We rise early on Day 2 of our Kilimanjaro trek eager to tackle the day’s climb — a strenuous ascent lies ahead.

One final look at our campsite before we set off. It’s about 8:15am and we’re looking at a 4-5 hour climb.

I’m excited to see blue sky and parts of the mountain today. Yesterday’s trek through jungle terrain was breathtaking in its own way, but the canopy of trees concealed more impressive views that lie ahead.

It starts out gently enough, and then the path makes a sharp turn uphill.

There are little plateaus where hikers can catch their breath and snap photos. I’m falling behind Bethany already, on account of two factors — 1) I didn’t train for this trek since I was traveling the previous two months, and 2) I pause often to take photos which slows me down. But since we have a guide and an assistant guide, it’s easy enough for Bethany and I to split up. She moves on ahead with Thomas at her own pace while I trek pole pole (“slow” in Swahili) with Bruce, who is extremely patient as I take photos of the same things over and over in search of the perfect angle and light. Heck, Bruce even has reading material to keep him occupied while I’m clicking away:

Bruce and I catch up with Bethany and Thomas at the next plateau, and after that we don’t see them again until we reach camp several hours later.

I spy this giant boulder in the distance as we approach. Looks like the perfect perch for a photo.

Yup — I love this sweeping landscape stretched out before us.

But within minutes a cloud cover unfurls at breakneck speed, and suddenly the sun disappears and we’re hiking under a blanket of fog. A chill sets in as everyone on the trail adds layers.

Maybe it’s a good thing we can’t see what lies ahead, since I’m pretty certain it’s more steep uphill switchbacks.

Yesterday I touched upon the flora of Kilimanjaro: it’s otherworldly, and I didn’t know such plants existed prior to this trek. Even the more mundane plant life like moss or lichen take on a more impressive air. The variety of colors, shapes, and sizes of flowers are captivating.

The stretch of trail below is off the main path but I insist to Bruce that we check it out — even dozens of feet away, I can already see colors popping from the bushes. We’re close to camp now so he humors me.

Okay, back on the trial, we are just a few minutes from Shira Caves campsite. That’s the base of Kilimanjaro in the distance below:

I arrive at Shira approximately 5.5 hours after departing the Machame Hut this morning. It took me about 45 minutes longer than the projected time, but I’m here.

The porters have set up our tent, dining tent, and bathroom slightly back from everyone else.

So a word about the toilet — we didn’t request one, but Zara Tours has kindly provided it for us. (I think this option is an extra $100 and it’s totally, completely worth it.) A porter is responsible for carrying it uphill each day to our next campsite (and presumably cleaning it), a job I do not envy. This tent below is our private toilet, and the shed-like structure beyond it is the public squat toilet. Of course, there are endless “bush toilets” available too.

Bethany poses with a warm mug in front of our dining tent. Since today’s trek was rather short (roughly 8am to 1:30pm) we will have lunch here.

That’s Ernest in the photo below; he is our waiter for the entire trek. Funny story: on the first day, Ernest brought us something to eat and I accidentally said the Swahili word for “you’re welcome” instead of “thank you,” so from then on whenever he does something nice for us I tease, “You’re welcome.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: this entire camping experience is far nicer than I ever expected. Zara Tours provides excellent food.

Another look at the colorful tents dotting Shira Caves campsite:

The far end of camp overlooks a large chasm filled with fog. I’ll return at sunset for more photos.

Since we have a few hours to kill until dinner, I happily take a nap in our warm tent. As soon as the sun goes down the temperature will rapidly cool, but for now I soak up the heat while dozing and reading a few chapters of Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Marriage Plot.

Hours fly by and before I know it, I’ve just missed sunset. Drats! I grab my camera and run to the far end of camp, breathing hard. The colors are still an intense blue as the darkness grows.

Hat, gloves, and fleece are on. It was chilly at 10,000 feet last night but now we’re at 12,500 feet and my California blood is too thin for this weather.

I enjoy delicious chicken for dinner while my vegetarian sister eats veggie stew. Side dishes include soup, rice, and more veggies.

We warm up before bed by drinking more tea, as hydration is super important to avoid altitude sickness. And it’s wicked cold.

But despite the temperature, I cannot resist the incredibly clear night sky this evening. Bethany heads to bed while I stay out a little longer to do some night photography.

Each tour group has one or more kitchen tents, and these guys below are still at work cooking dinner:

I’m outside for awhile playing with long exposures; these are my two favorite shots from the evening:

That’s our sleeping and dining tents glowing in the photo above — Bethany is using her headlamp, and I left the candle burning at our dinner table with the thermos in the foreground.

Eventually my fingers are about to fall off and I head to bed.

Many thanks to Zara Tours for discounting my Kilimanjaro trek in exchange for photography and blogging. Opinions are my own.