Staying in Arusha and Climbing Kilimanjaro

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.

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Ol Tukai Lodge at Amboseli

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.

the flamingos were fun to see in Lake Amboseli

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Flying over Masai Mara in a Hot Air Balloon

hot air balloon burner firing into balloon

Masai Mara from 2000 Feet Above

Masai Mara from the air — Seeing everything from above is so cool!

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.

Scared but happy — i was so scared but the experience was still super cool

will it fill? — i was so scared but the experience was still super cool

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Exploring the Masai Mara while Self Driving

wildebeest migrating over the Masai Mara plains as seen from a hot air balloon

driving my lions in masai mara — driving by a lion in masai mara

We spent a wonderful 4 days in the Masai Mara. My parents decided to rent a car to drive us on our own (called “self-drive” or “car hire” in Kenya). This made the trip much more interesting. It is a beautiful park full of animals and ditches where you can get your car stuck! The car we rented was nice: with a whole package deal of wobbly roof and butt bruising seats. Along with a broken speedometer and gas tank measurer. It also comes with a stick shift and broken seat belts. Enjoy!

Even though there were a lot of problems with this car, I am still super glad we got it. I liked it because it felt homey somehow. It was comforting to sit in it and fun to drive in.

I learned to drive a stick shift car. First, take off the emergency brake with your foot on the clutch and brake. Turn the car on. Next, take your foot off the brake and prepare to put it on the gas. Next, step on it! Slowly press down on the gas while slowly coming off the clutch. Also, make sure you are on gear one.

The park was very alive with many animals and only a few dead ones. We saw one dead giraffe, one dead elephant, and one zebra that we witnessed dying and being eaten.

Story of a Zebra Dying (Warning: if you don’t like death, skip this part!)

a zebra killed by hyenas and picked over by cultures

When we returned; the zebra was only the head, skin, and bones. It was astonishing! Watching the zebra die was not something I enjoyed. I wanted to help it or call a wild animal vet or something. I soon realized that the hyenas needed food, and the vets wouldn’t do anything to help. The zebra had a massive gash on its side that looked superinfected and a gash in its butt. I don’t know why the hyenas attacked there because I don’t think that would be tasty. The zebra kept sniffing its wound and tried to stand up when the hyenas were getting impatient.

They were probably wondering, “why can’t this zebra hurry up and die? I’m hungry. Hey Bill, you want to bite its butt again? Maybe that will make it die.” Bill says, “Naw, that part wasn’t tasty; I’d rather go for its head.”

My suspicions were confirmed. The zebra bottom is not tasty. The zebra got up and tried to walk around. Then it looked like it was trying to give birth, but mom said it was a boy and it was not rapidly going through pregnancy but convulsing. Which means your insides are blowing up. I asked mom if the whole zebra would explode and if all its insides would go flying because I didn’t want to be darou2nd if that happened, but she said “no.” After it was done convulsing, it had two seizures. The seizures were not as scary as watching it convulse. It was like watching a rodeo with a dying zebra. In the end, it fell, stuck its legs straight up, and died five minutes later. I won’t describe the rest because it was super gross and smelly.

Hippos Snorting in Masai Mara

The rest of the park was beautiful! In the river, there were hippos, and they communicated by snorting and what sounded like burping and farting. The hippos were also huge, like humongous water pigs. I don’t know why they are called water horses. They look nothing like horses. They look like pigs with oddly cute faces and cute little tails that wag like dogs. In other words, I loved them! Two astonishing facts about hippos. One: they are not animal-eating carnivores but are herbivores that are very territorial and will attack any animal that is in its space. Two: if a male hippo loses in a fight, it will become a lonely hippo that lives its life moping around and sulking on land. We did see a male hippo sulking, so it is true.

Zebra and Wildebeest Migration Across the Mara River

We also saw some zebras migrating across the river with a couple of wildebeest. I love how there will be a couple of wildebeest hanging out in a zebra herd like they are visiting old cousins.

I would go back to the Masai Mara and recommend it. The lodging at Talek Bush Camp is not great, but the scenery makes up for it.

The rooms were not fancy, but they were relatively kind. The food was super good. It was right next to a river, and we saw a hippo fight! The staff were excellent and helpful and even made gluten-free pasta for us! I would rate it three stars and say they could do better by patching up the rooms. I would probably want to stay at a different place next time we go.

My Favorite Part: Baby Lions!

On one of the days we came across a mommy lion and two very young baby lion cubs. They were just sitting under a bush next to a ditch crossing as we drove by. We were so surprised to see them! My dad was driving and stopped and turned off the car and we just sat there and got to observe them. We could hear the little sounds the cubs made, and at one point the mommy lion got up and walked over right next to our car! Then the cubs walked over near to us and started playing in the grass. After that, they all went back to the shade of the bush and laid back down. Eventually, my dad started up the car and drove away quietly. It was so special!

Some of my Masai Mara Photos

Some of the many photos I took while my family self-drove in Masai Mara

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Kinyei and the Giraffes, Nairobi, Kenya

We had to wake up early that day because we were going to a giraffe center and a baby elephant orphanage. The giraffe center was super short. The giraffes were not. We had to feed the giraffes little pellets. Their tongues were super long and funny looking. I especially liked feeding one of the baby giraffes that would duck under the bar to get the food. It was super cute! Mom got bit by one of the giraffes, which looked super painful. There was also a hotel in the area called the giraffe hotel, and the giraffes would stick their head through the windows to wake you up, and you get to have breakfast with them. I wish we could have stayed there, but mom said it was super expensive because of the giraffes. I probably would not go back there, but it was a fantastic experience.

The next place we went was an elephant orphanage for baby elephants. Some of them were super duper tiny! Twelve would come out and go for the milk bottles. They were very excited about it and were also a little pushy. We got to learn their names, and I got to touch one, but I am not fond of touching elephants, small or big. After seeing them play, we got the chance to foster one of them! I chose to do so, and I picked Kinyei. She was one of the cuter ones and was pretty small. I am super happy about being able to help her, and I get to hear stories about her and her friends. One day she will get to go into the wild again, but only when she is older. I would highly recommend this experience as a heartwarming, funny endeavor. Seeing the small elephants play and eat was super cool and fun. I would most definitely go back there.