Kenya, Africa: Day 1

I arrived in Kenya at about 10:00 am. I exited the airport terminal and located a taxi as soon as I could. My driver was an old Kenyan named Jonathan. I asked Jonathan if he had ever heard of Ernest Hemingway, and he proceeded to tell me that he once drove a cab for Papa Hemingway when he was spending time in Kenya. He also praised Hemingway for his work in The Snows of Kilimanjaro.

I paid Jonathan $10 for the ride, and I gazed upon my lodging for the night. Upon checking into the Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge, I paid $195 (www.tripadvisor.com) for my overnight stay. Around 5:00 pm, when I finished buying survival gear for my trip ($354), I walked to the Velvet Bar and Grill for dinner. I ate a good meal for only $8. Afterwards, I went back to the room and sorted out my supplies for the next day's hike up to Mt. Kilimanjaro. I prepared a pack with plenty of water bottles, a small first aid kit, an industrial strength long hunting knife, a box of matches, a two-man tent, a change of clothes, a parka, and rain gear. All of the organizing left me feeling very tired, so I went to bed at 11:00 pm.