Final Goodbyes

Within the next couple of hours the rest of the porters and crew straggled down the muddy path eventually followed by the rest of our crew. We were all loaded into a large SUV and taken back to the Keys Hotel where a wonderful hot shower awaited us. We later went down to a fantastic supper and some well deserved cold beer. Later that evening, Faheem arranged for a doctor to visit me and we discussed the problem. He asked that I visit his clinic in Moshi the next day for tests. These tests – and more when I returned home – pointed the finger at Diamox, the drug we were taking to minimise the effects of altitude sickness. It was not a conclusive result, it is just that no other cause could be found and the reference books show bleeding as a possible side effect.

That evening we had a final dinner together in the hotel (together with some new friends from Australia and Western Canada who were going off with Tusker in the morning). That evening Kevin went off to meet his family, who were joining him for a week long vacation. In the morning Jo Ann and her husband, Dan (who had arrived the previous day) went on a 2-week safari. Amélie went into town for some last minute gift shopping before her flight home via Ethiopia (and a snow-bound Washington!). Ramona also headed off on Safari before going to Zanzibar with her freshly arrived American boyfriend Scott which they followed with some scuba diving in the Seychelles. Stephen, Martin and I did a 1-day Safari through Arusha Park and then we went home together.

It was an amazing 2-weeks that has had an enormous affect upon my life. Sometimes I wonder if it really happened, and then I look at the photographs and think about my new friends and smile. It was a huge challenge and, frankly, a difficult trek. It is definitely not for everyone. However, if you have the urge, CARE will be organising another Climb for CARE 2011 with a planned summit date to coincide with the 100^th anniversary of International Woman’s Day. If you have an interest to join with them on Kilimanjaro, and want to be involved raising funds for an extremely worthwhile cause, you can contact CARE via email at events@care.ca or call 1-800-267-5232 and they’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have. I can tell you that raising the money while just as challenging as climbing Kilimanjaro itself, will give you an equal satisfaction.