Trip Report: Tanzania Day 8 – Kilimanjaro Trek – Horombo Huts to Arusha

Friday September 26, 2003

We got up early and packed up our camp for the last time.

It was an 18km walk down the rest of the mountain and out of the park.

The trail started in alpine meadow, which gave way to grassy fields and eventually, rain forest.

We stopped at Mandara Hut to eat our packed lunch and commemorate our time on the Coca Cola Route.

(This route is more properly known as the Marangu Route – when one climbs up Rongai, they return via Marangu.)

The long and jarring walk down actually caused me a lot of hip and shin pain.

Once we reached the park gate, we received our summit certificates from the park staff, and tipped our crew of guides and porters and thanked them for the experience.

Raphael had come to collect us in the Good Earth Tours van, and drove us back to the Impala Hotel.

At the hotel, we took the longest showers of our lives, and tried (somewhat unsuccessfully) to do laundry in the sink and bathtub. Then we ate dinner at the hotel’s Chinese restaurant. It was excellent after a week’s worth of mountain food. We went to the internet cafe to send a note home, and then stopped by the hotel bar, where Chad had a Kilimanjaro Lager and I splurged with a Fanta. 😛 We called it an early night.