East Africa
December 29 - January 19, 2003
Kenya and Tanzania
An extinct volcano, Kilimanjaro is 19,340ft (5,895m) high
and is located in the eastern Africa country of Tanzania.
Mt. Kenya is also an extinct volcano
and is 17,058 ft (5,199m) high, located
in the eastern Africa country of Kenya.
It's the continent's second highest peak.
Click Here for my page on Southern Africa... |
The BBC sells a DVD called "Wild Africa" with a description stating, in part, the following:
"Africa is the mother continent - the core from which all the other continents were torn away 270 million years ago. Since then, three factors have had profound consequences on its wildlife. This mighty block of land has stayed in much the same place, it stands alone and it straddles the equator. It's also been protected from crippling ice ages and destructive invasions as well as nurtured by gentle changes in climate and geology.""As a result, animals and plants have flourished here more successfully than on any other continent. This is Africa - rich, diverse and fascinating - and the heart of the world."
I'll have to say that my own experience in Africa left me with the same impressions. I truly felt as though I were on the "Mother Continent," the place where it all, including us, began! The few weeks I spent in Africa revealed how rich and diverse a place it really is. That, too, includes its people - despite my inability to "blend in" the Africans I met treated me warmly wherever I ventured - I felt lucky to have visited their continent and their countries!
Unfortunately, on the downside, I was also overwhelmed by the poverty and disease that I encountered at times - so much suffering by people not too unrelated to the rest of us. A few years later I ran into the PBS series, by Professor Jared Diamond, called, "Guns, Germs, and Steel" and it reminded me all too much of what Europeans had attempted across the African continent...
Another disturbing encounter was the diminishing "snows" of Kilimanjaro. At the time of my travel, the likes of Rush Limbaugh and other American blowhards were insisting that Global Warming and climate change were a myth (I heard Limbaugh, with my own ears, babble as such...). Anyway, it was obvious to me that the snows of Kilimanjaro are melting - I saw it with my own eyes! And, sadly, it's estimated that all of Mt. Kenya and Kilimanjaro's glaciers will be completely gone by 2030.* Sure, climates do change over time but it's never occurred this quickly, and, it's irresponsible for the likes of Limbaugh to suggest that nothing be done about it - visit Kilimanjaro and you'll feel as strongly about this issue as I do!!
- Roger J. Wendell
*Glaciers disappearing from Kilimanjaro
by Azadeh Ansari, CNN, 11-02-2009
Serengeti Masai woman |
Photomania:
I am not a photographer. Most of these shots were taken with $4.99 recyclable cameras I purchased from our local grocery store. The poor quality is due to my scanner - the glossies look pretty good in person... |
Toilets:
Typical toilet throughout the areaMost of the world has us beat when it comes to toilets. I've always been impressed with, and prefer to use, the Squatty Potty, a name introduced to me by my American friends in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China. The squatty is quicker, cleaner, and much more natural than sitting on a huge porcelain insulator. Squatties also use a lot less resources and are much easier to maintain. Anyway, that's my opinion and you know what they say about opinions! (Click Here for more on toilet matters...)
Miscellaneous Africa:
Rock Hyrax |
Although I saw plenty of Rock Hyrax (the elephant's closest living relative) I didn't get a really good photo of one. Nevertheless, the photo at left didn't come out too badly with my simple camera. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about 'em: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyrax |
Elephant & Acacia |
I also saw, and photographed, "tons" of that popular African highland tree that always has a giraffe standing next to it. That popular image is usually of a Acacia Tree. My photo, at left, is of an elephant that I photographed near a species of Acacia. From what I understand there are about 1,300 species of Acacia around the world - mostly in tropical regionsss. |
Travelogue:
Costs, |
Colorado Mountain Club (CMC) leader Steve Bonowski led 13 of us on a climb to Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya's Point Lenana. In-between the two mountain climbs we also participated in a Safari (the Swahili word for travel) at Lake Manyara, the Ngorongoro Crater and Conservation Area, and the Serengeti Plains.Although I enjoyed the Kilimanjaro climb I felt even the "Trekkers Summit" (16,355 foot Point Lenana) of Mt. Kenya was a better mountaineering experience. There were less crowds, better views, and more contact with snow and ice. For Kilimanjaro we took the Machame or "Whiskey" route as opposed to the regular tourist or "Coca Cola" route from Marangu. The difference being our travel was a day or two longer and probably a bit more difficult since we lost nearly 3,000 feet of elevation throughout various parts of the climb. This, however, is a good thing since it helps one better acclimatize to the altitude.
I also believe IMAX did its audience a great disservice by not emphasizing the intimate relationship everyone develops with their porters and guides - these were hard working young men who, if asked, would cater to any whim or need - a bit embarrassing to anyone desiring to carry all of their own food and equipment but an integral part of the Tanzanian economy. On average, porters probably earn about $30 (USD) for the four to six days they spend with clients. This equates to nearly three months' wages in their economy.
What does a three week trip like this to Africa cost? Depending on vendors, lodging, souvenirs and the number of photos you take it can be anywhere from about $4,000 to $10,000 (USD 2003). For most of us the cost was about $5,000 which included tips to porters, cooks, and guides. Also, unimanagable amounts of travel via bus, van, and airplane were part of the price as well. The $5k also covered tons of food since the Africans believe Americans need a minimum of 3 full meals per day and ensured that we each received the maximum calories consumable (Me and one other vegetarian were specially catered to throughout the entire trip). Other expenses, included in that $5k figure, were a few hotel rooms that we all shared at strategic points throughout the trip, VISAs and other travel processing fees.
The "washout" rate, on Kilimanjaro, averages nearly 50% out of the approximately 25,000 summit attempts each year. Like other big, popular mountains, Kilimanjaro's trails and camps are strewn with ample evidence of human intestinal distress and other discomforts. This is not an indictment against Africa - anyone not accustomed to the food, water, and altitude in the Rocky Mountains of my own home state will experience similar maladies as well. My own health was pretty good throughout the entire trip except for our return from Amsterdam. It was there, in Holland, that I experimented with a pound of chips (french fries) drenched in mayonaise - the next day (mostly in flight) was spent in considerable GI discomfort...
My Kilimanjaro Teammates:
My GPS Waypoints:
Beware! My GPS was nearly 4 years old at the time I recorded these
waypoints back then - the technology even less primitive than now
so please don't rely on these for navigation as I list 'em here just
for fun and historical purposes...
Marangu Hotel | S 03° 17'48.8" | E 037° 31'27.9" | 4,500 feet | 1,372 meters |
Barranco Hut | S 03° 05'43.3" | E 037° 19'49.3" | 12,950 feet | 3,947 meters |
Barafu Hut | S 03° 05'56.4" | E 037° 22'41.0" | 15,100 feet | 4,600 meters |
Uhuru Peak | S 03° 04'36.6" | E 037° 21'16.0" | 19,340 feet | 5,895 meters |
Mweka Hut | S 03° 09'24.6" | E 037° 22'01.6" | 9,850 feet | 3,000 meters |
Kenya
Old Moses Camp | S 00° 02'56.1" | E 037° 17'13.5" | 11,155 feet | 3,400 meters |
Shipton's Camp | S 00° 08'29.1" | E 037° 18'53.4" | 13,780 feet | 4,200 meters |
Point Lenana | S 00° 09'18.2" | E 037° 19'05.2" | 16,355 feet | 4,985 meters |
Mackinder's Camp | S 00° 10'03.1" | E 037° 17'36.2" | 13,645 feet | 4,159meters |
Met Station | S 00° 10'14.1" | E 037° 12'49.6" | 9,850 feet | 3,002 meters |
Click Here for more waypoints... |
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