Today our group woke up in Mweka Camp after a long and well-needed night of sleep. We had our last breakfast courtesy of Barking Zebra, drank too much coffee, and then began our 4,000+ foot descent to Mweka gate.
On our way down, we experienced mud of all kinds. As we slowly navigated our way down, careful not to fall or twist an ankle, we watched deft porters sprint past us, Shania Twain blaring on their speakers.
At Mweka gate, we said our final goodbye to Kilimanjaro and took one last dirty group photo.
As we ate our final Kilimanjaro lunch, Angela/Breslin (Dave still can’t tell us apart) snuck away to feed watermelon to the rogue tortoises ambling around the grounds. Our amazing porters, who kept us well fed, housed, and alive for a week, sent us off with an a cappella dance party, which forced Jay to get his hands out of his pockets.
On the bus ride back to Usa River, we were able to see Kilimanjaro in all her glory, towering well above 19,000 feet. It was hard to imagine we were at the top 24 hours ago.
Per usual, Dave provided clear instructions about what would happen next and every one of us, especially Kaleb, incorrectly remembered the details. Somehow we all made it to dinner at the Rivertrees Country Inn in one piece, smelling better and ready for safari.
The last week on Kilimanjaro was truly memorable and our group stayed positive and laughing during the rare but difficult times. We debated the pros and cons of cutting a goat hotdog-style versus hamburger-style; reveled in Dave’s many colorful and fascinating stories (“chicks on feet!”); and competed for the final bags of lemongrass tea.
Tomorrow, our group will head out for a new adventure and we’ll say goodbye to one of our own, Walt, who definitely didn’t help the government plant microchips in our brains.
As Dave would say, “well hey guys, let’s go check out some dik-diks.”