Day 6- We finished the climb with a 4-5 hour hike out through the rain forest. We caught a last glimpse of the mountain before leaving Mweka camp. At the end we applauded our guides, porters, and cook. They sang and danced a Kilamanjaro song, which was a ritual upon arrival in camp each night. Now off to Safari. . .
Day 5-The day started at midnight with a steep hike in the dark-the pace was slow, the guides would say, "pole pole" (pronounced pole-ay), which means slow and steady. Our steps were small, with the one foot not crossing in front of the other, and we had to be aware of our breathing because there was not much oxygen in the air, the slightest movement would get us out of breath. 
to the peak, which is quite an accomplishment, there were groups after us in which the entire group did not make it. We were all blown away with the emotional rush at the top and felt that the hike was much harder than we could have imagined. The glaciers at the top were gigantic, rising 4-5 stories high. 
Day 3-The hike continued on. . . Today we climbed up to 15,000 feet for acclimatization and then made our way back down to 12,500 feet to sleep. Our camp, Barranco, was breathtaking with cliffs on all sides and the backdrop of the mountain. The Senecio tree also dotted out path, this plant is unique to Kilimanjaro and can grow up to 10 meters.
Day 2 started out very steep, after only 2 miles we had climbed 2,500 feet. We left the rain forest and entered the moorland, which is full of dwarf shrubs, and small trees, all covered with moss and lichen. The day ended at about 12,500 feet and the view was amazing. It was another day of rain and hail, but by evening the sky cleared up and we were able to see the mountain again. Here is another bathroom shot for day 2.
