KILIMANJARO REGION - TANZANIA

WENT BACK TO NY FOR A COUPLE DAYS TO PRETTY MUCH EAT AND DRINK. WHATS NEW. SAW THE NEPHEWS IN PENN AND GOT ON A FLIGHT TO DUBAI. 12 AND HALF HOURS LATER I WAS READY TO WAIT FOR MY NEXT FLIGHT. AND FOR THE RECORD EMIRATES AIR IS THE SICKEST AIRLINE OUT. 600 MOVIES AND 350 TV SHOWS WITH 3 EPISODES EACH. WASN'T A BAD FLIGHT AT ALL. NEXT FLIGHT WAS TO NAIROBI ON EMIRATES BUT A SMALLER PLANE, NOT AS COOL. PASSED OUT AND WOKE UP IN NAIROBI. THE WOMEN'S KENYAN BASKETBALL TEAM WAS ON MY FLIGHT AND THEY HAD JUST WON SOMETHING SO THERE WAS A HUGE CROWD AND ARMY PEOPLE WITH MEDALS WAITING FOR THEM WHEN THEY GOT OFF THE PLANE. I HAD A SEAT IN THE FRONT OF THE PLANE SO WHEN I WALKED OFF THEY SNAPPED MY PICTURE. I'M FAMOUS IN KENYA. HAD 3 HOURS TO KILL SO I WENT TO THE AIRPORT LOUNGE WITH WAS A ROOM WITH LIKE 30+ LEATHER COUCHES. DRINK SOME GIN AND PASSED OUT. WOKE UP IN TIME FOR MY PROP JET TO KILIMANJARO. ON THE FLIGHT, THE PLANE WAS SO SMALL I HAD TO SWITCH SEATS TO BALANCE IT OUT. GOT A GREAT VIEW OF THE SUN SETTING BEHIND MERU AND THE SUNNY SIDE OF KILI ABOVE THE CLOUDS. LANDED AND THE ADDRESS FOR MY HOSTEL WAS A PO BOX. THE CABBIE SAID HE KNEW WHERE IT WAS AND DROVE ME TO A LOCAL SLUMMISH AREA OUTSIDE OF MOSHI WHICH WAS CLEARLY THE WRONG PLACE. I TOLD HIM TO TAKE ME TO MOSHI INSTEAD. GOT TO MOSHI AND FOUND A BACKPACKERS HOSTEL.

THE NEXT DAY I FOUND A LOCAL, STEVE, THAT I TIPPED TO SHOW ME AROUND FOR THE DAY. WE TOOK THE STUFFED DALA DALA UP TO MARANGU, THE BASE CAMP FOR KILIMANJARO AND SAW THE WATERFALLS AND MARKETS FOR THE CHAGGA TRIBE NATIVES. I LEARNED SOME SWAHILI ALONG THE WAY AND ATE SOME HUGE FRESH FRUIT. THE BANANAS ARE LIKE 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER AND THE AVOCADOS ARE AS BIG AS YOUR HEAD. ITS A TOSS UP BETWEEN THE BEST AVOCADOS IN THE WORLD (TANZANIA VS GUATEMALA/BELIZE). WE WENT BACK TO MOSHI IN A DALA DALLA AGAIN WHICH BROKE DOWN MIDWAY. LUCKILY THEY COME BY LIKE EVERY 2 MINTUES. WE HOPPED ON ANOTHER WHICH QUICKLY BROKE DOWN AGAIN. THE THIRD ONE FINALLY TOOK US TO WHERE WE NEEDED TO GO. MOSHI, WHICH IS PRETTY GHETTO WAS A STARTING POINT FOR KILIMANJARO CLIMBERS YET WASN'T A VERY SAFE TOWN. ONCE WE GOT BACK I WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL BAR THAT LOOKED LIKE A PIG PEN ON A FARM. THERE WE DRANK BANANA MOONSHINE AND BANANA BEER. THIS SHIT LOOKED ROTTEN BUT I HAD TO TRY IT. IT LOOKED LIKE THROW UP AFTER SOMEONE ATE TRISCUITS. ANYWAY, AFTER I DRANK SOME, I SAW A BIG BLACK THING FLOATING IN IT. I ASKED STEVE WHAT IT WAS AND HE SAID IT WAS BURNT WOOD TO KILL BACTERIA. OH GREAT. THEN HE ORDERS A CAPRI SUN LOOKING PACKET OF GIN AND POURS IT IN THE MOONSHINE. I ASKED WHY HE DID THIS AND HE SAID TO KILL THE BACTERIA. WTF. LUCKILY I DID NOT GET SICK. WE PAID THE CASHIER, WHO I THANKED AND CALLED HIM A FEMALE (ASANTE DADA) BECAUSE HE LOOKED LIKE ONE AND THEN FOUND A PLACE TO EAT. WHILE EATING I WAS APPROACHED BY A MAN SELLING KNIVES. I HAGGLED THE MAN A GOT MYSELF A SWEET KNIFE FOR CUTTING FRUIT AND AFRICANS THAT TRY TO FUCK WITH ME. JK, JUST FRUIT. AT MY HOSTEL I GAVE MYSELF A FRESH NEW HAIRCUT WITH MY BUZZER AND ITS LOOKS PRETTY LEGIT. 6 ON TOP 2 ON THE SIDES THEN BLENDED. BALLER.

THE FOLLOWING MORNING I HITCHED A RIDE TO ARUSHA WITH STEVE ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY. I DROPPED MY STUFF AT ANOTHER BACKPACKERS HOSTEL AND WENT OUT TO THE ARUSHA NATIONAL PARK. ON THE WAY WE STOPPED AND GOT SOME FRUIT THAT I USED MY BRAND NEW KNIFE TO CUT AND SOME SAMOSAS. THERE IS A LOT OF INDIAN INFLUENCE IS THIS REGION WHICH MAKES ME HAPPY BECAUSE I LOVE INDIA. WE GET TO THE PARK AND ITS KIND OF LIKE THE MOVIE JURASSIC PARK. IMMEDIATELY WE SEE BUFFALO, ZEBRAS, WARTHOGS, BABOONS, GIRAFFE, MONKEYS, AND RANDOM OTHER ANIMALS. IT WAS A NICE PREGAME TO THE SAFARI. ON THE WAY OUT WE SAW 2 HYENAS TOO. I WENT BACK TO MY HOSTEL AND DRANK SOME LOCAL BEER WITH SOME FOREIGNERS AND WATCH THE SUN GO DOWN OVER MERU ALONG WITH A YOUNG AFRICAN TEAM SOCCER PRACTICE.

I LEFT ARUSHA THE FOLLOWING DAY FOR NAIROBI, KENYA. I TOOK A LOCAL BUS WHICH WAS CHEAP AND INTERESTING. THE ROADS WERE ALL DIRT AND THE RIDE WAS ERRATIC. WE GOT TO THE BORDER AND IT BROKE DOWN. AFTER AND HOUR AND A HALF THEY FIXED IT AND WE MADE IT TO NAIROBI IN ABOUT 7 HOURS. ALL ALONG IVE HEARD THAT THE PEOPLE IN NAIROBI ARE NOT AS NICE AS IN TANZANIA AND IT IS NOT A SAFE PLACE. THEY EVEN NICKNAMED IT NAI-ROBBERY. ONCE WE GOT IN, I HAD ONE OF THE GUYS ON MY BUS HELP ME GET A REAL CAB AND NEGOTIATE THE PRICE AND I GOT TO MY HOTEL SAFELY. I PUT MY STUFF DOWN AND GOT TO THE BAR JUST IN TIME FOR THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL. FUCK BOTH THOSE TEAMS. I HOPE MORINHO GOES TO REAL MADRID SO IT HURTS MORE WHEN WE STOMP THEM. GO FC BARCA. THE MAGIC WERE A HUGE LET DOWN.
I GOT THE DAY IN NAIROBI SO ILL PROB GO TO THE MARKETS AND SEE SOME OF THE CITY. TOM I LEAVE ON MY 7 DAY CAMPING SAFARI. MAYBE I WILL BE BALE TO PUT UP PICS AFTER.

SO FAR EASTERN AFRICA HAS BEEN SICK. BANANA MOONSHINE ON THE REG, WILD ANIMALS ON THE REG, CRAZY BUS RIDES ON THE REG, BEERS WITH FOREIGNERS AND LOCALS ON THE REG, GREAT SCENERY ON THE REG. TOO MUCH WATCHING THE ONLY SEASON OF EASTBOUND AND DOWN ON REPEAT.