Kenya, Africa: Day 2

I woke up at 8:00 to housekeeping knocking on my door the following morning. I quickly dressed, and went downstairs to the lobby for a free breakfast that was provided by the lodge. It consisted of a tasty selection of beans, rice, and fresh fruit. After breakfast, I loaded up my gear and walked outside. Just outside the lodge, I noticed a group of local children playing soccer, and I thought about how Hemingway valued athletic ability. Just past the soccer game, I saw my tour guide.

My guide, a local Kenyan, helped me load up my things into his jeep, and we drove all the way to the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Along the way, he pointed out a herd of antelope, a group of elephants, and a lone cheetah. We soon arrived at the base of the mountain. It was 12:00 noon.

My guide informed me that we would be hiking the Marnagu Trail (www.tripadvisor.com). I stood in awe before the beautiful giant that is Mt. Kilimanjaro. I thought back to Hemingway's book The Snows of Kilimanjaro. It was easy to understand how Ernest was so smitten by its beauty. We hiked the trail for about five miles, but then we turned around. I desperately wanted to try to scale it, but I was certain there would not be enough time. With that in mind, my guide and I prepared camp. I set up the tent and built a fire while my guide went hunting. He returned an hour later with a freshly killed antelope. We were asleep in the tent by midnight.