old, dying and dead things are mixed together to form this kaleidoscope I now have in my view. There is beauty in it all. Thaddeus points out this flower to us. It comes in yellow and white. When it dies, it looks very similar to when it is alive, just a bit more faded. It has the shape of a mum. It is beautiful in both its forms. Delicate yet sturdy. That is how this terrain is. Many rocks and lots of loose dirt. The plant life is so varied and wonderful. It reminds me of deserts I have seen and yet when you look closely, it is totally different from those that I am familiar.

We see the Horombo huts in the near distance. They end up looking more near than they are. We finally arrive. We sign in and have our hut assigned to us. Ben is there to greet us, though he is asleep. Andrew follows. Dinner comes quickly. We are advised from some fellow diners not to consume any milk products due to our altitude. We take the advise seriously. So far both Eddie and I have not suffered symptoms from altitude sickness. As a precaution I do take a couple of aspirin. I do this through the remainder of the journey. Clouds settle in on the camp. We head off to our hut for some shut eye. Kibo tomorrow.

To be continued.

Robert