AJ's Travels

Climbing Kili...or How Not to Climb Kili...

In hindsight, my training regimen of karaoke, cigars and martinis probably wasn’t the greatest idea in the world…

This thought, and one that involves my incessant need to pee, cycle through my head as I place one foot in front of the other in the pitch black night – broken only by the headlamps of my guide and I (my climbing partner had long since turned around out of sheer exhaustion), the couple dozen other brave souls, and the breathtaking canopy of stars above us all.  Despite these thoughts and the biting cold, I am focused on one goal – summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Overlanding in Africa

So…Those of your interested in what I’ll be up to for the next two months (technically 56 days in all), here is my promised preview of now through November 11.  I’ll be honest, I clearly had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed on for this trip a few weeks ago.  Case in point – I found out a week ago that I would be tracking mountain gorillas in Rwanda (something for which people wait years to get permits and the opportunity to do).  So, without further adieu – the official preview of my next two months in Africa…

Rwanda and Gorillas

I've been rolling through East Africa for the last few days, and will have a proper posting about that (as well as my novel of a Kilimanjaro post) to put up when I get back from...Rwanda!  Yeah...I had no idea I was going here, nor what I would be doing.  Apparently I'm going to be trekking to find and hang out with the endangered mountain gorilla.  We cross into Rwanda from Uganda tomorrow and then spend the next four days going into the mountains to spend time with the gorillas.  In my downtime, I'm hoping to see the genocide museum, catch up on some writing, and try to find a place in Kigali to upload my pictures.  So yeah...gorillas...definitely wasn't expecting that...

Pre-Preview of my Next Two Months

If anybody is interested in what I'll be doing the next two months, I'm posting this to hold you over until I can assemble a proper blog preview of everything tonight.  I'll essentially be on a big truck for two months travelling from Nairobi, Kenya to Capetown, South Africa.  Enjoy!

http://www.overlandingafrica.com/tour-details.php?tid=94

AJ’s Bad Travel Poetry Episode 1 - Ode to Impala Shuttle

Ode to Impala Shuttle

Impala Shuttle Services,

For 9 hours plus,

I have been sitting on your bus…

Or rather your glorified van.

Impala Shuttle,

The road’s endless bumps hurt our butts,

Because you have no shocks or struts.

I’ll be honest…I’m not a fan.

Back in One Piece...mostly

I'm back in Moshi, Tanzania after successfully summitting Mt. Kilimanjaro at 5:30am on September 11. Let's call the ascent a mutual ass kicking, since Kili kicked my ass just as much as I did its during the climb.

20,000 feet to go...

Well...it's midnight of the morning I climb Kili.  She's not quite 20,000 feet, but close enough.  I'll be  en-route Sept. 6, 7, 8 (my 27th birthday), and 9th.  Summitting on the 10th, and then heading down the 11th and 12th.  I'll write about it after I catch my breath and drink a G&T.

Here's to starting a year's worth of adventures...

It takes a villiage...to send me on my way...

Okay...so how did I spend my last day in Indiana?  Very good question...

The short answer is that I spent my last day in a hectic, whirlwind pace, a near nervous breakdown, and the perfect farewell.

Let's give some background...

Africa!

After 16 hours of flights, one lost (extremely essential/primary) bag, frantic follow-up with AmEx to locate said bag, a somewhat restless night and an inexplicably obnoxious, loud brand of bird waking me up at 6am - I am sitting in an internet cafe in Nairobi, Kenya!