They say the world is shrinking and it is, in respect of the ease of world travel. Tourists want to travel to the more remote outposts of the world and adventure travel is increasingly popular.

When I was a child, I dreamed of visiting the Far East and the Great Wall China, in particular. China held a fascination for me but I never dreamed that I would actually get there one day.

My husband and I decided to save up and go on the vacation of a lifetime. We have a friend who lives and works in Japan who speaks Chinese Mandarin fluently, having studied the language at Beijing University and has also worked in Taiwan.

The plan was to visit our friend in Tokyo and see a bit of Japan. Then we flew to Hong Kong to spend some time there and then onto China. Our friend went with us, which made the trip a lot more fun and much easier, having someone to interpret for us.

Beijing is a fascinating place and we did the usual sightseeing, including exploring the Forbidden Palace and Tienanmen Square. One of the striking things is the amount of cars in the city and the background noise of tooting car horns. Then came the time to board the coach to take us to the Great Wall China. We had read as much about it as we could but nothing really prepares you for it.

I was determined to walk the wall, a portion of it anyway, as it stretches over 4,000 miles! When we arrived, it was very busy, mostly with Chinese people and a few foreigners sprinkled here and there. We walked one of the most popular stages of the Great Wall China. It is divided into watchtowers, gateways and old barracks, some sections dating back to the 5th century. The longest human made construction in the world surpassed all expectations.

Just 150 years ago, two German missionaries, Johannes Rebmann and Johann Krapf claimed that they say a white snow-capped mountain near the equator. As you can imagine, the story of a snow-capped mountain in tropical Africa was met with doubt and derision. Eventually though, these reports were confirmed and the snow-capped mountain was identified as Kilimanjaro. This great mountain is located in East Africa in country Tanzania. Rising to a colossal 5,895 meters, the name appropriately means ‘Mountain of Greatness’.  Its immense size is accentuated by its isolation standing alone over the land below occupied by the Masai tribe that lies a mere 900 meters above sea level.

Few scenes are as memorable and picturesque as the site of Mount Kilimanjaro. Little wonder it is referred to as the roof of Africa, the mountain can be seen for hundreds of miles in all direction and it was used as the guiding point by caravans traveling out of wild Africa carrying cargoes of gold, slaves and ivory. You cannot help but be amazed as you view a herd of elephants crossing the dusty low plains with the imposing backdrop of the majestic snow-capped ‘Kili’ in the distance.

The colossal size of Kilimanjaro is however not the only attraction. The mountain’s ecosystem is a masterpiece in itself. The mountain is made up of different zones defined by altitude, vegetation and rainfall. While the lower parts are covered with pristine tropical lush forests, the upper zone is draped with strands of lichen resembling gray beards of old men. Here tussocks of grass intermingled with brightly colored flowers create a scenic beautiful countryside. Above this zone are the moorlands. Here you can find giant groundsels and flowers growing around boulders and rocky outcrops. As we go up Kilimanjaro, we encounter the alpine zone. The terrain here gets dull in color and temperatures can range from 100 degree Fahrenheit during the day to below freezing at night.

Once at the summit, the air is cold and clear and the mountain’s dark terrain contrasts beautifully with the large white ice fields against the dark-blue sky. The sheer size of Kilimanjaro allows it to create its own climate. Moist wind blown inland from the Indian Ocean hits the mountain and condenses to produce rainfall making its slopes fertile lands for food crops that sustains the community living at the base of the mountain. The experience of climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is open to anyone and there re well-organized expeditions for those wishing to do it. Undoubtedly, seeing the impressive ‘Kili’ inspires awe.

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