Mweka camp...singing, laughing...

This was our last camp of the climb and the day that would be the most rewarding for us.

We arrived late and so we went to bed a bit early as we would be getting up at 5am to finish the last hike to Mweka Gate.

Abdallah delivered fresh coffe and tea as we packed up our gear. It was looking like it would be another beautiful day. As an aside, we had amazing weather the whole time on the mountain.

After breakfast came the fun part - saying thank you 'asante' to the crew. It is customary to tip each of the porters, cook, and guides. But it isn't just about the money. One can only imagine the life of a porter- hard work, little pay, and often little thanks. Yet without them, it would be a completely different experience.



Mark spoke on behalf of the four of us and told them all how appreciative we were. He said that we know that this may be a 'job' to them and that a week from now, they might be doing it all over again, but they have just fulfilled a dream for us - and that is a very special thing.

He told them how their love of life and laughter (and there was a lot of laughter!!! We had no idea what they were saying, but we could tell they shared a bond) and it was contagious. And we were thankful that they shared a bit of the country and culture with us.

All of this (and more) was translated to the crew in Swahili by Yusuf and everyone cheered, laughed, and when it was over they broke out into song (Kilimanjaro Song) and danced while the peak of Kilimanjaro was seen off in the distance against a bright blue sky.

Hugs, handshakes, and more assantes...and we were off on the final leg. We were greeted by more colobus monkeys in the trees, a beautiful lush rainforest, and eventually the gates. One final registration point to sign out before boarding the bus back to our hotel.

Leaving footprints, taking home memories along with a bit of dust from the mountain:


At the hotel we had the guide and asst guide join us for some cold drinks and we were presented with our gold certificates to show that we made it to the summit of Uhuru Peak. We had lots of gear (t-shirts, jackets, rainwear, caps, etc) that we had brought from home knowing that porters could likely use some of it. So, we left it with Yusuf to distribute how he thinks would be appropriate.

We had gained a lot of respect of Yusuf over the past few days. He was so genuine and seemed to truly understand human nature - making him a great leader.

More to follow...as our day didn't stop there...