Kilimanjaro Day Two: It Only Gets Better
Day One Disaster On Kilimanjaro
September 20, 2016
Kilimanjaro Day Three: Love In The Air?
October 4, 2016
Ready For The New Day
After “the incident” of the first night on Kilimanjaro I retreated back to my tent, pants-less and cold, but happy I packed biodegradable wet wipes and was able to somewhat clean up. I slipped on an extra pair of pants and laid down for one more hour of sleep, sans sleeping bag.
The next morning, I told the chief porter that my sleeping bag “got a little wet.” We packed it up, and he said don’t worry because it would dry under the sun before nightfall. After the 7:00 a.m. breakfast, the Kilimanjaro day two venture up the mountain had begun.
Keeping pace with the porters
High above the clouds
Selfie time
Not wanting to take any chances of my sleeping bag not being dry, I finished the anticipated 5/6-hour trek in just under 4 hours. I arrived at Shira Cave Camp with plenty of daylight remaining and the sun shining brightly. Promptly after arrival, I rinsed off my sleeping bag and wet clothes from the previous night, hung them out to dry, and enjoyed the warmth of my tent.
Shira Cave Camp
Kili off on the distance
Sunset over camp
A few hours passed by and once everything was dry I could breathe a sigh of relief. The dinner of curry, chapatti bread, rice, and stew tasted much sweeter knowing I had a dry sleeping bag to rest in later. The temperature and sun fell concurrently—but I layered up properly and made certain that during my second night of rest I would not foolishly underdress like the previous one. In the immortal words of George H.W. Bush Jr:
There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.
Nature Calls On Kilimanjaro Day Two
Believe it or not, I woke up around exactly 3:00 a.m. again. And guess what? Yup, you guessed it! I had the sudden urge to urinate! This time; however, there was no debating. Headlamp on and bundled up, I found the nearest tree, emptied my bladder, and went back to my tent for a pleasant remaining three hours of slumber. I woke up, well-rested, thinking quietly to myself while still laying down: “Boy, it sure would be nice to cuddle up with a warm body here for a little while before this day gets going…”
Seconds Later
In perfect harmony with my thoughts, I heard the outer zipper to my tent open…
Then the inner zipper…
Then the final mesh zipper…
By now, I was sitting up, intrigued, yet assuming the unexpected guest was simply a porter bringing me a morning cup of tea but…
A beautiful young woman poked her head inside. I looked at her. She looked at me. As our eyes locked and we shared a silent moment, she leaned in slightly and said:
To be continued…
26 Comments
Kilimanjaro is intriguing. So is your post. Happy to know that you had a dry sleeping bag to retire into and could get some good sleep. Your unfinished story hangs like a dagger with suspense.
Kilimanjaro is something to admire, isn’t it? The trekking seems hard, but looks like you had a wonderful time. And that ending part though, can’t wait to read the rest!
Beautiful trek! Kili has been on my bucketlist for a while now. Excited to see what she says!!!
Looks like a great trek. Appreciate the people who trek carrying such heavy load. Did you also take pctures of the nght sky? Must have seen a lot of stars from up there.
Haha. This was interesting.
Side note, Kilimanjaro does seem to be extremely interesting! Guess it’s time to update my bucket list!
Thanks for sharing your experience of the trip.
Funny incidents on the road make great stories to remember and tell afterward. I can imagine sleeping in the nature can provide a good opportunity for a lot of funny stories. The views look amazing especially the one above the clouds! Extraordinary journey! Nice cliffhanger at the end haha!
Wow I like your adventure here! The trek sounds great since I do climbing as well. That end almost got me haha! I’ll be back for the next part 🙂
That looks like such an amazing trek. I’ve never climbed a mountain myself, but I’m sure going up the Kilimanjaro must be unforgettable in spite of the efforts. Those views from the top, especially at sunset, must be a one in a lifetime experience!
Wow.. This blog is just what I want to do in my next trip to Goa. Stay away from beaches and romance with the architecture and culture of the villages. Concept of River road travel is so interesting. I am copying your itinerary in my next trip. Thanks for the lovely article.
Your trekking adventure seems fun! I wouldn’t know if I could survive climbing Kilimanjaro, so I’d better start training and hiking now. It is just weird your body signals you to do its functions at such wee hours in the morning – 3 AM! Also, what a clever ending. Now we will all wait for the next post 🙂
This trek sounds real interesting. Which part of the year do you suggest?
Very clever ending! 🙂
Though my guess too is a dream. 🙂 A good adventurous post, well tackled.
What a cool experience! Really enjoyed the photos. Haha those early morning bathroom runs, never gets old lol Thanks for sharing your days with us!
Not fair! You can’t leave us hanging like that!
After hiking to Machu Picchu last year I decided that Kili would have to be added to my list. I need to get planning!
Looks like we’re making an even swap because I’m planning on hitting Machu Picchu either before or after Aconcagua.
Haha, great post! Biodegradable wet wipes are a great idea 🙂 Wow, you ran up that mountain! Did you balance your belongings on your head like the porters? Thanks for sharing your adventures! 🙂
I didn’t have enough time to master the art of balancing my belongings on my head unfortunately 😛
Never underestimate when the bladder calls 😀
We feel the need to urinate when it’s cold because the body needs more energy to keep the right temperature for our inner fluids, so it’s more convenient to expel them, one way or another!
Now I’m curious about the next chapter eheh
That is so very true! You don’t want to waste energy storing unnecessary bodily wastes.
I’ve been debating doing this trek for a while and while I’d like to say I’m going to read the second part for analysis of the trip, I really will be coming back to find out what happened with the beautiful young girl! Quite the cliff-hanger, if you’ll excuse the pun. Anyway, nice write up and I look forward to the second half
I highly recommend it Gareth. I’ll be putting together a comprehensive list of Kilimanjaro dos and donts in the coming weeks so you’ll be able to use that as reference as you prepare.
What! How tricky of you to leave us hanging :). Maybe it’s just a dream. Great pictures, looks like an amazing adventure.
🙂 stay tuned, the continuation will be out Tuesday.
Wow, sounds like such an epic trek! Your pictures are great but I’m sure they’re nothing compared to seeing it with your own eyes. I look forward to the next chapter!
You’re right. Being there was like living in a dream…amazing sights to see in person.
I’ll be back …??