Chronicles of Kili - Day 2 - Hurumbo Camp 3700m

We were woken up this morning at 6:00am to a knock on the door. Two porters carrying trays laden with cups and saucers came in and served us tea in bed. Can you imagine?! When we finished up, and went outside, we found two basins filled with hot water to wash up with perched on our front stoop. It absolutely amazes me that in these conditions, our porters are still able to provide us with these comforts and always with a smile. I looked out at the porter's tents. There was a mighty thunder storm last night and the tents looked drenched and were collapsing in on themselves. I doubt any of them slept at all last night.

Although we were in warm beds, we barely slept a wink last night either. We all crashed at 7:45pm and all woke up simultaneously at 11:30pm, unable to get back to sleep. My fingers and toes are ridden with pins and needles, which I eventually found are typical effects of altitude sickness pills and consolingly, not from the effects of being 30. However, that still doesn't explain the joint aches and chin hair I've somehow acquired over night... But the pins and needles are getting worse by the hour and I can't help but be a bit concerned. A lady sharing our cabin was up the entire night throwing up. I guess this is where it starts to get hard. The rain has stopped, which is good, but our spirits are still a bit damp with most of us on no sleep, with no appetite and aware that today's hike is double the distance of yesterday's.

We spent the day slowly making our way to Hurumbo camp. Pole, Pole. It was really more of a stroll than a hike. The jungle evaporated, slowly morphing into giant rolling hills with big, strange, chunky looking plants that can withstand the harsher conditions of the higher altitude. The air is getting noticably cooler and memories of the humid jungle are quickly fading. We ate lunch on some picnic benches that the porters covered with a table cloth and white ceramic dishes as if we were at a fine dining restaurant! It was incredible. We sat eating in awe of scenery none of us had ever witnessed before on solid ground - the TOPS of clouds! It felt like being in a different world and all thoughts of the ground below dissappeared. It's only up from here.

We rolled into Hurumbo in the late afternoon. Hurumbo is a large camp and major hub for hikers crossing paths. We could feel the energy in the air with the mix of hikers like us heading to the summit, full of nervous anticipation and the hikers who had just summited and on their way back down, having their celebratory drinks. Tonight we're all bundled into our sub-zero sleeping bags as it is now officially cold. My fingers and toes are still tingling and I'm preparing myself for another sleepless night. I'm not sure how much longer my body can go running on empty.