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Arriving
 The
first thing that
hit me was the crisp fresh
air. The dark night carried the scent of spices. Stepping into the Land
Rover outside at Kilimanjaro
airport seemed unreal. At the lodge, fresh pineapple juice and friendly
smiles greeted us. I fell asleep under a
canopy of
mosquito netting, the howls of baboons in the distance.
Farm
Visit
Before the safari
began, we spent a day visiting a local farm in Ng'iresi. As elected
chief of the village, Mr. Loti has started a cultural tourism program
that invites groups to tour the farms, school and traditional houses.
The fee paid by our tour company is used to expand village schools and
teach local farmers improved  agricultural
methods. On our guided walk, children appear all around us, some staring
cautiously from a distance while others came running to us, eager to
have their picture taken in exchange for money, candy or pencils. Our
tour guides warned us not to give handouts, as it upsets parents and
causes some kids to skip school and beg for treats instead. This was
an aspect of my trip I had been worried about. It's a fine line between
wanting to see the people and being the ugly American, gawking at the
poverty or worse, belittling it by seeing it as quaint and traditional.
I choose to take only a few pictures, when it was clearly welcomed.
Nature
Walk and Lazy Afternoon
 As
the sun climbed in the sky, the morning mist burned off and formidable
Mt. Meru stood over us. My room at Kigongoni
Lodge was a private cabin with a balcony that overlooked Mt.
Kilimanjaro. I relaxed with a glass wine and watched Africa's tallest
mountain appear from behind the clouds. In the afternoon a few of us
went on a nature walk led by Michael, a porter at the lodge and a big
music fan. He pointed out various plants used for folk remedies, and
eagerly scrambled up a tree to fetch a sausage fruit, which he called
the Maasai viagra. He even treated us to a fine rendition of Bob Marley's
"Redemption Song."
Feast
for the Senses
I had hoped the
food on this tour would be palatable, and came to the dinner table with
an optimistic sense of adventure. I was blown away. The food was amazing
- fresh and flavorful. The creole pasta I had was the best creole dish
I've ever eaten - a perfect blend of spices that stopped just short
of being too hot. At dinner the server took requests for wake up calls
- our choice of coffee or tea delivered to our room in the morning -
and if we wanted a fire started in our room after dinner. I was already
overwhelmed, and we hadn't even started the safari. >>
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