Capturing the Moment

 Amboseli National Park has always been one of my favorite parks in Kenya. It is a dry, arid savannah landscape, punctuated by intense green marshes. These marshes are fed by underground springs due to the snow melt of nearby Kilimanjaro volcano. These ever-present waters provide a lifeblood for an amazing amount of wildlife in the area. We found elephants up to their ears in the cool, marshy waters as well as buffalo, zebra, and all kinds of antelope. Herds of animals grazed on the grassy plains surrounding the marsh as they kept a wary eye out for lions.       As we entered the park we were greeted by five different herds of elephants emerging out of the forest. They ambled right by our vehicle on their way down to the water. We checked into our wilderness lodge, Amboseli Serena Lodge, which would be our home base for safaris for three days and two nights. A local Maasai warrior patroled the ground as security, but not with a gun for robbers or a knife for big...

Kilimanjaro is a dormant volcano located just over the Kenyan border into Tanzania. At 19,341 ft elevation at the summit, Kilimanjaro is the highest point in Africa, and is a major climbing destination. It is fully encompassed in Mt Kilimanjaro National Park, although the only animals you might see are monkeys and birds. The mountain is also listed as one of the seven summits. For Jack and I, it would be the first of the seven summits attempted.   As I was researching climbing companies I found out there are many different routes you could take which all eventually lead you to Uhuru Peak. Climbers generally take between 5 and 8 days, depending on the route and their experience level, to reach the peak. I read that around 20,000 people attempt to climb Kili every year, put I'm not sure the percentage of people who make it all the way to the top. The prices also range dramatically between tour operators. There is a per day park fee which is pretty steep, and then whatever the tour...