Staying in Arusha and Climbing Kilimanjaro

Starting out!

Driving to Arusha

After Amboseli, we drove to Anusha in Tanzania. A quick lesson on how to say Tanzania. Most people say it like Tan-Zu-Knee-yah. It is Tan-zAnia. With an A sound like in the word and. On our drive to Arusha, we saw many Maasai villages and drove through a lake! The lake was dry, but as we were driving, it looked like there was water. It was a mirage. The weirdest thing was that while we were going, it looked like there was water behind us! The drive to Tanzania was long and hot, and when we finally reached the border, Masai ladies were trying to sell us things, and they were very pushy. We had to go into the customs building and fill out some forms. The drive from the customs office to our hotel was also long. We were staying at Mt. Meru Hotel. The hotel was pretty good, the rooms were excellent, and the food was delicious. The one food item I always ordered was the chicken wings, which were marinated in honey sauce and came with fries. These made the hotel experience unique. The hotel also had a backyard with green grass to play on. That part was perfect.

Preping for Kilimanjaro

Strong Porter Hicking while carrying basket on his head
Porter was probably carrying 40-60 lbs on his head.

Packing for Kili was long and hard. we had to make sure that we packed everything because if we did not have warm clothes, we could not summit, and if we did not have proper gear, we could not climb. On our first day at the hotel, we met our guide Thomas. he was a kind-looking man who also looked like he knew how to climb a mountain. Our guide Thomas did a gear check to see if we needed any gear, and we did. I needed a coat, ski pants, socks, a bag, and other things.

Second waiting day

On our second day at the hotel, I and Emmy and I stayed at the hotel and worked on blogging while mom, dad, Bardez, and Zeb went shopping for gear. Packing was not too hard, and it was over pretty fast. We also had to pack the things we were not taking on kili into our standard bags, which would stay at the hotel.

Leaving for the mountain

The following day we did not have to wake up too early, but we did not get to sleep in extensively. We were leaving for Kilimanjaro (also known as Kili). We had breakfast in the hotel, and when it was time to go, we discovered that we had 22 porters! Porters are people who carry almost all your stuff up the mountain on their heads.

Branches on the Bus

Playing Branches with Moses a porter
Playing cards with Moses on the Bus ride.

We had to take a bus with all our things, porters, and guides to get to the mountain. We had Thomas, the head guide, Razack, the assistant guide, and Barnabus, the other assistant Guide. There was also a chef that supposedly knew how to make Gluten Free but did not know how to make it delicious. Before starting the bus ride, we took a group photo with everyone. The bus ride was super long but pretty fun! About an hour later, we stopped and got ice cream bars and snacks, aka lunch. We played a lot of card games too. Near the end of the ride, Moses and Barnabus made up a new card game called Branches. It’s too complicated to explain, but maybe someday it will be played by thousands of people.

When we got to where we would start hiking, we had to wait several hours for all of our porters to get their loads weighed and for us to get permits to climb. While we were waiting, we also ate lunch on the grass. Lunch was pretty good, we got chicken fries and a juice box.

Hicking

Lounging on green grass!
Last Green Grass!

The first five minutes of Hiking were not too hard, and we soon reached the Lemosho gate. After Lemosho, Hiking got into a steady rhythm. Steep uphill gradually or steep downhill. Flat steep uphill, more uphill, repeat. Bardez, who did not have a pack, soon went ahead, Emmy got ahead, then Zeb. Soon it was me, my dad, my mom, and some of the Guides. Porters were regularly passing us and moving swiftly ahead to get to the first camp before us.

I am finally, Getting to camp.

We got to camp at dark, and I quickly went into my tent to do Washy Washy. You take a shower using wipes. Dinner was pretty good, but I was tired and wanted to get to bed. We had to do a medical check before going to bed, and I did that and then went to bed. Sleeping was fine, I woke up not once, and I slept in, aka I did not wake up before sunrise.

On the second day of Hiking

Our second day was the snapping point. We hiked for maybe one and a half or two hours then we came into our next climate zone. Kilimanjaro had five climate zones, I can’t name all, but the second one we were in was harsh. It was hot for a while, and there were so many hills. There was the elephant’s back. We thought the company would provide lunch on the hike, but they did not, so we went for five hours on some bars and sugar juice. It took us a very long time to get to camp, but we did in the end. The camp was super dusted so that everything would be dusted. Even though I would get dirty again, I still did Washy Washy. Washy is the act of trying and failing to penetrate the thick layer of dust and dirt on your skin that you accumulate from the trail. After washy washy, I still had a roaring headache from no lunch on the track. To clarify, we did get lunch, but it was around 3:30 that we got it. I took a nap in our tent because of my headache, and when I woke felt terrible. I did not want to go to dinner, but dad urged me to. There was soup at dinner, but I did not want to eat it. I sat at the table for some time and eventually ate one bite. The soup was the only delicious thing we ate on Kili. After about ten spoonfuls, I felt better and started eating more. After I had food and much-needed water, you felt much better, but I was still super grumpy. While eating, I found out that Mom was in her tent feeling terrible,

The last day

The following day mom told me we might go down because we were all still feeling pretty bad. We did a family meeting, and I struggled to get to the meeting spot. We decided to get “rescued,” which means you get packed like sardines into a tiny vehicle with eight other people. The hike to the pick up point was not too challenging though I was fatigued the whole way. We had to wait a long while for the vehicle to get there.

Walking is Better Than Driving

When the vehicle arrived, two rangers were helping someone into the shotgun seat. We were yelled at to come over, and when we looked inside, there were already eight people in the size person vehicle! We were shoved in, and when we found out Thomas, our guide, was coming, we were beginning to think about ditching the car. The car was going about 60 Mph on a gravel road with tight turns and steep inclines. The drive was probably 15 or 20 min, but it was terrible. There was a massive lack of deodorant; the whole car reeked of Body Odor and a complete lack of Oxygen.

I tried to open a window, but the rangers said I had to close it because of the dust. There was no dust. Eventually, I got to open some of the windows a tiny bit, and it freed us up a bit. I was thinking on the way down; I bet 90% of rescued people’s ailments are from this car ride. We eventually reached the destination of the ranger station and got to exit the vehicle! I was so glad. At the ranger station, we had to wait for our next car, and I was okay with that because we got to meet some people who were going to start their climb that day. They were super friendly, and we enjoyed talking to them!

Having to come down was not a failure but a learning opportunity to see that we needed more training and better acclimatizing to complete the climb and summit. I don’t think I would strive to submit again. I would be so proud of Bardez if he summited, and I believe someday he will! he was the best climber out of all of us and was the fastest! I think he would do super well on the mountain. I enjoyed the first day and would do it again but not the second. For those who are serious about mountain climbing, go for it! If you want to do something exotic, raft the grand canyon. It is much better.

The Masai Village at Amboseli, Kenya

Masai woman with traditional jewelry

Today we went to one of the Masai villages next to Amboseli National Park. We got a welcome dance from some of the villagers, and we also got to dance. The dancers put beautiful handmade necklaces around our necks and welcomed us happily. We were invited to dance with them, and we did. Then they prayed for us. The Masai people are Christians.

We then went into their village. There was a fence made of thorn bushes to keep unwanted animals out and their livestock in.   There were also similar smaller enclosures inside to keep the cows, goats, and sheep inside the paddocks, inside the village. There were so many baby cows, goats, and sheep running around. We were led to chairs and saw how the Masai make fire. They made fire by rubbing a stick in a notch in a piece of wood to create friction and then fire. While one of the men was talking, a baby goat ran under my chair and stayed there! It was adorable, but I wanted to see what was happening, so I stopped gazing at it.  

They next brought out three kinds of traditional medicine. It was all different types of wood! And there were so many uses for it all. Such as helping with headaches and stomachaches and treatment to block diseases from mosquitoes.  

We got to tour one of the huts. The doorways were shorter than me! The inside was super dark because there was only one tiny window close to the fire area. There were two rooms, one for the adults and one for the kids. The walls were made of elephant dung and sticks, and the roof was made of thatch and sticks. I would not want to live in this type of home. It didn’t make me sad because these people were keeping their traditions and choosing to live this way. 

After the house, we went to their market. All the ladies had beautiful stuff, but they were kind of pushy. They kept trying to put bracelets on my wrists, and one bracelet was too small, but the lady wanted to get it on me. Emmy and I did find some cool things in the end, but when it was time to pay, we discovered that everything was more expensive than we anticipated. I went from about six items to three. Emmy and I got gifts for a friend and one thing for myself.  

While mom and dad were settling the prices for what they were buying, us kids got to hold a three-day-old goat! It was so tiny and so cute! We got plenty of good photos, and I wanted to keep it, but I knew I could never carry a goat around Africa.  

We went to the school. The kids there were super cute! Three-year-olds knew their ABCs and 123s fluently! They all had the cutest uniforms, and I adored them all. We had to leave after school, and I was glad because I was super hot! I loved seeing the village and I wish more people knew about it. I would go again to see more and learn more. 

Discovering Nairobi, Kenya – Churches, Markets, Slums and More

Giant Avacado wanting to be eatan

The First Visit to Nairobi

Our first visit to Nairobi started at midnight in a hot, stuffy airport. Getting through customs was long and not fun. The only fun part was when I made my passport photo face at the person checking our passports.  

For those of you who don’t know, when I got my last passport and when they took my photo, I smiled a sweet smile, but to my astonishment, they said I was not allowed to smile. Now my passport photo looks like I am a hiker trying to stare down a mama bear. In other words, I don’t look happy.  

The outside air was not hot, thankfully. Hot outside air is the last thing anyone needs when coming off a late-night flight. It took us so long to get our sim cards, long enough for Bardez to fall asleep by mom, on the floor, outside. He was pretty cute. 

When we finally got our sim cards, we got into the hotel taxi. There was nobody at the hotel except the security guard. They had to find someone to check us in. It took a while to get room keys, but it eventually happened.

The hotel was excellent. But not somewhere that I would want to go back to. The food was delicious and the staff was friendly, but it was not a stunning experience. I would rate the Double Tree Hilton four stars.  

Second Stay in Nairobi

Our second stay in Nairobi after being in the Masai Mara was much better. We stayed at a different hotel called the Movenpick. The rooms were more beautiful, and the food was so much better! At breakfast, there were always gluten-free cupcakes and bread. They would also label everything saying if it was gluten-free or not. On Sunday, we went to the same church we attended the previous Sunday. After Church, we had an afternoon at the hotel.

To our delight and surprise, there was a beautiful lunch buffet and a kid’s play area with bracelet making. I made about five bracelets, one of which was completely gold, and I wore it to dinner that night. The restaurant was a revolving restaurant at the top of the hotel where we could see most of the city while we ate our dinner. I would rate this hotel five stars and add that the staff was excellent and friendly. I would also visit again and explore Nairobi more extensively.

Spring of Hope and Visiting a School

kids covered in oranges in the back of a car

Today we visited NTSOELEMOLODI Primary School! We actually visited twice. The first time we went, we did a tour and gave oranges to all the students and staff! There were so many oranges. We started when Trygive picked us up and explained the school’s history. 

We drove for quite a while, but we had to stop for gas. Before we stopped for gas, we went through town, and on the side of the road, there were so many people selling things. Among those things were oranges, and a lot of them. Trygive helped us pick a stand to buy from. It was run by a lady and she was SO happy when we bought ALL her oranges in on go. We piled them in the back seat which was where I and Bardez were sitting. 

Bardez and I buried in oranges to take to the school!

I and him got covered in oranges. It was actually kind of nice like a massage except one of my feet was bent in a painful position. When we got to the school I and Bardez started thinking about how we would get out when we were covered in oranges.

Thankfully others had a plan. As we went through a gate about 20 kids in uniform came out. There were also a couple of drummers! The children started marching in a circle around us. Mom told us to join them and as homeschoolers, we could not stay in the line very well. We eventually got into the rhythm but only for a short time because the principal signaled the students to stop. We got to meet the teachers and principal and there was a short welcome speech then the principal said there was going to be a traditional dance done by some of the girls. The dance was beautiful and I enjoyed it very much. 

The principal took us into her office and talked about the school and grades. We then got to tour the school and classrooms. The classes were not small. Though they were organized. The school had grades kindergarten through 7. When the school had a huge garden with lots of vegetables and some bathrooms. It also had a new library except there were no bit chapter books for the older kids. It also had a netball court. Net Ball is close to basketball but pretty different. 

I got to sit in the 5th-grade classroom with Bardez for a few minutes. It was a little awkward between the students and us but soon things slackened. After lunch, we played some violin and sang the national anthem of South Africa with the kids. Then it was time to go. None of us kids wanted to leave but we had to. We asked if we could come back for a day of school later that week. And we did!

The day at school was so awesome! I totally loved it! When we got there I went to the 6th-grade classroom, B went to 5th and Emmy and Zeb went to 7th. When I got in it was very awkward. I just sat at the desk in the front row next to a boy who had his book open. While the teacher was teaching I noticed a lot of whispering going on. I was okay with it. To them, this was a day at school where a new white girl was in their class and they were probably curious. Soon the atmosphere relaxed a bit. 

They had been learning about electricity and how to save it. There was an activity where we had to get notebooks out. I had brought my notebook and I got it out of my backpack. I got good marks on my paper when the teacher checked it and I got high praise. I wasn’t sure if it was getting high praise because I was a guest or if it was the norm. At one point I started trying to figure out what one-third of 100 was. Then there was an activity where the teacher shared a poem he made then he asked me if I could write one. I told him about my little bear Poems. He asked me to write one. I was worried that I would not be able to write a good one but I did. 

It took us a little while and in the end, when I read it the teacher asked the other students what it was about. I really enjoyed the rest of the class and I would love to go back. It was my first time in a classroom and my first day of going to a school (that wasn’t homeschooling). I really really really loved it!

Apartheid Museum of South Africa in Johannesburg

Today we went to the Apartheid museum.  It was probably the most interesting thing in Johannesburg we did.  For those of you who do not know what Apartheid is, I will explain.

What was Apartheid?

Apartheid was a system that oppressed all non-whites. It was used in South Africa to ensure that the minority white population was dominant in everything. There were black political parties but black people were not allowed to vote so none of the black political parties would ever win. Apartheid was a horrendous and terrible way of controlling people and redistricting their rights. 

My Individual Thoughts from Inside the Museum

These are some notes I made inside the museum.  I put them in separate paragraphs because I like to think of them as individual thoughts.

Predicting the Future or the Future, Predicted

Here is a quote made by Nelson Mandela in 1952, I find it funny and inspiring.  Nelson Mandela said ”One day I will be the first black president of South Africa”

This is my reflection on the quote.

I like to think that instead of him “predicting the future” he was saying “one day I will be president” and he meant it like “I will work hard to become president and it will happen.”

Escaping the Danger by Becoming the Danger

I read a story in the museum about a black man who was constantly being brutally harassed by the police.  He wanted it to stop so he decided to become a policeman himself.  I was a little shocked by this because why would a black man become a policeman? He would probably be sent to hurt his own people.  I think it was because they felt like they needed to escape the danger by becoming the danger.  It made me sad to think of this, but some people I think are softer than others and succumb to the enemy.

I Did Not Know about All the Others

I realized, while I was looking through the Museum shop, that before coming to Africa and listening to A Long Walk To Freedom, I only vaguely knew about Nelson Mandela and I did not know at all about Apartheid or Walter Sisulu, Oliver Tambo, Winnie Mandela, or Mandela’s children. Joe Slovo, Albertina Sisulu, George Bizos, Govan Mbeki, Ahamed Kathrada (also known as Kathy), Andrew Mlangeni, Raymond Mhlaba, Dennise Goldberg, and Bram Fisher.  These were all people who were in Mandela’s life and helped him become the man he was. 

I Look Up to Nelson Mandela Very Much

I was so Awed at how Mandela always knew what to say, his words were just full of wisdom and it’s like he just knew what to say to make everybody feel confident or sad or whatever emotion he is going for.  He knew what will calm or please or rile up the crowd.  He carried himself with such confidence and poise and dignity. He is definitely someone I look up to.  When I see him in a video or picture I think of leadership, pride, prowess, calm, and reassurance.  

History Everybody Needs to Learn

The Apartheid Museum was a very good place for us to visit. Even though I read Long Walk to Freedom, I never imagined police brutality was so bad. It was even worse than America. In Nelson Mandela’s Book, he talks about how bad the police were but in the videos at the museum, it showed the police being more violent than anyone could imagine. Even though the museum is sad and it has a painful history, I think it is all history that everybody needs to learn.  Everybody in the world.