The hike today was very beautiful. We are above the tree line now, so
the vegetation consists only of little shrubs, white, festive looking
plants, and these strange cactus/palm tree things. They're really strange.
There are huge, sweeping lava/glacier flows dotted with lots of small
rocks and the occasional enormous boulder. Along the way, we were fortunate
to catch some nice views of the cloud layer and land below (we're above
one horizontal slice of clouds), and an enormous snow-covered mound rises
imposingly upwards when we look back towards the peak. We'll be circling
it for two more days before shooting straight up it, but it still looks
intimidating.
One thing I should mention is that I was excited to have snagged a pair
of 50% synthetic, 50% cotton sweat pants at the rental place. I was excited
because it was one of the few things I had that was not all cotton. Never
mind that it had holes in the crotch, and that it was bright orange. I
wore it today. Unfortunately, I discovered that was, in fact, an evil
piece of clothing. In the evening I developed a horrible, horrible rash.
"I've never had a rash as bad as the one I have now. I must be
allergic to something. Whatever it is, it's not pleasant. It started
as some small bumps near where my waistline is -- where my pack rested.
As I scratched it, [the bumps] grew and grew until they merged into
gigantic raised patches. It's like armor or something. I now have similar
rashes on my ankles, neck, and shoulders -- everywhere there was any
rubbing or irritation. Argh! Along with the freezing temperature and
wetness, I am really experiencing extreme discomfort. Today's trek was
absolutely beautiful, with spectacular views of the peak. The porters,
cook, and Photo are talking away loudly. We've noticed that they never
seem to stop. I wish I could understand them. OK. I'm getting very cold
-- going to try to sleep."
- excerpt from my journal, 7:30pm
"I am up from having to go to the bathroom in the freezing cold.
This sweatshirt I got from Wally is much more comfortable than the one
I was wearing yesterday. I was warm all night (unlike last night). The
rash has mostly gone away, except for around my feet (ankles), where
it still itches. I wish I had soap and water to wash with! I think I
have mild diarrhea, too. I'll take some cipro in the morning. Wally
and I had a great history lesson on Tanzania from Photo last night.
He is well educated, and has had much frustration trying to get more
education (had to raise money for bribes that haven't done anything
to get him into college). It's sad to see someone limited by factors
outside his control."
- excerpt from my journal, 4:40am
[
next section]
