Climbing Kilimanjaro: Day 0

Arrival in Tanzania: Hurry-up and Wait

After a 15 hour layover we boarded the plane to our final destination. Our takeoff afforded spectacular views of Doha, Qatar. I was glued to the window most of the flight. The sand in the UAE is actually pink when viewed from above! I wasn't expecting that. After a quick pitstop in Zanzibar to refuel, we were off to Arusha. As we circled in on final approach I craned my neck to try to catch a glimpse of Kilimanjaro. All I came up with was the profile of Mount Meru, the slightly smaller large mountain in the neighborhood. No, this is not Conrad & Jimmy's Meru.

Pit stop: 1.5 days at Tumaini Cottage in Arusha before the real fun begins. Here we met several other hikers in our tour group. It was really nice to have a relaxed environment in which to get to know some of our fellow adventurers. The hotel was fantastic. It has a mango tree and avocado tree. Guess what we had fresh with every meal! The owner and his wife were exceptionally nice and took great care of us. The meals were fantastic. They even helped us get into town to do a bit of sight seeing. I highly recommend you check this place out if visiting Arusha.