While in Romania, we spent most of a day exploring Bucharest, before taking the train on to the Transylvanian Region.
As I often do, especially on short stays in a new place, I joined a free walking tour to learn as much as I could in the short time I had. Our guide, Elena, took us through more than 500 years of history including Vlad the Impaler, the height of communism, the ’89 Revolution, and more as we made our way around part of the city.
At first glance, Bucharest is not one of Europe’s beautiful old cities. However, as you begin to explore, you soon find that all the beautiful, old buildings are hidden behind the ‘Communist Curtain,’ as Elena put it.
During the communist regime of Nicolae Ceausescu, many of the buildings that were not destroyed were hidden away. When you stand in the centre square, you see a wall of concrete buildings, but as you make your way past them, you find the city’s hidden gems. Some buildings were even moved out of the way to save them from being destroyed.
With less than a day to explore, here are some of the highlights.
Hanul- Lui Manuc is the oldest operating hotel building in Bucharest. Inside the gates it houses a popular restaurant. This used to be a stop for travellers on their way from Vienna to Constantinople. It was built in 1808 and continues to serve traditional Romanian food.
There are still some wooden cobblestones near the entrance to the courtyard, showing what the streets used to look like. The inner courtyard used to house wagons and horses of the travellers and merchants who stayed here overnight.
Across the square is St Anthony Church, the oldest church remaining in Bucharest from 1559. It was destroyed by fires in both 1611 and 1847 and rebuilt. Inside are beautiful frescoes in the neoclassical style, painted in 1852.
Thanks to its abundance of French-inspired architecture, Bucharest is often referred to as ‘Little Paris.’ A great example of this is the beautiful horseshoe-shaped passage in the heart of the Old Town known as Pasajul Macca-Vilacrosse, where today you will find cafes and eateries.
The most beautiful building, in my opinion, is the 18th-century Eastern Orthodox Church of Stavropoleos Monastery.
With its stunning architecture, ornamental motifs and paintings and secret courtyard housing cloisters behind, it’s the perfect secret spot to get away from the rest of the city and relax in silence for a little while. Definitely a must-see spot in Bucharest.
As a huge book lover, hearing there was a bookstore with six floors located in Bucharest, I had to find it. Cărturești Carusel, translated as ‘Carousel of Light,’ is situated in a restored 19th-century building in the heart of Bucharest’s Old Town.
Here, you will find well over ten thousand books and a cute cafe on the top floor. I could have easily spent hours here!
Revolution Square, near the university, is the site of the 1989 uprising that led to the end of the communist regime after Ceaușescu was captured and executed on Christmas Day.
Take a break from exploring and enjoy a traditional Romanian meal at one of the oldest breweries in Bucharest, Caru’ cu bere. It began in 1879 as La Carul cu Bere(the beer wagon). At this time, the beer was brought to the brewery by horse-drawn wagons. For several years, the three Mircea brothers ran several beer houses in the area of the Villacros Passage, until one started construction of the Caru’ cu bere building in 1899.
The famous restaurant and brewery still stands there today. This gorgeous neo-gothic style building is filled with stained glass, paintings, mosaics, and carved panels on the inside, as well as a great bar area. There is also a nice patio and traditional live music and dance can be enjoyed most days.
We enjoyed a pint of the beer made here and some traditional dishes, including Papanași (traditional Romanian fried doughnuts made with cottage cheese and topped with smetana and jam). So good!
We needed a few more hours here to make it to the Palace of the Parliament and the Roman Athenaeum, but we had a train to catch to Brasov, so we spent the last bit of time wandering around the beautiful streets of Old Town Bucharest before heading out.
Info
Train from Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport to Bucharesti Nord Station 5 RON 20-25 mins
Subway system is convenient and easy to navigate. 2-ride ticket is 6 RON
As a huge Halloween fan, Bran Castle and Romania’s Transylvania region has been on my travel list for years.
Arriving in Brasov’s Old Town, I immediately fell in love. This, to me, is exactly what a medieval European city should look like. Ringed by the Carpathian Mountains and filled with cobblestoned streets, medieval walls and colourful baroque buildings, Old Town looks like something out of a fairy tale.
Brasov was founded by the Teutonic Knights in 1211 and was settled by the Saxons in the 13th century, becoming one of Transylvania’s seven walled citadels. Brasov’s location became an important intersection, linking trade routes between the Ottoman Empire and Western Europe.
Our hotel, Casa Wagner, was located in Brasov’s main square, Piaţa Sfatului (Council Square), a large open area where medieval markets were held.
The hotel was originally built in 1477 and is the third oldest building located in the square that is also filled with shops, restaurants, and cafes, with Brasov Old Town Hall found in the centre.
Built in 1420, Casa Sfatului was the meeting place for the town’s council members for several centuries. Today, it is home to Brasov’s History Museum.
Just south of Council Square is the Black Church, the largest gothic structure in Romania and one of Brasov’s most famous sites. The church got its name after the flames and smoke of the ‘Great Fire’ in 1689 darkened its exterior walls. The church was originally built between 1385 and 1477. After the fire, restoration took 100 years.
Today, the church is a massive structure, with beautiful stained glass and statues located all around it. The bell tower stands 65m high and is home to the largest and heaviest church bell in Romania.
The Black Church’s massive pipe organ dates from 1839. It was built by Carl August Buchholz and takes up three floors and contains 3993 pipes! This massive organ still functions and concerts are performed several times a week.
Most of the original statues have been removed from the outer walls to preserve them and replicas have been put up in their place. You can find many of the originals inside the church. Entrance tickets can be purchased for 20 lei at the gift shop across from the church. It looks big from the outside, but once you walk through the large wooden doors, you see how truly big this church is.
Another interesting historical piece in this church are the pews. When people first started to attend, they sat within their guilds. The more important your guild (teachers, town councillors, etc.), the closer you sat to the pulpit.
These pews were also more ornately decorated. Each guild could add carvings, paintings, ornamental elements, and symbols to represent their guild on the panel of the pew. The pews themselves were all fairly standard, except for the carpenter’s guild, who made sure to carve theirs more ornately when making all the pews. It was neat to walk around and see all the differences.
There was a small section containing tombstones with elaborate carvings of the person’s face. Apparently, this was a common thing to do among the wealthy, so they could be depicted in all their grandeur for eternity!
The various murals, paintings, and statues found throughout the church are also worth a look.
As I often do when exploring a new city, I joined up with a free walking tour to learn more about Brasov and all there was to see. We set out with our guide on a 2.5-hour walk around Old Town, where he told us lots of historic facts and local legends and pointed out the house where Vlad the Impaler’s mistress lived.
As we came to the Black Church, he pointed out one of the statues on the roof and told us how Brasov and a neighbouring city were competing to build the biggest and best church. They took this very seriously and only the master builder knew the full plan. One day, he found a little boy up on the roof looking at all they were doing. No one knew who this boy was, so they figured he must be a spy sent from the other town and he was pushed off the roof!
Now, a statue of a little boy looking over the edge can be found on the roof. Some say it was put there as a memorial; others say it’s a warning.
Rope Street, Strada Sforii, is one of the narrowest streets in Europe at 3.6 to 4 feet wide. As the houses were all connected, there was no quick way to get from one street to another, so Rope Street was used as an access route for firefighters. There is a statue of a Rope Lady at one end, pointing the way to the passage.
One legend says that Rope Street was a meeting place for lovers whose parents did not approve of their relationship, and that couples who kissed on Rope Street will forever be tied together.
High above Brasov, in the Carpathian Mountains, is Mount Tampa. There are several different trails you can hike up the mountain or take the cable car (30 lei RT, Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.) to the top for a great view of the city and surrounding area.
From the upper cable car station, it’s a short walk along the path to the famous Brasov sign, where you will get the best views of the town from 955m above!
The cable car takes about 2.5 minutes to ascend to the top, and at less than $9 CAD ($6.50 USD) return, it’s definitely worth it. At the top, you will also find a small cafe and some more walking trails.
As we were there in October, all the leaves had begun to change colour, making the view even more spectacular. You could see all of Old Town, including a great view of the Black Church from above.
When Vlad Tepes (the Impaler) attacked Brasov in 1458, the citadel was destroyed and 40 merchants who refused to pay trade taxes were impaled, and displayed on top of the mountain. I much preferred the view of the fall foliage!
Catherine’s Gate, erected in 1559 by the Tailors’ Guild, is the only original gate to have survived from medieval times. During Saxon rule, Romanians weren’t allowed to own property inside the fortress and were only allowed to enter at certain times to sell their goods. They would be required to pay a toll before entering. At the time, these gates were the only way in and out of Brasov. Above the entrance, the tower bears the city’s coat of arms: a crown on a tree trunk.
Black Tower stands atop a rock on Starja Hill and is one of four defensive towers in Brasov built in the 15th century, and offers great views of the city.
Hunter’s Tower is another defensive tower in the citadel used for storing power during the Middle Ages.
Once you’re done exploring for the day, enjoy a traditional Transylvanian dinner at Sergiana. Head down into the basement, where you will find cave-like dining rooms, servers in traditional Romanian attire, and a delicious variety of local Transylvanian dishes.
After dinner, check out Beraria Mustata for some local craft beer.
While the Council Square is great by day, be sure to check it out at night when it’s all lit up and the Hollywood style BRASOV sign is shining high up on Mt. Tampa.
And while you are in the area, a trip to Bran to see Bran Castle is a must! We spent half a day exploring Dracula’s Castle and the small town of Bran. More on that here.
Brasov is about 30 minutes from Bran. There are buses that will take you, but we found taking a Bolt or an Uber far more convenient.
Before catching our train back to Bucharest, we had to stop for one more delicious Papanași (traditional Romanian fried doughnuts made with cottage cheese and topped with smetana and jam) at La Ceaun in the main square.
Whether you are exploring Transylvania or just making your way to see Dracula’s Bran Castle, be sure to stop and explore Brasov on the way. You won’t be disappointed!
I’ve heard about Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto for years, but never made it there on any previous Disney trips. So, since we were there to celebrate my 40th birthday, I figured this was the perfect time to finally check out this Tiki hideaway.
This tropical Tiki bar is found in Disney World’s Polynesian Resort, just around the corner from the lobby.
Through a plain-looking wooden door, you step into the enchanting world of the South Seas. The lounge itself is small and packed with ancient artefacts, hidden treasures, an erupting volcano, an angry Tiki god, and more covering the walls and ceiling.
The line starts around 2pm and it fills up fast, so be sure to get your name on the list right away.
When it was finally our turn, we got seats at the bar just as a thunderstorm began. The volcano erupted and everyone around us started chanting “Uh-Oa.” I immediately liked this place!
We started off with two of the drinks where you can also purchase the Tiki mug as a souvenir—the HippopotoMai-Tai and the Zombie.
The bartender, Alyssa, was amazing. She spent the next couple hours bringing great drinks and delivering bad jokes that had us laughing away. We soon learned that many of the drinks have some kind of action associated with them, from a thunderstorm, to everyone ‘swimming,’ to a little hippo coming out to visit when you order the HippopotoMai-Tai. The whole experience becomes very interactive, which only adds to the charm of this place.
The best one, however, in my opinion, is when you order the Uh-Oa, which is one you can share, and the whole bar starts chanting ‘Uh-Oa.’ Alyssa brought ours out and told us that we had angered ‘Uh-Oa’ by ordering this beverage and now we had to sacrifice it to appease her. She then lit our drink on fire and had us throw the cinnamon onto the flame to make it grow larger as we chanted her name. As this is happening, we are being sprayed with water as our sacrifice is ‘horrible’ and Uh-Oa comes out to curse us and then Alyssa stabs our drink to finalize the sacrifice. It is quite the little presentation and just made this drink even more enjoyable!
As I was looking around, I noticed a Tiki that looked like an octopus and found out it is the new limited edition blue Ursula Tiki mug that comes with a drink called Sign the Scroll (Kraken Black Spiced Rum, Royal Blue Curacao Liqueur, red passion fruit, and pomegranate juice and topped with an edible flower).
As The Little Mermaid is my favourite Disney movie, I of course needed to add this to the collection of Tiki mugs we were now taking home! The drink was delicious, probably my favourite of the night and so pretty to look at!
They have a great selection of drinks on the menu, but be sure to ask about the selection of drinks they have off the menu, like the TK-421 from Star Wars.
While it is mainly a bar, you will find a small selection of appetizers as well, like the Thai Chicken Flatbread, which was very tasty.
If, like me, you’ve missed the little spot of paradise on your previous Disney trips, I would highly recommend putting it on your must-do list on your next Disney adventure!
Are you ready to follow in the footsteps of giants??
When I arrived in Northern Ireland, visiting Giant’s Causeway was at the top of my must- sees during my short stay. I had seen photos of this unique-looking causeway for years and knew I wanted to see it up close.
Giant’s Causeway is located in County Antrim on the North Coast of Northern Ireland near the town of Bushmills. It is found along the Causeway Coast Route, which runs from Carrickfergus to Derry. This route is considered to be one of the most beautiful drives in Ireland. I only did part of it, but the views along the way were even better than I imagined.
So where did this unique causeway come from?
The scientific explanation is that the Giant’s Causeway was formed by volcanic activity 50-60 million years ago. The basalt lava oozed up through the chalk beds and then cooled, forming these awesome pillars. Over 40,000 basalt pillars are found here!
While that explanation is great … I prefer the legend of how the causeway was built by the Irish giant Finn MacCool. After being threatened by Scottish giant Benandonner, Finn began tearing up chunks of the Antrim coastline and hurling them into the sea, creating a bridge—the Giant’s Causeway—to reach Benandonner. However, once he arrived in Scotland, he realized that Benandonner was a far bigger giant than himself and Finn turned and ran back to Ireland. To trick Benandonner, he and his wife disguised him as a baby. When Benandonner saw him, he thought, “If that’s how big the baby is, I don’t want to meet the father,” and he fled back to Scotland, destroying much of the causeway so Finn could not follow.
If you visit Fingal’s Cave in Scotland, you will find it shares a similar geology and appearance to the Giant’s Causeway!
Whichever version you choose to believe, this UNESCO World Heritage Site should definitely be on your must-see list while in Northern Ireland.
Visiting the Giant’s Causeway:
The Giant’s Causeway itself is free to visit.
However, if you decide to go to the visitor’s centre then you will be required to pay. The National Trust recently built a huge visitor centre here and the signs can be misleading, making you think you are required to pay to see the causeway itself. If you choose to go to the visitor’s centre, you will also have access to an audio guide and the Giant’s Causeway car parks. The entrance fee here is £13.50. I opted to avoid the visitor’s centre and take myself on a free tour of this natural wonder!
There are several trails to hike around the Giant’s Causeway varying in length and difficulty. The easiest one is the Blue Trail, leading from the visitor’s centre down to the Giant’s Boot. If you have a limited amount of time to explore the Giant’s Causeway, this is the trail for you.
The hike down is fairly easy, although the terrain is hilly and uneven in spots. Be sure to wear proper shoes.
If mobility is an issue, there is also a shuttle bus that goes from the visitor’s centre down to the causeway for £1. (Times vary and on busy days you may have to wait as space is limited.)
The whole site is stunning, with green fields leading down to the water, but seeing the unique basalt pillars rising up from the water is truly amazing.
The best time to visit is early in the morning or at dusk, when photos are great and the crowds are minimal.
I spent a couple hours here, walking along the coastline, climbing on the pillars, and looking around in awe. It truly is a sight to see up close!
Other stops nearby:
Old Bushmills Distillery – The world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery. It has been around since 1608. Book a tour or a tasting or just stop by the gift shop or bar.
Dunluce Castle – This beautiful medieval castle, built on the side of a cliff, dates back to the early 1500s. Legend has it that the kitchen broke off and fell into the sea below (along with some of the kitchen staff!). The castle is mainly ruins now with some historical and archaeological exhibits open to the public. This picturesque Irish castle is also a popular spot for wedding photos.
(Open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., last admission 4:30pm. £6.)
Carrick-a-rede– This rope bridge was built by fishermen in 1755 to assist with their salmon fishing. It hangs 30m above sea level and is now owned by the National Trust. Along with the rope bridge there is a 2km coastal walk and a 400-year-old Fisherman’s Cottage.
If you want to cross the rope bridge, you need to prebook a time. (Note: coaches are no longer allowed to enter the site.)
Carrickfergus Castle – Located in the town of Carrickfergus. This Norman Castle is one of the best-preserved medieval structures in Ireland.
(Open 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., £6.)
Northern Ireland is also home to many filming locations from the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. There are whole tours based around the locations.
Two of the most popular are:
The Dark Hedges – This beautiful avenue of beech trees along Bregagh Road has become one of the most photographed spots in Northern Ireland. In Game of Thrones, it represents the Kingsroad. It has become a very popular tourist spot. It is free to walk along the avenue, but remember that vehicles are not allowed. Parking is available nearby at the Dark Hedges Estate, where you will also find a cafe. The Dark Hedges are a short walk from there.
Cushendun Caves – These caves have been formed over 400 million years. The numerous rock cavities have all been naturally carved out by water and time. There’s a little stone beach leading to the caves. It’s a quick stop, but impressive to see. In Game of Thrones, this is where Melisandre gives birth to the terrible shadow killer. Access to the cave is free and open all year round. Parking is found nearby. Just keep in mind that people live in the flats beside the caves, so follow the trail and avoid the locals’ property.
If you are driving around Northern Ireland, all these stops can easily be seen in a day or two, depending on how long you wish to spend at each stop and how many other stops you want to make along the Causeway Coast Route. If, like me, you are without a car and have a limited amount of time, McComb’s Tours does a great day trip, stopping at all these places and more throughout the day. Book the tour here.
So get out and enjoy the beauty of Northern Ireland!
If you had asked me growing up what my travel goals were, I would have given you a long list, which included travelling to all the continents, visiting all the countries my Grandma had travelled to and more, seeing the wonders of the world, and on and on…but climbing mountains was never something I had really thought much about. In fact, if you had asked if summiting mountains was a goal of mine, I would likely have just laughed—at least until I spent several months living in Kenya, and found myself climbing Mt. Kenya. It ended up being a tough but very cool adventure, and I thought, Well, now I can check climbing a mountain off my life list and move on!
Climbing bigger mountains definitely wasn’t in the plans until some members of the group who I had volunteered with in Kenya in 2008 started talking about climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. After debating my plans to never climb another mountain, I decided it would be a great adventure and I’m never one who likes to be left behind or miss out on a great experience…even if it is a challenging one.
So this is how, exactly ten years ago today, I found myself in Moshi, Tanzania, having an early morning cup of Kilimanjaro coffee while waiting to meet our guide and set off on our trek up Mt. Kilimanjaro.
We met our guide, Julius, who told us to call him “Whitey,” an interesting nickname for this tall, dark Tanzanian guide. We all introduced ourselves and headed over to the Ahsante Tours office to pick up any rented gear and have a briefing before setting off to the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
We arrived at the Machame Route Gate, at a height of 1800m, got signed in and met our assistant guide, Benedict, or “Benny.” We took a group shot to mark the start of our trek and by 10:45am, we finally started making our way up the tallest mountain in Africa.
Whitey and Benny- our amazing guides
We spent the day hiking and chatting away, something that slowly died down on subsequent days as the air got thinner and our energy levels dwindled. But for now, we were fresh and excited. The setting today felt like hiking through a jungle, with some steep muddy parts thrown in to challenge us.
In between Whitey regaling us with songs, including a soulful rendition of “Hakuna Matata” and laughing and yelling out encouragement to us as we hiked along, I had some questions for him. I wanted to know how many times he had climbed this mountain, and he told me he quit counting at 120. 120?!? For me, once proved to be a challenge. I cannot imagine trekking up and down this mountain well over 120 times. (He is still a guide today, so I can only imagine what his count is now!) He’s been working on the mountain for 7 years, beginning as a porter at 18 years old, quickly working through the ranks to assistant guide and doing all the required training to become a lead guide. He told me becoming a guide was his dream. He grew up in Moshi and spent his childhood looking out at Mt. Kilimanjaro, knowing one day he wanted to climb it. Once he did, he couldn’t wait to bring others up his beloved mountain so they could see the beauty for themselves. We were definitely in good hands with him, and his love for his job and the mountain were unmistakable. He said he feels most at home on the mountain, and when he’s gone, he can’t wait to get back.
Around 5pm, we made it out of the jungle and into that evening’s camp, already set up and waiting for us. After settling into our tents, we met in the dining tent for hot chocolate and popcorn. Then we walked up to the ranger station to check in that we made it through day one, and then Whitey led us in what became a nightly routine of singing and dancing all together with our guides and porters.
This was a team bonding time, which became a little harder each day as our energy waned. But no matter how tired we were, we always mustered a last bit of strength for this fun. A perfect way to end each day of trekking!
The food prepared for each of our meals along this journey was delicious, made even more so by how hungry we were by the end of each day and how impressive it was that they were making pumpkin soup, pasta dishes and tasty desserts on the side of a mountain!
After dinner each night, Whitey came in to brief us on what the following day would entail and ask each of us to share our high and low moment of the day—another great daily tradition of this trek. Bedtime came early each night as we were always exhausted from the day.
“Now I’m in my tent, writing about day one by the light of my headlamp on Mt. Kili, 3000m up. How cool is that? Amazing!” — Journal excerpt
Day two began at 6am with a knock on the tent. “Jambo, good morning! Tea for you!” I opened the tent to find steaming mugs of chai tea waiting, a cozy way to start the morning, still wrapped up in my sleeping bag.
Breakfast was at 7am, before starting the day’s journey at 8am. Whitey told us today would definitely be “Pole Pole,” which means “slowly, slowly” in Swahili. He had told us from the start this was how we would be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and repeated these words often throughout the trek. Pole Pole was certainly the mantra of today as we made our way mostly uphill on a six-hour trek.
We stopped for lunch around 12pm and then made it to camp around 3pm. All day today, the scenery was beautiful. We woke up above the clouds and by lunchtime had climbed above a second layer of clouds.
In the distance, you could see the summit of Mt. Meru in Arusha peeking out from the clouds. We were now up at 3,800m. We climbed up to 3,900m and then back down a bit to sleep and let our bodies adjust to the altitude. “Climb High, Sleep Low” was another mountain mantra that helped us to safely acclimatize.
Tonight’s camp was at Shira Cave, so after settling in, Benny took us up to see the old cave.
“The sunset tonight was incredible, going down through the clouds, behind the hills, and the view of the peak was amazing. It’s so beautiful and peaceful up here. After dinner, once it was dark, the sky was lit up by 1000s of stars. Gorgeous. Tonight was one of the most beautiful sunsets and starry skies I’ve ever seen. Breathtaking!” — Journal excerpt
Once again, day three began at 6am with another steaming cup of chai tea at our tent door. A girl could get used to this kind of wake up…even if it is earlier than I would like!
Another incredible view this morning up above the clouds, with the summit stretching high above us and the sun just starting to streak through the clouds.
Getting packed up to leave camp on Day #3
Our highest point today was Lava Tower at 4560m, a very cool rock formation created by volcanic activity on the mountain years ago. The tower stands 90m tall and is a beautiful backdrop for a much-needed resting spot by this point in the trek. We went back down to 3950m to sleep.
Every time I’d ask Whitey how much farther, he’d tell me we were almost there. Finally, about nine hours later, it was true! Each day, our singing and dancing ritual got a little more challenging, but still no one could resist celebrating the end of another day of trekking and being closer to our goal of reaching the summit.
On day four, after about 20 minutes of hiking, we arrived at Barranco Wall, a challenging climb up 257m. We went Pole Pole for sure here, trying not to lose our footing. We carefully made our way up this part of the trek, our guides helping us across the tricky parts.
As we got to higher altitudes and trickier spots, we had both Whitey and Benny, plus Francis and Joaquim, two other guides in training, with us at all times to help us along and make sure everyone was still doing okay with the altitude.
Today was when things really got tough. The higher altitudes and steeper parts were challenging and we were moving at a turtle’s pace. Even if we wanted to go faster, I’m not sure many of us could have done anything other than go Pole Pole.
Camp tonight had by far the best bathrooms—still just a squat hole in the ground—but this one had a cement floor, instead of the usual wood. And even better, the contents weren’t up around the top! (Some days it’s the little things that bring you joy!) Whitey gave us a pep talk as part of the briefing tonight and we all went to bed early to prepare for the summit.
We were woken up at 11:30pm to get ready and had hot chocolate, popcorn and porridge. I was dressed in as many layers as I could manage because it was freezing in the pitch-black night this high up on the mountain. We set off just after midnight, with only the stars above and our headlamps to help guide our way. You could only see what was right in front of you, which was likely a good thing, because if I had seen how far and high I still had to go in the freezing cold, I might have crawled right back into my warm sleeping bag!
We took a break about halfway up.
“When you looked out across the darkness, you could see the red/orange line of the sun beginning to rise above the clouds and there was a tiny sliver of a crescent moon just above the cloud line. It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen, and for a moment, I forgot about being freezing and exhausted and just stared out at the beauty, taking it all in.” — Journal excerpt
The higher we climbed, the harder it got. My muscles burned and near the top, my breathing became more laboured. We made our way through the snow and ice closer to the top, past the glaciers.
Whitey said he’d already seen a dramatic decline in the size of the glaciers in the seven years he had been climbing Kilimanjaro due to global warming. It was still an impressive sight, but I wonder what it used to look like?
We stopped for a tea break, before slowly continuing along the snowy, rocky trail to Stella Point. From there, we only had an hour left to go, but that last hour felt like we were hardly moving, everyone inhaling deeply, trying to get enough oxygen to take our next slow step.
Finally, around 8am, we rounded the last bend in the trail and made it to the summit, 5896m up. Making my way over to the flags and the sign saying, “Congratulations, you are now at Uhuru Peak,” welcoming me to the highest point in Africa, I burst into tears, exhaustion and excitement flooding over me.
Even though I wanted to quit at least 100 times today, I had made it. I could check climbing the highest mountain in Africa off my travel list!
Watching the sun rise over the rooftop of Africa is a moment I will never forget.
Those of us who made it to the summit got a group shot and quickly took our photos with the sign. Then, about 15-20 minutes later, we were on our way back down. Such a long way to go for such a short stay, but with the high altitude, we couldn’t linger.
We made it back to camp eleven hours after leaving it, toenails bleeding from the impact of heading basically straight back down, slipping and sliding through the gritty sand. After a nap and lunch, we packed up and hiked another two hours or so to that night’s camp. Today the highs were all about making it to the top and celebrating that victory!
The final morning after breakfast, we gathered for one last dance party before packing up and heading down the rest of the mountain, about a five-hour journey.
Back at the hotel that night, after having my first shower in six days (which was amazing), we met for one last dinner all together and toasted our success with cold Kilimanjaro beers.
Climbing mountains may not have started out on my life’s travel list, but the fact that I made it to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro remains one of my proudest travel experiences. Standing at the top, smiling through my tears and watching that incredible sun rising to the “Heaven of Africa,” as Whitey put it, is definitely a moment I will never forget.
I always knew I enjoyed a challenge and was not a quitter, and completing this trek cemented that for me. But now I’m seriously through climbing mountains…I think!
For some singing, dancing, hiking and commentary on this beautiful but challenging trek, check out the video below!
Eating fresh, juicy mango outside in temperatures that feel like 40°C remind me of days in Kenya, juicing huge bags of mangos (and eating as many as we could)at the house.
While reminiscing about travel is fun, let’s all do our part to kill Covid-19 so I can get back to actually travelling…..
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page” ~St Augustine
One day, over a month ago now, while I was looking in my cupboard trying to decide what mug I wanted to use that day for my morning cup of coffee, I took notice of all the travel mugs I’ve collected over the years.
Each one comes with great memories of wonderful travel adventures, so I decided since I’m not able to be out travelling at the moment it would be fun to ‘travel around the world’ each day with my morning cups of coffee.
Well, 37 days later, I’ve finally run out of travel mugs, but it’s definitely been a fun way to reminisce about past travelling adventures and now I can’t wait to get back out and add to this growing collection…until then, I guess I’ll just keep cycling through these ones!!
For years now, I’ve been collecting mugs from countries I’ve travelled to. It started out slowly – a mug here, a mug there, missing many places in between, until one morning, when I was longing to be out on another adventure, I stood there, looking in my cupboard, trying to decide what country I wanted to enjoy my morning coffee in. I found myself laughing at the idea, but it stuck with me and my collection continued to grow.
Now, once again, I find myself desperately wishing I could be out exploring more of this big, beautiful world, but for now I guess I will have to satisfy my wanderlust by letting my morning coffee and my mug collection take me around the world.
‘Travel is the best education you can give yourself.’ Growing up, I heard this advice a lot from my Grandma as she was showing us photos and telling us all about her latest trip. She saw the world and inspired me to do the same. A lifelong teacher, she knew the value of education, but also knew that the world had so much more to offer than you could ever find in a classroom. Only while immersing yourself in someone else’s way of life do you realize how alike we truly are.
Thank you for instilling in me this love of travel and need to constantly be educating myself.
Happy birthday my travelling Grandma! I hope everyone up there enjoys your travel stories as much as I always did! Xo
Tales of a Travel Addict 
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