February 9, 2025
To Sinya
NB: I will try to take advantage of some spotty wifi/internet at the lodge - caution: posts may be sporadic.
The tour begins. Hotel pick-up was 9:45 and as soon as I climbed into our transfer vehicle I was given a warm Minnesota greeting by five of my friends to be. They were from the twin cities and knew each other through work and/or softball. Most had done several bike tours together, and four were slated to climb Mt Kilimanjaro after the cycle tour was complete. A short drive took us to the home lodge of our touring camp where we picked up the final member of our group, George, who hailed from Boston. Though my previous Spice Road tours have had an international mix, this time the group were all Americans.
It took about 90 minutes to reach our destination for the evening – the Kambi ya Tembo tented camp located near the Kenyan border. Along the way we passed through small villages and markets teeming with children and families out on a Sunday morning. Farms appeared as we moved into more rural areas, with women working the fields by hand and young boys herding goats lest they wander into the road. There was a brief stop to register our group at a wildlife management area, where we saw the first signs of USAID support at work in Tanzania.
Wildlife began to appear almost as soon as we crossed into the wildlife management area – small groups of giraffes nibbling on tree branches; a guanaco in the shade; and my friend the stork.
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 2 | Comment | 1 | Link |
1 hour ago
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
The Kambi ya Tembo eco-lodge is a tented camp that sits on the northwest slope of Mount Kilimanjaro, not far from the Kenyan border. The camp consists of a large open structure for dining and relaxing and a series of individual tented cabins/rooms for sleeping. We were welcomed by our Masai hosts, who proffered a cleansing towel and a small glass of cold juice. There was a bit of relaxing before lunch, with some taking advantage of the free beer on offer. I was immediately drawn to the flashes of bright blue flitting about in the nearby trees – the aptly named Superb Starling.
We were served a nice pasta lunch and then had a few hours to relax before bike fitting, and wine/beer cocktail hour. While waiting for dinner, the staff informed us that “Kili was out” – the top of Mount Kilimanjaro had emerged from the clouds with spectacular views of the mountain rising above the savannah.
Dinner was a group meal of pork, rice and veg, followed by a briefing on tomorrow's activity by Jimmy, the lead cycling guide: his main message was “Safety”. Afterwards, we congregated on the open porch for stargazing and planet identification. I headed off to bed early, wanting to get a good rest in anticipation of the first day on the bike.
I’m always a bit nervous at the start of these trips, wondering how I’ll measure up with the other riders. It seems like an especially fit group with lots of experience cycling in mountainous terrain. I just have to lose my anxiety and enjoy the ride – that’s what cycling is all about.
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 2 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 7 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 1 |
58 minutes ago