Mt. Kilimanjaro: Day 1

Today started off slowly. We had to wait almost an hour to get the group registered at the Machame Gate, divide up our gear and the camp gear among the porters. There was quite a crowd, maybe 50 hikers in many groups, all trying to start the climb. When I registered I noticed among the 40 climbers who registered I was the third oldest and as the start got closer, for the first time I felt nervous about the climb.
Finally about 11:00 we set off, our guide set a very slow pace. We hiked through a dense rain forest of trees over 100 feet high and covered in moss and lichens. Although it was cloudy all day, we only had a bit of mist and no rain.
At first it seemed frustrating slow. But 5 hrs, 7 miles and 4000 feet higher when we pulled into our camp site, I was surprised how good I felt and never felt I had to breath hard. So far so good!
One surprise to me and my 5 hiking companions, was our lunch. We ate on a portable picnic table and enjoyed hot soup and chicken, as well a fruit salad. Quite a step above the usual granola bar and peanut butter lunch I usually have while hiking.
I tried to do a little birding along the way, but the overcast sky and thick rain forest made it very difficult to see or identify birds.
Our camp accommodations include a individual two man tent for each hiker, so we have plenty of room to spread out our gear.
Its about 9:00 PM and its become quite cool outside, which makes going to the outhouse a chilly experience.