Return to Marangu Hotel, Tanzania

Last Day on the mountain..... the usual late start, but there were some fantastic views over the top of the clouds rising from the valley.

The journey down was relatively simple, and followed the route we used on the way up. However as it was going downhill it was so much easier.

Before long we had gone past the Mandara hut, and were heading down the track to the gate.

At the gate we had to wait for all the others to straggle in.  It was almost an hour before the last of them came down .. they were feeling the effects of the rapid descent

Nothing happened until everyone was down, we all sat around getting bored, and fretting, I just sat and went to sleep after a while. Finally we could check out and receive our "certificates" for the journey.

Once all the formalites were over we had another wait while the transport arrived so we could be taken to the hotel. - Welcome to Africa.

Then we said goodbye to our porters and guides, there was an exchange of gifts, where I left my sweaty tee-shirts and the lightweight walking boots. For the porter I had a spare Mars Bar, that had been like gold on this trip.

Back at the hotel, we retrieved our "stashed" baggage and retired for a bath to wash the dust of 6 days on the hill away, actually two were required, the first just removed the surface dust.

Feeling much better it was time to refresh the interior and several cold beers were followed by some food that was thankfully free from that wood smoke taint.