Is there anything quite as prehistoric looking as a giraffe?

I supposed a crocodile and a great white shark come to mind, but having seen these incredible creatures up close, I can’t think there’s anything left on the planet as reminiscent of the Paleozoic Era as a giraffe.

Biology nerds – please don’t correct me on the above…

How is this for irony…

Majority of the people who come to Arusha are here to go on safari.

They come to Africa to go out in the wild in search of Lions, Tigers, and Bears….(if you didn’t say/think “oh my” right now, then your life has no purpose…)

Actually, it’s lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, leopards, warthogs, and kids wearing t-shirts that read “New England Patriots: Perfect Season 18-0.”  If you’re not a football fan, you won’t get that reference, but let’s just say that there’s a reason those t-shirts were thrown away…

We came to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and climb, we shall.

But we had to kill one more day before the climb.

So, we went on safari!

That’s right!  What most people come to Africa to do as their main purpose, we did as a time-killer just to fill the void.

We came to Arusha three days early so we could acclimatize and wear off the jet-lag.

Judging by the four hours sleep I got last night, I’d say my body clock is still a little wonky.

But our bodies have likely adjusted to the elevation here in Arusha (about 4,800 feet), and we are ready to proceed to 19,334 feet by next Tuesday.

I’m not going to lie – I’m a little anxious.

I asked my Dad today if he was anxious, and he said, “No.  Why?  What’s the worst thing that could possibly happen?”

I answered, “Well…..a terrible, terrible death?”

He replied, “Sure.  If you look at it like that.”

I don’t even know what that means!

I’m positive that my Dad, Subash, and myself will all make it up the mountain safely, and in a timely fashion.

But I still feel anxious!  You can’t help what you feel, right?  Like when you still have feelings for that girl that spurned you like eight times and lit your house on fire and danced on the ashes – but your heart still skips a beat when you see an email come through with anything close to resembling her name?  Kind of like that…

I can’t help but feel a bit anxious, although I’m ready for this climb.

I’m 29 years old, I’m healthy, and I’m in good shape.

What the @*$& is there for me to worry about?

I guess in the end, it’s not a question of physical fitness and stamina; it’s that of your mental game.

I remember riding the bike at GoodLife before I left and trying to pedal as hard as I could for 20 full minutes.  I mean like sprint the way you would for twenty seconds, but for twenty full minutes!

It wasn’t so much my body that gave up as it was my mind.  I was dripping sweat, panting to the point of basically spitting everywhere, and I was practically yelling with every breath “Eeeeh….eeeuuhhh….yuuuhhhh…..eeeaahhh…”  Yeah – I’m that guy in the gym!

I was yelling “Go Hard, Dave!  Go!”   People were looking at me.

I didn’t give up.  My RPM sure went down, but I never mentally gave up.

That’s what I’m striving for in the next seven days.

71% of people that attempt this trek do not make it to the summit.

And that doesn’t include those who never get on the plane.

So, what should be my fight song?

I was thinking one of the following:

1.  Final Countdown by Sweedish rock band “Europe”

2.  Running Up That Hill by British singer/songwriter Kate Bush

3.  Macho Man by “The Village People”

The possibilities are endless, but these are the mainstays!

I spent a good portion of the day trying to pick out a fight song.

In the end, today was a fun day and it occupied my mind before the trek.

I can’t imagine, however, doing safari for a whole week!

Take, for example, the experience of seeing baboons in the wild….more than once…

The first time you see them, you stop and gasp in awe!  You pull over, get out your camera, video camera, and even your Blackberry so you can immediately send a photo to your friends.  You spend ten minutes standing and watching.  You marvel at these magnificent creatures as your eyes get wider and wider!  You watch them play, interact, eat, climb trees, and you watch them watch you!  AMAZING!

The second time you see them, you pull over again!  You try and get an even better picture than the first time, and you look for an even cuter baby!

The third time you see them, you barely move your left butt-cheek out of its rightful place as you tilt your head sideways out the window to have an honest gander.

And the fourth time you see them, you just try to slow down enough so you don’t run them down with your Range Rover.

I never thought I’d say that I was “All giraffe’d out,” but by the end of the day, I was.

I’m ready for Mount Kilimanjaro.

Just like Kirsten Dunst said in that movie, for which the name currently eludes me, “Bring It On!”

I’ve been having a few problems with my Blackberry over here, so I’ll try my darndest to update the blog each day for the next seven days.  I’m basically planning on writing out a quick few thoughts on my Blackberry, with a photo, and emailing it to my buddy in Toronto so he can post it online.  There is one spot at each camp where you can stand up on a rock with your phone in the air and get a satellite signal.  I sure hope “X” marks the spot.

See you all in September!