Kilimanjaro Day two our ascent continues!!

We woke up the next morning to mist filling our campsite as we made our way to the tent for breakfast and our daily briefing.

This would be one of two daily briefings, the other was after dinner. Once again many little flowers and plants danced in the sunlight filtering through the forest canopy, which we were now starting to leave behind us.

We could feel the temperature changing and the plants and topography was also starting to look different. We saw a large rhododendron-like plant with beautiful white flowers about 3 cms across (Tabernaemontana holstii) and another very interesting plant which had dark shiny serrated leaves with orange berries (Xymalos monospora). We started to leave the gnarled trees with very rough reddish bark and small oval shiny leave. Its heather-like flowers grew in unexpected pinkish spikes.

My favorite flower was the tiny mainly red with touches of yellow and orange Impatiens kilimanjari. This very cure looking flower with its trumpet end which looked like a pixie's cap caught everyone's eye and Rachel managed to capture its vibrant beauty on camera, much to my delight.

Along the river gorges in the lower forest we had seen the sycamore figs and palms, whose fruits attract hornbills, turacos and monkeys. We heard the monkeys and spotted several vervet monkeys that eagerly made their way to investigate what they could steal from our tents, hence the porter who would guard our tents when we ate. As we made our way through the lower and upper forest we found magical “old mans beard” hanging from the limbs of tress everywhere, these grey-green streamers of the bearded lichen (Usnea sp) just added to the feeling of walking through never ending enchanted forest. At any moment you expected a Walt Disney character to leap out the forest and announce themselves!

Many of the branches and rocks are encrusted with mosses and ferns. In the wet places Frank told us the impressive tree ferns can grow as high as 6m. On either side of the narrow pathways along the forest and the narrow ridge the beautiful moss like plants (Lycopodium and Selagnella) carpeted the ground. This moss was so inviting and I could imagine the little animals, the small diker in particular who would probably use this as a very comfortable bed to sleep on.

As mentioned the flowers in the more dense part of the forest are not plentiful, but are certainly striking. We spotted a few orchid looking plants (polystachyus – which was indeed an orchid) and violets (viola eminil). The most noticeable plant other than the striking impatience kilimanjari was the balsams (also an impatiens) which fromed thick carpets in the damp more shady place. The impatiens pseudoviola is a perfect pink and the scarlet and yellow I. kilimanjari was found near the streams, growing nowhere else in the world. Frank proudly told us!!

the vines climbing over the forest trees, with its sweetly scented white or pinkish flowers and asymmetric leaves is a begonia. As we climbed higher into the clearings we spotted the giant lobellia (Lobelia gibberoa) which Frank assured us can reach up to 10m in height and we would see much larger ones in the Moorland. The lobelia's stem is actually quiet thin and the dried leaves cover the stem, protecting it from the cold and the many layers made the stem appear thick. It has a very talk flower spike and Frank promised to show us his most favorite plant on the mountain. We also came across a small shrub that when I crunches the leaves between my fingers gave off a strong lavender smell. We named this plant the Kilimanjaro lavender.

it was now getting much colder and the mist was thick and creating a very damp environment. in the far distance we could make out our next camp. At this stage we were really looking forward to a hot meal and curling up into our sleeping bags and getting some much needed sleep.

we seemed to walk for miles along uneven and rocky terrain, which was hard on the ankles. we came around a small ridge and all of a sudden we were transformed into yet another world and the weather had seem to have cleared to offer a dramatic view of the Queen herself. I looked at her in complete awe and fear. She was so huge!! The plants had once again changed dramatically and I bore witness to some incredible flora that I had personally never seen before and with camera in hand I was thrown into a world of fantasy and make believe, fighting invisible dragons!!