Hajja Salesjana - September October 2016

23 When we landed at Kilimanjaro airport, very early on the 29th December 2015, and I stepped out of the plane, I was hit by the earthly smell of Africa. I was back in Africa, the land where life is still led by nature, the land of wildlife, vibrant colours and ‘Hakuna Matata’. The 29th of December was mountain preparation day: we all had our gear checked, we were briefed about the mountain route, and we packed our 15kg duffle bag. It was quite a struggle to manage to keep within limit! The next morning we woke up to a lot of hustle and bustle: bags being weighed, food and water being prepared, tents and equipment being sorted. We were introduced to our crew: the cook, the helpers, the porters and the guides. Each person was equally important and the whole experience wouldn’t have been possible if one of them was missing. Every bag and food crater was loaded on to the trucks, and we finally left to face the mountain. Around noon we arrived at Machame Gate (altitude 1,800m), the entrance to the Machame Route of Kilimanjaro. We registered ourselves and started our 7hr walk through the rainforest. It was hot and humid, and at first very exciting to walk through the rainforest with birds and monkeys around you. Soon after, night started setting in and we could catch glimpses of these beautiful bright stars through the branched roof of the rainforest. Stars in Africa are much brighter than in Malta because there is limited light pollution. We got to Machame Camp (alt. 3000m), registered our arrival, and after dinner, we were shown to our tents. The tents were very small two-men tents, which we shared with a tent buddy. This little canvas was to be our home for the week. Washing ourselves and toileting was another experience in itself. We did not have any access to running water or showers for a whole week, but our crew were providing each one of us with a small basin of hot water for washing. It was something which I really looked forward to, especially when the weather was getting colder. The next morning, New Year’s eve, we woke up for our second day on the mountain; it was a very different new year’s eve! When opening the tent, I had a full view of the peak, a morning wake up call that I have to get up there. We were served hot tea in ‘bed’ before breakfast, whilst packing our stuff. Then after breakfast, we set off on our planned route. Quest for the Roof of Africa ( 2 ) by Claire Falzon We are pleased to bring to you the adventure of a lifetime Claire Falzon, an Occupational Therapist, a Salesian Animator and SPYS member, has recently embarked upon for a very noble cause. We will share with you her inspiring story bit by bit. Enjoy the climb to the breathtaking summit. Continues in the next issue