From Overlanding to Mountain Climbing


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Africa » Tanzania » North » Arusha
August 9th 2008
Published: August 9th 2008
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We left Zanzibar and went back to the same campsite in Dar. There I can say I saw my first attempted kill. No it wasn't a lion or a leopard or anything like that. It was a lizard vs. praying mantis. At first it looked like the lizard had him, but the praying mantis got away in the end. The entertainment was probably enhanced because we have lost our minds from the endless hours on the truck. One day, we debated for close to an hour as to who would make a better super hero.

The drive from Dar to Arusha was the longest yet; 14 1/2 hours. It was brutal but whiskey and cards were a big help. We stayed at a snake park in Arusha. It was a bit unnerving sleeping in a tent next to pythons and cobras. They also had these crazy pictures from the Amazon of pythons cut open to reveal a person inside that they had eaten. Oh, there were crocs too.

The next day, we set off in 4x4s for a couple nights in the Serengeti -- probably the most famed game park in all of Africa -- and the Ngorogoro (try typing that five times fast) Crater. Our campsite in the Serengeti was officially in lion country. We saw tons of lions. One pride of them was eating something but we couldn't tell what it was. The lioness had blood all over her face. Later, we saw a dead impala in a tree which probably meant there was a leopard around but we didn't see it. We did see a leopard later though, but it was so far away. A lot of people were happy seeing the leopard since it was the last of the big five for us, but I wanted to see a cheetah running at full speed.

The next night we camped on the rim of the crater. The following morning we went down into it. It is absolutely massive; something like 15 miles across and 2,000 feet deep. Because of its depth and steep walls it is basically like a natural biosphere, complete with it's own ecosystem and weather patterns. There are animals everywhere. Too many hyenas and buffalo to count. Literally as soon as we got on the crater's floor, a pride of lions walked right by our truck. It's scary when they look at you from 10 feet away and they're half the size of the truck. There is also the flamingo lake you see on National Geographic all the time. Overall I liked the crater more than the Serengeti. The animals are more concentrated and the scenery is unbelievable. Unfortunately my camera battery was dead but I'll steal pics from my tourmates.

On the way back to the snake park, our 4x4 broke down so we were stranded for a while. I must say we've had good luck though. I consider it a miracle we haven't had any flat tires, given the condition of the roads around here.

We had some ATM problems so Nomad spotted us the fee (a hefty $420) for the Serengeti and Ngorogoro. So once we got back to the campsite, three of us took a very interesting minibus into town. The guy collecting the fare was completely drunk. We couldn't tell if he was joking with us or trying to rip us off. That night was our last night as a group. We were all exhausted from the Serengeti though so we didn't do anything exciting.

Today they dropped me off in town and headed up to Nairobi where the tour ends, so this is the first time in a month and a half I've been alone. Right now I'm in Arusha, near the foot of Kilimanjaro. This afternoon, I'm heading over to Moshi where the entrance gate is and I start my ascent tomorrow. It's really intimidating seeing Kili tower into the clouds. I also have a gash on my toe so I hope it doesn't hurt my chances. I keep hearing varying statistics on the success rate of summiting. I don't know what's true but I think it's between 40% and 70%.

I've also had a slight change of plans for the near future. I've decided to limit my time in Egypt and Jordan from a month to two weeks due to the heat. It literally gets up to 120 degrees every day. So I'm going to Istanbul by the beginning of September now and I'm going to meet up with my tourmate Steve. From there, we're either going to spend the next month in the Balkans, the Mediterranean coast in Turkey or go up the Black Sea up to Ukraine. We were thinking of buying a motorcycle with a side car but I don't know how easy it will be to arrange that in Istanbul. Whatever happens, it's really exciting that I have no idea what I'll be doing or where I'll be next month. This is the whole reason I opted not to buy a round-the-world ticket.

Wish me luck on Kili and I'll be in Egypt next time you hear from me.

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10th August 2008

Good Luck!
Summit that bitch! Keep posting man, really enjoying the view from far away. I'm taking a road trip in a couple of weeks through Canada...not quite a RTW but it should be good times. NYC-->Niagara-->Toronto-->Montreal-->Quebec City-->Maine and back. Thought about going the other direction and hitting Chicago but don't have enough time and that drive was unnecessarily long without a few days in the city. I do have fond memories of that self-proclaimed murderer giving us a guided tour to the train station. What's the name of that hostel we stayed at in Montreal when we went to see the U20 WC? Trying to find it and I haven't been able. Good luck with the mountain. -Owen
10th August 2008

hey hey
So 1st of all your crazy..i would've been crying 4 mom a long time ago..but im gald your having a great time i can't wait 2 see pics..you suck 4 leavin right as we moved it took me 3 hours 2 pack the stuff that you "FORGOT" to do, yea nice job..but don't worry they'll be lots 4 ya 2 do when you get back..you gotta email linda cox cuz these ppl suck n they dont understand that your in the middle of africa n you can't just pick up a phone n call them..I'm still drivin!!..so far so good n the route 2 work from the new house is a lil quicker..so anyways good luck climbing can't wait 2 hear how it was..love you so much..lyns
12th August 2008

Good Luck!!!! I love reading ur blogs since nothing of interest ever happens here! And cause i will porb never go to any of these places! Have fun!

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