KILIMANJARO
Day 1...Entering Kilimanjaro National Park
By Landrover we drove from Marangu to Rongai (1950m./6435 ft.) which took us around the mountain (2.5 hours) to the north side on the border of Kenya. 
Nale Moru village
Our porters and guides
When we got to the trailhead we met all 25 of our porters, guides and cook.  It was Christmas day so some of them wore Santa Claus hats!  We had to sign a log book and our group leader took care of obtaining our permits when we were back in Marangu.
No this isn't the Colobus monkey!
The first day is only a half-day walk that begins in a small village called Nale Moru.  A small path winds through farmland and pine plantations before entering the forest, which shelters a variety of wildlife, including the Kilimanjaro Colobus monkey.  We reached Rongai camp by late afternoon at the edge of the moorland zone (2,600 m./8580 ft.).
Still relatively fresh from our Serengeti safari the group of us couldn't stop singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and the infamous theme from the Lion King "Hakuna Matata."  "Oh Wimbaway, oh wimbaway...."
The earth is my mattress, a rock my pillow.