In true Intrepid style we left Dar today, there is way too much to see and do here to be hanging around. This is our 4th country and I still havn't seen a capitol city. So we left at 5am, up at 4.30 to pack up tents. We are heading for Mt Kilimanjaro but we had to stop on the way to make breakfast and pack lunch.
Today was the longest drive day we have had and supposed to be the last. Nearly 12 hours including the breakfast stop. At Marangu we left the truck and went up the last few km's in a 4x4 ute. Kimori house is a big farm and we are camping on their front lawn. An ausie lady came down and gave us a talk about VEP which is a project supported by Intrepid. They kept telling us about the Awsome view of Kili and kept pointing to the trees. Not today there is too much cloud cover, maybe tomorrow, it seems EVERYTHING in africa is better some other time.
Big Mama made dinner for us. It was supposed to be authentic local. We had rice, mince,baked potatoes, beans and spinach. It was really nice but I dont know how authentic?
It rained on and off all night so the promise of a view of Kili in the morning disapeared. As usual I woke up at 2.30 and tossed around for a while. When I got up at 6.30 there was a real heavy pea soup fog so there is still going to be no Awsome view.
Last night we talked about Serengetti. We are going tomorrow for 3 days and will camp in the park for 2 nights with no fences around us.So there are things we have to do and not do like we cant go to the toilet at night alone, we have to go in pairs. A few other precautions and we will be OK. As part of the talks our leader said when tipping remember we have 3 trucks. Someone said can we get some smaller bills for tipping? He said "Im sure you will not be tipping less than 10,000 and you all have 10,000 notes" He expects us to tip the three drivers $6 each that is nearly $20 and just from our small crew it will be double the average wage for 3 days?? I really dont get this tipping stuff??
This morning we went for a wal to do a "village tour" We are on the side of Mt Kili so it was up and down hill. We were taken up to see the GCC computer ctr for a donation opportunity, then up to VEP vocational training ctr for another donation opportunity. The lunch supplied was part of the tour and the ladies asked for a tip when we finished. When we were nearly at the bottom the guide asked us if we wanted to tip him there or at the truck?
Now they are asking for a tip and telling us what to pay???