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Jill's African Adventure |
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* The Long Road to Malawi: Part 1
* Parc National des Volcans * Memorial * Kibale Forest * Back and Forth from Kampala * Rafting the Nile * Murchison Falls * A Day in The Life * Hell's Gate * Nairobi and Around (Part 2) * Nairobi and Around (Part 1) * A Dhow Trip From Lamu * Watamu: Ruins, Monkeys, Shrews, and Jellyfish * Mombasa * Hiking in Lushoto * Changing E-mail Address * The Problems of Itete * Village Life * Hanging Out in Dar * Zanzibar - Music Festival & Prison Island
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January 19, 2005A Change in Plans
Well, I didn't quite make it to Kili... The night before we were supposed to climb the mountain I was feeling a lot worse. Even before then I was thinking that going on a climb that usually causes healthy people to get sick was probably a bad idea. But then I started to feel worse and had to make the difficult decision to stay behind, meaning that I would temporarily be saying good-bye to the only the person I really know know who is on this continent. I am still disappointed that I was unable to go, but I think I made the right decision and the last couple days I have actually been feeling better than was and not just the same. I guess sometimes you just have to put your health first... Since I didn't go on Kili, I have been stuck in Moshi all week. Moshi is a nice little town with almost nothing to do in it. The operative parts of that last sentence are "little" and "nothing to do." I was originally thinking that I would spend this week in Arusha (a bigger city about an hour away), but since I was sick, the tour company is putting me up in a hotel here for the week, so it was much more cost effective to stay. The hotel is a nice place and there is an observation floor on the top with great views of Kilimanjaro. I actually got up early today to watch the sunrise... The first couple days after Jason left, I just stayed in Moshi. I discovered a park with cute lizards, but no shade, watched part of a wedding (from what I saw, pretty much the same as weddings in the US, but with more cheering and with bands), spoke with a young local girl who is going to be a doctor when she grows up, visited the local market, saw where the people actually live. I also got stared at a lot, particularly by one young girl. I understand she was staring because I look so different and was out of place watching the wedding, but it was still very disconcerting to be stared at. I said hello and felt like I should say something else, but I didn't really know how to say anything else except sisemi kiswahili -- I don't speak swahili -- which was not very useful in the situation. I am kind of getting used to being on display, however. Whenever I am in local areas, people are very curious about me (and always friendly). It is unfortunate that I can't really say anything except hello. In tourist areas of course, I am mainly a potential paycheck. On Monday and Tuesday I decided I needed to get out of Moshi in order to avoid going crazy. On both days I went for a hike in the foothills of Kili, through some local Chagga villages. The Chagga people are those who live on Kilimanjaro and in this area and they mainly earn their living growing bananas and coffee. (You can eat bananas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner here, and then go to the local bar and drink banana beer. Fun fact -- in the Chagga villages men and women are not allowed to mix when they are drinking. There is a certain amount of wisdom in that.) A little on how the village was arranged: The further away you get from the town cente in Moshi the more rural things get. The roads quickly go from poorly paved to used to be paved to never paved. The Chagga villages are centered around the "never paved" roads. Businesses and schools have huts/buildings along the side of the road and there are also some homes. Off of the road are footpaths and some more homes. The home aren't really grouped together at all or even in any order that i was able to figure out. There might be a few houses close together and then you might walk for ten minutes and then maybe another house, maybe not. Not to fear though, even on these footpaths in the middle of practically nowhere, there was a pub (and I use that term loosely) where you could buy banana beer. It was kept in a big plastic bucket on the other side of the hut from where I believe the pigs were kept. The hikes were just gorgeous. The jungle was so green and lush with banana and coffee trees everywhere. We we are a narrow little red-dirt footpath. I kept wanting to look around at the scenery, but the path was so narrow I had to keep looking at the ground in order to avoid falling off the edge. There was a stream and it was often criss-crossed by picturesque little wooden bridges. I got to see a few chameleons, which was great. The are slow-moving ugly-looking lizards, but I liked them anyway. At the end of the hike there was a 50m waterfall that was just absolutely gorgeous (and cool -- its so hot here). I probably could have spent hours just watching the water cascade down, hitting the rocks that jutted out breaking the water into hundreds of little waterfalls that were all just a part of the whole... Today I am just kicking it in Moshi. I went to the market this morning to buy myself some flip-flops and get some practice on my horrendous bargaining skills. (After I bought them, I asked the proprietor how much I had overpaid. He said that I had paid way over the local price & was about middle of the road for what tourists pay. I can live with that, but will definitely try to improve...) Then I got a call from Jason. He said he had been really sick a couple days ago (altitude sickness), but was feeling much better and had summited Kili this morning. He is also going to be back a day early which is excellent news -- I booked our tickets out of Moshi to Dar es Salaam this morning. It will be nice to get out of here and see something different. We will be spending a couple days in Dar, and then off on safari... I can't wait!!! Comments
Jill, So sorry to hear that you were feeling poorly and unable to climb Kilimanjaro. You did make the right decision. Sorry you were unable to make the ascent up Kilimanjaro, but it was the necessary and correct decision. Unfortunately, you now find yourself with a bunch of Christmas presents that are ultimately useless. However, I have no doubt that at some point in future years you will explore an area with a colder climate, and you'll find yourself already ahead of the game. My objective for you on the upcoming safari is to take pictures discernable enough for those of us back in the western hemisphere to match up with each of the figures contained within a box of animal crackers. Bonus points for giraffes with missing heads and elephants with missing legs - but they have to be alive! Posted by: Dave on January 19, 2005 08:41 AMSorry you didn't make it up Kilimanjaro, but I agree with all, you did do the right thing! Enjoy Dar Es Salaam!! Ann Posted by: Ann Long on January 19, 2005 10:09 AMJill, Maris Posted by: Maris Dursin on January 19, 2005 11:57 AMHey Jill, I'm reading up on you for the first time. What a disappointimg start but sounds like great stuff to come. Wise choice on your part to stay behind. Hope this finds you feeling better! Hello Jill! This is actually a fun way to communicate. A little interesting tidbit on Kilimanjaro. This is the german translation (or perhaps the english translation of the german interpretation) of Chagga name for the mountain. "Kibo" means hill and "Jaro" means black and white, describing the glaciers and rocky alpine desert. Most of the history in this part of Tanzania appears to be oral and not written. More to come. Off to lunch! Posted by: Jason on January 22, 2005 03:32 AMHi Jill, I read your blog entry and decided that I had to post a message. Everyone else is saying how sad they are that you didn’t get to climb the big mountain. I was thinking . ..I get bummed if I have to walk up 3 flights of stairs. . .and I bet that mountain was taller than 3 flights of stairs. . hmmm. That sucks that weren’t feeling well though. I have taken it upon myself to update you as to “important” stuff that has happened back here in the states since you’ve been away. Let’s see .. . what has transpired. Oh, yeah. . .George Bush, Jr, was sworn in as President. . .most other people just swore. There is a HUGE snowstorm in the Midwest and Northeast. Some forecasters are predicting up to 20 inches of snow, being blown at 50 mph. . .that’s 1000 miles per inch! Unbelievable. On the other hand, it’s all white. . .that’s nice. Lastly, in what can only be described as an eye-brow raising effort to take political and national pressure off it’s arguably unsuccessful attack of Iraq, the US is considering an even more arguably unsuccessful attack on Iran. Stay tuned for further details. Lastly, how are things at your old work you ask? Well, it’s 3:22 on Saturday and I’m actually at work (taking a break currently to type this). I think that is an ALMOST complete summation of the situation. The only other noteworthy news is that we SORT of hired a new person. Her name is Kristy. She doesn’t actually start working until February 2. . .so there’s still plenty of time for her to run away screaming. . .but, absence of that, we’ve got a fourth person (big woohoo). Okay. . .that’s all for now. I look forward to reading your next blog entry regarding the safari. I’ll give you extra points if you ask the tour guide .. .”Isn’t this a “Surfing” Safari?” bye bye mmmmm... banana beer.....
Ann and I are thinking of you! We've been busy house-shopping. It was fun for about a day.
Just a stranger eavesdropping on your blog. I also went to Tanzania in 1989 to climb Kili. With my group, it was an adventurous trek through the different climate zones. Unfortunately gastroenteritis caught me on the last leg up to the final hut. All I remember is sitting with all my clothes on in my sleeping bag, shivering at 16,000 feet and wondering what I was doing there. My group made it to the top without me. The rest of the Africa trip was great, so I hope you shed the disappointment and have a great time. Posted by: Rick on January 29, 2005 05:19 PMHi Jill, Glad to hear the safari was "awsome". :-) I look forward to hearing more when you are able to post something on this blog. I can imagine that you are having email in such a rural area. Just chiming in again. Rick I am sitting here grinning about your comment about the cold. It had similar thoughts at the same height. Jill has asked for my comments on the climb. More to come later. On logistics, thank you. The bus to Bpt leaves an hour after I land; To Dpt leaves two hours after. I shall call when I return. Africa is beautiful. Posted by: Jason on February 2, 2005 05:04 AM |
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