Is this backpacking?  Arrived at first night campsite on four day climb up Mt Meru.  Spotless wood cabins with bunks for four, solar powered light, showers and toilets (also spotless), and our porter just handed us felt covered hot water bottles.  Now that’s a first.

Ok.  Aside from luxury camping at the Hilton Meru, we passed through canopies of moss draped Dr. Seuss trees and saw Colobus monkeys leaping around high up above as well as a girafe munching away.  Most extraordinary landscape today was Meru Crater  Looked like direct inspiration for James Cameron’s Avatar.

Pictured here is a giant ficus.  So big a car can pass underneath.  I believe its actually two ficus grown together to create an underpass.