Update from Africa

Home town newspapers like carrying feature articles on adventures that are being pursued by residents living within the area served by the publication. Writers, who more often than not are non-climbers, usually have a challenging time trying to describe climbs to the lay public, but author Kie Relyea did a really good job with her article in the Bellingham (WA) Herald:

Kie's Article from the Bellingham Herald.

Here’s an update from Shawn that came in via e-mail:

The vegetation in all the non-cultivated areas around
Gibb’s Farm is incredibly thick and lush.

Hello again from Africa! Now that I have access to a computer, I can provide a few more details, but the Internet connection is horrible. I can't upload pictures right now and I have to be very brief, but I wanted to make a quick post anyway. We are having a fabulous time. After 26 hours of traveling, we were so happy to be at the Kilimanjaro Lodge, which was very lovely and had great food. The best part, of course, was having a real bed and not a cramped airplane seat. Wow, this keyboard is really horrible...did I mention I would have to be brief?

The gardens are gorgeous.

The next day, Tuesday, we left the lodge and drove the three hours to Gibb’s Farm, stopping on the way to see traditional Maasai housing, baboons, and even giraffe. Very cool. We arrived at Gibb's and promptly took a nap in our super, amazingly luxurious cottage. Our cottage is something out of my best of dreams. and so is the food. And the people, and the gardens, and the smells and flowers and views in this incredible jungle on a hill...but more on that later.

The buildings are all in remarkable settings.

We saw our first elephant today (Wednesday). It was partially obscured by bushes, but no doubt it was an elephant. We took a two-hour walk accompanied by two locals, one gun bearing, into the jungle to the elephant cave, where they roll and dig for minerals. Incredible....saw so many plants that I grow indoors at home in Bellingham - orchids, philodendron, spider plants - all growing wild of course.

While the buildings look simple on the outside,
the interiors are incredibly comfortable.

Tomorrow, we head for safari - to the Ngorongoro crater and the Serengeti (by the way, there is a beer here called Serengeti Lager). More later, hopefully with a better computer....

Shawn