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Moira Ringo’s Kilimanjaro Trip Log: Day 1 (Moshi, TZ)

brandon — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:53:56 +0000

I am awakened at 4:30 am by the call to prayer from a nearby mosque, followed by rooster crowing from the chicken farm next to the hotel. The Lutherans fire up their tribute to the divine at 9 am in some of the loudest and most enthusiastic church singing I have ever heard. Breakfast consists of dense, chocolate-brown Tanzanian coffee and eggs that taste like, well, chicken. Nothing like a week of eating organic!

Moshi is a working city lined with street-side fruit and clothing vendors. The men wear collared shirts and pants even in this heat and women wear brightly colored dresses, carrying children in slings and huge baskets of fruit and other items on their heads. There are no starving children in the streets and everyone seems to be chatting or texting on cell phones. Advertisements for Tanzania’s four cell phone companies and Coca Cola dominate the downtown area. Dusty 20 year old VW minibuses packed to the rafters chug down rutted streets. Our $60/night hotel is an oasis of tropical greenery with open air public areas and uniformed staff. I look through the gate of the hotel and am shocked to see a man with shriveled legs propel himself down the street using his arms while seated on a wooden dolly.

Pole Pole: The Mantra of Kilimanjaro

brandon — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:40:54 +0000

One of the things that we heard over and over again on Kilimanjaro was the porters and guides saying “Pole Pole” (pronounced pole-ay pole-ay). The translation is “GO SLOWLY.” Not only was this applicable on the mountain, but in the rest of the Tanzanians lives. Of course on the mountain going slowly was key to acclimatizing as we rapidly gained altitude. However we quickly noticed that Tanzanians have a special gift to be able to live life “Pole Pole.” They recognize that life is too important to have each moment lost in the hustle and bustle. Rather, they take time to enjoy life, enjoy family, enjoy friends, and don’t occupy themselves with worry and stress. For example, we expected that every morning we would be getting up at 5:00am and quickly hitting the trail. But no…they wanted us to sleep until 7, then brought us hot water to wash our faces, made us tea and breakfast, and we hit the trail at 8:30am.

Of course, the reason our county is so progressive, and the reason that we have wealth etc. is because we have mastered the art of multi tasking, working non stop etc. I’m not advocating that we stop working hard by any means. That’s what makes our lives comfortable here. And it is also simply a cultural difference. But I am advocating that we all take time to see how much we miss out on life if we are not slowing down and stopping to enjoy life, family, friends, and leisure time as well.

Mount Kilimanjaro: The Roof of Africa is Reached!

brandon — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:47:47 +0000

We have returned from Mount Kilimanjaro! Leading up to the trip, we knew that it would be a life changing experience for all of us. Little did we know how dramatically true that would be. From the friendships built, to the personal struggles overcome, we all walked down the mountain changed people. In the days that follow, I will be posting trip reports from all of 4 of us, photos, and amazing stories about the people and culture of Tanzania. It was a true honor to be part of this trip, and I can’t wait to relive it through the blog and photos! It is great to be home. Every one else got home a decent time…I had many flight cancellations and it took me 70 hours to get home!

Mount Kilimanjaro Report

brandon — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 14:39:55 +0000

Here is an interesting an informative video on Mount Kilimanjaro and the condition of the glaciers.

The video helps us to see the impact that global warming is having on this mountain and how it directly presents a danger to the people that depend on the springs and glacial runoff from this mountain to survive.

VIEW THE VIDEO ON HULU.COM: Mount Kilimanjaro Earth Day Report
If you want to see these glaciers before they dissapear forever, come with us next February on the Mount Kilimanjaro Expedition!