February 12, 2025 to March 18, 2025
Weru Weru River Lodge
The night of my accident was not easy. I went to bed early, exhausted and surrounded by pillows in an attempt to stay a little upright and ease the pain. But sleep was hard to come by, a combination of pain and anxiety as to what I would do next. By the time I’d finished dinner, it was clear that I had to abandon the tour - biking was out of the question and bouncing about in the support van would be too painful and risky. But when and how and what to do in the meantime were just a few of the questions swirling around my prefrontal cortex as I tossed about in bed.
My first thought was to return home immediately so I got online to investigate options for changing my flight. I used the American Airlines chatbox to see how I might rebook my existing return flight, but it was clear that I needed to speak with an actual person. However, that was a bit problematic. One peculiarity about short-term travel in Tanzania is the near impossibility of getting a phone line – data is readily available through physical sim cards or eSims, but no vendor offers an accompanying phone number. I’d chosen to purchase an eSim for the time I was in Tanzana rather than pay the high costs of Verizon daily/monthly travel plans ($26 vs $100+), but consequently was only able to use WhatsApp for phone calls.
Fortunately, I was able to speak with each of my two sisters, who both jumped in to help me figure things out. The news wasn’t good – rebooking my flight would cost thousands of dollars and any reimbursement by my travel insurance would require obtaining a “fit to fly” form from a local physician. Moreover, my web search indicated air travel was not recommended for at least 48 hr after breaking a rib.
By the time I went to breakfast, I’d concluded that my best option was to remain in the hotel in Arusha for at least a few days while I worked through the details on getting back to the US. But everything had changed by the time I’d finished breakfast. Our lead guide Jimmy informed me that Ashante Tours would take care of me for the rest of my time in Tanzania – they would transport me back to their base at the Weru Weru River Lodge and assist me in all that I needed while recuperating. As Jimmy put it, “You don’t want to be alone.” It was a huge relief! I said my good-byes to the rest of the group as they headed off to Tarangire National Park – I knew I would be missing some extraordinary experiences, but I was content with my decision to put my health ahead of wildlife viewing.
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The Weru Weru River Lodge is located just east of Moshi near the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. While the lodge serves as the base for AsHante Tours, it operates independently and is the launching point for many activities in and around Mount Kilimanjaro. I was warmly greeted by Calvin and Julius who gave me a quick lay of the land and showed me to my room. Later, I met with the Emmanuel, the director of AsHante Tours who reiterated how they could assist me during my time in Tanzania. I quickly realized that I’d made the right decision – I would be well taken care of while figuring out how and when to get home.
One of my top priorities was a follow-up visit to a doctor in Moshi – not only to learn if I was “fit to fly” but also to see if there were any developing complications from my rib break. Three days after the fall, Emmanuel arranged my transport to Saint Joseph Hospital in Arushi where I was met by Amos, an AsHante guide whose task that day was to chaperone me through the medical visit. The hospital was quite busy, with scores of folks seated or standing as they waited to register, to pay, and to see the doctor. After seeing all the signs warning of tuberculosis, I elected to wait outside while Amos got me registered and paid the 70,000 TSH in cash needed for the visit and chest X-ray. The doctor declared all was good, I was fit to fly and he would sign the insurance form if we brought it by the next day.
Once deemed fit to fly, I began to see about getting home. The pain was gradually subsiding, being most severe while sleeping. I informed the medical insurance team that there was no need for medical evacuation or even assistance in flying home. And because the costs of rebooking my flight were so exorbitant, I elected to wait in Tanzania another four days until my scheduled departure.
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The Adventure Seekers
During most of my time at Weru Weru Lodge the breakfasts and dinners were served at an outdoor buffet. Large tables scattered about the lawn provided me an opportunity to meet a host of adventure travelers from across the world. There was John, a middle-aged farmer from England and an elite marathon runner who had completed the World Marathon Challenge of running 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 days; Une, an experienced mountaineer who had summitted Mount Everest and was in Tanzania helping guide a group of fifteen Norwegian up Mount Kilimanjaro; Jesper and Lars who had come from Denmark to participate in Ultra X Tanzania, a multi-stage ultra-marathon covering 220 km/137 mi over 5 days. Though not summiting Kilimanjaro, the route took them part way up the mountain, resulting in elevation gains of 5440 meters over the five days.
Unfortunately, not everyone I met accomplished their goals: Silvia and Marcello were a delightful couple from Turin who had to turn back when Marcello experienced altitude sickness and his oxygen levels dropped to 54%. James, another marathon runner and friend of John had set off with a slight cough that developed into a full blown respiratory infection.
Consistent with what I’d heard before, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is difficult and one’s prior level of fitness is no guarantee of success. So I was happy to learn later that all four of the Minnesota guys on the cycling trip successfully summited the mountain. Well done!
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3 weeks ago
3 weeks ago
Hope you gave them a good review.
3 weeks ago
And yes, what about the wallet?
3 weeks ago