Day ??? - Mikadi Beach/ Moshi

After another few nights in Mikadi Beach, entertained by Raleigh international team leaders (thought of you Kendra those many moons ago) with many activities the most entertaining of which was the mud wrestling!  We also met a few other couples likewise at the start of they own journeys.  Good luck Lois &Oli!

Our first of many 13 hour (estimated 8 hours) bus journeys started at 6am. A 4am pick up in the legendary tuc tuc along pitch dark pot holed ridden roads dodging a few animals on the way (baby hedgehog) followed by a short ferry crossing which almost turned into a titanic style scenario although the iceberg was actually another massive ferry.  A trip through Dar es Salaam seeing only strip joints open and a funeral parlor selling very colourful coffins (no joke) brought us to one of the biggest, busiest and most hectic bus stations we have ever seen!  The bus journey was great, seeing more of beautiful Tanzania and experiencing the wonderful food in the stop offs (unlike our service stations) although the toilets could be somewhat improved!  Better get used to it!

Arrived at Moshi and was welcomed warmly by 2 things. The magnificent real Mt Kilimanjaro at sunset and the Moshi touts who walked us right to our hostel door and seemed to struggle understanding the English word ‘No’.  Must learn more Swahili and expletives!  Checked in to our “no frills” accommodation and headed up to the roof terrace bar to recover over a kili and see the last of it before night fall.

The bargain hunt began to find the best ‘no frills’ Kilimanjaro trek and what a bargain it was down to my extensive expertise in the field and analysis of the  market.  Even got a free meal out of it!

Just lets hope we get to the top……………….!!

Banda's on the beach...

The Chair...

If you can't climb it, drink it....!!!

On the road...

Mikadi beach lodge

Day 2 - Susi is far too chilled to contribute to this so it falls to me to write the first one! Well how to start. Feeling refreshed after a long journey and a good nights sleep in the beach hut. Soaking up the rays and having a few beers in the process whilst writing this. It's been eventful already and it's only day 2. Apparently the 380 in the A380 doesn't mean the amount of people you can fit in the plane. Emirates service was crap only got one drink for the whole 7 hours to Dubai.  Also lesson learned, don't leave a cheese sandwich in the top of your rucksack overnight. Some little critter will eat through your rucksack to get at it. There is now two holes in the top compartment! To top it off the laptop has given up. However on the plus side, we are at an amazing place, we are chilled to the max and have met some really nice people already. (Kirsty, Jason and Nathan hope you enjoy Zanzibar) We have been given the best piece of advice possible about climbing Killy. "If you can't climb it, drink it" (beer is called killimanjaro)
That's all folks, in need of a dip to cool down!