After waking up, we were treated to a big breakfast that included lots
of greasy fried stuff at the end. Wally was starting to complain about
the eggs by this point, but we made him eat them anyway. Altitude does
bad things to your appetite. It almost becomes painful to eat enough food.
Margo turned back (with Alex) in the morning, so it's just the three of
us, Photo, and the porters, from this day on. Even though we were out
of the rain forest already, the ground was still muddy and slippery. Apparently,
we were in moorlands. I had never been in moorlands before, so I didn't
really know what to expect. The trees and vegetation had already started
to thin out at this altitude (many were only left with dead branches due
to a fire three years ago), and we frequently were enveloped in luminous
white mist.
"My right thumb is still numb/tingly from pinching a nerve using
my trekking pole. The hike today took us about 4.5-5 hrs. It wasn't
too bad, except for the last half hour or so, when the rain gods decided
to unleash a storm of sleet upon us. Sleet doesn't feel good against
bare skin. Neither Wally nor I have our waterproof shells, so we draped
our rental rain gear (which is nearly impossible to hike in because
it's not breathable) over our heads/packs cape-style. Wally decided
to run to the campsite, while I stuck with our slow-but-frantic pace.
It's amazing how much a motivating factor weather can be. When we arrived
at Shira Hut we discovered that our tents had been laid out on wet tarps,
so it looks like we're going to be very uncomfortable tonight. Wally
developed a bad headache -- the third headache in his life (!) -- from
his extreme exertion at altitude during the end of today's hike. I think
he's going to try to take it more slowly from this point on. He knows
that he should be going slowly, but it goes against everything he knows.
Our guide and porters had tea ready for us, like yesterday. They also
gave us popcorn and peanuts, but since we actually beat some of the
porters up today, it took some time before everything was ready. Both
Wally and I were soaked from the rain, and standing around in the cold
was pretty miserable. Soon afterwards... the sun emerged from hiding
for about twenty minutes. We ran around like excited ants laying everything
that was wet out on the tents, on small rocks, and on bushes. It's amazing
how quickly things dry up here in the sun! Oh -- it's starting to rain.
I'm going inside our tent. On the way up today our guide "Photo"
chatted with Alison about soccer. It's the most animated I've seen him.
Later on he accidentally broke the thermos we use for hot water and
tea. We all felt really bad for him because he looked so sad! Both Alison
and Wally are lying down, hoping their headaches go away. Mine seems
to be in recession finally, but if I exert myself in any way it comes
back immediately. Argh. This rental jacket has HAIR all over it. Some
of it looks human, but I think the cat who was sleeping on the bed at
ZARA's rental place may have used it as a bed at some point.
"Shira Hut looks rather exposed. There's a fierce wind that comes
over the top of the ridge we're sitting on, and we're constantly being
overtaken by thick clouds. I think it will drop below freezing tonight.
I wish we had our gear!! The absolute silence here is punctuated by
the constant chattering of the porters. Swahili flows well -- it's neat
to listen to...
"Alison keeps comparing me to her ex-boyfriend. I guess we must
be similar. It's refreshing for me to meet someone as adventurous as
she is! It's been a pleasure to travel with her...
"If our luggage arrives, it will arrive the day after tomorrow,
or on day 5. Hopefully Wally and I can stick it out until then. If it
doesn't arrive by then, we'lll turn back."
-excerpt from my journal, 4:30pm
In the evening I took diamox, and learned first-hand that diamox + lots
of tea = peeing every half an hour. (Diamox increases one's rate of breathing.,
and is a diuretic. Wally couldn't take any because he's allergic to sulfa.
I was prescribed 500mg doses, but I only took 250mg at a time because
I was afraid that it would make me throw up). Dinner was very good, and
even though I was very hungry, my appetite was easily whetted, and by
the end of the meal I was forcing food down. I only managed to get two
hours of sleep in the evening. In retrospect, I think that it was both
the altitude and the caffeine in the tea I was drinking that was keeping
me up. No mo' tea after today.
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