Entries from Kilimanjaro
This was our Kilimanjaro kickoff day... but it was also our Kili catch-up day. We began our climb by sitting down as a group just after breakfast and strategizing. We went through our itinerary and discussed goals and contingencies. Then we checked each climber's gear and clothing for the trip, finally we packed and weighed each load. We had lunch outside under the patio awning as dik diks (smallest of the antelope family) roamed the grounds and velvet monkeys played in the trees. Afternoon was the "catch-up" portion of the day as we rested and attempted to reset our day/night perceptions to fit our new setting -about nine time zones off -give or take. We'd take trips up the Lodge's observation tower from time to time in order to look for Kili on the horizon. Clouds kept it hidden today though. Tomorrow we'll set out for the mountain just after breakfast and will relay a team picture or two as we progress.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
We've gotten eleven climbers -and their gear- through an assortment of aircraft and airports to the outskirts of Arusha, Tanzania. What with ample jet lag, it can't be declared with certainty that all are now sleeping at the Arumeru River Lodge, but all are now in residence (at 4 AM). In a few hours, we'll wake up to begin a Kilimanjaro adventure. It will begin with coffee and a velvet monkey or two out in the garden-like patio of the lodge. We'll eat breakfast (if the monkeys don't) and meet finally as one big team to figure out the start of our week-long climb to the highest point in Africa.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Go, Nao! Love you, girl. Sending vibes your way constantly. So proud of you. Hugs, smiles and cheers. cd
Posted by: Claudia on 9/6/2017 at 10:55 pm
Don and Jennifer, I’m in awe. CNt wait to see the photos.
Love,
Tina.
Posted by: Tina Mooney on 9/4/2017 at 4:43 pm
The Kilimanjaro Climb & Safari August 5 - 19 has come to an end. The team enjoyed our final night in Africa at the Balloon Camp - Tarangire. Today we traveled back to Arusha and returned to the hotel where we first met two weeks ago. We enjoyed one last meal together as a team, repacked packed bags and headed to the airport. Everyone will be traveling to their respective homes over the next 24 hours. We had a grand adventure!
Until next time,
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Congratulations Team & a HUGE thank you to Mark Tucker for keeping us all so well informed. I really enjoyed knowing what was going on each day. Looking forward to seeing Jennifer & Geoff back in Seattle!
Posted by: Rhonda Bolton on 8/18/2017 at 11:14 am
Jambo!
Life does not get much better that this. We are living in the moment, sitting around the fire watching an incredible African sunset. The accommodations and surrounding area are the very best, and we are having so much fun! We wish you all were here!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker & Team
We spent the day cruising for wildlife in a caldera. Ngoronoro Crater didn't disappoint. There was fairly heavy cloud glued to the crater rim in the morning when we were working around the circumference, but as we dropped into the interior, we got under the weather and enjoyed fine visibility. We saw vast quantities of wildlife including herds of wildebeest, cape buffalo and zebra. There were hippos galore and dozens of colorful birds. The big male lion stole the show as he ambled down the road right next to our vehicle. We finished in the forested area and had the luck of observing a large female lion hanging in a tree taking a nap. Life in the bush is good. The team continues to persevere despite the fine dining and very comfortable rooms. More adventures ahead tomorrow!
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
The big payoff starts and the dividends are fabulous. We had a great afternoon at Lake Manyara National Park. We successfully shifted gears from mountain living to wildlife viewing. We were on the road just after 8:30 and a few hours later pulled into the park. We had lunch just inside the gate where we had our first visit with a troop of baboons. They were very interested with our lunch boxes and for good reason, once again Barking Zebra providee us with a fantastic assortment of goodies that fuels the furnace to get us through to our next feast, definitely not starving on this trip. We started the game drive where the roof of our Landcruiser is modified to open up and create great sighting of all the animals which were everywhere. Under an hour drive from the gate puts us at the Plantation Lodge just outside the gate of tomorrow's park. Very, very, very comfortable here. Even if you didn't come down from a big mountain you would feel the same way.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Round trip complete! Back in the lodge where we started a week ago and it feels great.
We enjoyed recounting our adventure during a nice dinner out on the patio. We awoke early this morning and were treated to yet another scrumptious breakfast and lots of fresh Tanzanian bold coffee. After that we had a really fun closing ceremony with the Barking Zebra staff. Awesome job from start to finish. These guys took such good care of us and a pleasure to spend time with on Kilimanjaro. There was a small matter of a three-hour hike to the park gate, but it was enjoyable with no rain in the mystical descent through the cloud forest. The sights and sounds were amazing. Lots of happy campers after a hot shower and looking forward to sleeping in a bed.
Tomorrow we start our safari; it's going to be a blast.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
Balloon Camp was the perfect final night in Africa for our team, tranquil and wild in equal measures. There were leopard tracks in the dirt of the driveway this morning. But the big cats stayed away from us in the day. We looked hard for the lions, cheetahs and leopards, scanning every acacia branch and watering hole, but all we saw were beautiful birds and herds. Vultures, eagles, lilac breasted rollers and mongooses, impalas, waterbuck, elan, Zebra, giraffes, elephants, baboons and monkeys. Until we rolled out of the park entrance at 11 AM and reluctantly left Tarangire. Adamson and Makubi piloted the Landcruisers along the dusty, busy two-lane toward Mt. Meru and Arusha. On the outskirts of town, we stopped for a picnic and a perusal of the Cultural Heritage Center. We pulled into our home away from home, the Arumeru River Lodge at 3PM. Showered, repacked and regrouped. We had an early dinner together and chased out to Kilimanjaro Airport as the sun got low. Now we are in 17A and 42K, etc... winging our way to Amsterdam, where we'll split up... but only until the next adventure together. It is too good a team to lose... random reunions in beautiful places are in order.
Thank you for following along.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
As always Dave, enjoy following your wonderful adventures. Hope to see you at the St. B in the future.
Posted by: Bob Iles on 8/13/2017 at 11:38 pm
All is well here at Meweka Camp 10,000'. It is raining a bit but we are dry in our tents.
We had a very nice climb today. We started around midnight from Baranco Camp and reached the summit of Kilimanjaro at 7am. There was very little wind and clear skies. We enjoyed a beautiful sunrise and a nice morning shadow of the mountain with clouds below. Once we returned to High Camp, we packed up quick and pushed down the remaining 5,000' of, at times, steep trail in a few hours. It's our last night on the big hill and sleep is going to come easy. Our mountain staffs preparing dinner. We have a great crew taking care of us. And I had the pleasure of leading a fine team up to the Roof of Africa today.
Audio Message from summit of Kilimanjaro:
Hey, Mr. Mark Tucker here on the top of Kilimanjaro. We left as a team from the High Camp and still on top as a team. Awesome job by the whole group here and little bit chilly, but wow very little wind so we had a very very very nice climb. So we're going to probably start heading back down here in just a minute, and we're all doing great. So we're going to head down hill and we'll get back to you a little bit later. Ciao for now.
RMI Guide Mark Tucker
RMI Guide Mark Tucker calls in from the summit of Kilimanjaro.
On The Map
Congratulations to all. Have fun on safari.
Posted by: Peter Melrose on 8/14/2017 at 9:11 am
Jambo! Good job, Mark! Thanks for your blogs. Mom and Dad
Posted by: Margaret Tucker on 8/13/2017 at 12:07 pm
Another long, but amazing day out on the safari circuit for the Taos team. We had a relaxed 9 AM departure from the Plantation Lodge. Adamson and Makubi took us to a Masai village for a brief tour. We danced a little, jumped high, and got inside some small, earthen dwellings to understand how this prominent Tanzanian tribe lives without modern conveniences. Then it was on to Tarangire National Park. Before long we were deep within this immense network of winding dirt roads, baobab trees, twisting river valleys and animals animals animals. We no longer stopped for individual zebras and wildebeest, since we were seeing thousands of them. After the hundredth giraffe and the five hundredth elephant, we started reserving our picture snaps for the babies in the bunch. We covered mile after mile, exploring and watching out for wildcats, water bucks, elan, impalas and gazelles. Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater were each wonderful, but both were discreet areas with natural borders hemming them in. That isn't the case with Tarangire. We could see wildlife spread out to the horizons in all directions... the Africa we'd dreamed of. By day's end, we pulled into Balloon Camp, an excellent "tent" hotel out in the bush with armed guards to escort us from one tent to another. Those guards stood vigilant as we enjoyed an outdoor campfire and sumptuous barbecue buffet under the stars (and clouds). No lions, leopards, or cheetahs intruded on our wonderful dinner but we are still hoping they'll come for breakfast. It will be our last morning of Safari and we are still excited to see just what might be out there.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
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Hi Mom and dad,
I hope you are having a good time! You are defiantly the coolest parents for doing this trek! Don’t worry all is well in Brussels.
Love,
Nora
Posted by: Nora on 9/6/2017 at 5:24 am
Curt, have an awesome adventure and stay safe!
Posted by: Kathy Goodwin on 9/5/2017 at 9:18 am
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