Japan Adventures Ahead!

I will be spending September in Japan, mostly in Tokyo but I'll be visiting other cities that are new to me as well. So the remainder of my posts for this month will be from my adventures there. I hope to show you what a great, fun place it is for a solo female traveler. So stay tuned!

While I'm there, I hope to work on my art. Let's see if I can improve from this piece!

Kilimanjaro Climb Days 6-7

Start at Day 1...

May 5, Day Six
When I returned to the tents from the outhouse, Antony informed me that someone would be carrying my pack for the summit push. While a part of me was dismayed, my pride wanting me to carry my weight for every day of the climb, pragmatism made me not argue. My chances of summiting were no longer 40% as they'd felt in my mind. Without my pack I had a good chance of success. And when I saw that they were carrying Jeremy's pack also, I felt less guilty. This guilt would disappear completely when I saw later that the majority of the climbers that day, men and women, did not carry their packs. David and Mike, however, continued to carry their packs and I salute them, especially when the steepness of the final push became apparent.

Kilimanjaro Climb Days 3-5

Start at Day 1

May 2, Day Three
We woke up today well rested after getting at least 8 hours of sleep. We also were happy with the knowledge that today would be a short day, maybe only 5 hours. Mike reported he had woken up with a mild altitude headache which had gone away with breakfast. I was concerned because I'd become out of breath simply from walking to the 'toilets' (although this would become less of a concern since it seemed to happen every morning; perhaps I'm more tired immediately upon waking).

Climbing Kilimanjaro Days 1-2

Don't even think about it, Tricia. Don't--damn.

April 30, Day One
When I awoke in my room at the Kilimakyaro Lodge in Tanzania and rolled over in bed, the view through my window was of Kilimanjaro. Clouds had moved in slightly but not enough to obscure the all-important peak. There it stood, snow-capped and waiting to be conquered by our hopeful group of five.

La Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires

I see dead people's homes.

Buenos Aires in Argentina is a cosmopolitan city, so it wasn't one of my favorite cities for that reason. I prefer places that offer me a different experience. However, there's a very cool site in the city called La Recoleta Cemetery, where Eva Peron's body is kept along with those of other notable South American people. The place is huge, about 14 acres, and there are nearly 5,000 vaults. What I found especially interesting is the different styles of architecture used on the mausoleums.