climbforacause2019_rev

Day 2
We hiked from Machame camp to Shira
cave, a total of 1000 meters altitude
gain. It was a beautiful, slow ascent with
temperatures in the 60s and intermittently
sunny. After the eight-hour hike, we were
happy to see our orange tents in the
distance. After settling into the camp and
registering at the site, we took a short walk
to the caves, where porters used to cook
and camp. We were told that use of the
caves was banned in 1995 as many porters
were becoming sick from the fumes and
cold. We returned to the camp for the
welcome ceremony. Our entire group
gathered in a half circle, singing and
dancing their songs. Majid joined on their
side, and Mitra danced in the middle. At
the end, each member of our team stated
his name and role, and then we introduced
ourselves in turn. During the check in after
dinner, our guide Washingtone described
the history of the place-- the site where
two local tribes, the Masaii and the
Chagga, came together to fight for their
cattle.
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