Yippee!!! I've completed my final assignment today. Now I can go and get organised for Christmas. Norway here I come!!!

We had a fabulous Kilimanjaro reunion in Norfolk during the first weekend in November. Out on the Broads on Robs cruiser - Lola. The weather was beautiful and we've already planned the next reunion - a Scottish one this time, March 2010.

I also managed to catch up with a couple of friends in Cambridge who supported me when Stewart was in Addenbrooke hospital for 5 months. His landlord Len, and Sheila a fellow Aberdonian.

The Norfolk guys n' gal have produced a wonderful DVD of their Kilimanjaro trek. I'm still working on mine, however now that Uni is finished I will have all the time in the world - Ha Ha Roll on 2010!!

Summit Porter

I have just heard from Matthew, my Uhuru peak porter!!
He is back at college and wants some of my Scottish flag photos from the Kilimanjaro trek.
Hoping to have a slide show one Sunday in November.

Overtaken my fundraising total!!

The Kilimanjaro trek has now raised more than £5,000 for Spinal Research, with more money to come in. I am amazed at how quickly it doubled in the last few months. My left foot didn't trouble me once on the trek nor since I returned to Callander.
Many thanks to everyone again for your support. Lynne xx

Assignment woes!!

No photo this time. I just wanted to let everyone know that even though I worked all the hours God sent prior to leaving for Tanzania on 21st August, and stayed up until midnight the day before so that I could submit my 3rd assignment to be marked in my absence, I have just found out that it requires to be resubmitted due to it being corrupted!!! Thank goodness I don't have to start working on it from scratch as module 4 starts this week, and I've still to get my head around that.

My Porter Matthew

Hi, not much of a photo I know, but this is the only one of Matthew I could track down until such time that he emails me a copy of the one I took of him with his camera, doing cartwheels under the Uhuru sign. Goes to show what you can do at nearly 6,000m when you're a local 21year old!!!

The rest of us had barely enough energy to stand under the sign let alone climb onto the top of it!

I am overwhelmed at the additional money which has been coming in since the article about my trek appeared in the Stirling Observer last Friday. A local couple have just handed in £100, after reading about it.

www.stirlingobserver.co.uk/.../local.../local.../callander-woman-climbs-kilimanjaro-for-spinal-research-51226-24602313/

Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. I'm sorta getting back to normal now - I think? xx

Departure Time - Boo Hoo!!

Departing on Precision Airline. The start of our journey home at Kilimanjaro airport.
Farewell to Tanzania. What an adventure!!!

Out and about in Moshi, doing a wee bit of exploring. Being 2 blond haired, white skinned females on our own though proved a wee bit problematic at times, and Ollie gave a right shock this morning pretending to be a local who wanted to show us his wares!!! We walked back to the hotel in a large group with Mark and Ollie as our bouncers. We did find some lovely local treasures to bring home.

Sue and I outside our room at the Bristol Cottages hotel, Moshi. This photo was taken from the outdoor dining room, and doing what all ladies do before dinner, having a wee G&T!!

Looking back down onto Lake Manyaro park, before heading back to Moshi. Masai tribesman herding his cattle across a new road which stretched for miles! The journey back took nearly 4 hours, but no more punctures - thankfully!!

Lake Manyaro Park

Sunrise, just after 6am, at Lake Manyaro safari park.

Having breakfast out doors must rate high on my list of heavenly things to do!! Please note the tablecloth, it didn't matter where we were or what time it was, a tablecloth was always supplied, eve up the mountain, perched on the side of vertical drops!! Being in the park so early meant there were more animals to see. It wasn't too hot for them and they were in no need for a siesta in the morning.

The remains of a buffalo at the hippo pool.

Looking back down from the cater rim towards the dried up white salt pan, which in the wet season is full of water. The far edge of the crater rim can be seen in the distance. It took us over 2 hours to drive from a half way point, to this view point on the rim.

A zebra and hyena in the Ngorongoro safari park. This was an amazing place as the whole Ngrorngoro area is an extinct volcano about the size of Stirling council area in it's entirety - it was massive!!! The mountains you see in the background are the rim of the volcano which we had to drive down to get into the park. ON the way we passed Masai tribesmen, driving their cattle towards the lake for water. Domestic and wild animals vying for the same source of life giving water. All there tribesmen had were spears to protect themselves, but the park rangers had rifles.

Sunset on the mountains above Lake Manyaro safari park. We were running late at this point and should have been at our campsite. But before too long, we had a third puncture, this time in the pitch dark and fortunately because there were 2 jeeps there was another spare tyre.

When we did finally find the campsite, 4km up a red dirt track, the porters had to erect the tens by the light of the moon, and paraffin lamps which had been left on for our arrival. Even in the dark it was a magical place, with typical tropical/jungle/safari animal noises all around. We were, yet again, served a delicious meal spread out on a table laid before us under the stars. This was the first time I had tasted Goat and it was very good. A big camp fire was lit and we reclined around the heat of the flames with a glass of red wine. Being a white wine drinker, this was indeed a change for me, but it was just perfect for that situation, and I think I could become quite partial to red wine in the right circumstances!!

Next puncture, 30 mins later, by the side of a road this time, so no fear of being eaten by a lion, but we were accosted by loads of little Masai children. Sue who asked to take their photograph had a bag of Pear drops for them to share!!! Share, not being the operative word, as one wee boy snatched the bag from her hands and proceeded to stuff as many as he could into his mouth, stopping the others from having them. It was all good natured, fortunately, and he was back with cheeks bulging looking for more!!!

They wanted to show us how good their English was, always on the look out for more sweets. The bulk of these children wore a piece of material over their naked bodies and sandals made of rubber from old car tyres. They were also responsible, many times, for looking after the cattle or goats and lived in mud huts - no electricity or water!!

Tarangire Safari Park

Our first encounter with elephants and we had spent ages just watching this group of 10 wander closer to us. It was amazing as they didn't seemed to be fazed by our presence at all.

This park was the best for the quantity of elephants we saw every corner we turned.

We spent all afternoon, after a picnic lunch, seeing girafes, zebras, gazelle, antelopes, elephants and eventually a solitary lion asleep up a tree. However it was at that point that another driver told Deo he had a puncture, so he had to drive us to a place of safety so we could get out and allow him to change the tyre. This was just an added adventure to us, but I'm sure nerve wracking for him, being responsible for our safety in the park!!! WEeset off for our campsite at 5.30pm and the drive was to have taken us 1 hour!!!

Safari Time!!

Here are the 9 of us prior to leaving on our first safari. We went in 2 jeeps, loaded up with all our stuff, water, tents, mattresses etc!!

Sue, Gareth, Michael, Me, Mark, Mel, Ian, Gina and Ollie.

Deo, our driver is still loading the roof rack behind us.

Me, receiving my Kilimanjaro certificate from Alan, Whitely and Pascale - group leader and guides, after our Celebration dinner in the Protea Hotel, Machame.

I feel very chuffed at achieving this certificate, but am well aware that it is only due to the encouragement and tenacity of my porter Matthew (Pascales wee brother) that I reached Uhuru peak, without him, I wouldnt have made it - so thank you again Matthew.

A glass of champagne at our Celebration dinner on our last night together. There was only enough in the hotel for the ladies to enjoy and enjoy we did!!!
I think we all scrubbed up rather well, goodness only knows what the hotel drains were like afterwards??

Our last view of the summit before descending below the clouds from the Millenium camp back to Machame.

Last mountain morning!

This was me giving the Thank you speech on behalf of the group to the porters on our last morning on the mountain. Whitey was translating for the porters and Ian was signing for Mark, who is deaf.

Just afterwards the porters burst into song followed by a big group dance. That just about warmed us all up for the next 6 hours of walking off the mountain, back through pretty damp rain forest terrain!! But boy were we looking forward to the hot showers back at the hotel - I think it's just as well I lost my sense of smell in that car accident!!

We were all in the same boat so perhaps cancelled out the smell from one another, having said that, it's really unfair that as the week progressed the men looked more and more rugged and handsome whilst the women looked more and more unkempt and haggard - life's not fair!!??