Mt Kilimanjaro

A Christmas card

A Christmas card

What a year! We saw lions rise from the tall grass to begin the hunt. We listened to the soaring of prayers and the whistle of an icy wind rising over the cusp of Kilimanjaro. We sang carols in the church where Jesus was born. We walked across Galilee—twice. And we stroked the face of the dying.

The "Flat-Top" That Isn't: Exploring Kilimanjaro’s Secret Caldera

The "Flat-Top" That Isn't: Exploring Kilimanjaro’s Secret Caldera

The flat-top of Kilimanjaro is not really so flat. We discovered some of its features on the way to the summit.

The Last Full Night: Resting at 13,000 Feet

The Last Full Night: Resting at 13,000 Feet

The following observations and reflections were made on the afternoon of July 22, 2019. On that day I reached Karanga Camp (elevation 12,992 feet) by foot. The camp rests directly under the peak of the Kilimanjaro.

Ants in Your Pants: From Hollywood’s "Naked Jungle" to Kilimanjaro’s Slopes

Ants in Your Pants: From Hollywood’s "Naked Jungle" to Kilimanjaro’s Slopes

Look out for the Siafu! This species of carnivorous ant swarms in massive numbers, eats animal protein, and has dedicated soldiers with serious pincer-style mandibles. An unfortunate encounter with the siafu in an East African rainforest made us all a little jumpy.

Rookie mistakes

Rookie mistakes

Two lessons here. The first is this: don’t brush your teeth. The second is akin to the first: don’t ever think you are faster than a black mamba. Follow these two rules in order to get the most from your foreign travel experience.

5 gifts from Africa

5 gifts from Africa

Africa, even though my backpack does not show it, I carry home many gifts from you. I will treasure them as memories for the rest of my life.

Stork swarm

Stork swarm

Swarms of giant storks were suddenly everywhere. They were beyond counting. In the hundreds? For sure. Thousands? Maybe. Some circled slowly overhead, great wings outstretched. Many more rested, nested, and clattered their bills from poo-spangled trees. 

Noah's ark (sortof)

Noah's ark (sortof)

In the story of Noah's Ark, a portion of the living world finds sanctuary in a pinch. I thought about that as our rig bounced down the steep track into Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.

The eighth wonder of the world

The eighth wonder of the world

The land yawned like a Wyoming dawn. The opportunity in front of us was equally wide. We had a full day to spend in Ngorongoro Crater and I was pumped.

Taking a safari

Taking a safari

We pitched our duffels and then ourselves into Saidi's knobby-wheeled truck. Saidi found the gear and we lurched forward. Our aim was to encounter the wildness of East Africa, God-willing, in a bloodless way.