Mt. Kilimanjaro, Never Leave My Side

Ssusan Forte O’Neill

At the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro, our vehicle worked hard to navigate the unpredictable climb up the steep and rocky road. Our guide, Polite, who became known to us as Precious Polite, calmly shared that this was such a special day because so often, during this time of year, one does not have the privilege of seeing the top of the mighty Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,500 feet).

Mt. Kilimanjaro began to reveal herself through the heavy barrier of morning clouds. Her majestic beauty was beyond anything we could imagine. Many travel long distances to climb her glorious stature. And, for a brave few, it is a euphoric achievement to conquer this mighty mountain and behold the expansive view from her pinnacle.

Polite, with much enthusiasm and encouragement, tried to convince us that we, too, could conquer this great mountain and climb to the top. But, we chose not to trek on foot. We climbed by driving, thinking that it would be best for us to take in her beauty by hiking the Shira Plateau at a lower elevation, instead.

As the afternoon shadows began to lengthen and the wind began to shift across the plains, we knew it was time to begin our journey down the mountain. We were all silent on the descent. Perhaps because we knew within our souls that this once active volcanic mountain was gifting us with centuries of peace and beauty. I was reminded of the glory of God’s creative work. At the base of the mountain, we stopped for a moment to take in one last view of her.

Mt. Kilimanjaro was the ever-present, ever-changing backdrop for all of our adventures in Tanzania. She never left our side. After a couple of hours drive, we arrived at a Maasai Village where we were greeted by several members of the village with traditional song and an offering of drinks. We felt very welcomed and at home. Our host, Lesse, walked us to our hut while sharing the story of his village. When we opened the door, we were stunned by the endless views of green and gold pastures stretching to the foot of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Once settled into our hut, we decided to take a walk before dinner to the other side of the village. There, we discovered another impressive mountain ridge. We later learned it was Mt. Meru, Mt. Kilimanjaro’s sister. At about 4,000 feet shorter than Mt. Kilimanjaro, her tumbling stretches along the horizon formed a picturesque complement to her sibling.

We stood in awe as these two grand volcanic forms became bookends for the drama of the evening sunset. Reds, golds and yellows washed over the golden-green pastures as shadows spilled over the mountains. It was not long before we would see the sky burst open with bright stars like fireworks, showing off the great Milky Way and the 7 sisters. We stood in awe, taking in the splendor of this natural oasis.

The chimes for dinner broke through the silence and we walked to the main dining room to join the other travelers for a dinner created with local ingredients from the region, served by the most gracious staff.