End of Camp, Kili & Safari

OK, so a lot to say! Firstly, as you can see, still watch this post, will will continue posting even after my trip with my conclusions from it too. It's been the most manic two and a half weeks ever... Actually, there is so much to say that this post maybe a little disjointed, sorry, also again i am such for time, so i will post you more on this later too.



As for big news, i made it to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro... 5890 m... litterally at sunrise, 6.30, on last Thursday morning. Absolutely amazing!!! But such hard work... Altitude sickness hit me from about 4900 m, and then go worse, it hit me the same as it did everyone, started as a shortness of breathe which isn't surprising considering the air up there is twice as thin. Then as we ascended further it just got worse, we had to stop for breaks every five minutes to get our breathe back even though we may only have walked say five metres... if that. When i reached the top i melt so dizzy, my muscles were nowhere near strong enough to hold me, almost fell down many times. It was so bad that i felt if i fell i would just die, i felt that if my lungs were not strong enough to carry my body, it would not be strong enough to keep it alive if i fell to the ground. Now it's done, well, I'm so glad i did it, absolutely crazy thing to do, but well worth the experience, plus it was quite cool living above the clouds for a couple of days.



As for safari, well, again well worth it, really it was the wrong time of year, but i saw everything i need to see. The only thing i missed was mating, a kill, and a good sighting of a Rhino. However, i got my Lions, Elephants, Cheetah, Hyenas, Hippos, Zebra, Buffalo's, Wildebeests and much, much more... Photos will say it all when i post them back home.



The last week in camp went well and badly. My first shock is that i didn't cry when i left, the last day was the bad day, nothing went to plan. Will post more on this next time as i have run out of it.


And on a last note as i have to leave now, i fell very sick again a couple of days ago, they followed the same symptoms as Malaria, but the doctors didn't know what it was after the tests... thing always look up for me! So they prescribed me Malaria drugs anyway, and now I'm better again. So I'm thinking it may have been again, but who knows.

Arusha

Hey all, very quick passing message. The project is now over for me, left camp and now in the touristic Arusha. Climbing Kilimanjaro today, just about to leave, so if anyone wonders where i am at sun rise this thursday coming, i will be summiting at just under 6000 meters. Have a good week all, will post when i get back. Best wishes to my brother Ben, Happy 21st for Thursday too, will try ring you! x

Feeling Better Already

Hey everyone, knew it was only a minor case, I'm already feeling much better again, almost back to normal! Hope to return back to camp soon.

On a different note, i wish my brothers and foster sister a happy birthday. I managed to find cards in Singida at the last minute, so have sent some your way, but i know you will get them very late, very sorry (pole sana!) Have a great time guys, i will be thinking of you on the days!

As i probably said in my last post, last week, so I'm incredible sad, and feel myself getting closer to tears by the second. Just had tea with some locals in Singida and spent the morning with another charity i met out here to see what they get up too, it's actually really impressive, you might find more info if interested at www.outreach.com great people working for them as you would usually expect to find in Tanzania.

Anyway, sorry for a short and rather blunt post, speak next week.

An Interesting Week

Though perhaps interesting being the wrong word. I should probably start by telling you i have Malaria, it's a relatively minor case, now i have the correct drugs i should be back to normal in a couple of days if I'm lucky. The previous three nights i haven't been sleeping, and was getting really tired in the evenings, i thought nothing of it, perhaps just dehydration... Then a fever definitely kicked in, feeling REALLY hot one second then REALLY cold the next, and when i was cold i knew i was actually hot because i was sweating like there was no tomorrow. Yesterday i got the jeep to come and collect me to take me to hospital to get the checks done, jeep organised around 1, so i got to the hospital for just before 8. However, there was a power cut, great timing, so we had to go and find another dispensary to do the check. They diagnosed me with malaria, they found two parasites in the small drop of blood they drew, it's a little weird to think there's loads of things swimming through my blood right now. The pain killers i brought out here have been keeping me going, and i got my first nights sleep last night, though a little int erupted, i woke up at 2 in the morning violently shaking, so i took some water and it died down after 20 minutes. Same happened again at 7, i think the drugs i am using are very dehydrating. It's nothing anyone has to worry too much about, like i said, i should be OK in a couple of days, just right now my body feels really really weak, huge headache (worse than any hangover) random pains round my body, and continuously feeling too hot or too cold. I just feel like i want to sleep all the time, but i know that if i keep myself up and about (not too much) it keep my mind off it. Hence why i pushed myself to come log on. Anyway, enough about that, I'm fine otherwise!

On different notes, a lot more making and moving bricks this week. On wildlife front, i found my first scorpion this week (in the sleeping tent too,) diddly little thing though, and we saw a shit load of Meer cats (excuse the language, i don't know the "herd" word that you'd use for them, so the Irish girls said the correct term was "shit load")

Mvae group came to Mghumbu again, i build i huge fire to honour the evening with, but i was not there to enjoy it as i had to get back to Singida town. It really puts it into prospective, i felt like hell, but i knew i was at the very least three hours away from any real medical advise, and knowing the delays that occur here, it would be a while to get a jeep to come, as you could see from above, the jeep took seven hours from leaving Singida town to get me to the Hospital, but then again, it would probably take that long waiting in A&E back at home through you're local NHS hospital, HA.

We plan to sleep on the top of these huge rocks near us this week (if I'm well) they're call Delalu, cool name hey. So we would see a great sun rise and set over the area we live in. Also, last week in camp, so it's going to be a sad one! Many party's, will try to get involved as much as i can, and by Friday, many many tears! I'm going to miss this place so much, i really love it here!

Anyway, i need to go now, feeling pretty crap again, so going to try walk it off, or sleep, though the latter wont work, so I'll walk.