You girls break my cab!

I got an email from "anonymous" yesterday.

Dear Nina,

LESS JESUS. MORE ROCK CLIMBING.

Thanks,

Anon.

Anonymous, you make a valid point. The blog was better when I wrote more about doing things rather than thinking real hard about things. (My life was better, too).

So anonymous, I hear and I obey and report that Bibi, Sri, Mischa and I booked a trip to Tanzania today. The itinerary includes a 5 day safari, a 7 day ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and 5 days at the beach in Zanzibar.

Of course, the centerpiece of the trip is the climb.



Some quick facts about Kili:

1) the summit is 19340 feet above sea level
2) the climb takes 5-8 days depending on the route
3) you camp on the way (no showers or hot water)
4) the route includes 5 climate changes - which means lots of gear
5) 14,000 people per year attempt the climb
6) 60% do not make it to the summit
7) altitude sickness is the primary reason people do not summit


We started our quest for mountaineering greatness by having a whole bunch of beers and a little bit of cake.



Then we demonstrated yoga poses for each other in the taxi on the way home. (Please note: taxi drivers do not like this at all).



I have added to my already copious sidebar a record of my training, which I will update every day until we depart. As you can see, I have done absolutely nothing but resist two cookies (the cake probably puts me back down at at zero, but I ain't changin' it. Those cookies looked good).


PS Nobody tell my brother that I am deliberately going to the country that is next door to Kenya on one side and Rwanda on the other. Thank you.