Category: Africa

As I had booked all my international flights to and from Tanzania via Qatar Airways it also meant I had to change planes in Doha, Qatar. My outbound flight was simply just a quick 1 1/2 hour stop, but on the return I wanted to spend some time discovering a bit of the Middle East. And why not spend 2 nights in Qatar?

Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Supposedly they have awesome food. It is tiny. And there’s a lot of sand, no really, a lot of sand. With this in mind I planned a city tour and some “Dune bashing” in the desert near the Saudi Arabian border.

As I fortunately get some very favorable hotel rates through my employer (Marriott) I booked a room there. Upon arrival there seemed to be some challenges finding my reservation in the system. They couldn’t seem to accommodate any rooms or rates for me; to say I wasn’t pleased would have been an understatement. Heck, tent camps located down 2 hours of dirt roads in Africa had my reservations ready. And after 4 people tried to assist me I had to ask for the manager on duty in order to assist.
Quickly a familiar face appeared behind me; my girlfriend whom I hadn’t seen in 4+ weeks. I had just gotten exposed to the most awesome practical joke ever… She had gone to Nepal to hike up to Mt Everest Basecamp a week before I took off for Kilimanjaro (don’t ask…) and she had fooled me by switching flights around so she was able to see me in Qatar on her way back to Arizona. Wow. I am usually the one that is organizing surprises for others, but she got me.

Off to sightseeing it was. Even after a day of travel. And some amazing roof top dinner at the Souq Wakif with live music from a nearby concert. This was truly the Middle East.

Doha is an extremely new city. Very modern with many big skyscrapers and many more on the way. Construction everywhere you look. However, there are still a few local markets. The Souq Wakif is one of them. Small narrow shopping streets, local restaurants, music, hookah, people dressed in traditional outfits. Qataris take great pride in wearing their outfits and why not join them?

I think last time I had this many locals wanting pictures with me was when I wore a Mexican Lucha Libre wrestling mask in Mexico. Everyone loved it.

A quick sailing trip across the bay to our hotel and watching the end of the muslim holiday Eid was impressive.

The next day called for Dune Bashing near the Saudi Arabian Border. Lots of sand and rampaging in the desert. This was a blast. It was also impressive to be in the middle of this vast desert stretching as far as the eye could see. One side flanked by beaches and other by endless sand.

Driving high speed down steep sand dunes and slipping sideways in bumpy turns was fun. Even with our driver’s (Mohamed) choice of American pop and rap music.

Qatar is a modern country with Muslim traditions and living style. This means lots of women in traditional outfits, the fact that men place food orders, men are served before women, a woman’s testimony in family court is worth half of a man’s!), no public display of affection, no alcohol except at 4 and 5 star hotels, one single liquor store for certain people. While visiting other cultures these are things one must respect. After all, I’m a visitor in someone else’s home.

Visiting Qatar also involved a few hours at the very impressive Museum Of Islamic Art. Seeing the history and development of the muslim society in the Middle East was impressive. On so many fronts they were way ahead of the western world in science and we can attribute many of their early discoveries to items we have today.

The art pieces were truly impressive as well, and the museum building itself was astonishing. Entry was free!

Middle Eastern food didn’t disappoint whatsoever. As we were a bit adventurous it was quickly decided that baby camel was something a local restaurant in Arizona wouldn’t have on their menu.

Was it tasty? Yes. Would I order it again? Probably not. Maybe try this Moroccan salad instead….

Doha was well worth a visit during my journey. Would I go here just for visiting Qatar? Probably not. I was however very impressed with how well they preserve traditions and honor their heritage. I was mind blown by seeing how much money some of these people spend on clothing, cars, license plates worth millions, houses, food (don’t worry, you can find very cheap food as well), and beyond modern malls packed with high end luxury retailers. Hell, they have a teddy bear at the airport worth millions of dollars.

Next stop: Reality and planning the next few adventures. Any tips on Antarctica…?

(This blog and pictures were completed via smartphone)

Trying to figure out what I’d want to after hiking the highest free standing mountain in the world, followed by safari on dusty bumpy roads wasn’t really rocket science: Beach and relaxing. So a few months ago I planned to include Zanzibar for beach, scuba diving, and some culture. Quick summary: All were done and much much more than expected.

First of all, beach. Not much more to say than these pictures.

Hotel was nice with just 14 rooms, right on the beach in Paje, swimming pool, running water and Mosquito nets over the beds. All for a very good price.  Tough to beat in paradise.

For scuba diving I had contacted a local dive operator (Buccaneer Diving) next to my hotel in Paje. My buddy Riley is also a diver, so he was in on the deal. Diving didn’t disappoint. Now for those who do not know me that well, keep in mind I did live in the Cayman Islands for a few years so I am totally spoiled beyond possible.
We did 4 dives by Paje. Outside the big barrier reef we found great reefs and plenty of sea life. Inside the barrier reef there were a wide range of sea life as well, including multiple sea horses, on the same dive! We also headed north to the Mnemba Atoll sitting just offshore. Here the diving was amazing. Schools of fish, lionfish, turtles, octopus, lobsters, etc. We went out with a local boat chartered by Buccaneer Diving. On board we had a tasty lunch prepped while we were diving down below. Good day. Underwater pictures to follow.

Zanzibar has lots of history. We decided to check out the local capital Stonetown, the local way. A taxi would run us $35 each way, local Dala Dala “bus” was $1 and 25 cents. Done deal. Dala Dala to Stonetown it was. On the way in it was direct. 15 seats in the “bus” but we had 25 passengers. Didn’t see any other tourists attempting this method of transport. No problem. We continued to add more people on the 1 1/2 hour journey. Local joke: When is a Dala Dala full? Never.
On the return we did have to change Dala Dala. People were friendly to guide us to the right ones. Now keep in mind, this is full blown mayhem. You see Dala Dala’s with live chickens on them, bicycles, boxes, water, food, crates, building materials, goats on roof, and concrete.
My seat on the way there and back for half the journey consisted of a plastic can.

Stonetown has lots of history and tiny streets to explore. It is also a UNESCO world heritage site.

We did also checkout the site of the last running slave market. Slavery was a very dark chapter in Zanzibar’s history.

We spent 5 minutes sitting in the underground chambers that used to serve as holding cells for hundreds of slaves before they were to be presented on the market outside and sold, it was a grueling experience. Many slaves died in these chambers simply due to lack of air and water as they could spend days in here. Women and children were kept in a similar room across from the men as an enticement to behave. How man could sell another man for money was mind boggling.

The site now has a church built on top and the altar sits where the old whipping post on the market used to be. Next to the church is a Mosque. Much more peaceful today than just over 100 years ago.

Upon exploration of the church we magically found no sign that said no access to the tower. So armed with flashlights we climbed the tower, avoiding the construction workers, for a great view over Stonetown. Pretty sure no tourists go up this tower…. and pretty sure it wasn’t allowed either.

Renting two dirt bikes and driving north was also an experience. 4 police stops, one required 10 minutes of “negotiations” and resulted in a $0 bribe paid. The police officer didn’t seem too excited, but neither did we. Putting the key in the ignition got his attention and he quickly realized that I wasn’t going to pay up. Off we went. Braaaap….
Sand, beaches, dirt roads, and rainforest were a great combo for some exploration.

Avoiding rogue chickens, cows, goats, animals pulling trailers, busses passing each other while you are approaching them, and bicycles with one gear, missing a pedal and seat, while carrying building materials uphill (how’s that for a workout single speed Albert…?).

Everyone we encountered on our way were smiling and waving at us. Armed without a map and just a general sense of direction, we did get perfect guidance from a few people. Pretty sure they are not used to seeing two white dudes riding dirt bikes across the island of Zanzibar. But we made it to the north side in about 1 1/2 hours.

Zanzibar was great overall. Very local with some tourists in the major tourist spots. Italians, Germans, and Brits seem to be the most frequent guests. No Americans were spotted, too far.
Most common activities include kite surfing, beach time, sailing, boating, snorkeling, and Scuba diving. People were all friendly, ok maybe not the stubborn police officer, but everyone else were amazing.

Having all this by yourself due to low season – priceless.

For now, I just made it to Doha, Qatar in the Middle East. My trip here was flawless even with my early morning flight experience from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam. No security check. No boarding pass. One engine plane and one pilot; Simplicity.

The views were great and landing in a very strong sidewind called for some good skills of the pilot to pull off the proper exercise known as “crabbing” where you essentially see the runway out of the side windows instead of the front. Good thing I had views of both.

My flight to Doha is on Qatar Airways, in business class, so much different.

Next stop: Doha, Qatar

(This post and pictures were completed via Smartphone.)

While visiting nice, beautiful and amazing places around the world. It is usually the people that you meet, whether local or visitors alike, that makes the most memorable experience. As I sit in Dar es Salaam airport and reflecting on the past few weeks spent in mainland Tanzania as well as Zanzibar, I can truly say that the people have all been incredible.

This morning however was very unique. I had booked my taxi from my hotel in Paje, Zanzibar to the airport. Local driver, Omar, picked me up at 5.30am for an 8am departure from Zanzibar airport flying to Dar es Salaam (more to follow on my single engine / single pilot, experience…) We spoke for a bit about today’s big Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, and he was interested to hear about my journey. When Omar found out that I would be flying from Zanzibar – Dar es Salaam – Doha – Dallas – Phoenix, and the fact that I wouldn’t be home until Tuesday night (staying 2 nights in Doha), he said “come to my house for good muslim holiday breakfast”. I said of course.

Omar’s house was located in the heart of Stonetown shanty town, no tourists here. Tin roofs, dirt mus roads, trash everywhere, animals, kids, no windows…. Inside his home his sister in law provided some very local food, none of which I can pronounce or spell… after meeting his family (and the live chicken in their kitchen) and breakfast and tea it was off to the airport.

Yesterday was another great experience. We said bye to a local guy, Rango, that worked at a restaurant that we’d been frequenting for lunch each day. Last night he joined us and also provided typical desserts for the Muslim holiday. He had brought them from his family in town. We spent an hour just talking about Zanzibar life.

Driving around dirt bikes on the island yesterday (more to follow about this great decision to follow…), we managed to breakdown in the norther end of the island. Quickly a guy came to assist and walked us to the local repair “shop” for a repair job. 45 min job and no price gouging.

Driving through the shanty towns of Stonetown seeing a cemetery shared between Christians, Muslims, and Hindus reminded me of just how multicultural Tanzania really is. And the amazing part; they all get along. Maybe it would be time we all got along in year 2014 instead of beheading each other, preaching religions upon each other, and discriminating based on faith.

Eid Mubārak

Next stop Doha, Qatar.

Yes, I made the domestic flight from Kilimanjaro onwards to Zanzibar. Probably better service on board than most US Carriers. And the plane didn’t crash or catch Ebola en route to much disbelief…

Since some people have been asking for a quick update, I figured a quick post about the beaches of Zanzibar was in order.

Currently enjoying life in Paje on the south eastern coast of Paje. The main sand road contains a few shops and tiny hotels.

Beaches are incredible and diving has been great thus far.

The next few days calls for more diving and some dirt biking up north.

When I was planning my trip to Tanzania I of course wanted to experience a safari as well. A 3 day safari to Tarangire, Ngorongoro Crater, and Lake Manyra National Parks were planned.

Driving to these parks requires a great travel distance. Our guide Johnson, from Zara Tours, and our extended Toyota Landcruiser with an opening roof have been amazing. We managed to drive 500 miles / 800 km in just 3 days. A great part of these miles were on dirt roads, sometimes topping out at 55mph / 90 kmh, on very very bumpy roads. As our guide says “free African massage”. So if you plan on doing a safari, do take the driving and distances into consideration. In our group we were a total of three plus a guide. This left us with plenty of room.

The main roads themselves are in good condition, but fairly adventurous; Massai tribesmen in full outfits, herds of cattle, goats, and schoolchildren, motorbikes with 4 people on them some with a full size mattress strapped down on the back (braaap), vans with an extra 10 passengers in addition to official capacity and people on the roof, busses driving like mad passing 3 cars wide on a 2 lane road – it is mad. People say that Washington DC has bad traffic along with bad drivers in Miami, oh my, you have seen nothing until driving in Tanzania.

The national parks are all very well maintained. Security seems good in order to avoid poaching, at least I won’t argue with the guy carrying a gun resembling an AK-47. However, the cost of entering these parks can make it a costly affair. Ngorongoro Crater entry fee for a day for 3 people were $US 350. Typically this is included in your overall safari package, along with food, gas, lodging and guide. Tips are additional and can range from 10-15 $ US /day per person.

Our accommodations ranged from a basic hotel in a remote location to a luxury Wild Camp in the middle of nothing. Really. 40 miles / 60 km down a dirt road, from another long dirt road. Wild Camp was however incredible. Sleeping in luxury “tents” with the wildlife roaming around. The local Massai tribesmen told us that zebras, giraffes, and occasionally lions will roam between the tents. Pretty sure that if I saw a lion I’d follow the locals lead on what to do, or just run…

A typical safari day involves driving to the park just after breakfast, spotting animals, lunch, more spotting animals.

The individual guides all talk together via 2 way radio or cell phones, or stopping and talking to each other. They give tips on what animals they’ve seen and where.
Our guide helped us see buffalo, lions, elephants, the rare rhino, and even a Cheetah. Only missed the leopard put of the big 5. Also saw tons of Zebras, wildebeest, ostrich, antelopes, giraffes,  hippopotamus, and lots of Landcruisers.

The cars out here has to be extremely reliable and able to take a beating on these “roads”. They also have to be easy to repair in case of breakdowns. Our guide Johnson immediately stopped and jumped out of our car when another tour company’s rear shock shackle had broken apart. How do you fix this in the middle of nothing, literally hours from the nearest paved road, but only a few hundred feet away from a group of lions? Rope, a piece of wood and some good luck. All drivers stop and help each other out. No distinction is made based in companies here, everyone helps. Other car managed to drive off without further issues. More river crossings next to lions awaits. What do one do if you get stuck in a river crossing 100 ft away from a group of lions? Don’t get stuck.

Since the majority of this blog is being done on my smartphone you will have to deal with sub par quality pictures thus. However, below is a teaser.

Next stop : Zanzibar beaches and Scuba diving.

Note: All blog text and pictures were done via smartphone.

This morning we had a chance to thank our incredible crew, 21 in total. It was incredible to see all the crew together. A big thank goes to the crew of Zara Tours Tanzania for making us capable of reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro.

After breakfast we started the hike down the Mweka gate. A bit over 2 hours of non stop downhill. We only took a few breaks, including one to watch 3 monkeys jumping from tree to tree. Incredible to have hiked down to the rainforest in just a day.

At the Mweka gate we signed out of the national park and headed to our hotel, 45 min drive. At the hotel we spent some time chatting with our three guides: Salim, Steven, and Gouda. We all shared a few beers and sorted out tips for the crew. One should note that tips are note included in a typical climb and one should budget $200-$250 for such, per person. Also, used hiking gear is much appreciated. People in our group donated everything from used sleeping bags, hiking boots, and headlamps. I had brought a few tshirts from Arizona for our guides and a few bottles of high end cologne (courtesy of Qatar Airways), our guides were extremely thankful.

Salim provided some climbing certificates and afterwards we all grabbed lunch.

Rest of the day calls for laundry and repacking for the Safari that starts tomorrow. And finally a shower after 7 days without one. Best.shower.ever.

Note: All blog text and pictures were done via smartphone.

We started our hike up to the summit of Kilimanjaro at 12:40 am today.
My gear consisted of:
Bottoms: Smart wool base layer, north face fleece pants, Patagonia hiking pants.
Top: Smart wool base later (thick with zipper), smart wool tshirt, north face fleece shirt, north face summit series windbreaker/rain jacket. I also had a ski jacket I had rented, waste as it was too hot and too bulky.
Pack: Deuter Futura 32 liter with snacks (see picture from yesterday), rain pants, 3 liters of water in a camelback with insulated hose (froze at the top even with hand warmers stuck next to it), Canon T3i SLR camera with a 18-200mm lense, first aid kit, extra batteries for flashlight and camera, extra socks, extra bottom base layer, sunscreen etc.
This or similar combo is perfect for a summit attempt of Kilimanjaro.

Freezing cold but with a gorgeous starry sky. Seems like most other hikers had already left Basecamp before us. We were trying to time the arrival time at the summit with the sunrise. We did manage to pass every single group on the way up, we must be motivated. We probably passed 15 groups.
Steep never ending switchbacks only illuminated by our headlamps. The air (or lack thereof) at this altitude had left us a bit winded. But looking at all the other groups we seemed to be in very good shape. Temperatures were blistering cold, probably minus 15 degrees celsius / 5 fahrenheit. Whenever you stop for more than 2 minutes you start suffering. The wind doesn’t exactly help either.

Hiking up we try to have fun. However at 5 am when my friend Riley and I started blasting music and dancing, the French climbers that were struggling for air at 5756 meters at Stella Point might have thought they were hallucinating. Even our assistant guide Steven thought we were a bit crazy.

We reached the summit of Africa at 5895 meters / 19341 ft. just prior to 6am and was greeted with a gorgeous sunrise a few minutes later. 5 hours and 20 minutes from tent to summit. Very impressive.

The summit is flanked by massive glaciers looking intimidating by their size and dark blue color. Or is it me that is looking intimidating in my cold weather gear…? Summit behind me 

Spent some time taking pictures and also having a nice well earned shot of whiskey on the top. Oddly enough everyone else around looked at us as if we were crazy. They probably never participated in an Arizona mountain bike race. Pocket whiskey shots all the way… I brought them along from the USA.

After spending 20 minutes at the summit we started the very steep descend. It is extremely loose sand rocks and boulders all mixed up. Poles are handy here. My knees took a bit of a beating for sure.

Rested for 30 min, then grabbed lunch and packed our gear. Space is limited at base camp, so we had to be out 2 hours after the last hiker of our group finished.
In the afternoon we started our descend off the mountain. 15 km down to camp. Legs and knees were feeling the overnight hike up to the summit.

So I haven’t discussed injuries yet. Kilimanjaro isn’t a piece of cake. People die attempting to summit. Luckily we didn’t see such extremes. We did however see a few people taking the Kilimanjaro express. Which is the trail ambulance.

How they get people down the mountain on this thing is unbelievable. I wouldn’t even attempt to mountain bike certain sections.

We reached our camp ground and we were all fairly tired. We had been awake since 11:30pm the night before, hiked up to the summit of Kilimanjaro, and down, and to camp. A total of 25 km hiking. With cold weather.

Note: All blog text and pictures were done via smartphone.

Each morning I get up and hang my sleeping bag above the tent, wash my face, start packing clothes. Today was no different.
We started our hike to base camp. 4 hours. Only took 2 short breaks. Also, heavy traffic today. Porters and hikers.
Porters play a crucial role for the summit attempt. Carrying food, tents, clothes, water, chairs, batteries, propane, cooking gear, dishes oxygen tanks, etc. It is mind blowing to see how they carry this stuff. And passing you in the process.

Today is the day that we will attempt to summit the peak of Africa. One of the 7 summits. The highest free standing mountain in the world. As I type this I’m sitting at Basecamp looking at this spectacular view.

Lots of thoughts. To little clothes, how will I handle 5895 meters altitude, 8-12 hour hike starting in the middle of the night, freezing weather, windy conditions, hunger, food, energy, altitude sickness. All I try to envision is looking out from the top and the sensation of accomplishment.
The rest of the day calls for lunch and some rest followed by early dinner and then rest until around 11 pm where we will attempt to summit.

Basecamp is a busy place. Multiple routes lead here and everyone spends an afternoon/evening here before attempting to summit overnight, then return the next morning/noon for food and packing.

Note: All blog text and pictures were done via smartphone.

Man I love my sleeping bag. That thing is like a toaster. If you need an extremely warm bag, get a Marmot Never Summer sleeping bag. Just saying.

After a late start as we had plenty of time for today’s hike, we started ascending the Barranco wall. Steep sections with a few grab on moments.

Scenery was spectacular with small stream crossings and an absolutely spectacular view of Kilimanjaro.

It just seems bizzare hiking below this massive monster covered in snow, while looking down on the clouds. It feels like you’re walking on the clouds. On top of Africa.

After a few steep downhill sections and some uphill we reached the camp for today. Sitting on steep slopes with Kilimanjaro behind us and the clouds below us. The view is tough to beat.

Food. One thing that is crucial is energy and good nutrition. The sun, the heat, the cold, the physical strenuous activity of 6+ hours of daily hiking while carrying gear and water requires good food. Our tour company, Zara Tours, has incredible food. This is what our lunch today looked like upon arrival at camp.

During the hikes I will be snacking on Cliff Shot Bloks, essentially energy chews. My water has various flavors of Nuun tablets with plenty of sodium to keep cramps away. On long hikes we get a packed lunch.

After a great lunch and an hour of rest we did an acclimatization hike up above camp for one hour. Clouds started to move in, so we made a quick descend and off to dinner.
Sunset was spectacular, looking down on the clouds were amazing. After dinner the stars were out. Absolutely spectacular.
I did get a chance to try and figure out what to wear for tomorrow night’s summit attempt. Base layers and fleece so far. Both kept me warm. I will be adding layers on top as well. My face will be, well, covered up…

Note: All blog text and pictures were done via smartphone.

Today we started our hike up over the Lava Tower and down to our next camp for the night. Lava Tower was about halfway for our hike today where we enjoyed a packed lunch at 4600 meters. This was the acclimatization point for the day.

The hike up here was amazing, with stunning views of Kilimanjaro.

After our lunch we started a steep descend down from Lava Tower. Parts of it were still frozen.

Camp was a few hours down from here and it was in front of the snow covered summit hovering above. Incredible. Along the way we saw a few small waterfalls and some more vegetation.

Riley and myself did head out on the end of the campsite for some great views. Dinner as usual.

Note: All blog text and pictures were done via smartphone.