First day

We were having breakfast at the hotel, when we noticed the peak of Kilimanjaro right out our window. It looks really big. Just a note to self. After breakfast, we loaded into a 6-wheel vehicle, with open bed, benches along each side, and canvas roof. We travelled west toward the Londorossi Gate, where we checked in with the ranger. We also had the pleasure of using a western toilet for the last time. Small things make a difference. Anyway, we drove a 4-wheel drive trail to get to the trailhead, where we unloaded and ate our lunch, as it took about 4-5 hours to get to this point. We hiked three hours in the rainforest to our first camp, Mte Mkubwa. Our tents were pitched and even the little portable toilet has its own little tent. I've got pictures. We had dinner, then we began a routine that would get more intense through the climb, we had about 10 questions to answer about our health: on a scale of 1-10 how do you feel? Vomiting? Diarrhea? Nausea? When was your last pee? When was your last bowel movement? (Did I mention everyone else in your party is sitting there at the same time you answer?) Coughing? Difficulty breathing? etc. Answering yes then began a whole new line of questioning. Before bed we were warned that we would hear the tree hyrax and columbus monkey before dawn....Read more