Tanzania 1997
Introduction
When I first discovered that my colleague Harry was going to live in Tanzania, I was determined that I would try and visit some time, partly because I had never been to East Africa, but mainly because I wanted to climb Kilimanjaro. I'm too much of a coward to do serious rock climbing, clambering up vertical faces hanging on by my finger tips, but getting to the top of mountains has always appealed to me, and Kilimanjaro at 19,460 feet is supposedly the highest mountain in the world that requires no special skills to reach the top of. It is an extinct volcano, and the easy route takes you to Gillman's Point, which is on the edge of the crater. From there it is another 2 hours walk to Uhuru, the actual summit, but only about 600 feet higher.
I wanted to become the third member of my department to climb it. Before I went, I had a long talk with one of them, Graham, who told me in graphic details about the difficulties likely to be encountered, but gave me plenty of good advice, in particular to make sure your torch is firmly attached to your belt when visiting the toilet in the dark.
I flew overnight to Dar Es Salaam on May 22/23rd and was met by Harry. This was a relief, because the only address I had was a PO Box number. Alison, his wife, was away up country on a course, so Harry had to entertain me on his own, in between visits to the office. On the Saturday he took me into Dar which I enjoyed exploring. It was a busy place but without the hassle I have experienced in other towns. Quite a few people tried to sell me things, but they didn't become a nuisance. Also though it was obviously hot, it was not as humid as I was expecting - not as uncomfortable as coastal towns in West Africa.
Since Harry was going to have to work on the Sunday, and I had limited time, we decided I might as well go up country the next day. We went to the place the coaches leave from and discovered the time that one operated by a reputable company was leaving for Arusha. Next morning Harry took me there at 7:30, negotiated a ticket in his fluent Swahili, and waved me goodbye.