Kilimanjaro, day 8

Start: Mweka Hut; 3,100 meters

End: Gate; 1,700 meters

Hiking time: 2:00

It was a short, downhill hike to reach the gate and we said our goodbyes to Kilimanjaro.

We had seen an exuberant Italian family a couple of times over the past week. They were always in good spirits, even when our group was feeling low. The afternoon before we summited, Kerry was not at all interested in leaving his tent to go to lunch. Just as he was called to lunch, he groaned, and then heard the Italians next door being summed to lunch. “Lunch time? Fantastico!” So we laughed when we realized the Italians were right in front of us on the hike. The twelve year old boy eagerly greeted every single porter who passed him in his Italian accent Swahili, “Jambo!” Seriously, if I had a cell phone, I would make that kid calling out “Jambo!” my ringtone! And then his teenaged brother (yellow backpack, below) busted out his ukulele and started to play Bob Marley songs, substituting the name of their guide into the lyrics. They were a riot! I found myself almost running to keep up with them (they were so fast!) so that I could take video of their quirky family antics.

Before I knew it, we’d reached the gate. Most of the porters made a beeline for the bathroom where they started to wash up for the first time in days.

I took out a Snickers bar I had saved for the summit. It definitely looked like it had been to the top of a mountain and back, but it tasted fine!

It was a short drive back to our hotel and Captain G, Jimmy, and Bob presented us with our summit certificates and fantastic homemade ribbon and bow garlands.

It was a little sad to split from G, Jimmy, and Bob! We had been in their company nonstop for the past week and they had done a top notch job of helping us every step of the way.

Once we had all taken preliminary showers (one shower was enough to get off the superficial layer of dirt), the four of us headed into town to pick up some souvenirs. In one store, the touts must have thought we didn’t understand how to bargain because they explained how two parties are supposed to negotiate and then informed us it was called “Tanzanian business.” We took a taxi to the hotel and lucked out by getting the nicest driver in the whole world. He was delighted beyond words when I paid him 4,000 shillings ($2.60) instead of the agreed upon 3,000 shillings ($2).

Since my stomach had been more or less ok, I had a massive dinner at the hotel while a couple in the group were much more gentle on their stomachs. And I can’t begin to tell you how nice it felt to fall asleep on a mattress…!