The End Came as a Shock

 The End Came as a Surprise

I made it to 13,000 feet, to the Third Cave Camp where it was just about 10 km to the Kibo Camp. Kibo is  at 15,000 ft elevation and is the final camp before the ascent to the summit.  I couldn't make it to Kibo camp. With my oxygen levels readings in the low 80s, both the lead Guide and I agreed I needed to climb down to the Rongoro Gate and get a ride back to Lindrin Lodge.  I was sick, dehydrated, and suffering from altitude sickness. It was 28 km and 6 hours down the mountain.  Let's just say I was sick in many ways and beyond miserable. Gideon, my guide insisted I keep walking otherwise if I stopped I might not get up. Don't stop. PMA (positive mental attitude) was failing me. I kept going albeit more slowly than usual. 

I wasn't alone in the pain. Gideon, my guide was suffering as well.  But he carried my day pack since I was so weak. He kept pushing me to keep walking although the trail was brutal filled with rocks and ledges you had to climb down.  Climb down 7,000 ft elevation. It took a full 6 hours.  We were both a mess.

We made it to the Gate and caught a van shuttle waiting for us.  I learned later that Gideon went to the hospital where he stayed for 3 days. I will forever be in his debt. My hero. Meanwhile my porter carried all my gear down. Leokadia, a 4' 6" woman was absolutely amazing.  A few days before I couldn't remember her name so I wrote it on my arm with a Sharpie.  She laughed .... a little. She always had serious face. 

So I hung out in the Lindrin Lodge waiting for my two Canadian partners to summit and hike down.  After the summit to 19,341 ft elevation there is 9,000 ft climb down to the next camp. Then the next day they hike to the park gate to catch a shuttle. I met them 3 days after I arrived at Lindrin Lodge.   We hugged and drank a couple of beers to celebrate.  I have no shame in failing to reach the summit.  I did my very best and put everything I could into it but sometimes that isn't enough and you have to face the harsh reality of your limits preventing you from reaching your goals. It's a tough personal lesson I had to learn. 

The guide shared that I was the oldest climber mber they had this month but the oldest (69 y/o) but the oldest they ever had.  That was a bit of a shock.  But not really, At each camp each climber must register. I was thumbing through the register to look at the entries for the last month or so.  I was definitely the oldest in a good while. I'm sure there are climbers who are in their late 60's and 70's but they are extraordinary. Very rare. It kinda caused me to take a pause a bit thinking maybe I may have taken on a bit more than perhaps I should have. Quickly shook off the thought. No self doubt allowed. 

Once we were back at the Lodge Jan-Mark parted ways with Pierre-O as he headed back home to Quebec. Jan-Mark (aka Marco) and I set off for out 5-day safari driving 7 hours to the Serengeti.  It's enormous.  

We were able to see the great herds of wildebeest and zebras (for some reason travel with them for protection).  At first we took lots of pictures of big herds. Then after hours of seeing massive herds you just put the camera down. I estimate in one day I saw over 500,000 wildebeest.  It was the early stages of the great migration. The big event is when they start to cross the Mara River.  We sat in the vehicle for 3 hours waiting for the gathering herds to start the crossing. But everytime a group would head to the river they would turn around.  There are many crocodiles huge (12ft +) waiting for the crossing to begin so they can feast on the gallant early crossers.  There is mounting pressure for the wildabeast to cross as the hundred of thousand begin to gather near the river. 

The big question is why do they want to cross?  The massive birthing grounds are further north. I learned that the wildebeest are able to increase their heard by all females birthing at the same time in the lush grass land.  A baby wildebeest is able to run within just a few minutes of birth.  But the lions, jaguars, and hyenas feast of the calfs.  By having so many births at once the feasting has little impact on the overall wildebeest population.   There are just too many calves to eat.

We drove around the central then northern part of the Serengeti to see Water Buffalo, lions, zebras, giraffe, hyenas, jaguars, chetas,elephants, hippos.  There are so many vehicles driving around close to the animals the animals completely ignore the vehicles. We were just a mere feet from these animals and they just ignored us.  Very strange to get that close.

On the last day we spent the day driving out of the Serengeti and headed to the Ngorongor Crater.  This is special because it is a huge area surrounded by steep, nearly impenetrable mountains. This makes this a special place where the animals don't migrate out of the area. We saw, lions, zebras, giraffes, hippos, wildebeest, dic dics (a very tiny type of deer), gazelles.  But no rhinos.  Apparently, they don't like cold windy weather.  There are about 70 of them but no sign of them anywhere we went. 

After a long morning of driving around the Ngorongoro crater we started back to the Lindrin Lodge about 300 km way.  A long drive back to home base. 

Internet access was only available at the lodge. I had been trying to send text messages to Sue to keep her up to date on my travels. On July 19 I got a message from our bank a large amount of money had been withdrawn from our joint checking account. I wasn't sure if it was a scam so texted Sue to contact the bank to find out what happened. Sue texted back that I should read the email she had just sent. 

The email explained that she had filed for divorce before I left, actually a week before our anniversary (the day before she took me to the airport). She had made the withdrawal and packed up much of the household and moved out. I was in shock. The next two days I had to fly home knowing that when I landed a shuttle Sue had arranged would drive me home to an empty house. 

I was and am still devastated. I was completely blindsided. Sue never told me where she was going but I later learned that she was staying with the kids. I learned that with the money I gave our daughter for her wedding, instead she bought a house back in April this year. Sue and my daughter kept that news from me. When I asked Sue how was Chloe's house hunting going she said that Chloe had decided to wait because of the rising interest rates. I can only assume that once Chloe bought the house,they had planned for Sue to stay there for awhile when she left.  Then I thought that this was especially hurtful since Sue and I had taken an Alaskan cruise together in late May. There was no indication that Sue had planned to file for divorce and leave. 

We and had a lovely 32 year anniversary dinner on June 29th, the night before I left for Africa. I was completely clueless that her attorney had filed a petition for divorce 6 days before that anniversary date and she had a plan to pack up the household with the help of Chloe's and JC (Chloe's fiancee) and leave Florida while I was out of the country. 

This is all a shock to me and a feeling of deep sadness. I don't know why Sue did this now. She and the kids have ghosted me which makes this even more tragic. I've tried contacting Sue and the kids but they do not respond or acknowledge my messages. The divorce, with the help of Sue's and my attorney, will be final in October.  I'm writing this epilogue now, just 2 days after Chloe's 29th birthday, and 2 months since I got Sue's email. I'm putting this here so I don't forget what happened and the feeling of betrayal and broken trust in the most intimate of human bonds. 

Jerry - Signing Out