I’m finally back from my two week African excursion and happy to say it was a successful endeavor. Having conquered the roof of Africa I can now call myself a mountaineer (and I would if it weren’t so douchey).

Mountaineer or not, I can now boast alongside the small handful of individuals from Kuwait who have summited Kilimanjaro. And who knows I might be the first or second Kuwaiti woman to have ever done it so booyakasha!

My co climbers and I used climbKili and chose the 8 day Lemosho route for our trek, and though it was hard, smelly, and sweaty, it was a freaking blast.

Beware of AMS it is not a myth and in spite of taking diamox it got me on day 4. Lets just say that part of the experience was less than pleasant (yes some crying may have been involved). Make sure to pick your companions wisely, 8 days of close tent quarters and mountain pooping can really ruin a friendship. Also the porters and guides are such an important part of the trip research everything thoroughly before picking a company to go with.

If mountain climbing isn’t your thing I would still recommend a visit to Tanzania for safari, or Zanzibar for some beachside fun. The people are painfully sweet and the country is gorgeous.

Unfortunately my powershot camera was stolen somewhere between Tanzania and Ethiopia, but here are some pics I managed to salvage from my phone and SLR.

Fun fact: Tanzania loves the Kuwaiti band Miami.