Holidays, where have you gone???

After spending the whole of last quarter counting down to our Easter break it has gone way too fast!  As a side note, it has been my personal mission to name this holiday Easter break rather than Spring break as it's called in the US.  Wrong hemisphere people!  Thankfully my American colleagues have been very accommodating, and it will hereby be called Easter break..haha

The weather has been crazily hot this last week, 35-36 degrees during the day, and often still 30 degrees at 10pm!  This wouldn't be such a big deal if there was such a thing as air-con.  If the power is on we can have fans, but even then it's quite hot to get to sleep.  I end up starfishing on the bed with a fan on full power 1cm from my nose.  Not fun!

This last week has most definitely been introvert recharge time.  We were supposed to be moving house (the rent here has been put up, so time to find a cheaper place) but it hasn't really happened!  The four people I've been living with are all moving into one house on the next property, but I'm moving into the back house with Taylor and Rebecca.  The new front house is ready, so they have all moved and I'm just hanging out waiting for the other house to be ready.  Last I saw there was still no floor...haha.  In the meantime, I'll be enjoying some introvert time :)

In the last few days I've been on some adventures, although it's getting harder to find new places close to Moshi where I haven't already adventured!  On Good Friday I went on a motorbike ride with the minister from my church to a place called Kibosho.  It's uphill from our place towards Kili.  Being higher up it's a bit cooler too!  There is an amazing big church as well as a convent with really nice gardens.  It was a great place to explore.

Today was a very random adventure.  I met two Australians at church who were visiting from Arusha (about 1.5 hours away) and was so excited to see some Aussies that we spent the afternoon together.  Some other people visiting from the UK were going to Uru Waterfall so we tagged along.  It was super nice to catch up with people who actually knew where Tasmania was, and even asked what city I was from!  The scenery was great, although next time I'll bring my swimmers :)

 Hanging out with Liz and Tracey

Back to school tomorrow for a preparation day before kids come the following day, then parent teacher interviews on Friday.  One week of holidays is just not sufficient!  Still, the next holidays are 2.5 months, so I won't complain.....

God's blessings :)

Kili Half Marathon done!!!!

After several weeks cramming in some training, today I ran the Kili Half Marathon!

I've done a half marathon before, but this one was rather epic.  Even the training was a funny experience, since some of the world's fastest runners come from East Africa.  The week before last when I was out running I had a local runner stop and say, "Madam, are you ok?" with a total look of concern!  Yes, I'm ok, this is just how I look when I run....sigh!  It was so sweet how encouraging everyone was in the training weeks though.  Whenever another runner runner would pass me (which happened often!) they would give me a mini round of applause, which was often enough motivation to do another few kms.

After getting up at 5:30am all the people running from our organisation met up to walk 2kms to the start line.  Parking is rather crazy so it was the only option!  Six other people did the half (including 3 housemates) whilst others did the 5km.  We'd been on a drive around the course last night so I knew what to expect: lots and lots of hills!  Thankfully it's the first half of the race that is hilly, and the second half is generally a gentle downhill slope, except for a hill right at the end which was sooo painful!  I managed to run the whole thing, and only really felt pain for the last 3kms. By that time it was pretty hot too!  I kept a slow pace and finished in around 2hrs 35 mins.  It was great being part of a group, and seeing people I knew watching along the course.  Having friends cheer and in turn cheering for others when they entered the stadium was really special.  We were all so stoked to finish, though not so stoked about walking 2kms uphill back to our car...after all that running it hurt!  Lovely Allie stood at the finish line and took some epic photos.  I think there are some professional ones available on the website at some point so I'll add those later too.

Half Marathon gals before the craziness began....

Walking to the start line....still bedtime methinks

Allie took a pretty pic of Kili at the stadium!

Entering the stadium...woot!

Taylor and I in the aftermath...

Go team HOPE!

Kara, Alma, Taylor, Rebecca and I.  We did it!

 It has been a rather intense day and I'm loving every bit of relaxing now before school tomorrow. Overall though, I'm happy to have another special memory (+ medal and t-shirt!) from this beautiful part of the world.  Only three weeks until school holidays!

School, school and more school

This quarter is sooooo long!  I remember last quarter wishing we would have one full week of uninterrupted school after endless public holidays.  This quarter though, zero school days off for 10 weeks.  To be honest, it's not so bad as class is pretty routine now.  I am really loving my class and have discovered a love for high school teaching.  I never thought I'd be keen for teaching older kids, but it is seriously so much fun.  

Last month I took the class on an excursion to Natural Extract Industries, a small company that processes vanilla extract and cocoa.  No need to fill out risk assessments here, and transport was all of us jumping in the teacher van and me driving!  It was the most relaxing excursion I've ever organised! The students were really polite and asked lots of interesting questions.  It was so special when the guide was showing us everything in the laboratory.  At school we don't have any Science resources at all so even the test tubes were fascinating!  Of course I bought some cocoa and made the class chocolate cookies for the next day....a good excuse for some baking! We also went to Uhuru hostel for Samosas and soda.  It was $12 well spent as they had a great time chatting and trying out the playground.

Learning about how vanilla is processed and stored

The kids asked great questions and the guide was so enthusiastic

Van selfie...so there weren't enough seats for all the kids...
no bother here!

Samosas and soda at Uhuru

Kids are never too old to try out a new playground :) 

Since this quarter is so long, we had a break from routine this week and had a Technology Challenge Day!  This involved the students working in pairs to complete 4 challenges involving design and construction.  The class can get super competitive, so I talked with them at the start about always putting people before tasks and they were amazing!  The main challenge (worth double points) was to create a rubber-band powered car that could travel the longest distance.  They were so encouraging of each other and came up with some pretty cool designs.

Building the tallest possible tower out of 3 sheets of paper

Designing a cardboard bridge that can hold the most water

Rubber-band car construction begins.....

Using toilet paper rolls to make the longest running marble run

Car testing time!

So it seems February has been all about school and not much else.  Still, that's the reason I'm here and I am learning a lot.  Admittedly I didn't love the school in the beginning as I felt I had so little say in anything and was treated more like a student teacher rather than an experienced teacher.   That has changed a lot since then though and I'm learning how and when to speak up about things, and when to keep my mouth shut!  Life in Little America is still frustrating at times, but I feel I have a place here and am excited to see how I can contribute towards this rather unique little school.

Escaping Moshi

I really like living in Moshi.  It's quiet, safe, full of beautiful people, has all the shops and facilities we need and also has great mountain views on a clear day.  But at the same time it's dusty and hot, and after a while the routine of life becomes a bit mundane.  If I were back in Aus I'd jump in my car and go for a drive somewhere, but here there is no car to jump into!  Any opportunity to escape is just so refreshing.  I forget how beautiful and diverse this area of Tanzania is until I can get out of town and experience a new place.

About 3 weeks ago (two days before school started) the teachers and teacher assistants went on an excursion to Maji Moto (hot springs) about an hour and a half from Moshi.  The water isn't really hot, but so clear and beautiful!  It's like a little oasis in the middle of dry dusty nothingness.  I drove Bessie (the teacher van) and only got bogged twice!  The "road" to get there is more of a general direction rather than an actual road, and winds its way across ditches and muddy tracks.  It was so special and I hope to go back sometime soon....just not during the wet season or we'd never make it!

Lovely teachers and TAs enjoying the water

My camera has a selfie screen......so I take lots now

My attempt at gracefulness on the rope swing

Chips Mayai.  It's like an omelette and hot chips combined.
Super tasty!!!

This last weekend was another amazing opportunity to escape Moshi.  I was so tired after a week of school that part of me just wanted to curl up and sleep, but I'm so glad I didn't!  There's this group called the Mountain Club which is basically a group of expats who go on random camping adventures about once a month.  This adventure was an overnight trip to Snow Cap Cottages on the other side of Kilimanjaro!  We drove right around the base of Kili to just inside the Tanzanian/Kenyan border.  The place we stayed at was beautiful and really could have been a scene from Switzerland or something.  The cost all up for cabin accommodation plus 4 meals was TSH40,000 or about 25 Aussie dollars!  It was so green and being at a higher altitude was much cooler than Moshi.  I got to go on walks, sleep in a comfy bed, meet new people and sit in front of an open fire.  So special!

It's seems a long time since I've seen this much GREEN!

With the lovely Rebecca - my camping companion :)

Lots of beautiful pine forests

The view on our walk to Rongai Gate - the starting point
for climbers climbing Kili using the Rongai route

The gardens were so amazing!

Snow Cap Cottages - This is the view of the main building from our cabin

Our cottage

On our day 2 walk to check out the view of Kili

Kili as seen from the Kenyan (northern) side

Colobus Monkey - I've never seen them
this clearly before.

I'm very thankful to have a good camera....it's so special to
capture these cute fluffy monkeys.  

Now it's back to normal life here for a while.  This term seems so long, with not even a single public holiday for the whole 10 week term.  I'm sure I'll survive somehow....only 7 weeks to go!

The rooftop of Africa

Finally I feel recovered enough to write about my experience climbing Kili!  Not only did I come back with sore muscles, but also an annoying cold, so I'm enjoying the opportunity to rest for a week before starting school again.  I have to say, climbing Kilimanjaro is probably the most physically challenging thing I've ever done.  The walking up itself wasn't so bad, but the freezing cold nights and high altitude made for a difficult but rewarding experience.  There are several different routes people take, ranging from 4 days to 9 days.  The longer the route, the more chance there is of adjusting to the altitude before reaching the summit.  I went on the 8 day Lemosho route with a company called Climb Kili and made it all the way to the summit!

Day 1 - Lemosho Gate to Big Tree/Mti Mkubwa camp (3 hours, elevation: 2360m to 2895m)
Time to meet my group!  I had specifically asked to be part of a larger group of independent travelers so imagine my surprise when I found out it was just me and a couple :(  After some thinking I realised this meant I would have my own tent so not so bad after all.  Our guides Frederik and Balthazar kept a slow pace so we reached our first camp with no real effort.   This is where we met "The Pod", our oh-so-unprivate Climb Kili toilet tent.  Our green pod unfortunately illuminated like a beacon, projecting an image of a squatting person across the whole campsite.  Thankfully there was also a squatty potty option and of course the bush!

About to begin....only 34 hours til summit!!!

Farewell civilisation...or so I thought at the time!

Big Tree camp + camp monkey

"The Pod"

Day 2 - Big Tree/Mti Mkubwa camp to Shira 1 (6 hours, elevation: 2895m to 3505m)
Second day and it decided to rain,  This was a great chance to test out my backpack cover (A garbage bag tied with hair ties)!  My fellow hikers were quite decked out in all the gear but that's not really my thing.  I managed to borrow, rent or improvise for all the stuff I needed, and I wasn't lacking anything!   Aside from the rain, today was another good day as we left the rainforest and entered the moorland zone.  The pace was painfully slow, but I know it's necessary if we're to adjust to the altitude.

walking walking walking through the rainforest....

My lovely companions Cameron and Daphne

really interesting moss on the trees....

It was raining as we entered our next camp, so my posh back cover got some use!

Day 3 - Shira 1 to Moir Hut camp (6 hours, elevation: 3505m to 4200m)
After all the rain yesterday it was so exciting to wake up to beautiful clear views of the top of Kili! Almost every day we would arrive at the camp in the fog, so getting up in the morning to see the view became one of my favourite things.  Today's walking was beautiful and the views made us even more motivated.  Thankfully the couple I'm with are also keen to stop whenever there's a good photo opportunity.

Good morning from Shira 1 camp!  A beautiful view of the top of Kili

I love breakfast.  Uji, sausages, eggs, toast and fruit...wow!

A beautiful clear day for walking......

....until the mist came!  

Day 4 - Moir Hut to Barranco via Lava Tower (6 hours, elevation: 4200m to 4630m to 3976m)
At this point I discovered that having a 3 person tent to myself has some downsides: It's freezing!  We still had quite a lot of ascending to do and already I was wearing everything I own to bed.  I also discovered just how popular the high season on Kili is.  A lot of the different routes come together at Barranco, meaning a huge 4000 people camping together, including the porters and staff! Not exactly peaceful!

Cold.  It's cold.  Methinks I stay in bed.

A frosty start at Moir Hut....at least Kili is looking closer!

Beautiful views!

Lots of mist (and weird trees) as we entered
our next camp

Day 5 - Barranco to Karanga (5 hours, elevation: 3976m to 3995m)
This was my favourite day of walking as we got to go up the Barranco wall.  It's like rock climbing, grabbing hold of rocks and hauling yourself up.  So much fun!  It was made a little less fun by the fact that there were 4000 people doing the same thing, but we opted to start later, meaning it was a little less crowded.

After all the fog yesterday it was so exciting to wake up to this!

This is the Barranco wall.  If you look carefully you can see
 people making their way up!

Looking down towards Moshi!

Almost at our next campsite.  We could catch glimpses of
it on the opposite ridge!

Day 6 - Karanga to Barafu/Base camp (3 hours, elevation: 3995m to 4673m)
Today's walking was easy and only took a few hours.  We had really entered the alpine desert zone, as there was next to no vegetation now.  Base camp is amazing as it sits above the cloud line.  It was cloudy when we arrived but cleared up before sunset so we were able to see the summit and watch the sun set over the clouds below.  So cold but so special.  The plan was to have an early dinner at 5:30 then get some rest before waking up at 11pm to begin the hike to the summit.  Easier said than done!

This morning all our porters and guides sung for us!
They are so hard working yet so joyful too.  

Camping above the cloud line.  Just spectacular!

Hanging out at base camp

The clouds sweeping in over Mawenzi peak

Sunset from 4673m above sea level

Day 7 - Barafu to summit to Millennium camp (14 hours, elevation: 4673m to 5895m to 3800m)
I have to say, summit day was such a crazy experience, and one I'm not keen to repeat.  After being "woken up" (we never slept) at 11pm we had tea and popcorn.  As soon as it hit 12am the entire camp went crazy as they celebrated the new year!  What an experience to be part of; thousands of people nearly 5000 metres above sea level from all different countries shouting and singing.  Then, like clockwork all the hikers strapped on their head torches and left the camp to begin 6 hours of switchbacks up the side of the crater.  It was honestly a surreal experience as I saw people vomiting, fainting and crying in their pursuit to reach the top.  The couple I was with were struggling quite a bit and I was in no hurry so we took it slowly.  All I could see ahead was an endless line of lights zig-zagging up the crater.  It was hard to tell what lights were people and what were stars.  Way down below I could see the lights of Moshi!  The sun came up as we were nearing the top and at this point the lack of oxygen and tiredness started to kick in.  Those last few metres to Stella point felt like I was on drugs!  We got to Stella Point (on the crater rim) at 7:30am and then made our way around the crater to the highest point, Uhuru Peak.  At intervals I forgot who I was, where I was and who I was with.  I took some photos without even looking at the screen, and could think of nothing but getting off this mountain!  It was so beautiful but most people only spend a short time at the top because it's so hard to breathe!  Coming down was better for breathing, but agony on my knees as we pretty much skied down a rock slide the whole way. One of the guides showed me how to dig my heels in and "ride" the loose rocks.  I fell over so many times, partly because of the terrain and partly because my body was screaming out for sleep.  Back at base camp we had one hour to eat and pack out stuff before walking 2 more hours downhill in the rain and hail to our next camp.  I don't think we spoke a word to each other the whole way!

That moment when someone said getting up at 11pm in freezing
 conditions to hike a mountain was a good idea....

6.5 hours of insanity later and the sun begins to rise over Mawenzi peak on the first day of 2016

At the top! Stella Point

The official pic at the highest point in Africa - Uhuru Peak

looking into the crater

Pretty glacier with Mt Meru in the background...but who cares, I'm dying.....

Don't remember taking this, or any photos for that matter.  Get me off this mountain!!!!

Day 8 - Millenium camp to Mweka gate (6 hours, elevation: 3800m to 1640m)
The reality of having summited the highest freestanding mountain in the world finally kicked in! I slept an amazing 10 hours, even though it was still cold.   One final push and our Kili experience would be done.  All the hikers and guides were walking like cripples, as our knees were so inflamed from our descent the day before.  6 hours downhill through bush then rainforest and we emerged at Mweka gate!  We had lunch, gave the porters and guides tips and they sang for us which was so special :)  I cannot fathom how they manage to carry such heavy loads and always have everything just right so we can have a successful experience.  And of course, at the end we are looking dead and they are running around full of energy!

Millennium camp - life is so much better with sleep and oxygen

Our cool guide Frederik

And I am done!

I'm so thankful for the opportunity to climb Kili.  It really was a special experience and I don't think I will ever look at the mountain the same again!  Now it's time to get back to the reality of school and life here in Moshi.  God's blessings!