A month ago, M's parents came to visit us in South Africa and we would like to honour PCV moms on this Mother's Day by sharing about the trip, in my mom's own words... Q & A style.
My parents and I in Simon's Town. Joe was teasing us for being matchy-matchy.
What is the most cherished moment from your time in South Africa?
My most cherished part of the trip were my interactions with South Africans. It started with learning Cape Town history by Sean at Verona Lodge, interacting with Yasmina at the Cape Malay cooking class hosted in her own home and learning Bo Kaap history.
Mom learning how to make roti, a type of flatbread that is popular in many Indian and Malay dishes
Michelle learning to make roti.
Joe and Daddy learning to make samosa (or samoosas).
Then came Mama Mbatha[NB: J&M's host mom during training]. I adore this woman. She loves Joe and Michelle with her whole heart. She took what life dealt her with smile. Our discussion about rondevels, ancestors and talking to ancestors over tea keeps playing in my mind. Playing cards with the boys in both families [J&M's current host family and Mama's family] is a big highlight. Their current host family, especially their host brother and gogo [grandmother], were open and we found info on some of the modern Zulu culture.
Playing cards with our host brothers
J & M's Host Family
The school visits were such eye openers. These kids work hard. They have so much dedication in their hearts to your library, to their traditions and dances, and to the importance of education. These interactions made the trip.
Momma reading to learners at recess
Some of my Library Student Assistants
I also really enjoyed the Catholic church that we attended. The songs were so beautiful. Such harmony. We were not on vacation, but rather a cultural journey.
The Catholic Church
But the most cherished moment has to be the time with Mama. We were there for about 24 hrs but she was so open to us and to see the relationship she had with Joe and Michelle, the love and returned love and respect. It was obvious to us that they have made a difference in SA!!
Momma and Mama
What surprised you while you were here?
Two things surprised me.
1. The crime/ warnings of crime and the barbed wire on everything. The people are such polite and friendly people- Why do they accept crime being so prevalent?
2. The "markets" visits. People, including gogos, basically selling everything on the sidewalks or men saying "I will watch your car" to earn a living. Also their creativity with beading, weaving, metal working, tin can art and wood art.
What was the hardest moment when you were here? (Besides saying goodbye...)
The hardest moment was wanting to do more and not be able to do it at that time. I wanted to buy a lot and 200 blocks to start up Mama Maseko's crèche or bring the FEMA trailers there so the schools will have fewer kids per class. We wished to help these schools in some way, like in their libraries. For some reason I thought the books would magically unpack themselves. They are still going through the slow process of unpacking, labelling, and shelving the donated books.
Daddy telling stories to Joe's Grade 6 learners
Momma and Daddy with my Grade 7 learners
Mama Maseko teaching Grade R
What is one thing that you want Americans to know about South Africa?
Americans should know that South Africa is a beautiful and friendly country. Their style of singing sets your blood wanting to dance within. The country is so green, even though the soil is sandy and it is during a drought. But this greenness doesn't mean the people have water. Mostly I want them to know that the people in South Africa are friendly and resilient. Their struggles with apartheid have given them voice and strength. Despite poverty and unemployment, they are trying to make a living (as evident in their beading and art from even tin cans).
Beautiful South Africa: Cape Town, Western Cape
Beautiful South Africa: Port Shepstone, KwaZulu Natal
*Note: this post is a throwback to an event that happened in December 2015.
As the school year draws to a close, my colleagues at school decided to go on a staff outing. They had been setting aside a portion of their paychecks since the beginning of the school year with the idea in mind that they would celebrate in some way before the school closed. My colleagues decided that they were going to go on a game drive. What was more, the teachers said the outing wouldn’t be complete if Michelle didn’t join us. I was excited about the prospect of doing something together as a staff.
Joe and Some of His Colleagues Seated in the Safari Truck
There’s a game park fairly close to our shopping town. It’s named after the local chief because his family donated the land. The park boasts many elephants along with a variety of other animals, including rhinos, zebras, leopards, and many more. It wasn’t until I was at the park waiting to get picked up by our safari truck that I learned lions were also at the park. My excitement heightened when I realized that there was a possibility we would get to see one.
A Herd of Impala Grazing
One of the Elephants with an Upraised Trunk
Rain threatened the forecast, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. It wasn’t long into the game drive that we saw a herd of impala and springbok. After a few more turns, the guide told us to get quiet because up ahead he spotted a herd of elephants. They were taking advantage of the rain to shower their bodies with dirt and sand. Fun fact: elephants splatter themselves with mud because it helps protect their skin from the sun and parasites. Ahhh… the irony of showering with mud during a rainshower – haha! We spent several minutes taking photos and gazing in wonder at the giant beauties.
Hey - watch where you throw that sand!
No big deal... just cruising behind a few elephants. :)
After the elephants sauntered away, we drove around a few more bends and came upon one of the watering holes located within the park. As we approached, Michelle whispered, “Look to your left. There, on the hill!” I couldn’t believe my eyes – on the hill stood two lions! Some of the other teachers had been to this game park once and twice before, but this was their first time to actually see the lions. There was much excitement in our truck. According to the guide, the lions were relatively young. I joked with Michelle, “If we call puppies pups as they age, and lions are called cubs when they’re babies, does that mean we can call these ones ‘pubs’?”
A Couple of Lions Seeking Shelter from the Rain
After the game drive, the rains cleared, which made for perfect timing because the staff and I were going to have a braai* next. I’m sure the carnivores of the game park were salivating as we grilled steaks, vorse*, and chicken. It was a good thing for us that we were safely separated by a sturdy, electrified fence. While the meat grilled on the braai, the teachers danced to tunes pulsating from one of the teacher’s cars. It was a fun site to see everyone, including the principal, get down.
What a Great Staff!
The staff outing is definitely one of my highlights of the school year. And with only one week until the school officially closes for the December break, I’m grateful that we were able to have that time together.
A couple of years ago, while Joe and I eagerly awaited a response from the Peace Corps about our acceptance, he said to me, “If we end up anywhere in Africa, I want to climb Kilimanjaro.” We figured it was about the closest we were ever going to get to living near Africa’s most famous mountain.
In December 2015, we made that dream a reality. We have created two posts to honour this journey. The following post tells of the story through pictures. There is a second post (linked here) that contains a more detailed daily log of the trip.
______________________________________________
The story begins...
Our Fearless Adventurers: Joe, Michelle, and Kelsey (another PCV from our cohort)
The full packing list (available here) includes all the essentials: thick jackets, hiking boots, and the optional pee bottle. It made for interesting unpacking and repacking moments.
Once in Tanzania, we met our guides at the very lovely Stella Maris Hotel. Their conference room boasts a lovely mural of the various summit routes. We chose the 8-day Lemosho Route. For a full itinerary of the climb (and to follow along!) click here.
Starting elevation : 2,100m or 6,889ft.
There were a total of 10 clients on the climb. The climbers came from all over the world: the United States, Canada, Japan, and Singapore. Funny enough – two of the climbers live in Ohio about 25 minutes from Joe’s parents!
On the mountain, we felt like a moving city. We were supported by 4 guides, 2 cooks, and 32 porters—totaling 48 people.
Each porter was assigned a 20kg (45lb) bag containing “group gear,” such as tents, food, chairs, and overnight gear. This bag was to be carried in addition to the personal gear items in their backpacks. Despite all of this extra weight, they were still running (climbing) laps around us clients.
We enjoyed the company of 4 local guides. It was a great joy to share this journey with them. They shared not only their wisdom about the mountain, but also about their family, traditions, and tribal heritage. We were so blessed!
The climb starts in the beautiful rainforest that sits at the base of the mountain.
This rainforest ecosystem is roughly found between elevations of 6,000-9,200 ft. For a full description of these ecosystems, click here.
Can you find the climbers in all this lush greenery?
Usnea, the scientific name of this bearded lichen, reminded me of the Spanish moss of the southern US.
The next ecosystem we reached was the heath zone. Notice the change in the vegetation. The heath zone is found between elevations of 9,200-11,000ft.
Days 1 & 2 were fairly easy. We mostly enjoyed the beautiful views and rode the ups and downs of the trail.
By FAR the greatest treat each day was coming home to a camp that was already set up by our fabulous porters and a warm meal cooked by our skilled chefs.
Each of us was paired with a “personal porter.” This porter carried our sleeping gear, extra gear, and other items that we didn’t need access to during the day. I was matched with Tumaini. He greeted me at the end of every day with a high-five, a smile, and an open hand. I was grateful for his never-failing positivity.
Joe’s personal porter was Emanuel. Emanuel was always quick with a smile and a thumbs-up. He was often shoulder-to-shoulder with Tumaini welcoming us both to our new home for the night. Not only did he take fabulous care of Joe, but he was eager to help others around the camp as well.
Day 3 took us into the moorland ecosystem (found between 11,000-13,200ft elevation).
The grasses became shorter, as did our breaths. 13,580ft is nothing to laugh at. WHEW!
At the end of Day 3, we did what is called an “acclimatization hike.” This is where we hiked to a higher elevation to adjust to the altitude, and then climbed back down to go to sleep. Climbing a mountain is work!
…but it offers some fabulous views.
One side effect of Diamox, our altitude medicine, is that it makes you have to pee a lot. One of the perks of this side effect is that you have ample opportunities to appreciate the night sky during pee breaks.
…just avoid the ice in the journey.
Day 4 was one of the longest days. This took us up above 15,000ft to the base of the lava tower, then back to 13,044ft for camp.
The coolest parts of the moorland ecosystem were the really cool plants, some of which are only found on Kilimanjaro. Many reminded us of Dr. Seuss trees.
BIG Dr. Seuss trees…
Day 5 was the steepest day by far. Our rock climbing skills came in handy in a few of these gulleys.
Each day brought us closer and closer to the summit.
Joe can just reach out and touch it!
Day 6 brought us squarely in the alpine desert zone –no more trees (or many other plants) here! The alpine desert runs from roughly 13,000ft-16,500 ft
We look like we are on the moon!
After the sun set on Day 6, we rested for a few hours then started for the summit!
By the time the sun rose on day 7, we had been hiking for 6 hours and were above 18,000ft in elevation. Not long after, I had difficulty breathing and turned around for camp.
Two hours later, the rest of the crew reached the summit point. Joe brought some pretty important people along with him—in his heart.
I promise that Kelsey is under there somewhere…
I can’t neglect to highlight the highest ecological zone! The arctic summit (16,500ft-19,341ft)—almost no plants or animals (aside from thrill-seeking humans) are found this high!
We rounded out Day 7 with a 12km hike downhill.
It’s amazing how quickly the elevation melted away. 6.5 days up…1.5 days down!
Our last night with the crew was also Christmas. Our chefs made a special cake and traditional meal to celebrate the climb and the holiday.
It was as delicious as it looks.
________________________________
After over a week on the mountain, an epic climb, and joyous camaraderie, it was time to say tearful goodbye. No major sub-Saharan African event would be complete, however, without a little singing and celebration. Please enjoy this Kilimanjaro send-off by our excellent team.
The song is in Swahili. There are over 100 other languages spoken in Tanzania, but Swahili has risen to be the common or unifying tongue between tribes and groups. During the climb, we picked up a few phrases of Swahili that we thought would be fun to share. If you listen closely, you hear many of these in the song (along with the names of our nightly campsites and the summit).
Jambo (pronounced “jahm-boe”) – Hello.
Mambo? (pronounced “mahm-boe”) – How are you?
Poa (pronounced “poh-ah”) – Good/Cool.
Poa kachizi kama ndizi (pronounced “poh-ah kah-cheezee koh-mah ndeezee”) – I’m crazy cool like a banana.
Hakuna matata (you all know this one…) – No worries or no problem.
Ahsante sana (pronounced “ah-sahn-tay sah-nah”) – Thank you very much.
Karibu (pronounced “kah-ree-boo”) – Welcome/You’re welcome.
Nzuri sana (pronounced “nzur-ree sah-nah”) – Very delicious/good.
Pole, pole (pronounced “poh-lay, poh-lay”) – Slowly, slowly.
___________________________
Closing Reflections
This trip was pretty epic, but it would not have been possible without the work of so many porters and crew behind the scenes. The summit photos and stories always glorify the clients, their struggles, and their accomplishments along the route. Our guides make this summit 2-3 times per month. The porters carry about 3-4 times as much weight as the clients do. All 38 of them sacrificed their Christmas celebrations (and end-of-year festivities which are so very important in the Chagga culture) just to make our summit dreams possible and share their beautiful mountain with us. There can never be enough praise or recognition for the physically and emotionally exhausting work these team members do. Ahsante, ahsante, ahsante sana.
I would not have been on this climb if it hadn't been for Joe (and Diamox). I am grateful for a partner who pushes me towards adventures that are beyond my imagination. I was very anxious leading up to the climb, but I appreciate his patience and the grace and encouragement of so many friends and family members to lace up my boots and hike on.
There is so much beauty in this world. We just have to make it a priority to witness it.
