Although a few things have happened in the last few days that are less than positive...I find it hard to stay in the culture shock phase of my internship for too long. I really am surrounded by beauty. Every afternoon when I walk back to the dorm for my afternoon siesta (I wonder what the Swahili word for siesta is ???) I travel down a road lined with beautiful trees covering in magenta, lilac and pink flowers...I catch fleeting glimpses of jewel-coloured birds and butterflies. I hear the beats of Bongo Flava (amazing Tanzanian music)...I smile at groups of the cutest kids I have ever seen in my life...I feel the warmth of the sun beating down on me (something that I have never experienced in November) ... I smell wood fires burning and cassava frying...and lately I have started to see a few familiar faces travelling the same road.
I am happy that what was once so unfamiliar is starting to be recognized and that I am slowly getting comfortable and carving a small piece of home here. Even if sometimes what home means to me is purchasing cleaning products and spending an afternoon scrubbing my floor...that's what I do at home :)
One breath-taking moment that I am lucky enough to experience on a daily basis, if we leave for dinner at the right time, is a glimpse of Kilimanjaro. (Yes I did take the photo above) In fact, the best thing about living in Moshi is getting to see that snow-covered peak every evening. I think it's my favourite mountain...if you can have a favourite mountain.
Every time I see it (and you can really only see it's peak early in the morning and from 6-6:30 in the evening..the rest of the time it is covered by clouds) I stop and stare in awe. It's very existence is unfathomable.
Every time I see it (and you can really only see it's peak early in the morning and from 6-6:30 in the evening..the rest of the time it is covered by clouds) I stop and stare in awe. It's very existence is unfathomable.
"Kili" as I, and others affectionately refer to it, is the highest peak in all of Africa and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. However, I think it's also the most recognizable mountain and the site of a it's snow-covered peak towering over banana trees always seems to be a bit of an illusion.
Every year thousands of tourists come to Tanzania to climb Kili, and it isn't cheap. To do it properly costs at least $1000 (US) and only 1/3 of the people who attempt it actually make it to the summit at Uhuru peak. Kilimanjaro, the Every man's Everest, is a seemingly easy climb but about 10 people die each year. There are tons of sites explaining how to prepare for a climb safely and everyone advises to go "Pole! Pole!" (Slowly...slowly)
Still...it is an accomplishment and a chance to stand at the roof of Africa and a great photo opportunity. At the summit, there is a sign posted by the Tanzanian government. The sign (printed in English only) reads "Congratulations! You are now at Uhuru Peak, Tanzania, 5,895 m. Africa's Highest Point. World's Highest Free-Standing Mountain. One of World's Largest Volcanos. Welcome."
Sadly, the snow on Kili is melting. The ice cap of Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the most famous landmarks of Africa, but it may be gone in less than 20 years because of global warming.
About one third of Kilimanjaro's ice field has disappeared in just 12 years, and 82 percent of it has vanished since it was first mapped in 1912. Some reports say the snow could be gone by 2015...but others are saying it will last until 2040. Kili just won't be the same without its crown of snow :(
If you are planning on climbing Kili...Good luck and Safari Njema! Take lots of photos :)
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