My trek really started where I finished the Serengeti safari, in Arusha. Luckily, my room mate Harri was staying an extra day in the hotel so I did not need to check out early. On a side issue, I discovered Harri contracted a bacterial infection and was hospitalised for 5 days on his return to Finland. Emmanuel, our tour leader booked me on the 2 pm shuttle bus to Moshi with a pick up from the hotel organised at 2 pm. Now there are some things you need to know about Africa - things do not always work first time but somehow they get done in a muddle-through fashion. You are not always told the full story either. Other attributes for Africans are that they can walk very long distances and can sit around doing absolutely nothing for long periods of time. I was about to experience doing the latter. There is a Swahili expression "hacuna matatu" that covers these situations meaning "no worries" or "don't worry". Stress can kill you! Sometime after 2 pm, the hotel staff rang the bus company to make sure they were going to pick me up and yes, they knew I was awaiting. Anyway, someone came to pick me up and deliver me to their bus depot where I learned that the Arusha - Moshi service is a continuation of the Nairobi - Arusha service and because of lots of road works and a rough road, this service mostly runs late these days. So while I was waiting at the bus depot I met several other trekkers on the same journey including Dan & Anand from the UK. When the Nairobi service eventually arrived, there were lots more trekkers, several traveling with GAP Adventures as was I. The 2 pm shuttle bus, which is mainly used by tourists and a few Tanzanians of Indian descent, departed at 3:15 pm.
I booked with Gap for two reasons...I may have a better chance of recovering a refund should things turn to custard and that other travelers would travel with me.
However, I discovered that I was the sole Gap traveler on my particular route for the day I booked so was initially not too happy about this. Indeed I had several "woe is me" moments that night and didn't sleep too well. Who would I talk to for the next 9 days and I would be landed with the full amount of tips expected by my crew!
During the briefing, I also learnt that there was one other Zara group traveling on the Lemosho route over the same number of days as I, a large group of 8 Norwegians. We were told we needed to take our own water supply for the first days climb as well we should purchase snacks needed on the trek from the company shop. The company/hotel also have a rental shop for any extra gear and that we should be ready to depart between 8 - 8.30 next morning. I also met my guide, Wilibard, a serious young man , 27 years old, married with one son, Joshua who had worked his way up the ladder from porter. We would be spending a lot of time together over the next 8 days. He helped choose the extra gear I needed to rent..walking poles and thanks to Tommy's recommendation, I got ones with shock absorbers though as they were hard to find in a massive pile, they were not matching but then fancy appearances is not really my scene. I also got gaiters ( they wrap around your lower legs, protecting the top of your boots and lower trouser legs from mud and dust ) and a storage bag for my excess belongings.
Of course, I was ready prior to 8 am but the African way forces it influences again. Lots of trekkers for the various routes were departing simultaneously so you can imagine the chaos. The start of the Lemosho route is some distance from Moshi so I knew we would take some time getting there. Guess what the first stop was...a supermarket so the guides could buy their supplies at less than hotel prices!!
We then had another long stopover in a small town on the way up so the porters, who were being transported in an old army truck, could have their last "non mountain" lunch. We traveled by bus and my fellow travelers were a couple of German ladies, doing the 7 day trek and 2 Dutch guys, Jim and Phyke doing a slightly different version of my trek and with whom I would meet several times. As well, there were our guides and assistant guides. A funny situation did arise when we encountered a broken down jeep with 2 passengers. 
I learnt these were a kiwi couple, living in the UK. She was of Japanese descent and his father was born in Geraldine so I probably went to school with the father. One of our guides told us that they had requested private transport as they didn't want to travel with the masses in our bus! After much tinkering, they got the jeep going but we passed it again apparently broken down again. We dubbed the driver the "crazy driver" because of his erratic style but we would be thankful for this later.
It was then up to the Londorossi gate to sign in and be assigned our full crews. Again, chaos appeared to reign as all luggage and supplies were weighed by the park authorities.
It was then up to the Londorossi gate to sign in and be assigned our full crews. Again, chaos appeared to reign as all luggage and supplies were weighed by the park authorities.
Clients were permitted to take up to 15 kg. Each porter was required to carry exactly 20 kg ( and as you can see from the photos, usually on their heads ) plus their own personal supplies and water needed for each days hike. This added another 5 - 10 kg to their load. Guides carried their own personal gear ( about 15 kg ) and cooks had slightly lower loads than the porters.
At one stage, we had to pass through a young pine forest so we transferred to "the jeep" but then met the porters truck. The truck driver refused to take it any further up the road and hence there were a large number of unhappy porters thinking they would have carry everything an extra 2 -3 kM than planned. However, after much African discussion, our so called "crazy driver" volunteered to drive the army truck up and when successful, received a round a applause and a small reward from the porters.
We arrived at the first camp called Big Tree shortly before nightfall for our first night on the mountain at 2,650 m having started trekking at 2,100 m
