|
Updated Information
Witt & Jen
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
11km |
Meals
Potatoes, sauerkraut, meat and sauce |
Weather |
|
Kilimanjaro National Park,
Tanzaia (Machame Hut) |
07 June, 2004 |
Tented camp |
03°05.747’S
37°16.000’E |
Odometer: 25150km |
Partly cloudy, cool, 65(F)
degrees |
|
This morning we set off up Kilimanjaro with
August and about 10 porters. We hiked through beautiful rainforest as we
climbed up from the trailhead at 1800 m to our first camp at 9938 ft. The
porters set up our tents and brought bowls of warm water to our tents for
us to wash up. Nick has a head cold which is slowing him down a bit and
causing him to blow out great quantities of mucus, and Alan has some
rather nasty-looking insect bites on his ankles. We caught glimpses of the
summit on the way up, but clouds presently obscure the mountain.
Fortunately, we all had good views of the top from Moshi yesterday. We met
Ann, in another group, who is volunteering in a Tanzanian village by
teaching people about HIV/AIDS and general health. |
Eric signing in at Machame hut
|
|
Updated Information
Graham & Connie |
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
270km |
Meals
Boerewors, sosarties, Mealie pap |
Weather |
|
South of Kgalgadi Transfrontier
Park, South Africa |
07 June 2004 |
Rooiduin Guest Farm outside
the park |
26°44.222’S
20°37.535’E |
Odometer:
28275km |
Cold & Windy 65(F), degrees
|
|
Had a wonderful day in the park. We drove from Twee Rivieren to Mata-Mata
where we had lunch. On the way up we saw a young male lion next to the
road. He was recently injured from a fight, but looked in good spirits and
made a great subject for photos. Apart from the lion, we saw impala,
gemsbok, ostrich, wildebeast, jackals, hartebeast, and secretary birds.
For one day of game viewing it was excellent. The park is very beautiful
and quite desolate, though not a patch on the desolation of the Botswana
side. Unlike the Botswana side, the roads on the SA side are smooth and
easily accessed by non-4x4 cars so it was an easy day of driving. We left
the park late in the afternoon, and found a place about 40k down the road
to camp. The site was surrounded by red dunes and included a hot water
‘donkey’ that Slade utilized to make up a hot bush bath. The sunset was
exquisite. |
|
|
|
Updated Information
Witt & Jen
|
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
9km |
Meals
Fish, rice, saude |
Weather |
|
Kilimanjaro National Park,
Tanzaia (Shira Plateau - 12,633 ft) |
08 June, 2004 |
Tented camp |
03°04.040’S
37°16.590’E |
Odometer: 25159km |
Chilly, foggy, 50(F)
degrees |
|
After an enormous breakfast of porridge, eggs,
sausage, fruit and bread, we started walking at about 830. August was in
front and set an extremely slow pace that we all found frustrating. The
weather was mostly overcast in the morning, but at times the clouds were
thin enough so that we had an excellent view of Venus’ crossing in front
of the Sun, an event that happens every 200 years or so. The vegetation
has thinned from yesterday’s rain forest to eerie looking trees with moss
hanging from them. At 1230 we arrived of a clearing where our table was
set for lunch, complete with a tablecloth. After lunch we hiked for only
another hour before stopping for the day on Shira Plateau. We had some tea
and then spent the afternoon relaxing and walking. At five, dinner was
announced and we ate, even though none of us were really hungry. (This is
because we are constantly eating, not because of altitude). Nick was
feeling better today and Alan’s bite marks are not getting any worse. |
|
|
|
Updated Information
Graham & Connie |
Date |
Camp Site or Accommodations |
GPS |
Distance Today:
519km |
Meals
Pork chops, potatoes, pumpkin casserole |
Weather |
|
Vryburg, South Africa |
08 June 2004 |
Kameeldoring Lodge |
26°59.216’S
24°40.074’E |
Odometer:
28793km |
Cold 55(F), degrees
|
|
A long day of driving! Still determined to get
to Johannesburg before Connie’s parents arrive, we pushed on to Vryburg.
Not much to say about driving through South Africa, except that Hotazel is
very, very cold in winter, and running out of diesel 5k before a fuel
station is a pain. |
|
Page 2 - Tanzania -
More of the Climb and
Summit Day! |
