Walk Like an Egyptian (part 2) – De Nile Time!

(August 7 - 12) Back to Egyptian times. We made it to the Sharm el Sheik airport starving after our overnight hike, so we desperately wanted to eat. We were told there were numerous restaurants in the airport; unfortunately they were only in the international terminal. We could see a Burger King taunting us above, so we asked security with our saddest most pathetic faces if we could go through to eat. Since we looked like desperate US peeps in need of American food they actually entertained the idea for five minutes and talked to the security team. No surprise we were rejected and the airport café won yet another battle.

After the fun times in Sinai we arrived in Luxor and had a very early start to our sightseeing day. Luxor was a much larger city of 500,000 people living near the Nile. It was very green along the river, and as a result farming and sugar cane were the main industries.

We took the only bridge from the east bank of the Nile to the Valley of the Kings in the Theban Hills. The Valley of Kings was one of my favorite sites in Egypt. For 500 years pharos from the New Kingdom (1700 BC) had 63 tombs built below the ground in this limestone valley. The pharaoh would commission the tomb to be built as his eventual burial site to guarantee eternal life. The tombs varied greatly in size as some of them had numerous rooms off of long corridors covered in hieroglyphics. In order to protect the tombs only eleven of them can be viewed any given day, and they rotate which ones are open. One of the tombs was discovered as recently as 2005, and it is believed there may be a few more still hidden since some of the pharos’ tombs have not been found.

King Tut’s tomb was found here and is actually one of the smaller tombs buried below another tomb, which is believed to be the reason tomb raiders did not find it to steal its treasures. King Tut was young at the time of his death and not accomplished pharaoh, so his fame seems to be a result of his well preserved tomb and extravagant gold treasures and sarcophagi.

We started extremely early, but it was still laughably hot, especially as we climbed down into the tombs beneath the ground. We headed into the Ramses I tomb which was the largest we would visit taking about five minutes to reach the end. There were lots of mini coffin sized rooms, including a famous one with a harp painted on the wall. In order to protect the art we were not allowed to photograph the inner tombs, so just try to visualize the historic art by my descriptions…okay just Google it. The hieroglyphics were very impressive and were carved into the walls in many places and then painted in various colors. It was amazing to see all of the work that went into the wall paintings, and it was mind blowing that it has been preserved for over 3,700 years.

We then visited the much smaller Ramses IV tomb which displayed well preserved hieroglyphics with a pretty blue background. The paintings often showed the pharaoh meeting with and making offerings to the gods to gain eternal life. There were hundreds of small hieroglyphics in rows from top to bottom of the walls telling various stories. This tomb also had dark ceilings with stars painted on them.

Finally, we went into the very deep tomb of Ramses IX. There were noticeably many more women representations in this tomb. The very last inner room of the tomb was fascinating since the ceiling and walls depicted the queen and pharaoh making special offerings in large scale.

In general it was amazing to see this huge area of tombs all underground, and there is actually another separate area of the Valley of Kings to go to with three other tombs (we did not have time to visit). There is also a Valley of the Queens that housed the tombs of the queens. One of those tombs is known as the best preserved tomb and some people are willing to pay $20,000 to see it – since I am not Bill Gates we did not go there.

Since there were more old buildings to see, and we like a challenge we went to the Hatshepsut Temple. This temple was part of the New Kingdom during the 15th century BC. Hatshepsut was the only woman to rule Egypt, and she did so for 18 years. She even cross dressed and did what she could to look like previous male pharos to gain respect (wore the fake pharaoh beard etc) – I wonder what Dr. Phil would say about that.

The three story temple blended into the desert mountain behind it and as we approached it two tree stumps from 3,500 years ago marked the base of the impressive stairs leading to the grand entry. The bottom floor did not have much to see so we viewed the colorless hieroglyphics on the second floor. Our pro photographer, Mia, captured the main scenes, and we headed up to the top floor. The top floor had massive statues of Hatshepsut outside the temple, so I felt like I was in Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Sadly all of her heads and faces were “deleted” (aka destroyed by chisel) by Tuthmosis III who was her stepson. He succeeded her but was angry that she kept him from the throne sooner (Jerry Springer called and wants them on the show).



Later we walked to lunch and as Ben and I strolled ahead an aggressive (agro) Egyptian guy yelled to me that I could switch husbands if I wanted. Don’t worry Ben, I would still choose you…hahaha. We had some great shwerma for lunch and in the true spirit of wasting energy the restaurant had a/c blowing outside on us! John and I took a break from ancient sites to bask in technology while Ben and Mia the true Egyptians visited the Karnak Temple.

On day 8 after seeing hot air balloons dot the sky above the Nile we were loaded in our van at 7:15AM for a 3.5 hour ride to Aswan, another city of 500,000. The original Egyptians (Nubians) live in nearby villages and speak their own language and marry each other to perpetuate the culture. Nubians are typically Muslims with darker skin. Some of the younger generation Nubians have moved to other large cities around Egypt.

We went straight to the Aswan Dam (or High Dam), which is the newer of the two large Egyptian dams. The old dam was built by the British to save the Egyptians from the floods while the High Dam generates a great deal of electricity. Money from the Suez Canal was used to fund the Soviet designed, Egypt built dam (built from 1960-71). A Friendship Tower was erected with a Lotus Flower like shape to represent the Russian and Egyptian collaboration. The dam created the largest artificial lake in the world – Nassar Lake. This dam generates electricity from the Nile River which is the longest river in the world at 6,600 km (4,026 miles) and flows north from Ethiopia (Blue Nile) and Lake Victoria (White Nile). 15% of the energy is used by all of Egypt and the rest is exported to Sudan, Iran and other neighbors. The dam is 111m (367 ft) high and 1 km (0.61 miles) from one side to the other.

It’s not all sunshine roses though; the dam has caused its share of problems. 15,000 Nubians had to be displaced since they lived where Nassar Lake would eventually develop. Also, an ancient temple had to be relocated, so it would not end up under water. Finally, the lake water behind the dam is causing the soil to become more like silt, destroying the crop yields.

After learning about the dams we got on a boat to visit the Isis Temple on Philae Island which is between the two dams. This temple was actually built by the Greeks and Romans because Isis reminded them of their love/fertility goddess Aphrodite. The story of Isis makes soap operas and Desperate Housewives seem dull, so I could not keep up with it all. Ultimately, Isis’ husband was her older brother and was killed twice by the jealous younger brother (yes, twice - clearly Isis brought him back to life after the first time). We were the only people on the island at first, which was awesome since it felt more mysterious.

The temple had Greek columns and nice hieroglyphics that the Greeks created, so the Egyptians could understand and pray there. It was built between 300 and 150 BC. Eventually Christians and Napoleon’s troops came to the temple and defaced many of the gods since they represented idols. They left behind carvings of Celtic crosses and a note from Napoleon etched into the stone. UNESCO helped fund the temple move, which took eight years to dismantle and recreate on a higher island in 1972.

We spent our last time with John and Ben exploring the Aswan bazaar where we got lost in the huge maze of covered streets with a mix of legitimate stores and small stands. We happened to go during prayer time, so the market was calmer with many shops closed (thankfully). Mia was on an all out mission to obtain hibiscus tea and other spices for her boyfriend Dan. We wandered along as she methodically spoke to the various spice kings of the market. I was about ready to collapse, so I asked Mia to use her negotiation skills to get a deal done. This would prove to take at least 30 minutes since Mia is tough and always ready to get a bargain. She put her Kellogg skills to the test as Ben stood by patiently as her bodyguard. I watched at times and other times would check in on John as he was also attempting to buy tea. Eventually a deal was struck and Mia had her spices. Ben and John also nabbed hibiscus tea which looks like dark red dried up little flowers the size of a silver dollar.

We needed a quick dinner for John and Ben so that meant only one nearby option…just try and guess what their last Egyptian meal was…that’s right KFC! Hahaha. It was a fancy location on the Nile with similar food and pricing to the USA. It was sad to say goodbye to them both after three weeks together, luckily I still had Mia who never disappoints in the entertainment department.

The next day Mia and I had yet another crazy wakeup schedule as we got up at 3:30AM for our 4AM pickup. We caravanned south for 3.5 hours to Abu Simbel (in case of a desert breakdown – sound familiar?) which is on the border of Sudan. Abu Simbel is a very small town of 15,000 people on the water. The city’s big highlights are the Sun and Hathor temples. These temples were moved in the 1960s to protect them from the High Dam flooding. It took five years and $42 million dollars to move and re-erect the temples. It was not noticeable to the casual observer unless it was pointed out.

Ramses II (believed to be the Ramses of the Old Testament) was trying to move the border of Egypt further south to expand the kingdom, and he also wanted to portray himself as a god in his temple so he had the Nubians build it in Abu Simbel around 1300 BC. He was the only king to portray himself as a god, so he feared an uproar of the people in the north. Ramses ruled successfully for 67 years and won wars that expanded his kingdom. He had numerous wives, but Nefertari was the first and most prominent.

The Sun Temple honored Ramses II with its four 30 foot statues of him surrounding the entrance, one of which cracked and lay before it due to an ancient earthquake. The scary staring statues were meant to frighten enemies. Once inside the huge temple various smaller rooms were created for his sons. I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones film and a boulder could come hurling after me at any moment. The inner most part of the temple has a sanctuary which was cleverly built to be sunlit on Ramses’ birthday and coronation day. There were huge columns inside the temple and various carvings that must have taken years to perfect. Cartouches were used throughout to identify the various kings and gods in the hieroglyphics. It was humbling to stand before all of these monuments created thousands of years ago without modern machinery. At times it felt like I was a movie set; it was so surreal.

Ramses II had the Hathor Temple erected for Queen Nefertari. It also had huge statues near the entrance, although the inner temple was considerably smaller. The carvings were equally impressive and detailed. It was great exploring the ancient tombs, pyramids, and temples but it was time to move on yet again.

Back in Aswan we enjoyed more shish twaok (chicken kebabs) and prepared for our felucca sailboat ride on the Nile. The wooden felucca was about 15 feet long and had one big sail that powered it. An older man navigated the boat with a basic rudder and his ten year old son worked the sail when necessary. The water was calm and there were a few other boats out for a sail. We zig-zagged against the current using the wind. I was even allowed to drive the boat for awhile and received an adequate number of stares and chuckles from the locals. As always, I loved being on water! We sailed by the fancy riverside KFC and McDonalds (amusing Egyptian scenery). We circled the Elephantine Island to the east and had nice views of tombs for the former nobles before docking once again near our hotel.

On Wednesday we had a flight to Cairo and given that Ramadan started that day we had to eat at the airport. Ramadan is the month when Muslims fast from dawn until sunset; they do not eat or drink anything (even water), so most of the restaurants are closed. Once again we had fine USA cuisine at Sabarros since it was the only option – funny but unappealing and more expensive than the US!

Mia and I were excited to be back in Cairo, especially since Drew Weightman and Parker Burke (Kellogg classmates) happened to be there that day only. We were able to meet up with them to swap travel stories. They had great times across Europe (including partying in Spain and sailing their own boat in the Mediterranean Sea), northern Africa, and the Middle East. We all went to Sequoia (a NY Times favorite) on the Nile, but sadly Drew and Parker could only have a drink before they caught their flights to the US. Mia and I ate at Sequoia which was decorated in celebration of the first night of Ramadan. It felt like we were in a restaurant at the Luxor in Vegas with its outdoor tables and canopies near the water. There was also colorful seating and the food was good, so we lasted until midnight.


The next morning Mia and I said our goodbyes at the airport as she headed to London for a visit with our Kellogg pal Damayante and I hopped my flight to Istanbul to meet my next travel pal, Becky Mitchell. As a side note Mia and I searched the giant Cairo airport for books and magazines and could not find any! No joke – very bizarre. Thanks to anyone who had the patience to read all of the Egypt blog and a extra big thanks to Sarah Clabby for her advice and Egypt expertise! I promise the next ones will be shorter and have less ancient stuff! The next adventure begins with two weeks in Turkey! Until then…Sarah.

Walk Like an Egyptian (part 1) – Old Stuff to Sea – It’s Too HOTT Ta Be ALIVE!

(August 2 - 7) Okay, I know it has been a while and my posting is less consistent but don´t you worry I am taking notes as I go, so I can get my blog journal updated. I want to wish my parents a very happy anniversary since I was not home for it sadly. Also, I hope you are all doing very well wherever you are at the moment. A HUGE thank you to everyone keeping in touch. I truly love the updates and miss you all tons, so keep it coming!

Anyway, back to the travel stories. John, Ben and I were very excited to meet up with Mia in Cairo especially as we had been emailing with her that morning from Nairobi. It was time to switch gears and weather. No more winter in Kili it was time for the desert in summer! We flew from Nairobi to Cairo with a nervous stop in Sudan on the runway. As you can imagine everything else changed as we moved on from eastern African culture, food, and landscape to that of the Middle East.

Here´s your brief taste of Egypt if you have not been yet…Egypt has 76 million people (22 million in Cairo) accounting for about 25% of the world´s Arab population. Arabic is the main language, but a good number of people speak some English (less than in Kenya), especially people that work in tourism and hospitality. Somewhere between 80-90% of the population is Muslim and the bulk of the remaining people are Christians. Given that Friday is the big prayer day their weekends are actually Friday and Sunday – much less convenient if you want to get away for the weekend, although maybe that means more three day weekends?? About 95% of Egypt is desert and from flying over and traveling through it I would agree! The Nile River does provide a surprisingly blue and green (via trees and grass) contrast to the tan desert.

Egypt is clearly famous for its ancient pyramids and Sphinx, but there was so much more to see and do as well. Not surprisingly tourism is one of their main industries. The Suez Canal tolls, oil, natural gas, electricity, and textiles are all exported and make up the bulk of the economy. I was spending their currency, the Egyptian pound, at 5.5 per US dollar. For the most part people were friendly, and it was slower paced and relaxed which makes sense given moving generates even more heat and the desert supplies more than enough of that.

We arrived late at night and Mia came stumbling down from her hotel room to cheerily greet us. She had done a great job organizing our ten day tour, so it was going to be smooth sailing. After catching up with Mia (and perpetuating her jetlag) until all hours of the night, it was suddenly time for our early morning at the pyramids and hanging out with the Sphinx. We figured we could not see all 109 pyramids in Egypt, so we headed to see the three pyramids of Giza along with many other tourists. These pyramids are the best preserved attraction of the 7 Wonders of the World.

The Great Pyramid of Cheops is the highest at 147 meters (485 feet), so we climbed part way up it for some random pictures. It was incredible to see how large the pyramids were in person and to imagine the people building them without the equipment of today. Inside the pyramids are mazes of hallways that go into and beneath the pyramids housing the tombs of pharos. We chose to enter the much much smaller Queen’s pyramid tomb to see what it was all about. It was a very narrow steep walk down to the tomb for about five minutes into the small room that could hold about ten people. It was oven hot and crammed. People could only go in or out one at a time, so we were stuck in this free sauna for several minutes. We were so glad we did not attempt the large pyramid tomb visit which takes 30 minutes to get to the inner tomb.






We had a BLAST taking ridiculous stereotypical pyramid pictures together, and I learned that I have very little skill posing and taking those pics. Then we headed to the nearby Sphinx with its lion’s body and man’s face. It was smaller than I expected, don’t get me wrong it was still too large to pet him. We were able to snap some shots and get a closer look (since it was the low season) at the nose-less beauty which was replicated throughout Egypt.



After I was done looking ridiculous in front of the camera we headed to a papyrus shop to see how the ancient paper was made from plants and to browse through the unique paintings. Clearly I could not afford nor understand a giant print with hieroglyphics, so I had to pass. Afterwards our guide, Fatima, explained what each letter in our names meant, for example: SARAH means: S – Independent, A – sharp sighted (good at reading people), R – talks too much (this made the system seem reliable), A – another dose of sharp sighted, and H – diplomatic. Many of our guides knew this system which made it seem like an important part of their culture or something to pass the time with tourists.

We then toured the Egyptian museum where we saw numerous statues of gods and pharos, sarcophagi they were buried in, and even some crazy mummified animals (fish, dog, alligators, etc). Fatima was extremely educated in history and archeology, so it was a fantastic tour. The highlight was the King Tut exhibit. There was a great deal of his gold, treasures, and tombs which were nice to see in person since I missed the exhibit in Los Angeles.

We then headed through the busy streets of Cairo seeing the old ruins and mosques mixed with the newer buildings and restaurants. Finally we were back at the airport headed to the Sinai Peninsula for some beach and water time. The red mountains of the Sinai Peninsula were gorgeous as we drove through the canyons to Dahab. The white beaches were surrounded by these mountains and splashed by the amazingly clear green and blue waters.

We stayed at a fancy German run resort called Happy Life Village where the scenery blew us away daily. For three full days we chilled out and played in the water, which was needed after the intensity of Kili. John and Ben went scuba diving a few times and loved it. Mia and I snorkeled in the Red Sea’s Aqaba Bay at the South Oasis Three Pools site the first day and then did a trial scuba dive the next day. After learning how to breathe calmly, clear our mask, and pressurize our ears we both really enjoyed it. I hope to eventually get certified. Beneath the water housed a Dr. Seuss like village of coral in various shapes, sizes, and colors. We swam along the coast for over an hour mesmerized by the endless reefs that awesome fish including moray eel (grossie slimy long black fish with teeth), parrot, butterfly (with feather like appendages), angel, and clownfish (Finding Nemo) swam and ate. It was so hot (well over 100 degrees) that the water felt incredible and was like bath water in some spots. Despite an annoying guy following Mia in the water and pointing at random stuff we enjoyed ourselves.



When we decided to stop playing Little Mermaid, staring below the surface, the bright white buildings, green palm trees and grass, blue sky, and red jagged mountains offered plenty to gaze at on land. Saudi Arabia was also visible eleven miles across the bay. We tried a local juice bar where I gulped down cold sugar cane and lemon juice after watching full lemons and sugar cane go through a huge juicer. They served it up in a “take away” bag with a straw – interesting packaging.

At night we took a shuttle into the town of Dahab where we strolled along a strand of restaurants and shops known as Asilah. There was tons of fresh seafood for you fish lovers and restaurants offered free drinks, appetizers, dessert, and shisha to entice you to dine with them. Our favorite spot was Shark where we sat two feet from the water with no barriers preventing us from a splash. We ate fantastic Egyptian food consisting of spicy lamb kebabs with rice and grilled vegetables and chicken tagen (chicken and vegetables in a spicy tomato sauce – clearly a Sarah favorite). We also tried some shisha and drank local beers that we brought since the Muslim culture keeps most places from selling alcohol.

The last full Sinai day proved to be the longest and most eventful. We started by heading to the famous Blue Hole for some snorkeling. The four of us jumped in the back of an old school Jeep and sat on benches as we off-roded in the desert along the sea. After getting geared up we stumbled into the water and started snorkeling around the coral. It was a very large ring of coral, maybe 20-30 feet in diameter and extremely deep. The downside was the large number of other tourists that did not always respect the sea life or Mia who got repeatedly kicked. I had some equipment struggles as the extremely salty water invaded my mask, burning my eyes like hot peppers, and I chugged water through my faulty snorkel – too funny. It got more amusing as I tried to fix the problem. I drifted and slightly brushed against some coral, fire coral to be exact, so I was stung (it looked like 2 large bee stings) and it hurt tons for several days. Who knew coral could be so vicious - lesson learned - fire coral literally burns.

Later we got cleaned up and rested prior to our late night Mount Sinai hike. We ate at the resort buffet which proved to be a problem for me. Mia and I perused the dessert area at the end, but it was a bit dark, so I popped a little white bar in my mouth. It was soooo gross and NOT a dessert. I wanted to spit it out as Mia laughed, but it had to be forced down. Sick, yet hilarious.

Upon surviving the buffet we got ready and packed in our little tour bus for the 11PM to 1AM ride to Mount Sinai. Mount Sinai is 2,285 meters (7,540 feet) high and is the site where Moses received the 10 Commandments, although that is debated given the numerous mountains. We began hiking in the dark at 2AM with headlamps and camels frequently passing us. As we hiked, numerous guys said, “camel?” with varying accents trying to get us to ride one to the top. We took the winding dirt path used by the camels to the top, so we had to watch our step and dodge the landmines of camel droppings.

About an hour in, the dinner buffet attacked my stomach with a fury, and I became very ill. That’s what I get for trying some salads and other new foods. My stomach was rumblin’ in the Bronx, so I had to stop quite often. I felt badly for slowing the group down. Luckily there were quite a lot of little shops/cafes built on the side of the mountain. It was bizarre seeing Cokes, Snickers, and hot chocolate being sold on a historical and religious site. It was extremely commercial all the way up to the top. Sadly most of them did not have bathrooms – cruel joke. I had the pleasure of finding five random sketchy “bathrooms” to survive. Eventually we made it to the top after three hours, so it was 5AM. We rested for an hour before doing the last 20 minute hike to the peak.

The sunrise offered unbelievable views at the top that were worth the hike. We lost Ben along the way as he leveraged his hiking skills to power ahead. Sadly we could not find him until we made it to the bottom. There was a church at the top of the mountain teetering on the peak with 360 degree views of the Sinai area. As the sun slowly emerged everything glowed a deep red color and the unique jagged edges could be viewed as well as the St. Catherine Monastery below. After our usual photo shoot with Mia’s skills and nice camera it was time for the hike down.


We took the Steps of Repentance also known as the “Path of our Lord Moses” down. I can see why it was for repentance it was 3,750 steps of varying sizes down the steep mountain in fiery heat. It was a pretty hike with a couple of stone archways built into the mountainside and other notable scenery. After making it back down we regrouped and prepared for a visit to the Monastery of St. Catherine.

The monastery was built in 337 AD originally to protect the burning bush that Moses encountered in the Book of Exodus. We saw the most famous shrub in the world – of course it is debated that it is the actual bush, but it is the only bush of its kind able to grow on the Sinai Peninsula, and it has been there well over 2,000 years. From 542-551 AD the actual church was built including granite walls, 12 pillars (representing the months of the year), and cedar wood doors that are all still originals. There was also a beautiful mosaic of Jesus flanked by Moses and Elijah on separate panels, although it was partially blocked by a number of low hanging chandeliers. I loved seeing all of the art in person after learning about it in Early Christian Art and the Byzantine Empire at University of Wisconsin. I was also able to light a prayer candle while in the church, which was moving for me.

The monastery also has a nice garden in the middle of this dry area, Monks’ residences, Moses’ well, and a library with over 3,000 manuscripts and 5,000 books (only the Vatican has a larger collection). I really enjoyed the whole experience despite being sick and the extreme temperatures.

On the way back, much like a scene out of a Hollywood film, our van overheated in the middle of the desert. For thirty minutes we sat baking as our driver pretended to know what he was doing. They also took our remaining drinking water to try to cool the engine, so there we sat lonely and waterless in the middle of the desert. It was pretty comical, yet slightly disconcerting. Eventually a pickup stopped to help. They led us ten minutes away to a small factory with a hose. The guys at the factory popped the hood, cranked the hose, and began flooding the car. It was a hilarious display of car repairs. Mia was crying as she laughed at the whole crazy scene and a German mother and daughter joined in. I, being the nerdy risk person I am, insisted on filling empty water bottles in case we overheated again. We collectively argued with the driver to keep the A/C off to lower the risk of another round of overheating. Luckily we made it back alive. It was quite the hour detour.


I really hope to go back to Sinai again sometime, maybe as part of an Israel and Jordan trip. There will be lots of Egyptian sites discussed in my next entry. I hope you like ancient descriptions or you may want to skip that one! Until next time…Sarah.

Konquering Kili (part 3) – Summit Time – Views from 19,340 Feet

(July 30 – 31) Welcome to my longest post yet. Sorry, but I could not cut back on summit day! I hope it is at least enjoyable…if not, skim it or enjoy the pictures I guess.

Day 6: The goal: reach the summit (from 14,910 feet to 19,341 feet – let me help with the math, that’s 4,431 feet of elevation) even if it required crawling. The team: John (my blood lines include Sherpa) Jones, Ben (I was raised by wolves in the French Alps) Vannier, and Sarah (Allie Altitude – aka becomes paralyzed above 15,000 feet) Vaudreuil. The competition: Uhuru Peak measuring in at 19,341 feet. Leveling the playing field: Hamisi and Abasi (our guides), cliff bars, and altitude pills. The weather: COLD and dark with wind.

In our attempt to beat the mountain, we basically lived two days on Friday, July 30th. I admit that there are not enough hours on that given day and many of you had a normal delightful day, but our day started at 11:30PM (technically the 29th) and ended nearly 24 hours later at about 10PM.

11:30PM: Amari from the Good Earth staff “knocked” on our tent and produced an awkward display of biscuits and hot chocolate for us to drink in our crowded tent. John came over to join us for the ceremonial affair. We had all slept in our layered clothing due to the freezing temperatures and need to be ready quickly, so it was only mildly painful forcing on the boots, gloves, and face mask. One last bathroom stop, and it was time to get started.

12:15 AM: we started the grueling, yet exciting jaunt. At first it was thrilling to finally be en route, and the adrenaline took over as we cruised along in the darkness for the first three hours. The sky was as clear as Evian water (hahaha) and filled with unbelievable stars and a glowing moon that shone on the snow capped peak. Everyone on the mountain seemed eager and cheery offering hellos and good lucks. Given our late start (midnight was the original goal) we were about the third to last group in the HUGE snaking line of people (visible only by the small dots of light their headlamps produced) trying to summit that night. We passed numerous groups, and given the demanding task at hand all pleasantries and “jambos” (hellos) were eventually replaced with dirty looks. We were now in the middle of the pack, and I was not encountering altitude sickness, so things were looking good.

3:15AM: Things changed dramatically as, much like Jekyll and Hyde, I became Allie Altitude. Despite chugging water the day before and during the hike, I acquired a massive headache, nausea, and dizziness out of nowhere. To make things more challenging the cold was also taking its toll as I shivered at times and wished that I had additional layers on. My fingers and toes were starting to ache and sting as the winds somehow penetrated my leather boots and Gortex gloves. The eager line of people hiking suddenly became a solemn chain gang taking one small step up at a time with their eyes all glued downward while they ever so slowly moved on. We ascended the extremely steep narrow winding dirt path that was flanked by rocks and large boulders.

4:45AM: We had made a total of three short breaks to rest, adjust gear, and snack. My water bottles were mostly frozen making drinking fluids a cold (I literally could not hold the bottles for very long since they were too cold even through my gloves) and frustrating process. At one point the top of one of my stainless steel bottles broke and my guide had to take it from me, because I was wasting too much time and energy attempting to MacGyver a solution. It was miserable at times and Ben (always prepared) broke out his hand warmers and shared one with me. I was so relieved that I would be able to warm my hands since it was becoming more painful, and I feared potential frostbite. After following the instructions and shaking the packet in desperation it was determined that the hand warmer was not to be. It refused to work despite all efforts, and Ben’s hand warmer also failed. I was too tired to feel much negative emotion at that point, it was as if I was Eeyore all ho-hum, from Winnie-the-Pooh. The good news was you just needed to force yourself to take your eyes off the trail for a few seconds to see the amazing glowing mountain peak getting closer – the goal was more achievable by the minute.

5:25AM: we reached Stella Point which is the first flat rocky area that feels like the top of the mountain. People were mildly celebrating the occasion and resting, so I thought we were very close. Then our guides told us we had about an hour left, and I wanted to just give up (not that it was a real option ever). Instead we sat for a few minutes in a small inlet until our guides gently urged us to continue. This last stretch of hiking would prove to be brutal. The winds picked up since there was little protection at the top and the sky was slightly orange in anticipation of sunrise, but it would be an hour before the lazy sun would really break through. At one point I honestly thought I saw a large green square tent in the distance with lighting which I mentioned to John and Ben. They both laughed, naturally assuming I was joking. Thanks crazy altitude sickness (hahaha).

The last bit of the hike wound through rocky areas and the actual top of the mountain could not be seen in the distance, so I rode an emotional rollercoaster often thinking we were about to reach the actual summit when we still had a good distance to go. We walked (truthfully I stumbled) through ice fields shivering in pain and pushing myself to continue onward despite desperately wanting to stop. John and Ben were definitely faring better as we advanced.

6:20AM: we finally officially reached Uhuru Peak and the official sign. I was so frozen and exhausted that I was not even relieved at first. All I wanted was for the sun to actually appear and provide warmth. Our guides (Hamisi and Abas) kindly congratulated us and other groups around us (about 25 total people) were celebrating to various degrees. Hamisi urged us to get in line and snap the victory pictures with the famous peak sign, but I was too tired at first and begged for five minutes to regroup. As the sun began to appear we quickly took our series of peak pictures while other groups waited. The sun finally arrived in all of its glory producing the heat I desperately needed to fully feel my hands and feet. We took in the mind-blowing views at sunrise and attempted to capture it all in a series of photos. From the peak we saw the crater, glaciers, ice fields, Mawenze Peak (the jagged mountain known as the Needle), and Meru Mountain (4,500 meters high) to the west in the shadow of Kilimanjaro all pictured here.












6:40AM: despite just completing six of the most physically and mentally demanding hours of my life, it was time to start the three hour hike back to camp, since it is not good for your body to spend a lot of time at extreme altitudes. We walked and slid down (at times it was like skiing down through thick dirt) the thick dirt paths. Thankfully it was much warmer and things were now visible without a headlamp. John noticed that our fingers were swollen from the altitude, so we all had a fistful of sausage fingers which was entertaining. We were so tired and descending in such a steep fashion really took its toll on our knees. It was, however, nice to see our campsite from above. We finally arrived back at camp!

9:30AM: I went straight to the bathroom for the first time since the hike began, weakly thanked the porters as they congratulated us, and then staggered into the tent. I managed to remove my dirty boots and outer layer of pants before passing out for my 1.5 hour nap. I woke up in a very hot tent with very little energy, but it was time to pack up, eat a quick lunch, and get going yet again. I was starting to feel like a gypsy on the move so much.

1:15PM: we began our third hike of the day, which was estimated to last five more hours. Our feet and legs burned as we essentially descended 5,000 feet on exhausted legs. The terrain was initially dry and we had our last surprisingly distant views of Kilimanjaro. After a couple of hours into the hike we rested at another campsite where they sold Coke, which we happily declined. I swear if we ever get to Mars Coke products will somehow be there first. Later we were back in the trees for the last stretch of the fun-filled five hour hike.



6:00PM: we finally arrived at the Mweka campsite in a delightful forest setting similar to that of Minnesota or Wisconsin, which felt more private than the other campsites where all of the other groups were visible. We were now staying at a mere 10,010 feet. We spoke to our Iowa friends who camped across the way, ate dinner, and then went to bed early bird after surviving a very long 3-part hiking night/day.

Day 7: After thanking our guides and the full team we were hiking by 8:15AM the next day. We finished our fantastic Kilimanjaro hike with a 3 hour stroll to the Mweka gate. As you might expect it was nearly all downhill, and we were back in the cool cloud forest we began in. There were huge green trees and after all of the dry dirt trails I enjoyed the misty green scenery. It did however, become extremely muddy as we wandered further down the trail/road, and it eventually became as sloppy as the Kentucky Derby infield. John and I managed to see three colubas monkeys playing in the trees, which was the highlight of my day. They are black with huge a white skunk-like stripe and tail and are only found in parts of Africa. Soon after spying the monkeys we had our first glimpses of buses and the end of the trail. After we re-entered civilization we were required to sign out at the ranger station and declare victory. John, Ben, and I followed that up with a boot washing since they were engulfed in 7 days of mud.




Later we boarded the Good Earth bus with the full team and headed through huge coffee farms and other pleasing landscapes before arriving at our first restaurant in over a week. There was a sink to wash our hands, a stable table and chairs, and wait for it…a hamburger and fries. Yes, that’s what I chose from the eclectic menu, and I loved every bite and washed it down with a Kilimanjaro beer. After arriving back in Arusha we all took very long showers in an attempt to get to our previous cleanliness levels. Then we tried (unsuccessfully) to get our laundry done for nearly three hours. We finally gave up and bought some laundry detergent for future use.

On the upside, John did manage to obtain (through tough negotiations) a clean Kili beer shirt to wear (thankfully – he had no clean clothes) and add to his collection of crazy t-shirts. Ben and I held back laughter as John was previously only wearing a zip-up sweatshirt in hopes of finding said t-shirt. We pushed him to try on the Kili shirt in front of the guys working at the store and they joined in encouraging him to try it on! He eventually had to show them that he was not wearing a shirt. Priceless. By the time that adventure was over it was time for another American-esque meal of pizza (true story). I ended the night by doing some laundry by hand causing both my sink and bathtub to look like the brown Mississippi River. It took at least three washes to get my hiking gear clean, and I had to use the hair dryer the next AM to complete the drying process.

At the end of it all it was a remarkable and demanding hike that I will never forget. Thanks to Ben Gervais for recommending Good Earth and to Becky Mitchell for her initial guidance and planning (you were missed!). A HUGE thanks to John and Ben who entertained me, added to the enjoyment of it all, and helped me get through the tough times. I could not have done it without them. We are riding a heat wave with Mia Tucker in Egypt next. Until next time…Sarah.

Konquering Kili (part 2) – Machame (Whiskey) Route

(July 26-29) Day 2: We woke up early Monday morning to get ready and have breakfast which included oatmeal (one of my favorites). I worked on getting dressed in my warm sleeping bag, which is not dissimilar to getting out of a straight jacket magician style. Never-the-less we were hiking again by 8:40AM with our day packs loaded up with water, extra clothing, sundries (I have always hated that term), and snacks. Much of our time was spent in the cloud forest where we had a couple of partial mountain ridge views when the clouds cooperated and the sun peeked through. Our hike also took us through dryer, steeper, rockier, and narrower terrain than the previous day. Overall we maintained a good pace with few stops during the 5.5 hour hike, although my right knee started to act up and have some random pain. Luckily, Ben came to the rescue, and I used one of his walking poles and some anti-inflammatory medicines to ease the pain. I have provided the more detailed route map, so you can follow along with the hike and camping stops. We took the orange route up and the purple route down afterwards.


It was unbelievable to watch long lines of porters pass us quickly carrying huge amounts of gear (often above their heads). It was critical to get out of their way and to give them the right away. I learned the terms “samahani” or sorry and “peter” (how it sounds maybe not spelled correctly) or please pass. We were also entertained as our guide was able to take calls from family and friends everywhere on Kilimanjaro.


After arriving at camp we got settled in and confused the Good Earth team when we switched up our sleeping arrangement and Ben took a tent to himself. It was pretty funny to see the team’s reaction since they had no idea what we were up to. Later we had a rice and stew dinner with some avocados for dessert, and we played a lot of three person cribbage and casino (a new game John taught us). Our campsite was phenomenal, because we were on the edge of the mountain facing the Shira Ridge with a near full moon and perfectly clear starlit sky providing the lighting. We could not see the top of Kilimanjaro yet, and it got extremely cold (frost on the tents). We employed the Kim Roberts (LA native) method of staying warm by placing hot water bottles in the sleeping bags with us, along with all battery operated items, so they did not freeze up. Bathroom breaks at 4AM were not much fun, but I did manage to get a few pictures because of it.





Day 3: Tuesday, July 27th proved to be a particularly difficult day for me. We began at 12,500 feet at 8:30 in the morning and hiked straight upward to the Lava Tower (about 15,200 feet) for lunch. At about 14,000 feet altitude sickness started plaguing me, despite taking medications and drinking tons of water. I had an extremely bad headache, nausea, and dizziness. Later my stomach started twirling and performing Circ du Soleil feats causing me to nearly throw up. The pain started to consume me, and I kept asking the guides how much further we had to go to reach the Lava Tower. It seemed the answer was 20 minutes three different times, which frustrated me. I could no longer think straight, so I began recalling facts about my family and school history to determine the extent of my sickness. My head felt like it was going to explode, I was stumbling along in a zig-zag path, and eventually tears started flowing down my face. Thanks to my polarized sunglasses it was not completely obvious. I managed to make it to the Lava Tower through various motivational tactics (telling myself – “one step at a time,” “you got this,” “eat a bag mountain,” and “don’t be a panzy”). Thankfully we rested a great deal and ate lunch. Here is a picture of me after resting showing the Lava Tower who was boss.


After lunch we headed down a very steep dry rocky path and then along a delightful ridge with a stream and oasis of plants in the middle of a dry area. The scenery was stunning, and we could see Kilimanjaro clearly for the first time. We descended to just over 13,000 feet, so thankfully my altitude sickness subsided. When we arrived at the Baranco Camp (after about 6.5 hours) it was warm enough for shorts (for about 45 minutes), so we took advantage and washed our faces in the warm water provided. After the extremely cold weather and the layers of dirt we sported we were literally grinning and enjoying every warm moment. The campsite was remarkable with blue skies and incredible Kilimanjaro peak views. Even though we were dressed like clowns we took full advantage of the time and snapped some ridiculous pictures.





Later that night I battled stomach problems (which we all did throughout the trip), which were overshadowed by the mind-blowing sights. The Milky Way Galaxy, moon, and glowing snow on the peak made the freezing bathroom break slightly better. I did manage to trip on not just one but both tent ropes during this late night rendezvous, thankfully I caught myself both times. I blame the altitude for any dumb stunts or comments I made during that trip, and things were a lot funnier when there is less oxygen to the brain. These first three days were very similar to the three day Peru trek John and I helped lead on the Ancascocha Trail last August (KWESTees - John and I missed you on this hike!).

Day 4: Much like the other days we started out at about 8:40AM after a scrumptious breakfast that included chipati (crepe-like pancakes). We made light work of the first half of our hike as we reached the top after 1.5 hours of leisurely hiking up nearly 1,000 feet of elevation. Our guides had been constantly telling us to go “polla polla” (pronounced pollay pollay) or “slowly slowly” the past few days including that portion of the hike. We went straight up a very narrow rocky path which provided great views of Kilimanjaro, until the clouds rolled in again. My altitude sickness was still minor, but John was breaking in new hiking boots, so he was in more pain on this day. Despite battling through the blisters, John continued to delight us by often speaking in TV and movie quotes throughout the hikes.

We began a 1,000 foot descent through a steep rocky area and then hiked around a bend for awhile. This was followed by a very steep, but brief, climb uphill where I managed to smack my head on a giant rock, because I was so focused on each step I was taking. Once I made sure I was not bleeding I got a good laugh at the absurdity of the situation, since I was literally ten feet from completing the hike. This portion of the hike was also short, because the day was designed to be an acclimation day.




As we arrived at our slanted campsite in the Karanga Valley the porters called out “Sarah” with a slight accent as they often did to greet me. We then had a nice lunch with chicken and grilled cheese sandwiches. It was extremely warm in our tents during the afternoon, so we literally attempted to bask in the sunny tents while we had the chance (life’s little pleasures). Arriving so early also left us with plenty of time to rest, read, and play more cards. We had our first, and only, views of small orange city lights below. It was extremely windy here, so we had to ensure we had everything in our tents and rocks to help hold the tent edges down. We were starting to get more excited since the summit day was quickly approaching. There was just one short hike between us and the beginning of the daunting summit hike.



Day 5: The fifth day began as the others did (although not until 9:00AM), but with a lot more anticipation and nervousness, since we would attempt our summit that night. We had a nice three hour hike straight up to the Barafu camp at about 14,910 feet. The hiking path was wider but with higher winds and a great deal of dirt; it was as if we traveled back in time to the Dust Bowl. We were all covered in dirt. On a positive note it was a sunny day above the clouds, and we were afforded new views and angles of the Kilimanjaro summit and the Mawenze Peak (the Needle). We were instructed to drink about four liters of water throughout the day in preparation for the late night summit marathon trek which led to more bathroom time.

After arriving at our steepest and rockiest campsite yet, we devoured our favorite grilled chicken and other lunch items. It was then time to pack and prepare all of our gear for the midnight hike. We all tried to eat an early dinner and then head to bed from 6:30PM to 11:30PM, but it was nearly impossible for me to sleep, and I think I logged about two hours of actual zzzzs. We had now camped at 13,000, 14,000, and 15,000 feet and the higher we went the colder and windier it became. At one point our tent rumbled loudly from both sides, and later I thought it was going to be gone with the wind when I left it unattended for a bit. We were minutes away from the summit hike. Until next time…Sarah.