Kilimanjaro: Hahn & Team Homeward Bound
Posted by: Dave Hahn
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Up before dawn, just one more time. Balloon Camp was kind to us... such a quiet night and such an easy morning -until just after breakfast when we had to split up with Emily and Phillip who were off to the Serengeti. We loaded up again with Ibrahim and Edson to see what we could see. We saw tracks in the road. We saw the vastness of a marsh, stretching to the horizon, dotted here and there with big animals, we saw a very pretty morning. And after an hour, we saw an amazing and beautiful leopard close up. We scared him and he scared us. Ibrahim looked up to find him on a branch as we passed nearly underneath. We skidded to a halt and he hopped up on his feet. We fumbled for cameras and he showed his teeth. He growled in a low and ominous rumble and we each wondered if he was considering jumping through the open top of our Toyota. Instead he climbed quickly and gracefully down the tree trunk, bared his teeth at us again and went hunting in the marsh. We followed his progress by watching his tail above the tall grass for a bit and then drove on, stunned and excited by our quick and awesome encounter. We were still talking to each other about our good luck twenty minutes later when we saw another beautiful leopard up another tree. This one from a relaxing distance of 100 meters, which took away the pressure to photograph and record. We just watched and appreciated for a time before moving on. We had a few more hours in the park... hours of trees and rivers and eagles and vultures, elephants, zebra, gnu and impala, giraffes and Cape buffalo. We even saw kudus, which is a rare thing (don’t try it at home).
By late morning we’d left the park and were cruising back toward Arusha. We made a stop for more shopping and a little culture at the cultural heritage center and then pressed on to the hotel. Saying goodbye and thanks to Ibrahim and Edson for a big five experience and a wonderful four days, we set to repacking and prepping to fly. We had one last dinner together, while watching the Dik Diks and monkeys play in the garden and we practiced our Swahili while saying goodbye to the staff at Arumeru River Lodge. Said then drove us out to the airport as the sun set on our great adventure. Lots of flying awaits and there are lots of pictures to go through now. We haven’t said much in the way of goodbyes, it will be easier to just say “see you all on the next mountain.”
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
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