Our time at Hotel Verde was fantastic! The rooms were elegant, and the bathrooms were beautiful. Each room had a small deck with a super comfortable chair. The food in the restaurant was not good, the restaurant was empty and lonely. We ate at the hotel restaurant one night and went out the next.
Playing at the hotel.
The hotel had a pool, gym, spa, playground, and water park open on Saturdays. Bardez and I played in the pool and playground for one of the afternoons. The playground was more like an obstacle course than a playground, which made it even more fun. The pool was not warm, but it was probably about 70 degrees. I loved playing in the pool and the playground.
A Day in Stone Town
On our first full day, we went into stone town. We went on a walking tour around the town. Imron was our guide, and he was hilarious. We were looking at a weaving shop that had an actual loom, then the other people on our tour arrived. The time was amazing, andI learned so much! We went into the old fort and saw a big stone auditorium. On our tour, we learned about the doorways and the town’s history. We also visited a museum about the history of slaves on the island and one really surprising thing I learned was that there were black slave owners! this had never occurred to me. In the museum there was a story about a woman who was unjustly sold into slavery, she was freed and given money for compensation. She was asked what she would do with it and she said “I’m gonna buy a slave.” This was shocking! I asked why and mom said that she thought it was the culture to own slaves.
Hotel Review
I would give this hotel four stars. It was not terrible but the food was bad and the rooms were very smelly. My dad once said something along the lines of, if your experience is 99.9% amazing but there is one big thing that is not amazing it will lower the whole experience. Not being able to eat at a hotel is hard but it was kind of good because we got to go to other fun restaurants and eat their amazing food! I would recommend trying a different place in stone town if you ever visit. I’m sure there are other amazing hotels in the area that are waiting to be used. I would go back to stone town and see other amazing things!
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
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 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
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.
We are going down!Going Up!LeavingAfter four hours of strenuous Hiking, we tried our best to look happy. We had no idea what car we were going to be rescued in. We just loved playing cards.Bardez just really loved the mountain with its dirt and dust. He also wanted to look like the boy from Duma.Ready to start but love the grassDinnerFamily PhotoWe loved playing cards on the bus with MosesI am a tired but happy climberWow, this porter was carrying so many things!
To get to Amboseli from Nairobi, we had to get into a small plane that constantly made big drops. The plane ride was a little scary, but the view was incredible! The flight was only 1 hour. I saw some giraffes, some elephants, and even a dead zebra! The landing was super smooth and not bumpy at all. The drive to Ol Tukai Lodge was not too long, but it was super dry. There was a lot of water, yet the land was super dry. Amboseli has marsh areas but the water has a lot of naturally occurring salt and so the water is very salty.
What surprised me most was the number of dead animals. The animals were not all killed by lions and predators, but they died from the salty water! Too much salt can kill you. The dead animals smelled super bad. One time there were four dead animals within 50 yards of each other!
The Ol Tukai Lodge was beautiful! They greeted us with a fresh juice and wet towels to clean our hands! We were led to our rooms which were little huts. The kid’s room had three twin beds, and they brought a fourth in for Zeb. The beds were super comfortable, and there were giant mosquito nets to cover the beds.
The dinner food was excellent! I accidentally ate some Gluten and paid the price. The service was also excellent, and the people were friendly. We did an early morning game drive and saw some lions, elephants, and dead things. Breakfast was also delicious, and there was always rice at every super excellent meal! They also had killer mocktails which are non-alcoholic cocktails. This was my 2nd favorite place, and I enjoyed it, and I would totally recommend it.
a sleeping baby elephantthe flamingos were fun to see in Lake Amboseli
We did a hot air balloon ride up to 2000 feet in the air. We used Hot Air Safaries to do our ariel experience. The start was super scary getting into the air. We started by watching the balloon get pumped up with regular air. Then, when it was time, we got in the basket. The basket was on its side, so we were lying down; if you’re wondering, the basket is separated into five compartments. Each one holds three people, and one is in the middle for the pilot. I think there were compartments to keep people from rocking the balloon.
The worst part was the flame-throwing fire into the balloon to heat the air. I would jump down and crouch in the bottom of the basket when the captain turned on the heat. Besides that, the view was amazing! We saw something like a cheetah or leopard, but it was neither. We went lower and higher and lower. I loved it! I would do another ride anytime, even though it was scary.
After the balloon ride, they served a champagne breakfast to you on top of a hill. It was a big breakfast. It is worth it! If you can make it a life goal to go in a balloon, you should do it.
i was so scared but the experience was still super coolThe hot air ballon was having a hard time filling upFire!Such good veiwsSo Pretty.
Thulani was amazing!!!! It was my favorite place out of the first three places we stayed. First was Melvilla Guest House (in Johanessburg), then Cradle Boutique Hotel (in Cradle of Humankind), and then Thulani (near Hoedspruit, in Northeast South Africa)! I shared a room with Emmy right next to the pool.
The staff people were terrific! Kelvin was the game driver, and he helped with other things too. Charlene was the chef, and Nmbuso was the chef’s assistant. Charlene was amazing! She cooked the best foods and was super friendly and kind.
The pool was freezing! Like super cold. It felt nice on my face, arms and legs when we returned from Kruger, but otherwise, it was super hard. The rooms were excellent, and the bathrooms were awesome!
On the first game drive, we saw things like giraffes, zebras, and lots of antelope and wildebeest. Kelvin had prepared a sunset snack of mango nuts cocktails for adults and soda for kids. Yes, we did get to share a sprite and a Fanta. Mom will say yes to soda for the first time and probably the last.
On Tuesday we went to visit a school. On Wednesday, we went to a wild animal Rehabilitation center. There we saw lions, leopards, cheetahs, honey badgers, birds, and many more animals. It was sad to see how animals are badly caught in traps and wounded. Some of them die from their wounds. The rehabilitation center was fun and painful, and I would recommend it. It is called Moholoholo wildlife rehabilitation center.
