A Mount Meru of a Climb

People use the simile, “life is like a rollercoaster” to explain the ups and downs in life. To be honest, I think it’s pretty great and most of the time very accurate, but I’d rather compare my time in TZ to my recent summit of Mount Meru. Mount Meru is the second tallest mountain in Tanzania, it has been something I have been able to see from almost every location I have stayed in Tanzania, and is just shy of 15,000 feet.

 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.