Mount Kilimanjaro in 34 days - Will I be ready????
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| "You can see it from here - why would you bother climbing to the top?" said the dumb Giraffe. Ah, because I can - said the dumb human".......... |
I'm jogging and swimming a bit more trying to improve my endurance as I fret and prepare for an attempt on Kili (as it's called by those in the know). Chris & Shiku, my climbing partners, are keenly ready and the plans have been made. Now just to climb.
It'll take just 7 days to climb the 70+ kms to the top of the 19,000+ ft 4th highest mountain in the world. As keen reminder of home - temps can fall to as low as -17 near the summit. And while it's not the adventure and challenge it was for German climbers Edward Oehler and Fritz Klute in 1912 when it was first submitted, only 6 out of 10 make the summit on average. I have been to 12,000 ft in the Andes previously, but this is significantly higher. I'm definitely nervous. Also making it easier is the guides who will carry most of your gear and rustle up grits 3x daily. While I would rather a "purer" challenge, these are the rules as you must hire folks if you want to make the challenge. This week I'll be picking up a few more items I need including a Canadian flag to wave with great enthusiasm when I reach the summit!!! Wish me /us luck!
Afterwards a couple days in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and over to Zanzibar to make the most of the beach for a few days. That too should be interesting.
Speaking of interesting
Here are a couple things in Africa I find interesting:
1) The handshake is a 3 step intricate little hand dance that I have completely failed to master so far. In part, I believe this is because North Americans get a little weird about touching for any length of time and Africans are just the opposite. While Westerners have a firm single position quick shake, the African greeting is much more sophisticated and dare I say intimate! It involves a more gentle grasp that starts with a "normal" handshake position then slides to the grasp show here and then back to the original position. Its done slowly, while talking, and often the last position is held for a couple seconds. People who know one another well or are being very welcoming may continue to hold your hand for some time. At first it was very strange for me but now - and though still a bit awkward in a "white men can't jump" sort of way" I find the practice very warm and welcoming.
2) All plug-ins have switches right at the plate so that lamps etc don't have to have a switch itself. This means that the lamps etc are less expensive and there's one less thing to go wrong. It also means that you can shut off a bunch of things with 1 switch if its connected to a power bar for example. I think of this because last night the light switch blew to smithereens for no apparent reason. I guess it has its drawbacks as well.
3) Also - in most homes including the more affluent, there is no piped pressurized water. You buy water from a truck that fills a container in your yard. (this is a picture of mine) A small pump then takes the water to a holding tank on the roof where gravity does the rest of the work. Simple and efficient as the tanks - usually black - also warm up in the sun. The need for water heaters is significantly less as a result. In my home (which is very plush by African standards) only the shower water and bathroom tap water is heated. The hot water heater is turned on at night and then off in the morning. Also - the water is not chlorinated or treated in any way other than a simple filter so drinking it is tummy trouble for sure.
4) I am at heart and have been for most of my life, a big fan of the motorcycle. Here - they are very low powered and more utility than they are entertaining. Know affectionately in Africa as the Boda boda, it is a transportation necessity for getting around busy city arteries even more clogged than Rob Ford's. A couple funny things I have seen are:
- Propane cylinders carried on the back - in fact I think this is the only way they are delivered.
- 6 people on a single machine all dressed up for a special event, (3 were kids)
- A couch being delivered.. not a loveseat but a full sized couch with driver sitting on the tank.
- Rebar for a construction site - WorkSafe would surely go for the death penalty on this....
Thanks for reading!! Layno
