It was a last minute
decision to climb the mountain but I am so glad that I did. It felt great to be
at that height, seeing the world from a place few people get to see it. Meru
certainly has been an impressive figure leering down upon all of us students
the last few months. And it is great to be able to look at it from the rooftop
of the hotel and say I’ve been up there. The climb took three days. The first
day we took a few hours to get to get from 1500 meters to 2500, the second day we
climbed up to 3500 meters and then did a mini hike to mini meru at 3820 meters. I am aware the conversions can be confusing, but please stick with me! There were all different kinds of scenery to look at, we passed quite a few animals, arrived above the cloud level and saw the most breathtaking views of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It was amazing to think about how incredible earth is and all of its incredible natural features. Futhermore, only a few of us suffered from altitude sickness. The last day or morning rather, we started our climb at 1:00a.m. to get to the summit of 4,266m. We arrived by sunrise, and although I didn't actually believe anyone, there was snow and ice at the top! Also, I do not know how I would have survived without walking poles. Then we spent the rest of the day until about 5:00p.m. climbing down the entire mountain, without a doubt, that last day was a bit exhausting.
I stayed positive the whole way but it
was definitely a toll on my mental and physical capabilities nearing the summit.
There were the most beautiful sights along the way and at the top, and at the
best parts, it was absolutely breathtaking. There was a lot of zigzagging
throughout the ascension and throughout our journey to the bottom and our bodies were riddled
with fatigue. This is how my time in Tanzania has been, absolutely incredible,
it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, it has made me think,
and at the best times, it takes my breath away. There has been zigzagging, and
as I near the end, there has been a bit of fatigue.
I will give one example of my past week of a Tanzania frustration
and something that contributes to the fatigue. I had an oral Swahili exam, and
I had to write my Independent Study Project report and present it to my teacher and the rest of the
students. Finals week is something that I am very familiar with and can do, no question.
But trying to find sources in a place where internet is unreliable can be incredibly
defeating. Also, printing a paper which should take less than 5 minutes took me
more than two and half hours. First of all, finding a place that prints in
color is a trek and every time a male walked into the café, I was forgotten
about. Less obvious sexism and efficiency is something I miss. But I must say I’m
lucky, I presented first and got it out of the way, and am feeling okay as other students suffer from a variety of illnesses.
Regardless of certain frustrations, I have enjoyed my
semester in Tanzania for a number of reasons. It has challenged me to look at
who I am as a person and how I fit in within the rest of the world. It made me
question most of the things that I know and understand to be unchanging and
completely altered my opinion on them. It has made me uneasy at times,
unmatchingly happy, resentful, and thankful and it has allowed me to encounter
people I am so glad to have met. I am a little terrified to see what happens as
I clumsily try and reorientate myself to the American lifestyle…wish me luck!
I have not included every small thing on this blog, there
are a number of instances that are hard to put in words, there are some really
awkward encounters, and there are things I know people do not care to read
about. But if you are one of those people who are interested, I’d be happy to
talk about it.
