February 1, 2006: The 1st Day

Left: Preparing to leave Springlands Hotel for Kilimanjaro.
Below: Ajay eyes some fruit while we wait for our guides to pick up groceries in Moshi





It had been 3 months since Ajay dropped da bomb of this trip on us, and we had been anticipating it ever since. This day couldn't have come soon enough. It was Monday morning and the courtyard of Springlands was buzzing with adventure travelers who arrived over the weekend like ourselves. Gear was stacked near the front gates as minibuses and Land Rovers lined up to collect trekkers and safari goers and deliver them to their destinations. The excitement was palpable. We waited patiently for our minibus and guides to arrive, while other groups were packed and loaded and sent off. We were practically the last to leave the hotel, but Hakuna matata. Kilimamjaro would wait for us.

Our guides and our minibus finally materialized, and before we knew it we were driving north through Moshi, where we stopped to pick up some groceries. The trip to the entrance gate of Kilimanjaro took a little less than an hour from our hotel. After leaving the main highway, the road turned to packed dirt and we slowly drove our way up, gaining 3000 feet to arrive at our destination, Machame Gate.