Hi there,
Thank you so much for your support. For all the messages of encouragement before I left, texts during the trek and lovely messages of congratulations since I arrived home last night. I was greeted at the front door by Julie, with a bottle of pink champagne and a helium ballon. Oh and some yum yums and a bottle of milk - very practical. The champagne will be drank tonight as I sit and watch, son Andrews favourite Disney film, 'The Lion King'. I had never realized that many of the words used in this film is genuine Swahili and having been on 3 safaris I just want to envelope myself in that 'culture' again!! Gosh there is so much to tell and so little time/space to tell it in.

I just wanted you to see the first photo I had hoped to email from Tanzania to Wendy, taken from the plane as it prepared to descend through the clouds into Kilimanjaro airport. Texts worked but photos didn't unfortunately. Hopefully I will be able to direct you to where they can be accessed once I've got my brain fully functioning again! We couldn't see land as we were so high, but Kilimanjaro was there for us all to see.
Now that I have completed 4 loads of washing, including my jacket and trainers and have scrubbed my backpack, travelling bag and treking poles all I have left to clean are my boots!! My kitchen now feels full of lava dust - it got everywhere including my lungs as I struggled to breathe during my morning swim today.

I hope to upload more photos in the days to come. If you have any special requests please let me know?
It was a tremendous experience and my thanks go to Wendy for keeping you informed through the text messages. I'm glad to be home and was able to share a meal of potato soup and macaroni with John & Agnes Gibson last night, washed down with a bottle of African Shiraz. How I came to receive that bottle of wine at Nairobi airport is another story for another day!!
Lynne xx