Within an hour of passing through passport control, exiting Kenya and entering Tanzania, the long ascent began. This was the day…I rode directly up to and around the base of the famous Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africas highest peak at 19,341 feet / 5,895 meters.

The views of the approach were stunning. There she stood, firmly placed on a solid base with a towering conical shaped snow capped blunt peak that rises high above the surrounding lowlands. Mt. Kilimanjaro is a dormant stratovolcano, made up of three volcanic cones. Its diverse ecosystems range from tropical rainforests to alpine deserts and glaciers.

I definitely had many moments pinching myself as I marveled and pedaled my way up the northeastern side and around to the southwestern side. What a beauty and in such stark contrast to the surrounding flat plains.

I was forewarned that the first half of the day would be entirely different from the second. Words could not have been truer. For the following 4 hours I slowly pedaled up and along the base through vibrant green colored corn fields and conifers forests. The water runoff from the mountains creates very fertile farm land. However, once I reached the southwestern side, it was entirely different landscape. Apparently the clouds and weather hovering on the opposite side and don’t move up and over to the south, leaving it hot, dry and arid. I spent another 6 hours cycling along rugged rock pitted deep red dirt roads and around the undulating landscape. The bright spot was that as I passed through the small villages the school kids would come running out to watch, cheer and even give a friendly chase. At one point I must have had 30 little kids running alongside me!

If the day wasn’t thrilling enough…the biggest surprise was yet to come…I was on my 8h hour of cycling and the heat was baking….i heard a loud woooosh, crash, thump and BOOM….out of the trees, 5 feet in front of me came running the biggest BABOON I have ever seen!! I was shocked and terrified. The primate seemed as scared of me as I was of it. Within seconds it bolted to the other side of the road. Nerves still electrified and head still reeling, I just kept on pedaling as if thst never happened. Lol!

It was a long a very difficult 10+ hour day in my saddle but filled with Tanzanian wonders and delights.