Amazing Race

This time next month I'm thrilled to be boarding a flight to Tanzania to notch up another trekking achievement.  I'm taking on Mount Kilimanjaro - my highest point so far (5895m) and also the highest free-standing mountain in the world!  Better still, I'll be joined by my Amazing Race buddy (Kez) so there's bound to be much fun and laughter once the hard yards are behind us.

We've opted for the Lemosho Route which is the longest, most scenic and most remote route on Kilimanjaro.  The trek starts out in Lemosho Glades which are rich in buffalo, elephant and other game so that's a new twist on our trekking history.  As is the fact that we'll be braving the great outdoors and camping on our overnight stops.

I'm a firm believer that all trekking accomplishments should be celebrated with food, drink and laziness so from Kilimanjaro we're headed to Zanzibar for a week of play and pamper at Fumba Beach Lodge and Swahili House.  I can't wait!

Speaking of Amazing Race feats, Chloe (who lived with me in Nigeria for the first three months) is taking on the New York City marathon in November 2011.  She's dedicating each kilometer to the mission of improving access to health care in Tanzania by running in support of the Touch Foundation Team (www.touchfoundation.org).  This is a mammoth effort and one that I'm only too happy to support from the sidelines.  So, if you've been wondering how to gather some tax deductions and you're keen to support a good cause, make a donation via www.crowdrise.com/chloemanchester.  You can also check out Chloe's training progress at www.united-manchester.tumblr.com/NYCMARATHON2011.

   

The Great Food Adventure

Food options in Nigeria on a volunteer budget are a little limited.  My diet revolves around pasta, rice, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, tuna, corn, eggs and fruit.  Tough going for a girl who's used to restaurant food from around the world!

Things changed for the better when I met Laura though.  She's a delightful Cameroonian lady who barbeques tilapia fish in the most wonderful mix of spices and serves it with chips, salad, mayonnaise and pepe sauce.

A weekly visit to tantalise my taste buds with tilapia means some very strict budgeting but it's absolutely worth it.  Mind you, Laura's moved from an outdoor barbeque to a fully fledged indoor kitchen and restaurant in the couple of months of my obsession so it seems its smiles all round.

Determined to find some food variety, it's been a month jam packed with interesting food adventures.

There was the West African equivalent of a late night kebab, introduced by the Hausa people and known as Suya.  Beef or chicken is marinated in a powder of finely ground roasted peanuts, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic, ginger and onion and barbequed on skewers.  And to think people warned me that I wouldn't find spicy food in Nigeria... ridiculous!

And Kilichi, which is the Nigerian version of beef jerky smothered in pepe.  By now you'll be noticing a trend - pretty much all food in Nigeria is based around their beloved pepe.  I'm grateful in many ways because it makes beef jerky addictive (which I never thought I'd say), satisfies my desire for chilli and is fantastic for hiding cuts of meat that you're definitely better off not seeing!

This weekend saw me take the food adventure to a whole new level with snails.  Now I'm not talking about your dainty little escargot served in garlic butter but rather giant ugly things.

You guessed it... served in the miracle that is pepe.

They weren't nearly as bad as you might imagine.  In fact they really had no taste at all or if they did, it was overpowered by the pepe.  That said, when one snail is worth more than a third of the price of a tilapia, you can guarantee my loyalty stays with Laura!