Kili: Day 2

There is frost on the ground this morning. We put on some warm clothes and have our tea and breakfast. Pack everything back up and head off. Through the land of trees without trees, up and up. My mom has her poles out, having borrowed mine later on in the previous day’s hike when she was getting tired and hers were packed. Mine are still hanging by my side. As we had expected, we rapidly warmed up as we began the climb and I keep my sweatshirt hanging from my camera-belt. As I had the previous day, I continued taking out the Canon Rebel from its case on my hip to take pictures. Since I was the only one taking pictures as we walked, I was the photographer. When we stop I am not the only photographer so I am here, you see?

The plants continued thinning throughout the day and on the particularly steep sections there were traffic jams with all the porters and wazungu on the trail. The plants gradually disappear as we ascend the mountain and although there are still many bushes and a few scattered, moss adorned trees, it looks extremely barren and not particularly welcoming. I’m sure the hanging moss adds to that affect as well as the bushes, the ones with white flowers and grey leaves and look like they were taken from a black and white photograph.

While we walk, the fog threatens to envelope us a number of times, but it doesn’t stay for long and sun comes back out. While we walk, it is pleasant and cool, but not cold. I walk in a T-shirt but it doesn’t seem so warm when we stop to rest, so I put on my sweatshirt.

After four hours walking, we reach the camp. Our tent is already set up for us and we are soon served lunch. We rest and read in the tent for a while, though Karyn and I move outside when the sun makes it unbearably warm inside the tent for us, my mom is apparently comfortable somehow. At 3 we’re served tea and we go for a short walk before dinner. I don’t know what the point of the walk was, exactly. We walked over to the Shira hut, a weather station with a radio tower and a gigantic fancy outhouse (I will still call it an outhouse though, for some reason). My mom and I talk to our assistant guide, Innocent, whom we hadn’t even met before, in a mix of Swahili and English, a good way to practice my Swahili.

It’s a bit colder tonight at 3800m and the campsite is somewhat exposed and windy. After dinner, we pretty much just go to sleep. What is there to do up there after the sun goes down, anyhow?