Tanzania

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PaperGate

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PaperGate

I dangled out the bus window and sniffed the air. It was damp, earthy, and green. Inside the bus were nine other Kilimanjaro trekkers (also somewhat damp, earthy, and green!), four guides, a handful of porters, and many rucksacks.

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The LFMW

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The LFMW

The ten of us sat around the long wooden table. We looked like members of the board, but this was no committee meeting. Robert, sporting the "please-recover-my-body" orange of Kandoo Adventures, introduced himself as our lead guide. I liked him immediately.

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Ptolemaic puzzles (part 2)

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Ptolemaic puzzles (part 2)

I knew Kili was up there and quite close, its hoary head peering down. But from Stella Maris, it was impossible to discern where the giant lay. 

How do you hide a mountain? I thought. Especially the highest one in all Africa?

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A real star of the sea

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A real star of the sea

Stella Maris is Latin for "Star of the Sea." The phrase originally referred to Polaris, the brightest point of light in the constellation Ursa Minor (or "Little Bear"). As this fireball is fixed in a fluid sky, navigators use Polaris, also known as the North Star, for orientation.

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Pole pole

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Pole pole

Joshua was the first Tanzanian we met and the first to give us advice for a successful summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. As he inched the van through the traffic between the airport and our Moshi hotel, he encouraged positivism, patience, and pace.

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Ptolemaic puzzles (part 1)

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Ptolemaic puzzles (part 1)

The earliest mentions of Kilimanjaro are shrouded in the mist.

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Elevated faith . . . and doubt

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Elevated faith . . . and doubt

"You know," Godfrey answered, still in reflective mode, "Some people say that Jesus climbed to the top of this mountain."

"Really?" I queried. I was curious where this could go.

"Yes. With his twelve . . . " He searched for the next word.

"Apostles?" I filled in.

"Yes. Apostles. They came here to pray."