Tuesday 21st September 2010
We're woken up around six in the morning by one of the porter's deep "Hello". The following morning ritual is repeated every day - they wake us up and enquire about how we slept and whether we have any health concerns (head aches, nausea etc.) Then we're offered coffee or tea, straight into the tent! Two green bowls of water follow for the morning hygiene, then packing our rucksacks which will then be left on the big plastic sheet outside for the porters to sort out and finally the breakfast.
This morning I feel fine although I didn't sleep very well or very much. It's a bit chilly but the sun is already rising and just when we all meet at the benches and sip the hot tea - there it is! Kibo, proudly showing itself in the morning sun. Finally, after three days in Africa, we can see the destination of our trek. Such a beauty!
The breakfast is surprisingly tasty (again) - porridge, eggs, bread, even bacon! And choice of hot drinks - tea, coffee, chocolate or an energy drink Milo. What a luxury! Before we set off - our today's guide is Robbie - the porters fill our Camelbaks with water. We have a long way ahead of us so Robbie is rushing us a bit to leave the camp as soon as possible. As promised, the route is not very difficult to walk on and we walk very slowly anyway. Soon the porters are passing us, skipping like mountain goats although they carry possibly up to four times more weight than we do. The path is as dusty as it was yesterday, there are bushes around us that gradually become lower and lower as the path becomes more and more stony. The ever present Kibo is keeping us company, it's a little reminder of our final destination. So close but still so far, we're only a little over two days away from its top!
It takes around four hours for us to get to he Second Cave camp where we stop for a lunch. It's been a long morning for some of us and not everybody is feeling very well. There are reports of headaches and tiredness but still we're keeping our spirits up and stay cheerful and optimistic. We are currently in 3500m. The lunch is delicious (avocado salad, vegetable soup, chocolate, banana) and fuels us for the upcoming trek that will takes us up to 3750m; our overnight camp however will be in 3600m.
The path is starting to be a bit difficult as it's full of stones and rocks and at times it gets very uneven and slippery. So far the weather was warm and dry. During the afternoon the sun starts to hide behind the clouds now and then; the difference is remarkable. Suddenly the air is chilly and the fleece becomes my new best friend. We get to the camp in the late afternoon. The view is quite something. On the right side is Kibo that seems to be more distant now then it was in the morning. On the left side is Mawenzi, the twin peak of Kibo. And our camp is just between them. The tents are built already so we can get inside and have a little rest before our washy-washy bowls are brought to us. Our tent is on the downhill slope so it's going to be an interesting night!
The atmosphere at the dinner is a bit tense tonight. Some of us are very tired, some are not feeling well thanks to the never-stopping headaches and the temperature outside has dropped a bit lower than we expected. It's very windy too which doesn't help. The dinner is brilliant though (although from now on I have no recollections of what exactly we were eating - purely because I didn't make the notes); in conditions we currently find ourselves we couldn't have wished for better food! One of the guides tells us about tomorrow - it's a short trek towards Mawenzi (up to 4300m), then in the afternoon we'll have an acclimatisation walk to 4600m. At this minute, everybody seems tired and not very excited about tomorrow and soon we all part into our tents.
Before I hit the sack I need to go and send an email. It really is quite unpleasant outside and what's more, somebody is already busy in the cyber cafe so I stand outside and look around the camp. And then it hits me! There in the distance, in the dark, but illuminated by the almost full moon was Kibo. The sky very dark shade of blue, with thousands of stars, enveloping Kibo whose glaciers are glaring into the night. My heart misses a beat at this moment, this must have been the most amazing thing I've ever seen. It seems so peaceful but still so noble! I suddenly forget all the little issues like cold, full bladder, fears of altitude sickness and realise that I am very lucky - I don't have any headache, I don't feel tired, I don't have any muscle soreness and I can be here, in this magical place, seeing this beautiful picture. I am silently thanking my guardian angels for letting me experience this moment. (Now back in the real world, I would also like to thank Jason who took a picture of Kibo that night. I am very grateful for it...)
The night is very windy and at times I am worried that our tent is going to fly away in the direction of Kenya. Again, I can't sleep; it's partially because I keep sliding towards the bottom part of the tent, due to our unfortunate location. It is a bit annoying but I am surprisingly calm and manage to get at least a few hours before another morning comes.
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